I have to stop discriminating against YA Novels because even though I read a lot of them and enjoy them there’s a little part of me that’s always thinking: You should be reading a grown-up book. You are not a young adult anymore. But age is a number (so shut-up mind!) and a great story is a great story. Below are three of the great YA books I read last year and while the stories are fairly different they have strong female characters in common and I really believe that plays a part.