#6Degrees: Unboxed to... (Guest post by Lisa Williamson)

I'm excited to have the brilliant Lisa Williamson taking part in 6 Degrees today! Lisa's debut, The Art of Being Normal, is one of my favourite books of the last few years.

Non Pratt's stunning novella Unboxed takes place over a single day. Another YA novel with a short timeframe is Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist.

Set over a single evening, it charts the romance of Nick and Norah, brought together by their almost identical taste in music. The novel is co-written by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, who have gone on to pen a further three excellent books together. One of my very favourite co-writing teams is the hilarious and brilliant Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison.

Tom and Lucy's debut, Lobsters was widely regarded as one of the funniest books of 2014. The novels exploration of teenage sex is frank, funny, realistic and overwhelmingly positive, instantly reminding me of the representation of sex in Judy Blume's iconic Forever.

Forever is the story of Katherine and her boyfriend, Michael. It's widely considered one of the first books for young adults to portray teenage sexuality in a positive light, tackling virginity loss and masturbation alongside themes such as divorce, bereavement and family stress, all with Blume's trademark honestly and humour. Over 30 years after publication, it's is as popular and relevant as ever. Published a year earlier, The Cat Ate My Gymsuit by Paula Danziger has also stood the test of time. 

The Cat Ate My Gymsuit explores parental relationships, body image and popularity. Its thirteen year-old narrator, Marcy Lewis learns to find her voice when her favourite teacher, Miss Finney is threatened with the loss of her job for her unconventional teaching practices. Marcy leaps to Miss Finney's defence, her protest resulting in a suspension from school and major rifts at home. Another teen making a stand is the wonderful Lottie in Holly Bourne's What's a Girl Gotta Do?

After being heckled on her way to school, Lottie decides enough is enough and launches a feminist revolution, calling out every instance of sexism she sees (with a little help from a rather loud clown horn). The climax of Holly's excellent Spinster Club trilogy, it's a smart, witty and important read for teenage girls and boys everywhere.