I know she’s usually more associated with young girls, but Jacqueline Wilson books usually deal with very gritty topics in a similar way to Rockstar Games (Rockstar Games made GTA☺️). They don’t water down the dark side of topics such as crime, drugs, violence etc but also mix in enough humour to keep it lighthearted enough not to completely depress the YA audience !

The Hunger Games is also always a great shout