Book recommendations for teens

[twowhat?]

Can we start a list? Our well has run dry in terms of stuff our teens are interested in reading. The last books that they were truly interested in were the Percy Jacksons series. I think they'd be interested in something along the lines of The Fault in Our Stars. Dear Evan Hansen. etc. If I can get them to actually start a book, that is. :)

[gatorsmom]

Can we start a list? Our well has run dry in terms of stuff our teens are interested in reading. The last books that they were truly interested in were the Percy Jacksons series. I think they'd be interested in something along the lines of The Fault in Our Stars. Dear Evan Hansen. etc. If I can get them to actually start a book, that is. :)

Well, a natural progression from the Percy Jackson books for us was the Hunger Games and then the Divergent series (Insurgent, Allegiant). A couple of my kids also really loved the Maze Runner books. I can't remember how old they were when they read those. Might have been in middle school so they might not be what your kids are looking for.

[ang79]

I have two girls who always have their nose in a book (take after me at that age, lol). They also read and enjoyed all of the Rick Riordan books. 15 year old DD1 has read most of the John Green books, Jenny Han, Hunger Games series, the Selection series, series by Michelle Meadow on Kindle Unlimited, Vampire Academy series, and she is currently on the Red Queen series. Soon to be 13 yr. old DD2 is more into fantasy/ fairy tales (A Tale of Magic series, Lat Dragon Chronicles, Disney Twisted Fairytales, Fairytale Reform School series, etc).


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[pakin]

We love Jonathan Stroud's Lockwood and Co. series. His new book The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne is also very good.

[lizzywednesday]

There are SO many great books out there for the tween/teen set - YA and Teen lit have really exploded as the middle grade readers grew up!

Anyway, it sounds like teasing out what kind of book will capture their interests may be a good start.

Recent YA I've read has included:


the Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard (dystopian post-climate fallout fantasy; lots of excellent world-building; heroine is unlikeable but sympathetic, a lot like Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games books)
Mackenzi Lee's Montague Siblings books (queer themes, a bit of sexual activity; not sure if this is a pro or con for you)
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas (trans protagonist; murder-mystery with occult & magical realism elements)
the Simon Snow trilogy by Rainbow Rowell (this might be a good bridge from Percy Jackson - they have the "chosen one" narrative plus hero's quest; I haven't yet read the last one, which was released back in July 2021)
Dread Nation duology by Justina Ireland (alternate universe post-Civil War US with zombies; features a Black, bisexual lead character and raises a lot of questions about race, passing, and class; I really loved this one because it scared the H3ll out of me)
Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron (set 100 years after any version of "Cinderella," though the references feel more Perrault than Grimm's, the Ball is now a mandatory event for girls starting at age 16, the Prince rules with an iron fist, and anyone divergent is Punished ... including our main character, Sophia, who is Black and queer ... and determined to get out!)
Nsbidi Scripts series by Nnedi Okorafor (https://nnedi.com/books/akata.html) (1st book is Akata Witch; set in Nigeria, it follows Sunny, who doesn't fit in anywhere - she's got albinism ... and Magic)
the Binti series, also by Nnedi Okorafor (https://nnedi.com/books/binti.html) (1st book is Binti; it's a quest story, set in a future Nigeria; the genre is what Nnedi calls "Africanfuturism," a subgenre of science fiction)


When I was that age, I was heavily into Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles books, as well as "true" ghost stories, and classic horror books. I also read Jurassic Park 13 times before the movie came out in 1993 ... and went down the Michael Crichton rabbit hole. (His other books didn't grab me the way JP did.)

I also had (and still have!) a weakness for retold fairy tales, so Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles and any Shannon Hale (Books of Bayern especially) might scratch that itch!

[bisous]

The Skyward series by Brandon Sanderson is excellent. Lots of teens I know (boys and girls) love that one. My DS1 (18) will read anything. DS2 is much pickier and loves the series so he's the one I use to gauge interest and readability!

[hbridge]

My favorite book ever is Nation by Terry Pratchett. DC is completely into all of his books, but Nation is an amazing standalone!

Neil Gaiman has some great books as well. The Graveyard book was excellent.

Also:

The Miss Peregrine Series
Dune
Little Woman
Sherlock Holmes
The Nicholas Flamel Series

Have fun with it!

[PunkyBoo]

DS1 enjoyed several books by Jordan Sonnenblick. (But they weren't DS2's cup of tea so YMMV).

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[Kindra178]

For kids really into hip hop, I recommend all the books about gangs! There's a book called Monster, which is a memoir of a LA gang member. For a more mature audience, My Bloody Life. For more advanced readers, there is a book called Gang Leader For a Day.

[lizzywednesday]

For kids really into hip hop, I recommend all the books about gangs! There's a book called Monster, which is a memoir of a LA gang member. For a more mature audience, My Bloody Life. For more advanced readers, there is a book called Gang Leader For a Day.

Could these be paired with books like Nic Stone's Dear Martin or Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give and Concrete Rose? (They're on my TBR for various reasons, but mostly because they keep getting challenged by parents & school boards.)

[Kindra178]

Could these be paired with books like Nic Stone's Dear Martin or Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give and Concrete Rose? (They're on my TBR for various reasons, but mostly because they keep getting challenged by parents & school boards.)

My sophomore is reading hate u give now for school and he read dear Martin last year for school. The books I mentioned are kind of too gritty for school.


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[bisous]

Could these be paired with books like Nic Stone's Dear Martin or Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give and Concrete Rose? (They're on my TBR for various reasons, but mostly because they keep getting challenged by parents & school boards.)

We read The Hate U Give for book club and we all loved it. I think it would be great/appropriate for a teen. There is some strong language in that one but I would give it to my 14yo with a warning and feel totally ok about it.

[lizzywednesday]

My sophomore is reading hate u give now for school and he read dear Martin last year for school. The books I mentioned are kind of too gritty for school. ...

Sounds like I should read them.

[lizzywednesday]

We read The Hate U Give for book club and we all loved it. I think it would be great/appropriate for a teen. There is some strong language in that one but I would give it to my 14yo with a warning and feel totally ok about it.

While we feel differently about the language, I appreciate this honest assessment - there are books that are being challenged right now that I think are important for students to read, especially those who may not experience the kinds of things the books' main characters deal with.

DD isn't anywhere near reading-level able to process these, but I have them on my TBR.

[bisous]

While we feel differently about the language, I appreciate this honest assessment - there are books that are being challenged right now that I think are important for students to read, especially those who may not experience the kinds of things the books' main characters deal with.

DD isn't anywhere near reading-level able to process these, but I have them on my TBR.

You know, I used to side eye parents who talked about how certain books "bothered their kids" when they'd challenge literature, thinking it was probably more a case of the parents projecting. Then I had a couple of those kids myself. Both of my teens don't like being exposed to foul language or inappropriate material (too sexually mature or too violent). But honestly, these things bother me too. We're really religious and I'm sure that's a huge part of it. I think in this particular book the language is part of the dialogue and culture of the main character and it would be inauthentic to censor it. It is heavy subject matter too but it is important. So my kids would legitimately be "bothered" by it but some bothering is worthwhile.

[lizzywednesday]

You know, I used to side eye parents who talked about how certain books "bothered their kids" when they'd challenge literature, thinking it was probably more a case of the parents projecting. Then I had a couple of those kids myself. Both of my teens don't like being exposed to foul language or inappropriate material (too sexually mature or too violent). But honestly, these things bother me too. We're really religious and I'm sure that's a huge part of it. I think in this particular book the language is part of the dialogue and culture of the main character and it would be inauthentic to censor it. It is heavy subject matter too but it is important. So my kids would legitimately be "bothered" by it but some bothering is worthwhile.

I think the bit I've bolded is the crux of growing as a person, especially through reading books that serve as windows like these do, and they can lead to deeper discussions both in school ... and at home. Language aside, the content, and especially the thoughts & feelings of the main character, is important to understanding others.

[Corie]

We love Jonathan Stroud's Lockwood and Co. series. His new book The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne is also very good.


I loved this series!!!