If you've never really been much of an avid reader, but maybe want to start here's some books that you should definetely read that aren't too confusing and that will really grab your attention. Like a movie in your head! P.S I'm actually terrible at summarizing things so you may need to do some extra research of your own if you still need more convincing.
Guide (click):
Top 10 Book List
1. Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
This book is an ode to all those who suffer with anxiety, OCD, and overthinking. This book actually made me anxious lowkey because the character spiraling made me want to jump in the book and help her. I'm not going to summarize the whole plot because this book is infamous, John Green is infamous and someone somewhere is going to hound me for my interpretation of it....So I'm just gonna try to convince you to read it! The main character (who's name I don't rememeber) deals with anxiety that likely stems from her dad passing. She wants to control it but she can't help but spiral. I think at one point she drinks hand sanitizer because she is deathly afraid of catching this disease from some rare form of bacteria. This book also incorporates a love story! There's this whole thing with a boy and his dad faking his death because of some fraud thing his dad got into (oh shit is that a spoiler, idk) and he's trying to find him. Basically, the main charcater kind of finds peace when she reads the poetry that the boy posts anonymously on this website. I love this book because it frustrated me, in a good way. It helped me understand the things that goes on in the heads of people who deal with anxiety or other forms of mental illness. The character wants to stop, she just can't help it. I think its a beautiful story that everyone should read.
2. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
This book is such a cute little rom-com. Cather is attending college with her twin sister Wren. Their names togther make the name Catherine, and it was split like that because their mother wasn't expecting twins. Cather struggles to fit-in in her college, while Wren flourishes. The book is named Fangirl, because Cather writes fan-fiction about this magical series, but I think she makes the characters gay (yass). Wren and Cather used to do it together, but Wren stopped--just wasn't her thing anymore. Cather finds comfort in the fan-fic especially because she feels lonely at college. Cather then meets annoying Levi, who really gets on her nerves. He's just always in her room--like the Tessa and Hardin meet-cute, but without the toxicity. Their lovestory is lowkey a enemies to friends trope which makes it even better because we love the angst! There's no super deep message from this book (imo), but it's just a really nice lovestory that takes place in college!
3. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Even if you have seen the movie read this book! The Hate U Give poetically tackles the chilling realities of police brutality against the Blsck community in America. It discusses youth activism, trauma in Black communities, gangs, identity crisises, and the importance of speaking up for what you believe in. This book and ALL of its characters (because the annoying movie cut out a whole influential character) show the affect of one's community on them. I read this book two summers ago and I was glued to it. It was one of the few books that I felt like the character's stroy could be my story. I mean, just look at the cover. I love Starr and her village of a family, and the pull she feels from two sides of who she is. Everyone should READ this book, the movie is good but this book just hits different. Its beautiful.
4. Camo Girl by Kekla Magoon
I can't quite remember where I picked up this book from, I just know that when I got it I couldn't stop reading it over and over again. Camo Girl is about a girl named Ellie who has vitiligo and is the only Black girl in her Las Vegas suburbs. She's bestfriends with social outcast Z who is eccentric in certain ways--he likes to play chess and lives in his own fantasy world in his head. When new boy Bailey, the one other Black kid, moves to town and begins to show intrest in Ellie, she is torn between him and Z. Her relationship with Bailey pulls her away from Z, which feels like a betrayal to Z because she is his only friend. I particularly love this book because each of the characters suffer trauma in some way. Ellie's mom works for the train company and isn't home often, Ellie herself struggles with insecurities and closes her eyes while she brushes her teeth in the morning so that she doesn't see her reflection in the mirror. Z is homelss and had to sleep in the store where his mom works. And soon readers learn that Bailey isn't as perfect as he seems either. This book feels very realistic to the struggles young kids go through and it felt very validating when I read it in middle school. I highly suggest reading it because my summary just doesn't do this book justice. It is so nuanced and it shows that everyone has a different story. Most importantly, this book is about friendship.
5. Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series by Jeff Kinney
I'm sorry, if you haven't read this whole series why are you even breathing! This series is a staple and I have almost the whole collection. There's so much I can say about this series, but I'm just going to try to make this short. This book series encompasses the awkwardness of being a tween, dealing with a weird family, dealing with friends and having crushes. This book series has made me laugh out loud and always has a wholesome message at the end. I reread these books every so often, so you definetly should. I'm not even going to summarize the plot just read it! (or read it again!)
6. Now I'll Tell You Everything by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
This book is actually the final book to a series of "Alice books" about the protagonist. I had no idea this book was apart of a series when I picked it up so you can imagine my confusion when there was little exposition and all these character names were coming at me, lol. But, like listening in on any conversation, with a little context and guessing you can figure out the gist of the characters. In other words, you don't really need to read the whole series, in fact I'll summarize! In this final book, the main character, Alice, is going to college! The series followed Alice through highschool where she dated her boyfriend Patrick and hung out with her bestfriends (who's names I forget). Her mom passed when she was younger, but her dad remarried her step-mom, Sylvia (or some iteration of that name, again I can't remember lol). Alice also has a brother who isn't too important. Think Hannah Montana if you're confused--Jackson, Billy Ray, and Miley. However, Alice and Patrick have broken up! He left for the Peace Corps so now college-bound Alice is navigating the world of adulthood. I loved this book because of mainly the college aspect of it. It describes Alice going to school, making new friends, mainating her high school friendships, and dealing with some pretty heavy stuff. Eventually, the book covers Alice's life into motherhood wayyy after she graduates college. I honestly fell in love with it because I feel like it picks up right after all those coming-of-age highschool movies end, lol. It was just so sweet, and definetly not boring. It deals with heartbreak, sexual assualt, sex, death, etc. I plan on re-reading it before I go to college because I was way ahead of my time when I read it in middle school.
7. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
I LOVE THIS BOOK. I was required to read this book for school, but I genuinely enjoyed it. This book tells the story of one family, a lineage created by two sisters, whose lives end up very differently. It has been awhile since I read this book, so my summary will be a little thin, but I am linking a better one here. Each chapter is about a direct memeber of the family linking from one of the sisters. There is a whole family tree and I just love things like that. The sisters are seperated by slavery so in a way this becomes split from an African-American experience and the Black American experience. The two sides eventually come together in the end when distant relatives meet. It deals with questioning sexuality, gender norms, patriarchy, colorism, systemic racism, and identity. I wrote a whole essay on this book and its probaly one of the best I've ever written because I enjoyed the book so much. Read this! There's so many themes in here.
8. The Duff by Kody Keplinger
This book was passed arounddd in middle school. Well, a least my copy, I gave it to someone to read and never got it back :( I read the book before I watched the movie and I can't really remember why, I think it just happened like that. Anyways, if you haven't seen the movie thebasic plot is the the main character (who's name I forget) is told that she is the duff of her friend group. Designated Ugly Fat Friend. Immediately, I was drawn because I had never heard this feeling explained like that. Once I read the book, I fell in love. I understood why she was pining over resident douche-bag Wesley and loved how in the end she realized that society doesn't define her place in the world, only she gets to do that. I've watched the movie so many times trying to get back the feeling the boom gave me, so the lines between what was in the book and what was in the movie have kind of blurred for me. However, I can tell you that THE BOOK IS BETTER. There's a whole sex scene in the book that was cut out of the movie, LMAO! So yes, seriously read this book if you are a teenager and feel like a side character. This book reinforces what it means to be the main character, or any character at all really.
9. Pretties by Scott Westerfield
I read this book in middle school on a tablet and didn't realize (once again) that it was a part of a series. If you're into dystopian novels, then you're in luck! Pretties is about a society where are teenagers get plastic surgery at 16 to become "pretty" if they aren't already. I actually don't think I finished the book (yikes) I really can't remember LMAO. But honestly the concept is very interesting, it gets batshit. I plan on reading it again. You should definetly check out the summaries for this book, but I do highly recommend this book!
10. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
This book was required summer reading for a class I took, but I genuinely enjoyed this book. It centers around protaganist, Amir, (omg yes I actually remembered) who lives in Pakistan. Amir was a wealthy boy and lived with a servant who had a son (also a servant) named Hassan. Amir mistreated Hassan when they were young boys, but Hassan always remained loyal. Amir and his father immigrated to the US when Amir was a teenager, leaving Hassan behind. Due to an incident in their childhood, Amir carries a guilt surrounding their relationship.Amir returns to Pakistan as an adult and goes on a journey of redemption. This book was beautiful because we see Amir struggle with his identity, and making things right. The book covers father-son relationships, classim, identity, and redemption. It is truly athought provoking read.
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