When the last time a new young American writer was nominated for the National Book Award was in 2005, the list was dominated by high schoolers.
This year, the top young writers on the shortlist are 14-year-olds and 18-year olds, making the field even more diverse.
The latest crop of nominees, however, were mostly young adults who had already written about the struggles of living with a disability.
This list is the most diverse of any NABN nomination for an adult novel.
That’s because many of the nominees on the list are from low-income backgrounds.
While the list also includes authors from all races, the biggest difference is that only three of the 14 nominees come from underrepresented communities.
Here’s a look at the top 12 winners.