Teen Reads

When my kids were little I could stay on top of what they were reading but as they have grown up and their books have got longer, other than the Harry Potter series which both Allan and I read, I have not been able to make sure what they were reading was appropriate nevermind literary!

Having Lindsay's kindle linked to my Amazon account means I can still read a brief description of what the book is about.  However Lindsay has developed her own sense of reading style much different from my own.  I read one of her picks below and was scarred for life and then a couple of weeks ago I was out of books (again) and she lent me a couple of what looked like "teen girl lite" and I was so pleasantly surprised by the the clean, emotionally appropriate, real stories I decided to ask her to write about her top picks.

Below is her Teen Summer Reading List.......Thanks Lindsay!

Lindsay's Top Reads  (in no particular order)

Divergent Trilogy (second book: Insurgent) By Veronica Roth

This book is not so far off base from the Hunger Games trilogy in many senses. It's a post apocalyptic novel in which the protagonist (Beatrics/Tris) is faced with many challenges in going through her teenaged years in the dysfuntional and chaotic society they live in.

This is not a light reading, it's more of a 'up-until-2-am-because-I-can't-put-it-down' kind of book. In addition it's also pretty gory and graphic in a few areas and if you're anything like my mom, you may have nightmares after reading it. I on the other hand found it thought provoking. Lots of what Tris deals with is the same lessons and experiences teenagers in this century have just blown up and put in a vastly different context. If you liked the Hunger Games I'm fairly certain you'll enjoy these, although we are still awaiting the third book!

Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins. 

'nuff said. If you haven't read them, I don't know why, but please....just read them!

Ophelia by Lisa Klein

This book is basically a re-telling of Hamlet but through the eyes of Ophelia. It is so different! It's a historical romance written in a combination of modern and old english so personally it was a challenge to get through the language barriers but in the end it was so worth it!

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

I'm not entirely sure how to classify this book. It mixes fiction with photographs to give the reader a more rounded mental image.  It definitely has a historical component that is quite prominent as well as some horrow/sci-fi. I LOVE this book. I like the mystery and the suspense and the fact that it is so unpredictable. It's worth a read!



Delirum (second book: Pandemonium) by Lauren Oliver

Also a post-apocaplyptic novel, set in North America it's easy for me to visualize. The North America in the book is much much different than the one we live in today, understandably. In the world Lena Halloway Love is a forbidden and feared thing. But she sees it so differently, it's a fight for her own opinion and control over her own life, something I believe a lot of us - teenagers especially - go through at some point or another. There are more books rumored to be in the making!

All books ever written by Sarah Dessen

It's clean, appropriate (teen) romance novels with a life lesson thrown in between the lines. I've read them all over and over, my favorite being 'lock and key'  and I still love them. They make awesome gifts too :)

Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky

Another post-apocalyptic novel that is a reality not too off from our own, and yet terrifying to imagine. It challenged me to think about how we're living our lives and how much we revolve around technology. At what point does it become too much? As much as it is thought provoking there is a romance aspect to keep it a little lighter. Definitely worth your time if not for the story, then for the thought provocation.


Hope these books find their ways into your hands this summer :) enjoy!