Our Favorite YA Dads Just in Time for Father's Day
Happy Father’s Day, Dads of the Book World!! They’re not my real dad, and they never will be (he’s awesome in his own right), but I still love a good book dad. The solid (sometimes cryptic) advice. The gruff, but meaningful silences. The signature dad jokes. Dads have a lot to offer our protagonists, even if they may not be ready to listen and learn just yet. To celebrate dads everywhere, both real and fictional, here are some of our favorite YA dads!
Charlie Swan
from Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
Charlie Swan is actually THE best dad. I will not be taking any questions or comments at this time.
Isabella Swan's move to Forks, a small, perpetually rainy town in Washington, could have been the most boring move she ever made. But once she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, Isabella's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Isabella, the person Edward holds most dear. The lovers find themselves balanced precariously on the point of a knife -- between desire and danger.
Madoc
from The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
Okay, so Madoc may have killed Jude’s parents. Does that disqualify him from Father of the Year?
Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King. To win a place at the Court, she must defy him--and face the consequences. In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.
Marverick “Big Mav” Carter
from The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Big Mav gives Charlie Swan serious competition. His advice is just so heartfelt and spot on, and he and Lisa are so good together.
Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed. Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.
Ahmed Jilani
from More Than Just a Pretty Face by Syed M. Masood
I wouldn’t say Ahmed and Danyal have the best father/son relationship in the beginning. However, Ahmed 100% comes around and he absolutely makes me tear up when he does.
Danyal Jilani doesn't lack confidence. He may not be the smartest guy in the room, but he's funny, gorgeous, and going to make a great chef one day. His father doesn't approve of his career choice, but that hardly matters. What does matter is the opinion of Danyal's longtime crush, the perfect-in-all-ways Kaval, and her family, who consider him a less than ideal arranged marriage prospect. When Danyal gets selected for Renaissance Man, a school-wide academic championship, it's the perfect opportunity to show everyone he's smarter than they think. He recruits the brilliant, totally-uninterested-in-him Bisma to help with the competition, but the more time Danyal spends with her . . . the more he learns from her...the more he cooks for her . . . the more he realizes that happiness may be staring him right in his pretty face.
Saul
from Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert
The first time we meet Saul, he’s cooking. That’s all it takes for me. Sold. A stepdad who cooks is winning.
When Suzette comes home to Los Angeles from her boarding school in New England, she's isn't sure if she'll ever want to go back. L.A. is where her friends and family are (as well as her crush, Emil). And her stepbrother, Lionel, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, needs her emotional support. But as she settles into her old life, Suzette finds herself falling for someone new...the same girl her brother is in love with. When Lionel's disorder spirals out of control, Suzette is forced to confront her past mistakes and find a way to help her brother before he hurts himself--or worse.
Lyle
from We Contain Multitudes by Sarah Henstra
I will forever be amused by people who call their parents by their first names. Also, Lyle is in a band, so he automatically gets bonus dad points.
Jonathan Hopkirk and Adam "Kurl" Kurlansky are partnered in English class, writing letters to one another in a weekly pen pal assignment. With each letter, the two begin to develop a friendship that eventually grows into love. But with homophobia, bullying, and devastating family secrets, Jonathan and Kurl struggle to overcome their conflicts and hold onto their relationship...and each other.