(Not So) Current Teenage Books
Discover the definitive collection of young adult novels that defined a generation. From Sarah Dessen's heartfelt romances to Laurie Halse Anderson's powerful *Speak* and *Twisted*, this curated book list features timeless teen classics, coming-of-age stories, and gripping reads like *The Perks of Being a Wallflower*. Perfect for nostalgic readers and new fans alike, explore standout titles from Chris Crutcher, Alex Flinn, and more in this essential guide to the best current teenage books.
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Whale Talk
by Chris Crutcher
A high-school bus provides surprising sanctuary for seven unlikely swim teammates who are, in the words of their coach, "A perennial road team. Mermen without a pond." These invisible kids resonate because of how the author sees them, believes in them, and lets them speak.
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Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes
by Chris Crutcher
The daily class discussions about contemporary issues serve as a backdrop for a high-school senior's attempt to answer a friend's dramatic cry for help.
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Speak
by Laurie Halse Anderson
Laurie Halse Anderson's award-winning, highly acclaimed, and controversial novel about a teenager who chooses not to speak rather than to give voice to what really happened to her marks ten years in print with this special anniversary edition. Bonus material created for this edition includes a new introduction and afterword from the author, resources, and discussion guide. Will also include a preview of Anderson's newest book, Wintergirls. The quintessential edition for all fans of this powerfully moving book.
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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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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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The Perks of Being a Wallflower
by Stephen Chbosky
Read the cult-favorite coming of age story that takes a sometimes heartbreaking, often hysterical, and always honest look at high school in all its glory. Now a major motion picture starring Logan Lerman and Emma Watson, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a funny, touching, and haunting modern classic. The critically acclaimed debut novel from Stephen Chbosky, Perks follows observant âwallflowerâ Charlie as he charts a course through the strange world between adolescence and adulthood. First dates, family drama, and new friends. Sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Devastating loss, young love, and life on the fringes. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it, Charlie must learn to navigate those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up. A years-long #1 New York Times bestseller, an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults and Best Book for Reluctant Readers, and with millions of copies in print, this novel for teen readers (or âwallflowersâ of more-advanced age) will make you laugh, cry, and perhaps feel nostalgic for those moments when you, too, tiptoed onto the dance floor of life.
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Flipped
by Wendelin Van Draanen
A classic he-said-she-said romantic comedy! This updated anniversary edition offers story-behind-the-story revelations from author Wendelin Van Draanen. The first time she saw him, she flipped. The first time he saw her, he ran. That was the second grade, but not much has changed by the seventh. Juli says: âMy Bryce. Still walking around with my first kiss.â He says: âItâs been six years of strategic avoidance and social discomfort.â But in the eighth grade everything gets turned upside down: just as Bryce is thinking that thereâs maybe more to Juli than meets the eye, sheâs thinking that heâs not quite all he seemed. This is a classic romantic comedy of errors told in alternating chapters by two fresh, funny voices. The updated anniversary edition contains 32 pages of extra backmatter: essays from Wendelin Van Draanen on her sources of inspiration, on the making of the movie of Flipped, on why sheâll never write a sequel, and a selection of the amazing fan mail sheâs received. Awards and accolades for Flipped: SLJ Top 100 Childrenâs Novels of all time IRA-CBC Childrenâs Choice IRA Teacherâs Choice Honor winner, Judy Lopez Memorial Award/WNBA Winner of the California Young Reader Medal âWe flipped over this fantastic book, its gutsy girl Juli and its wise, wonderful ending.â â The Chicago Tribune âVan Draanen has another winner in this eighth-grade âhe-said, she-saidâ romance. A fast, funny, egg-cellent winner.â â SLJ, Starred review âWith a charismatic leading lady kids will flip over, a compelling dynamic between the two narrators and a resonant ending, this novel is a great deal larger than the sum of its parts.â âPublishers Weekly, Starred review
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Cut
by Patricia McCormick
"A tingle arced across my scalp. The floor tipped up at me and my body spiraled away. Then I was on the ceiling looking down, waiting to see what would happen next."Callie cuts herself. Never too deep, never enough to die. But enough to feel the pain. Enough to feel the scream inside.Now she's at Sea Pines, a "residential treatment facility" filled with girls struggling with problems of their own. Callie doesn't want to have anything to do with them. She doesn't want to have anything to do with anyone. She won't even speak.But Callie can only stay silent for so long...
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Twisted
by Laurie Halse Anderson
From New York Times bestselling author Laurie Halse Anderson High school senior Tyler Miller used to be the kind of guy who faded into the background. But since he got busted for doing graffiti on the school, and spent the summer doing outdoor work to pay for it, he stands out like you wouldn't believe. His new physique attracts the attention of queen bee Bethany Milbury, who just so happens to be his father's boss's daughter, the sister of his biggest enemy, and Tyler's secret crush. And that sets off a string of events and changes that have Tyler questioning his place in school, in his family, and in the world. "Poignant and gripping." âKirkus Reviews, starred review "Once again, Anderson's taut, confident writing will cause this story to linger long after the books is set down." âSLJ A New York Times Bestseller An ALA Best Book for Young Adults
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Lock and Key
by Sarah Dessen
From the award-winning and New York Times bestseller Once and for All Unlock your heart and the rest will follow. Ruby is used to taking care of herself. But now that sheâs living with her sister, sheâs got her own room, sheâs going to a good school, and her future looks bright. Plus thereâs the adorable boy next door. Can Ruby learn to open her heart and let him in? âAll the Dessen trademarks hereâ âPublishers Weekly, starred review Sarah Dessen is the winner of the Margaret A. Edwards Award for her contributions to YA literature, as well as the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award. Books by Sarah Dessen: That Summer Someone Like You Keeping the Moon Dreamland This Lullaby The Truth About Forever Just Listen Lock and Key Along for the Ride What Happened to Goodbye The Moon and More Saint Anything Once and for All
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Just Listen
by Sarah Dessen
From the award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of Once and for All To find the truth youâve got to be willing to hear it. When sheâs modeling, Annabel is the picture of perfection. But her real life is far from perfect. Fortunately, sheâs got Owen. Heâs intense, music-obsessed, and dedicated to always telling the truth. And most of all, heâs determined to make Annabel happy. . . âThis is young adult fiction at its best.â âSchool Library Journal Sarah Dessen is the winner of the Margaret A. Edwards Award for her contributions to YA literature, as well as the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award. Books by Sarah Dessen: That Summer Someone Like You Keeping the Moon Dreamland This Lullaby The Truth About Forever Just Listen Lock and Key Along for the Ride What Happened to Goodbye The Moon and More Saint Anything Once and for All
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Along for the Ride
by Sarah Dessen
When Auden impulsively goes to stay with her father, stepmother, and new baby sister the summer before she starts college, all the trauma of her parents' divorce is revived, even as she is making new friends and having new experiences such as learning toride a bike and dating.
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The Truth About Forever
by Sarah Dessen
From the award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of Once and for All Expect the unexpected. Macyâs got her whole summer carefully planned. But her plans didnât include a job at Wish Catering. And they certainly didnât include Wes. But Macy soon discovers that the things you expect least are sometimes the things you need most. âDessen gracefully balances comedy with tragedy and introduces a complex heroine worth getting to know.â âPublishers Weekly Sarah Dessen is the winner of the Margaret A. Edwards Award for her contributions to YA literature, as well as the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award. Books by Sarah Dessen: That Summer Someone Like You Keeping the Moon Dreamland This Lullaby The Truth About Forever Just Listen Lock and Key Along for the Ride What Happened to Goodbye The Moon and More Saint Anything Once and for All
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This Lullaby
by Sarah Dessen
From the award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of Once and for All Sheâs got it all figured out. Or does she? When it comes to relationships, Remyâs got a whole set of rules. Never get too serious. Never let him break your heart. And never, ever date a musician. But then Remy meets Dexter, and the rules donât seem to apply anymore. Could it be that sheâs starting to understand what all those love songs are about? âRemy and Dexter jump off the pages into the hearts of readers, who will wish for a romance like this of their own.â âBooklist Sarah Dessen is the winner of the Margaret A. Edwards Award for her contributions to YA literature, as well as the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award. Books by Sarah Dessen: That Summer Someone Like You Keeping the Moon Dreamland This Lullaby The Truth About Forever Just Listen Lock and Key Along for the Ride What Happened to Goodbye The Moon and More Saint Anything Once and for All
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Beauty
by Robin McKinley
A strange imprisonment Beauty has never liked her nickname. She is thin and awkward; it is her two sisters who are the beautiful ones. But what she lacks in looks, she can perhaps make up for in courage. When her father comes home with the tale of an enchanted castle in the forest and the terrible promise he had to make to the Beast who lives there, Beauty knows she must go to the castle, a prisoner of her own free will. Her father protests that he will not let her go, but she answers, "Cannot a Beast be tamed?" Robin McKinley's beloved telling illuminates the unusual love story of a most unlikely couple: Beauty and the Beast.
