Teen Titles for Readers over 30

Posted by Staff

Everyone seems to be reading The Hunger Games Series right now, but there are a lot of entertaining and serious books written mainly for teen readers.  As stated in our previous YA Steampunk post "Don't shy away from any of these because they target a younger audience.  The plots and characters are often quite sophisticated and the themes can be very serious indeed.  I find that the biggest differences are a little more angst (the main characters are often teens) and the language is a bit simpler (that means a faster read!)."

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.  Set in WWII Germany and narrated by Death himself.  The narrative follows a girl (being raised by foster parents) who finds comfort in books she has stolen.

Acceleration by Graham McNamee.  The suspense begins when a teenage boy finds the journal of a serial killer planning a kidnapping.

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce.  A modern retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, but with a feminist flair.

Fever 1783 by Laurie Halse Anderson. A sixteen-year old comes of age during the epidemic of yellow fever in Philidelphia.

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson.  The award winning novel of a young woman's rape and recovery. She becomes a social outcast, but slowly regains her voice and speaks up for herself.

The Burn Journals by Brent Runyon.  The journal of a 14 year old boy who soaks his clothes in gasoline and sets himself on fire. Non-fiction.

Feed by M.T. Anderson.  Set in the near future when we all have brain implants to monitor a constant internet upload - the feed. A teenager comes to terms with what the digital world can and can not do. A thoughtful read for anyone.