What happens when a teen experiences something formative, something appalling, something that stays with them forever? Mental health problems, suicide, bullying, abuse, violence and sexual assault are all very real traumas that far too many young adults experience, but bringing these problems out in the open is an important step in their eradication.
These books focus on teens who aren’t living the perfect life. Some are darker than others, but all provide a unique perspective and lessons to be learned. Though these are no fairy tales, some actually have a bit of a happy ending and hope for a brighter future.
YA novels
‘Two Can Keep a Secret’ by Karen McManus
This edge-of-your-seat-suspense thriller stars teenagers in a serene small town as they navigate that quintessential coming-of-age experience: homecoming.
A prior homecoming queen was murdered years ago, and that haunting event seems to be repeating itself as mysterious threats come to light.
Author Karen McManus is an established name in this genre, and this award-winner shows teens in a situation that was supposed to be safe and happy but becomes twisted and terrifying.
‘13 Reasons Why’ by Jay Asher
This almost-instant bestseller caused a tremendous stir in the literary world. Both mysterious and heartbreaking, “13 Reasons Why” is a story that gets right to the heart of what it means to be a teenager.
The book doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities that protagonist Hannah faced while alive: from sexual assault to bullying to her own guilt at how she responded to certain events.
The book became a Netflix series and incited a discussion of the disturbing prevalence of mental health problems in society, especially among teenagers.
‘Vigilante’ by Kady Cross
Hadley’s best friend, Magda, committed suicide after months of bullying for being gang-raped at a party by four popular boys from school.
After all the boys are let off, Hadley can’t stand idly by and let them get away with it. She finds an old pink ski mask Magda bought for her, covers her face and seeks revenge on her own.
‘All the Rage’ by Courtney Summers
Romy Grey is raped, and her whole town refuses to believe her story and subjects her to bullying, mockery and their long-held prejudices. Others start to fall victim, and Romy knows she could help if only she could be heard.
“All the Rage” prompts a necessary discussion about one of the most difficult topics to talk about.
‘Death by the River’ by Alexandrea Weis and Lucas Astor
The star quarterback of St. Benedict High — a golden boy in the eyes of his small Louisiana town — spends his weekends hanging out by a secluded river. Seems lovely, doesn’t it? Well, don’t judge a book by its cover (though this book’s cover actually does allude to the monstrousness within its pages).
A dark thriller about a psychopath and the depraved acts he commits on young women, the authors implore you “get loud, get angry, and fight back” against violence and assault.
It’s a horrifying tale of the unthinkable things that can happen right next door — and a master manipulator who must be stopped.
‘The Hate U Give’ by Angie Thomas
Drawing heavily on recent political events and the Black Lives Matter movement, Angie Thomas tells us the story of Starr Carter, a teen who witnesses a horrific tragedy.
Torn between two worlds, Starr attends an elite prep school during the day, but goes home each evening to her more impoverished neighborhood. When she sees her unarmed friend, Khalil, shot and killed by a police officer, Starr finds herself caught in the middle of a national debate. Between the institutional racism that she faces on a daily basis, her own rage and the demands of both her communities, Starr is forced to make a decision that will change her life forever.
It was adapted as a movie in 2018 starring Amandla Stenberg.
‘His Favorites’ by Kate Walbert
In this story, adult Jo is looking back on her teenage self and the trauma she experienced, and it brings up the #metoo movement and hidden illicit affairs. Jo’s best friend dies in a horrible accident, after which our narrator goes to boarding school, where she finds herself growing closer and closer to her 34-year-old English teacher, becoming his “favorite.”
It’s a simultaneously appealing and disturbing bond, and it opens the door to a singularly complex story.
Reading the rainbow
In winter, people start craving color. Here are 10 books to remind us that eventually our landscape will be filled with color again.
Reading the rainbow
‘The Scarlet Letter’ by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Published in 1850, the novel is set in Puritan America.
It’s the story of Hester Prynne, who conceives a child out of wedlock and is forced to wear the scarlet “A” for adultery on her clothing.
‘A Study in Scarlet’ by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The first Sherlock Holmes novel.
Originally published in 1887, the mystery revolves around the discovery of a corpse in a London house with the word “Rache” scrawled in blood nearby.
‘A Clockwork Orange’ by Anthony Burgess
Not for the faint of heart, Anthony Burgess’ dystopian novel is set in the not-too-distant future and centers on an extremely violent youth culture and the attempts by the state to control them.
‘The Yellow House’ by Sarah M. Broom
This memoir won the National Book Award for nonfiction and the National Book Critics Circle Award for best debut.
The house is one that Broom's mother bought in East New Orleans when she was just 19.
It became a refuge for extended family, but after Hurricane Katrina, it was razed.
In Broom's capable hands, the yellow house becomes more than a home — it becomes a symbol of Black America.
‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Set during the Nigerian Civil War, the novel tells the story of the war through the lives of three characters.
‘The Green Road’ by Anne Enright
The far-flung Madigan family returns to the family home in County Clare for Christmas, bringing angst and dissatisfaction with them.
‘Island of the Blue Dolphins’ by Scott O’Dell
Based on the true story of “the lone woman,” the last survivor of the native Nicoleno population, who lived on California’s San Nicolas Island alone after the rest of her people were massacred.
The novel won the Newbery Medal in 1961.
‘Blue Highways’ by William Least Heat-Moon
In this memoir, the author travels only the “blue highways” on a road map — the back roads and roads least traveled — looking for the real America.
‘The Color Purple’ by Alice Walker
Winner of a Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award, the novel is set in the American South in the early 1900s and tells the story of several poor Black women.
One message of this powerful book: Keep fighting. Never give up.
‘Between Shades of Gray’ by Ruta Sepetys
We're not looking for more gray, but this book is so splendid and was overshadowed by another novel of a similar name that it needs to be mentioned again.
Made into a film (“Ashes in the Snow”), the young-adult novel is the gripping, tragic story of a Lithuanian family deported to Siberia by the Soviets during World War II.
