YouAlberta
Novels can illustrate feelings and experiences that may seem distinct and isolating but are, in fact, universal. I love to read campus-set novels because they poetically describe the student experience, whether good or bad. If an author thought to write about it, that means I’m not the only one! It’s also interesting to put yourself into a character’s shoes whose experience might be drastically different from yours – and that's the beauty of fiction.
University is one of those times when everyone else seems to have it all together, and you’re the only one struggling to keep up. I’ve put together a list of novels that address these themes and more through original, thought-provoking takes. These novels delve into the distinct experience of throwing oneself into the hustle of campus and are written in ways that feel comforting yet eye-opening.
Honey and Spice by Bolu Babalola
This book is a heart-warming love story yet simultaneously addresses important issues. It discusses race as the characters navigate being a minority on a predominantly white campus and navigating one’s identity in professional and intimate settings.
This story follows Kiki Banjo, a radio host of a popular campus radio show Brown Sugar, that addresses love, relationships and navigating university life through humorous and witty dialogue. Malakai Korede is a film student who's new to campus. Despite their conflicting personalities, the pair establish a false relationship that saves face in front of the school’s African-Caribbean Society and aids each other in expanding the potential of their respective projects.
If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio
This novel explores themes of friendship and ambition, and how fiction can bleed into one's reality. This is the quintessential dark academia book and it lets you experience the tragedies of Shakespeare without needing to learn Shakespearean English!
If We Were Villains is set against the backdrop of an elite arts college and follows a group of 7 students who are studying Shakespeare. Each character fully embodies their assigned role, on and off stage. The story is told retrospectively from Oliver's perspective after having served jail time for a murder he may or may not have committed. Their lives mirror the tragedy they are studying, leaving one of the characters dead.
Normal People by Sally Rooney
I particularly appreciated this story for how it describes the internal struggle we go through in experiencing drastic changes in university and the process of trying to understand how we feel. It can be comforting to read such stories and to know that these experiences are much more common and need not be isolating.
Normal People is the story of Marianne and Connell, from their initial connection in high school and how it develops as they enter university. Connell goes from being a popular, well-loved jock to struggling to find his place at university. On the other hand, Marianne goes from being an outsider to being confident and socially engaged on campus. Their dynamic fluctuates as they work to find themselves in this new chapter while dealing with new connections and personal struggles. Rooney explores themes of love, class and internal struggle and how these elements can push and pull people apart.
True Biz by Sara Nović
This story analyses the personal and intersecting conflicts of each character in a beautiful way as it explores parental relationships and belonging. What I enjoyed most was how educational it was as Nović consistently discussed nuances in deaf culture like ESL vs. BASL, history within the deaf community and informative illustrations of common ASL terms and phrases between chapters.
True Biz is a unique story in that it is set at a deaf school. It follows Charlie, a deaf girl born to hearing parents and new to the deaf community; Austin, who comes from a deaf family and is grappling with the idea that his new baby sister might be hearing; and February, who is a child of hearing parents and the headmistress trying to keep the school from being closed down.
The Idiot by Elif Batuman
Batuman adds charm to the ordinary experiences of being on a big campus through philosophical musings as she puts to words opinions we may have had but struggled to articulate.
The Idiot follows Selin, a Turkish-American student in her first year at Harvard. Selin is a curious and introspective character, giving us humorous yet relatable observations as she pursues new friendships and relationships, tries out interesting courses and navigates her newly independent lifestyle. Batuman examines the awkwardness of new connections and the inevitable longing to be understood. More broadly, she explores the nature of language and communication in human connection through Selin’s fascination with her Russian language class and being a linguistics major.