Great Fiction for Teenage Guys Part I
Discover the best fiction books for teenage guys in Part I of our curated list. Find action-packed, thrilling, and engaging reads perfect for young men.
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Quad
by C. G. Watson
When six students from six different cliques are forced into a student store as a classmate holds the school hostage by shooting his gun in the quad, the six classmates begin to consider who would do such a thing and why through a series of revealing flashbacks.
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Boot Camp
by Todd Strasser
Kidnapped and sent to live in a disciplinary boot camp where he is physically and psychologically tortured on a daily basis, fifteen-year-old Garrett knows that he has been wrongly imprisoned and so feels there is no choice but to attempt a daring escape in order to save the life he has left in him.
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The Hoopster
by Alan Lawrence Sitomer
Andre Anderson is an African American teenager with a bright future. He loves to play basketball. He loves to hang out with his friends. He loves to laugh. Andre has skills, brains, and heart. He also has a dream. Then he is viciously attacked. Now everything he ever believed about the world has been called into question. Even his deadly jump shot. How can a man get up when he has been unjustly beaten down? Andre is about to find out. Andre is The Hoopster.
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Black and White
by Paul Volponi
Two star high school basketball players, one black and one white, experience the justice system differently after committing a crime together and getting caught.
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Rooftop
by Paul Volponi
Still reeling from seeing police shoot his unarmed cousin to death on the roof of a New York City housing project, seventeen-year-old Clay is dragged into the whirlwind of political manipulation that follows.
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Halo: Ghosts of Onyx
by Eric Nylund
Continuing the saga of the award-winning XboxTM game! The Spartan-II program has gone public. Tales of super-soldiers fending off thousands of Covenant attacks have become the stuff of legend. But just how many Spartans are left? While the Master Chief defends a besieged Earth, and the myriad factions of the Covenant continue their crusade to eliminate humanity, an ultrasecret cell of the Office of Naval Intelligence known as "Section Three" devises a plan to buy the UNSC vital time. They're going to need hundreds of willing soldiers, though . . . and one more Spartan to get the job done. The planet Onyx is virtually abandoned and the perfect place to set this new plan in motion. But when the Master Chief destroys Halo, something is triggered deep within Onyx: Ancient Forerunner technology stirs, and fleets of UNSC and Covenant race to claim it to change the course of the Human-Covenant War. But this reawakened and ancient force may have plans of its own . . . This novel is based on a mature-rated game. Microsoft, the Microsoft Game Studios Logo, Bungie, the Bungie Logo, Halo, the Halo logo, Xbox, and the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries and are used under license from owner.
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Code Talker
by Joseph Bruchac
This deeply affecting novel honors all the young men who dared to serve in World War II, and it honors the culture and language of the Navajo Indians. "Readers who choose the book for the attraction of Navajo code talking and the heat of battle will come away with more than they ever expected to find."âBooklist, starred review Throughout World War II, in the conflict fought against Japan, Navajo code talkers were a crucial part of the U.S. effort, sending messages back and forth in an unbreakable code that used their native language. They braved some of the heaviest fighting of the war, and with their code, they saved countless American lives. Yet their story remained classified for more than twenty years. But now Joseph Bruchac brings their stories to life for young adults through the riveting fictional tale of Ned Begay, a sixteen-year-old Navajo boy who becomes a code talker. His grueling journey is eye-opening and inspiring. An ALA Best Book for Young Adults "Nonsensational and accurate, Bruchac's tale is quietly inspiring..."âSchool Library Journal
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Homeboyz
by Alan Lawrence Sitomer
When Teddy Andersonâs little sister Tina is gunned down randomly in a drive-by shooting, the gangstas who rule the streets in the Anderson familyâs rapidly deteriorating neighborhood dismiss the incident as just another case of RP, RTâwrong place, wrong time. According to gangsta logic, Tina doesnât even count as a statistic. Teddyâs family is devastated. Mrs. Anderson sinks into deep depression while Pops struggles to run both the household and his declining laundry business. The Andersons are shocked still further when Teddy is arrested and thrown in prison for attempted homicide after his elaborately laid plans for revenge against his sisterâs killer are foiled by the cops. Teddy soon finds himself out of prison on house arrest, and in the capable hands of Officer Mariana Diaz, the smart, tough probation officer assigned to oversee his endless hours of community service. As part of the innovative rehabilitation program Diaz runs, Teddy is assigned to tutor Micah, a twelve-year-old orphan and would-be gansta. As Teddy goes through the motions of complying with the terms of his probation, Diaz has no idea that he is using his genius-level computer hacker skills to plot his final vengeance and to defraud the state education system of hundreds of thousands of dollars. But even though Teddy thinks he knows it all, he fails to see how Micahâs desperate need for love and trust just might have the power not only to pierce all Teddyâs defenses, but to save his family.
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Fallen Angels
by Walter Dean Myers
Seventeen-year-old Richie Perry, just out of his Harlem high school, enlists in the Army in the summer of 1967 and spends a devastating year on active duty in Vietnam.
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Acceleration
by Graham McNamee
Stuck working in the lost and found of the Toronto Transit Authority for the summer, seventeen-year-old Duncan finds the diary of a serial killer and sets out to stop him.
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Monster
by Walter Dean Myers
FADE IN: INTERIOR: Early morning in CELL BLOCK D, MANHATTAN DETENTION CENTER. Steve (Voice-Over) Sometimes I feel like I have walked into the middle of a movie. Maybe I can make my own movie. The film will be the story of my life. No, not my life, but of this experience. I'll call it what the lady prosecutor called me ... Monster.
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Slam!
by Walter Dean Myers
Sixtee-year-old "Slam" Harris is counting on his noteworthy basketball talents to get him out of the inner city and give him a chance to succeed in life, but his coach sees things differently.
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Heat
by Mike Lupica
The #1 Bestseller! Michael Arroyo has a pitching arm that throws serious heat along with aspirations of leading his team all the way to the Little League World Series. But his firepower is nothing compared to the heat Michael faces in his day-to-day life. Newly orphaned after his father led the familyâs escape from Cuba, Michaelâs only family is his seventeen-yearold brother Carlos. If Social Services hears of their situation, they will be separated in the foster-care systemâor worse, sent back to Cuba. Together, the boys carry on alone, dodging bills and anyone who asks too many questions. But then someone wonders how a twelve-year-old boy could possibly throw with as much power as Michael Arroyo throws. With no way to prove his age, no birth certificate, and no parent to fight for his cause, Michaelâs secret world is blown wide open, and he discovers that family can come from the most unexpected sources. Perfect for any Little Leaguer with dreams of making it big--as well as for fans of Mike Lupica's other New York Times bestsellers Travel Team, The Big Field, The Underdogs, Million-Dollar Throw, and The Game Changers series, this cheer-worthy baseball story shows that when the game knocks you down, champions stand tall.
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Ball Don't Lie
by Matt de la PeĂąa
Newbery Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Matt de la PeĂąa's Ball Don't Lie "is a must-read." [The Bulletin] Sticky is a beat-around-the-head foster kid with nowhere to call home but the street, and an outer shell so tough that no one will take him in. He started out life so far behind the pack that the finish line seems nearly unreachable. Heâs a white boy living and playing in a world where he doesnât seem to belong. But Sticky can ball. And basketball might just be his ticket out . . . if he can only realize that he doesnât have to be the person everyone else expects him to be. Matt de la PeĂąa's breakout urban masterpiece, Ball Donât Lie takes place where the street and the court meet and where a boy can be anything if he puts his mind to it. â
"[An] inspiring story. Sticky is a true original, and de la PeĂąa has skillfully brought him to life." --School Library Journal, Starred "Riveting.... Teens will be strongly affected by the unforgettable...basketball action; and the questions about race, love, self-worth, and what it means to build a life without advantages." --Booklist "Stunningly realistic." --VOYA "Gritty and mesmerizing." --Kirkus Reviews "I have never before seen blacktop ball depicted so well. In this novel, you will find its flash, its power, and its elegance without chains. This is powerful stuff." --Antawn Jamison, forward for the Los Angeles Clippers "Truly authentic in its examination of both the game I love and the invariable missteps toward manhood. You cannot fail to be moved by the eloquence and truth of this story." --Rick Fox, former forward for the Los Angeles Lakers An ALA Best Book for Young Adults An ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers
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The Perfect Shot
by Elaine Marie Alphin
Brian uses basketball to block out memories of his girlfriend and her family who were gunned down a year ago, but the upcoming murder trial and a high school history assignment force him to face the past and decide how far he should go to see justice served. Includes facts about miscarriages of justice in American history.
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Tyrell
by Coe Booth
The protagonist of this astonishing debut is a young, African-American teen who can't get a break. Tyrell is living (for now) with his spaced-out mother and little brother in a homeless shelter. He feels he needs to score some money to make things better. Will he end up following in his father's footsteps? 320 p.
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Inexcusable
by Chris Lynch
High school senior and football player Keir sets out to enjoy himself on graduation night, but when he attempts to comfort a friend whose date has left her stranded, things go terribly wrong.
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Rats Saw God
by Rob Thomas
For Steve York, life was good. He had a 4.0 GPA, friends he could trust, and a girl he loved. Now he spends his days smoked out, not so much living as simply existing. But his herbal endeavors -- and personal demons -- have lead to a severe lack of motivation. Steve's flunking out, but if he writes a one-hundred-page paper, he can graduate. Steve realizes he must write what he knows. And through telling the story of how he got to where he is, he discovers exactly where he wants to be....
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Amaryllis
by Craig Crist-Evans
YA. Jimmy and his older brother Frank share a love of surfing and their problems with a drunken father, until Frank turns eighteen and goes to Vietnam.
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Bang!
by Sharon Flake
Mann is only thirteen, yet he has already had to deal with more than most go through in a lifetime. His family is still reeling from the tragic shooting death of his little brother, Jason, each person coping with grief in his or her own way. Mann's mother has stopped eating and is obsessed with preserving Jason's memory, while his father is certain that presenting a hard edge is the only way to keep his remaining son from becoming a statistic. Mann used to paint and ride horseback, but now he's doing everything he can to escape his emotions: getting involved in fights at school, joyriding at midnight, and much worse. His father, at his wit's end, does the only thing he thinks will teach his son how to be a man he abandons him and his friend Kee Lee in the woods, leaving them to navigate their way home, alone.
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Breathing Underwater
by Alex Flinn
To his friends, popular and handsome sixteen-year-old Nick Andreas has led a charmed life. But the guys in Nick's anger management class know differently. So does his ex-girlfriend Caitlin. Now it looks like the only person who doesn't realize how far from perfect Nick's life has become is Nick himself.
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An Innocent Soldier
by Josef Holub
A sixteen-year-old farmhand is tricked into fighting in the Napoleonic Wars by the farmer for whom he works, who secretly substitutes him for the farmer's own son.
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Kerosene
by Chris Wooding
A novel of rage, confusion, and release from an extraordinary young author.
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The Demonata #1: Lord Loss
by Darren Shan
Presumably the only witness to the horrific and bloody murder of his entire family, a teenage boy must outwit not only the mental health professionals determined to cure his delusion, but also the demonic forces only he can see.
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Nailed
by Patrick Jones
An outcast in a school full of jocks, sixteen-year-old Bret Hendricks struggles to keep his individuality through his interest in drama and music, while trying to reconnect with his father. Reprint.
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Pinned
by Alfred C. Martino
Dealing with family problems, girls, and their own competitive natures, high school seniors Ivan Korske and Bobby Zane face each other in the final match of the New Jersey State Wrestling Championship. Reprint. Jr Lib Guild.
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Crackback
by John Coy
In the high stakes world of high school football, Mile Manning discovers that the hits he takes on the field don't compare to the tribulations he faces in growing up.
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Raiders Night
by Robert Lipsyte
Matt Rydeck, co-captain of his high school football team, endures a traumatic season as he witnesses the rape of a rookie player by teammates and grapples with his own use of performance-enhancing drugs.
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No Right Turn
by Terry Trueman
After three years of wanting only to be invisible, sixteen-year-old Jordan begins to recover from his father's suicide and start living again when a neighbor's vintage Corvette Stingray opens up new possibilities for him.
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Private Peaceful
by Michael Morpurgo
When Thomas Peaceful's older brother is forced to join the British Army, Thomas decides to sign up as well, although he is only fourteen years old, to prove himself to his country, his family, his childhood love, Molly, and himself.
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I Had Seen Castles
by Cynthia Rylant
Now an old man, John is haunted by memories of enlisting to fight in World War II, a decision which forced him to face the horrors of war and changed his life forever.
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Invisible
by Pete Hautman
You could say that my railroad, the Madham Line, is almost the most important thing in my life. Next to Andy Morrow, my best friend. Lots of people think Doug Hanson is a freak -- he gets beat up after school, and the girl of his dreams calls him a worm. Doug's only refuge is creating an elaborate bridge for the model railroad in his basement and hanging out with his best friend, Andy Morrow, a popular football star who could date any girl in school. Doug and Andy talk about everything -- except what happened at the Tuttle place a few years back. It does not matter to Andy that we live in completely different realities. I'm Andy's best friend. It does not matter to Andy that we hardly ever actually do anything together. As Doug retreats deeper and deeper into his own reality, long-buried secrets threaten to destroy both Doug and Andy -- and everything else in Doug's fragile world.
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I Am the Messenger
by Markus Zusak
DONâT MISS BRIDGE OF CLAY, MARKUS ZUSAKâS FIRST NOVEL SINCE THE BOOK THIEF AND AN UNFORGETTABLE AND SWEEPING FAMILY SAGA. From the author of the extraordinary #1 New York Times bestseller The Book Thief, I Am the Messenger is an acclaimed novel filled with laughter, fists, and love. A MICHAEL L. PRINTZ HONOR BOOK FIVE STARRED REVIEWS Ed Kennedy is an underage cabdriver without much of a future. He's pathetic at playing cards, hopelessly in love with his best friend, Audrey, and utterly devoted to his coffee-drinking dog, the Doorman. His life is one of peaceful routine and incompetence until he inadvertently stops a bank robbery. That's when the first ace arrives in the mail. That's when Ed becomes the messenger. Chosen to care, he makes his way through town helping and hurting (when necessary) until only one question remains: Who's behind Ed's mission?
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Black Duck
by Janet Taylor Lisle
When Ruben and Jed find a dead body on the Rhode Island shore, they are certain it has something to do with smuggling liquor. Suddenly, the boys find themselves caught in a war between two Prohibition gangs.
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Crazy
by Benjamin Lebert
'Hallo Leute. Ich heiĂe Benjamin Lebert, bin sechzehn Jahre alt, und ich bin ein KrĂźppel. Nur damit ihr es wiĂt. Ich dachte, es wäre von beiderseitigem Interesse.' Mit diesen Worten stellt sich Benjamin Lebert an seinem ersten Schultag seinen neuen MitschĂźlern im Internat SchloĂ Neuseelen vor. Es ist sein fĂźnfter Schulwechsel. Diesmal soll er endlich die 8. Klasse bestehen. Zusammen mit seinen fĂźnf Freunden Ăźbersteht Benjamin die Zeit im Internat. Bei allen Unternehmungen - bei nächtlichen Besuchen auf dem Mädchengang genauso wie bei heimlichen AusflĂźgen ins Dorf - beschäftigt sie fortwährend die Frage, worum es in dieser ganzen Veranstaltung namens Leben eigentlich geht: um Mädchen, um Sex, um Freundschaft und ums Erwachsenwerden oder vielleicht auf einfach nur darum, immer weiterzumachen, wie verrĂźckt die Welt und wie 'crazy' man selbst auch sein mag.
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Do Unto Otters
by Laurie Keller
Mr. Rabbit wonders if he will be able to get along with his new neighbors, who are otters, until he is reminded of the golden rule.
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Looking for Alaska
by John Green
The award-winning, genre-defining debut from John Green, the #1 bestselling author of The Anthropocene Reviewed and The Fault in Our Stars Winner of the Michael L. Printz Award ⢠A Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist ⢠A New York Times Bestseller ⢠A USA Today Bestseller ⢠NPRâs Top Ten Best-Ever Teen Novels ⢠TIME magazineâs 100 Best Young Adult Novels of All Time ⢠A PBS Great American Read Selection ⢠Millions of copies sold! First drink. First prank. First friend. First love. Last words. Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last wordsâand tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet François Rabelais called the âGreat Perhaps.â Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young, who will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps. Looking for Alaska brilliantly chronicles the indelible impact one life can have on another. A modern classic, this stunning debut marked #1 bestselling author John Greenâs arrival as a groundbreaking new voice in contemporary fiction. Newly updated edition includes a brand-new Readers' Guide featuring a Q&A with author John Green
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Open Ice
by Patrice Raccio Hughes
Hockey has been Nick Taglio's life since he was five years old, so when a massive concussion benches him--possibly for good--everything seems to fall apart, including his schoolwork, his family relationships, his friendships, and his love life.