It’s true what they say – kids grow up so fast! One of our favorite prompts in the Lifetime of Reading Challenge is this list of books with teenage characters.
Every teenage experience is unique, but for most people, a few things are true – the teen years are often challenging, always formative, and very few people get out of them without some heartbreak. Most teenagers have different priorities and different responsibilities than adults and are still figuring out who they are and how they fit into the world around them. These years between childhood and adulthood are a balancing act between needing guidance and seeking independence.
We’ve curated a diverse list of books with main characters ranging from ages 13 to 19. While there are countless excellent YA books, our list is not limited to YA titles. On our recommended book list, below, you’ll find a good mix of both YA and adult fiction, as well as non-fiction.
You can read all about the Lifetime of Reading Challenge, find new book lists each month, and download your free printable book tracker here.
Before we get to the book list, let’s start with a couple of definitions. Throughout our book descriptions, we often use the terms YA and coming-of-age, but it’s helpful to step back and look at what these terms really mean.
What is a YA book?
YA stands for Young Adult, which is a category of fiction written with teenage readers as the intended target audience. However, statistics show that approximately half of YA readers are adults. So if adults read YA titles with the same frequency as younger readers, what are the main differences between young adult fiction and adult fiction?
First, to be considered YA, a book must have at least one teenage protagonist. Second, despite being authored by adults nearly all of the time, YA novels are written in a voice that is authentic to the teenage experience (most often from the first-person perspective). And third, while the themes of YA novels may include any of the same things you’d find in adult fiction, sensitive issues are typically discussed in a manner that is generally considered age appropriate for young adult readers (typically meaning less explicit and with less graphic details).
What are coming-of-age novels?
Like YA, it’s hard to define “coming of age novel” with precision, but as it is generally used, a coming-of-age story is one in which a young person is heading toward adulthood while gaining knowledge and maturity along the way.
You are welcome to choose any book that you’d like to read for the challenge each month, but we hope that our list of books with teenage characters will help you get started. As always, we’ve selected a combination of new books and older books that are usually available without a wait from your local library.
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Teen Main Characters
The Newcomers: Finding Refuge, Friendship, and Hope in America
by Helen Thorpe
Immigrant teenagers in a Denver high school
The Newcomers follows the lives of twenty-two immigrant teenagers throughout the course of the 2015-2016 school year as they land at South High School in Denver, Colorado. Ranging in age from fourteen to nineteen, most of these students came directly from refugee camps in countries plagued by war, famine, or drought.
The non-fiction read follows the student's English language education with their dedicated and creative teacher Mr. Williams. As they grasp the language, their individual histories unfold and add faces, names, and stories to those seeking asylum. At the same time that these teenagers are trying to adapt to an unfamiliar way of life in a new country, they are also balancing the more typical teenage challenge of fitting in and making friends.
Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
100% Would Recommend to a Friend
Mary Jane
by Jessica Anya Blau
Mary Jane, 14 years old
Set in 1970s Baltimore, Mary Jane tells the story of two very different family lifestyles and the 14-year-old girl trying to decide who she really is. Mary Jane is a quiet, book-loving girl from a traditional, conservative family. When she is offered a job nannying for a local doctor, her mom assumes their home is equally tidy and respectable.
However, the house is a huge mess, and it's about to get crazier. The doctor has welcomed a rock star and his wife to stay at the home while he tries to get sober. Mary Jane has a lot to teach them about tidiness and schedules, and they open her eyes to a wild world outside her bubble. By the end of the summer, she has a better understanding of who she wants to be.
The Book Girls Say…This was one of Melissa's favorite books of 2021, and the entire time she kept thinking it would be the perfect book for teen month! It's a beautiful and entertaining story of a 14-year-old girl seeing herself as a separate person for the first time. Melissa read a paper copy, but many of our readers highly recommend listening to the audiobook because it incorporates music.
Although the main character is a teenager, this is not a YA title. We feel like it's a more enjoyable read for adults because of the perspective that comes from looking back at the years between innocence and maturity.
Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
93% Would Recommend to a Friend
The Black Kids
by Christina Hammonds Reed
Ashley Bennett, high school senior
Growing up in LA, Ashley Bennett is from a wealthy and prominent family, and she's leading a charmed life where her senior year is split between the classroom and the beach. Her perfect life is forever changed in April 1992 when four LAPD officers are acquitted in the beating of Rodney King.
As LA erupts in violent riots all around her, Ashley tries to continue on with her normal teenage life, but she's no longer just a teenager - now she's a "black kid."
Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
95% Would Recommend to a Friend
Dear Edward
by Ann Napolitano
Edward, age 12-15
Twelve-year-old Edward boards a plane with his beloved older brother and his parents, bound for their new home and life in California, but when the plane tragically crashes, Edward emerges as the sole survivor. After recovering from his injuries, he goes to live with his mom's sister and her husband with the eyes of the world on him. Everyone is eager to hear his story.
His aunt and uncle work hard to shield him from all the attention and to allow him time to process his loss, but when Edward uncovers a stack of letters, he discovers an unexpected path to healing.
This is not a YA book, and it also details the experiences of the adults on the plane. The chapters in the book alternate between Edward's day-to-day life during the three years following the accident, and a minute-by-minute recounting of the ill-fated flight, through which we are introduced to many of the other passengers.
Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
96% Would Recommend to a Friend
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
by Ann Brashares
Carmen, Tibby, Lena, & Bridget; 15 years old
It all starts with a pair of jeans at a thrift shop. When everyone loves them, four friends decide to try on the jeans to see who they fit best. Somehow the jeans fit everyone perfectly, so the friends decide to form the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Throughout the summer, the pants see all and keep the friends connected as they each experience the most memorable summer of their lives.
The Book Girls Say... Neither of us read this book when it was first popular because we mistakenly thought it was just a fluffy YA book. We were surprised to read review after review that describes this book as a "deeper than you expect" coming-of-age book that deals with love, forgiveness, sex, and death, while still being squarely based in teenhood and filled with humor. This book will give you "all the feels!"
Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
93% Would Recommend to a Friend
Firekeeper's Daughter
by Angeline Boulley
Daunis Fontaine, 18 years old
This YA thriller, written by a Native American author, is about a biracial teen who is an unenrolled member of the Ojibwe tribe. Daunis has never quite fit in at home or on the reservation. She dreams of heading to college, but after a tragedy, she must remain home to care for her mom.
Life takes another big turn when she witnesses a murder, and then reluctantly goes undercover in the criminal investigation to infiltrate a drug ring in her community.
The Book Girls Say... Although some feel that this book starts slow, it made the list of our reader's favorite books of 2021! They mentioned that it's great on audio to hear the beautiful native language woven into the book.
Warning: The book contains a sexual assault.
Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
97% Would Recommend to a Friend
The Fault in Our Stars
by John Green
Hazel, 16 years old & Augustus, 17 years old
Hazel has known her life would be cut short since she was first diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. She reluctantly attends "Cancer Kid Support Group" at the request of her mom, but what she finds there is the last thing she expected - first love.
Hazel and the charming Augustus Waters have many things in common, including their favorite author who they are determined to meet, even if they have to travel to Amsterdam to do it.
The Book Girls Say...We couldn’t make a book list about teenagers without a nod to John Green, who helped the YA book scene explode into mainstream popularity in the late 2000s - early 2010s. His other books from the time period, including Paper Towns, Looking for Alaska, and An Abundance of Katherines would also be great picks this month.
This is a great crossover pick if you're also doing the Book Voyage challenge because it provides a great peek at Amsterdam.
Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
95% Would Recommend to a Friend
The Miseducation of Cameron Post
by Emily Danforth
Cameron Post, 12-17 years old
When Cameron Post is just 12 years old, she suddenly loses her parents to a tragic car accident. Alongside her shock and grief, she also feels a sense of relief that they'll never know she had - just hours before - been kissing a girl.
Newly orphaned Cameron is forced to move in with her very conservative aunt and old-fashioned grandma in Montana. There, Cameron meets Coley Taylor - a beautiful cowgirl with a perfect boyfriend. The girls form a close friendship that seems to leave the door open for something more to develop in their relationship. When Cameron's ultra-religious Aunt Ruth tries to "fix" her niece through conversion therapy, Cameron is forced to come to terms with her true self.
Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐1/2
100% Would Recommend to a Friend
The Serpent King
by Jeff Zentner
Dill, Travis & Lydia; High School Seniors
Dill’s father is a Pentecostal minister, who first drew attention for his extreme beliefs and then for a scandal. His friend Travis has his own demons in the form of an abusive father, so he escapes into a book series called Bloodfall. Dill has secret feelings for friend Lydia, a free spirit, sarcastic, fashion blogger who dreams of leaving rural Tennessee and heading to New York.
Woven into this story of three unlikely friends trying to navigate the end of high school, you’ll find stories of small-town life and themes of courage. But, you'll also need a box of tissues handy!
The Book Girls Say... This book made the list of our reader's favorite books of 2021!
Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
93% Would Recommend to a Friend
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
by Mark Haddon
Christopher John Francis Boone, 15 years old
Christopher knows many things - he knows all the countries in the world and their capitals; he knows all of the prime numbers up to 7,057; he knows that he hates to be touched; and he knows that he detests the color yellow! One thing he does not know is how to understand human emotions.
When this 15-year-old autistic protagonist decides to investigate the suspicious death of a neighbor's dog, the result is a captivating and unusual novel.
The Book Girls Say... This highly-rated read is a short 226 pages, but if you choose this book it's important to go in with the right frame of mind. The structure of this novel is non-standard and it's been described as disassociating. Additionally, there are charts, diagrams, and math problems intersected into the flow of the story, making this a book better read in paper form.
Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
80% Would Recommend to a Friend
The Nickel Boys
by Colson Whitehead
Elwood Curtis, 18 years old
It’s the 1960s and Elwood has been raised by his loving, but strict grandmother. His hard work and focus on always doing the right thing is about to pay off.
Elwood is getting ready to enroll in the local black college and has big dreams. Everything changes when an innocent mistake causes him to be sent to The Nickel Academy to be “reformed” from his so-called crimes.
While the 2020 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Nickel Boys is a work of fiction, it’s based on real “schools” and the unspeakable treatment of young Black men who were sent there during the 1960s. Elwood does his best to remain optimistic, but his positive attitude is challenged by his new friend Turner who has experienced a different world growing up.
The Book Girls Say… This book will make you feel every emotion there is. Through Colson Whitehead’s writing, you really get to know and feel for the characters and the situation they are thrown into. This is not an easy book to read, but books like this are very important to adding perspective to the ongoing pushes for equality.
Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
97% Would Recommend to a Friend
The Girl with the Louding Voice
by Abi Dare
Adunni, 14 years old
Raised in poverty in a Nigerian village, Adunni loves school and knows that learning all she can is the key to achieving a better life. But, despite promising to allow Adunni's schooling to continue after her mother's death, Adunni's father makes a decision that ends her education in the village and changes the trajectory of her life.
You'll be moved to both tears and cheers as Adunni endures and overcomes heartbreaking challenges while keeping her focus on her dream of an education and dreams of a future much different than family and cultural norms expect from her.
The Book Girls Say... The language in this book evolves as Adunni learns throughout the book. Some find this to be a bit distracting, especially early in the book, but we felt that it added a lot of authenticity to the story and really emphasized her growth. We highly recommend the audiobook!
Warning: This book contains a scene of sexual violence.
Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
98% Would Recommend to a Friend
Concrete Rose
by Angie Thomas
Maverick Carter, 17 years old
Mav is following in his father’s footsteps, which unfortunately means dealing for the King Lords gang in order to help provide for his hard-working, but underpaid, mom. He thinks he has life under control until he finds out that he’s a father himself.
When presented with a rare opportunity to break out of gang life, he has a chance to change the direction of his family. But it’s not easy to walk away from the only lifestyle you’ve ever known, especially when loyalty is everything to the King Lords.
The Book Girls Say… Concrete Rose is the prequel to the popular book, The Hate U Give, which is also a great choice for this month if you haven’t read it yet! The book is written in dialect true to the characters, which helps transport you directly to Mav’s neighborhood. This also makes it an excellent choice for an audiobook.
Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
94% Would Recommend to a Friend
The Fountains of Silence
by Ruta Septys
Daniel, 18 years old
This young adult historical fiction focuses on life in post-war Spain under Franco's dictatorship. In 1957, the regime needed money and opened the country to Americans hoping for investment. Eighteen-year-old Daniel travels with his oil tycoon father from Houston to Madrid.
Daniel brings his camera, eager to explore the city beyond the image that Franco is projecting to the world. Along with Ana, the young hotel maid tasked with assisting his family, Daniel discovers and documents the atrocities happening in the fascist regime.
The Book Girls Say… While this is a YA book, it is a long read at over 500 pages. Don't let this intimidate you though, because the character development and plot will draw you and you won't be able to put it down!
This is an excellent cross-over book if you're also doing the Book Voyage challenge and want one book that covers both Teens for Lifetime of Reading and Western Europe this month.
Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
97% Would Recommend to a Friend
Speak No Evil
by Uzodinma Iweala
Niru and Meredith; 18 years old
Best friends Niru and Meredith are both privileged teenagers growing up in Washington D.C., but they come from very different backgrounds. Niru appears to lead a very charmed life. He's a track star at his prestigious private school and after graduation he is Harvard-bound. He has very attentive Nigerian parents, but he's keeping a big secret from them - one that conflicts with their conservative views. Niru is gay.
Meredith - the daughter of two prominent Washington insiders - is the only one who knows Niru's secret. But when Niru's dad discovers that he's gay, Meredith doesn't lend Niru the support she knows he needs because she's emotionally drained from dealing with some troubles of her own.
The Book Girls Say... This book tackles many of the biggest issues facing teens today, including race, class, immigration, gender, and sexual orientation.
Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐½
100% Would Recommend to a Friend
Circle of Friends
by Maeve Binchy
Benny, Eve, Nan, and Jack; 17-18 years old
Life-long friends Benny and Eve grew up in the small Irish village of Knockglen during the 1950s. At the age of 17, they both head to university in Dublin, where their circle of friends expands to include beautiful Nan and handsome Jack. But heartbreak and betrayal result when their worlds of Knockglen and Dublin collide, and long-hidden lies emerge that will test the bonds of their friendship.
The Book Girls' Say... Angela read this book in high school and it still stands out in her mind as one of her all-time favorite coming of age novels! It's a simple, character-driven story about friendship that is heart-warming and beautifully told from the first page to the last (but be aware that there are more than 700 pages in between). Her most vivid memory of this book is the warm feeling it left her with.
The Irish setting makes this a perfect crossover book if you are also participating in the Book Voyage Challenge.
Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
96% Would Recommend to a Friend
Reconstructing Amelia
by Kimberly McCreight
Amelia Baron, 15 years old
Kate is in the middle of an important meeting when she gets the frustrating call that her daughter has been caught cheating at her exclusive private school. When she arrives to pick Amelia up, the school is surrounded by emergency vehicles and Kate learns that her daughter jumped to her death. At least that's what she believes until an anonymous text tells her that Amelia didn't jump. And thus begins this mystery novel with many twists and turns.
The Book Girls Say... Unlike most of the books on this list, this book is told from the mother's perspective, but we still feel that this is a great pick for the teenage years because the entire story centers around Kate's efforts to understand her daughter's life. Additionally, we see the story through teenage eyes by way of the emails, text messages, and blog posts that Kate pours over as she attempts to piece together her daughter's final days.
Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
92% Would Recommend to a Friend
Beartown
by Fredrik Backman
Numerous teenage characters between 15 and 17 years old
In the tiny community of Beartown, deep in the Swedish forest, life revolves around hockey. It provides entertainment and the hope for a better future. When a shocking event occurs involving two teenagers, the people of Beartown quickly take sides. Who will stand up for the truth and put hockey above humanity?
While this story is told from many different perspectives, including teens and adults, it is the teenage characters who have the most at stake in this story.
The sequel to Beartown, Us Against You, is also a winner, and we are eagerly awaiting the third book in the trilogy, The Winners, which will be published on October 4, 2022 and is available for pre-order.
The Book Girls Say... This was a 5-star read for both of us! Some will say you have to like hockey to like this book, but the book really isn't about hockey - it's about people. Fredrick Backman has a gift with words and melodic phrasing, along with a phenomenal insight into the motivations of the teenagers and adults alike. He writes characters that are so well-rounded that even when you don't agree with their decisions, you will still understand what they were thinking.
WARNING: This story includes one scene with sexual violence.
This is an excellent cross-over book if you're also doing the Book Voyage challenge and want one book that covers both Teens for Lifetime of Reading and Western Europe this month.
Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
96% Would Recommend to a Friend
Ginny Moon
by Benjamin Ludwig
Ginny Moon, 14 years old
Ginny is fourteen, autistic, and hiding a secret. She's been in the foster care system since the age of nine, when she was taken away from her mother after suffering years of abuse. The social workers are determined to find Ginny a loving forever family, but they've yet to find the right fit. Ginny always runs away. She is now on her fourth "forever family" with parents who are determined to give her the love she deserves, but she's still determined to go.
Although Ginny struggles to communicate with the world around her, we - the readers - hear Ginny's inner thoughts and opinions as she tried to make sense of a world that often doesn't make sense.
The Book Girls Guide... The author is the adoptive father of an autistic teenager, and he brings that compassion and understanding to the character of Ginny.
Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
100% Would Recommend to a Friend
Dear Evan Hansen
by Val Emmich
Evan Hansen, 17 years old
When notoriously troubled high school student Connor Murphy commits suicide, anxiety-prone Evan Hansen finds himself in a tricky situation. Connor’s grieving parents believe that Evan was Connor's secret friend. When they invite him to dinner to hear more about their son, Evan isn’t sure what to do, and attends, deepening his involvement with Connor’s family.
Suddenly Evan's life has more purpose, and as his confidence grows, his life improves. However, how long can it last when everything is based on a lie that spiraled out of control?
The Book Girls Say…In a twist, this book was actually a hit Broadway musical before it became the book. The creators of the show worked with author Val Emmich to adapt it into novel form. If you haven't seen it yet, we recommend getting tickets whenever it's scheduled near you, and in the meantime, listen to the soundtrack!
Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
92% Would Recommend to a Friend
The People We Keep
by Allison Larkin
April Sawicki, 16 years old
April has a rough life, fending for herself in a motorless motorhome that her father won playing poker. She works at a diner but dreams of being a songwriter. After flunking out of school and another fight with her dad, April sets off to find a better life for herself.
Along the way, she meets others with hard stories, which turn into the perfect inspiration for her songs. But even more important than that, she finds that family doesn’t have to mean the community you were born into. People you meet can become family as well.
The Book Girls Say… While this book has very high reviews overall, many refer to it as slow-paced and April’s character isn’t overly likable in the first half. If you dislike character-driven plots, you might not love this as much as others do.
Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
100% Would Recommend to a Friend
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Shelley Logan
Sunday 6th of February 2022
I loved The Paper Girl of Paris by Jordyn Taylor. I loved the fact that it counts for the LifeTime challenge as well as the book. Voyage challenge. It’s set in France as a now and then mystery of this 16 year old’s family. Her grandmother left Alice an apartment in Paris and a mystery that started in 1940. 5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Shanna Klutts
Wednesday 2nd of February 2022
I am reading Truly, Devious by Maureen Johnson for this prompt. Love thrillers and mysteries.
I have read most of the books on this list, and they are all amazing picks! Honestly, you can’t go wrong with any of these books. Beartown and Dear Evan Hansen were my absolute favorites.
Happy reading!
Norma-Jean
Wednesday 2nd of February 2022
Thank you for the great book list! I am finding books/authors that I didn't know about, which is wonderful. I appreciate all the work that goes into this. Thanks for helping me branch out in reading.
Weezie Fitzhugh
Wednesday 2nd of February 2022
I read A Thousand Steps by T Jefferson Parker just by chance last month. It’s a terrific coming-of-age story set in Southern California in the 70s. The author really captures the atmosphere and the protagonist is a marvelous kid. I’ve already read over half the suggested books, so I’m counting this for the Lifetime challenge. I think you all would enjoy it, too, hope you’d consider adding it to your great list.
Hillary Jensen
Friday 21st of January 2022
Can I throw a recommendation in for this list? “Whiskey When We're Dry" by John Larson It's a Western told from the perspective of a 17 year old girl as she sets out to find her brother, turned outlaw. It struck me how strong, mentally and emotionally, the girl became as the story went on. She started as an ignorant, motherless girl and made herself into her own kind of hero. It was a slow mover in places, but I really loved it. Not only that, but it's uncommon to find a Western told from a teenage girl's perspective. I found it refreshing. There's also some LGBTQ representation in there, if you're into that. The only real complaint I had was the representation of the Mormon Settlers. The research in that area was a bit lacking, but that was a very small part of an otherwise solid book.