I received this email and know you are going to have an absolute fiesta of recommendations. We’ve talked about YA books, including this post from 2005** about YA books that Candy loved. We’ve talked YA romance before, too, but since there is SO much to choose from, what would you recommend for a 13 year old reader who is becoming interested in romance?
I’ve been a big reader since I was a little girl so it has been a joy
watching one of my nieces become an avid reader. Knowing I am the big
reader in the family, she has come to me for book recs.There are so many more choices out there for a young girl compared to
when I was her age. And the books I read now are definitely for adults
only so I was hoping you or your huge readership could provide some
recommendations. Then I could take a look at those and decide which
books to get her. My niece is 13 and here is a bit of her recent
reading history to give you an idea of what she does(n’t) like.A friend of hers has the Twilight books so she read that series
already. She told me she liked the books, book 4 was weird and she is
team Jacob – although that was mainly after she saw the movie and
Taylor Lautner 🙂She liked the Mediator series by Meg Cabot even though she started
with book 5 (apparently she does not have series OCD like me!) so if
there’s a particular book in a series you thought was awesome, please
share 🙂She told me she tried but couldn’t get into the Harry Potter books.
She is currently reading the 1st Percy Jackson book and she said she
is enjoying it. Then she said she wanted to read more love stories.
Another romance reader in the making.Any recommendations you and the SBTB community come up with will be
greatly appreciated.Sincerely,
Rec-less in the Bookstore
So, what books do you suggest? I’d suggest the 1-800-WHERE-R-U series by Meg Cabot, which I think of as the “Lightning Girl” series, and books by Jennifer Echols, especially Going Too Far, and Caridad Ferrer. But I lean very much toward YA romance in a contemporary setting, and am not as familiar with what is hot screaming awesome in YA paranormal. What do you recommend?
** That entry is from 2005, the first year of Smart Bitches, Trashy Books. And our 6th Anniversary is tomorrow – WOOOO! Come on back for fun and merriment!
The Hunger Games series is excellent. Not necessarily romance, but very well written with an exciting plot. Collins’ heroine is smart, resourceful, and strong. She doesn’t put up with too much b.s.. A great role-model for any 13 year old girl. I’m middle-aged and I loved these books.
I reccomend the Morganville Vampire series by Rachel Caine. I to the first four for my neice for Christmas and she enjoyed them. I told her if she was going to read about vampires, she might as well read something good.
Also, the latest incarnation of Nancy Drew is pretty good. The graphic novels are, too. Not sure how many books are in the series, though.
I thought of another great Y.A. series (although I was much older when I read it) – Marianne Curley’s Guardians of Time – The Named, The Dark and The Key – romance, magic, epic adventure.
I would recommend Sarah Dessen, Phyllis Reynold Naylor, Joan Lowery Nixon, Garth Nix
Some of these have already been mentioned, but as an English major who owns a bookshop with a huge YA section I couldn’t NOT comment.
* The Sally Lockhart Mysteries, which someone has already plugged, are amazing and perfect for that age. A little sexy, a little romantic, a lot of adventure… so well written. I just re-read the series (and I’m 24) and I loved them all over again.
* This may sound strange, but: the Anne of Green Gables series. Lots of folks don’t know but the series continues for several books, ending with my favorite, Rilla of Ingleside, a WWI-era story featuring romance and heartbreak and a very plucky heroine.
* As has been said by others, Robin McKinley, although not all her books are created equal and she’ll probably read through them in a minute. My favorite for that age would be Sunshine, a vampire book before vampire books were The Thing.
* Neil Gaiman would be a good choice, I think almost any of his novels would work but I’m thinking specifically Stardust—there’s a little sex but not more than a 13 year old could handle.
i have to second so many of the recommendations here, especially L. M. Montgomery’s The Blue Castle recommended by @Susan Neace. That’s still my favourite romance of all time. I reread it at least twice a year. And it’s Montgomery, so there are no sex scenes, just tons of swoon.
I read everything in Montgomery’s catalogue, and the Anne books are especially re-readable.
As a teen, I read tons of adult fiction – I think I read more YA now than I did as a YA, which is why I love the Forever Young Adult blog.
If she’s into mysteries, Agatha Christie is always a good bet. And some of my favs of hers were also romances: The Man in the Brown Suit and The Secret of Chimneys.
I second Tamora Pierce like whoa. I started with the Alana books (recommended to me by a twelve year old camper when I was her 18 year old counsellor).
The Hunger Games (for post-apocalyptic dystopia with an amazingly kick-ass teen heroine)
Sweethearts (for wonderful contemporary swoon)
The Belgariad and The Mallorean (for fantasy on an epic scale that’s totally readable, and will give you a life-long crush on Garion)
Anything by Philip Pullman, Garth Nix, Georgette Heyer, Meg Cabot, Sarah Dessen and Robin McKinley. I also love Neil Gaiman, but would follow @Katie Dickson’s recommendation and start with Stardust or The Graveyard Book instead of American Gods or The Anansi Boys.
For old-school books I loved as a teen, I’d go with T. H. White and George MacDonald for fantasy/fairy tale and the Nancy Drew or Trixie Beldan books for still great teen girl detectives.
And thanks to everyone else’s recommendations, I have a lot to add to my TBR pile!
Sunshine=awesome, such a great story!
I read the first few Soul Screamer books recently and really liked the characters, but some of their decision making bugged me (as the parent of a teen). I don’t think she gets overly descriptive with the sexoring, but if memory serves some of the characters are or have recently been getting it on. I wouldn’t feel squicky about handing them over to my 15yo step-daughter, but for 13 I’d have to glance over them again.
As far as the “should young teens read adult romance” back and forth goes…
I’d like to chime in and say “OF COURSE if they are so inclined…BUT I’M NOT GOING TO GIVE IT TO THEM.”
If my stepdaughter finds a book on her own, I’m not going to rip it out of her hands. On the other hand, I’m not passing her copies of Nicole Jordan’s “Courtship Wars” books either.
Diana Wynne Jones is awesome. Howl’s Moving Castle, The Charmed Lives of Christopher Chant, even Conrad’s Fate would be good ones to start.
The Sherwood Ring by Elizabeth Pope is beautiful and very moving.
The Hollow Kingdom by Clare Dunkle is also excellent. Very strong young heroine trying to avoid becoming wife of Goblin King (who is strong and determined without being an asshole about it).
There are so many great suggestions, but I can see that one of my favorite books isn’t named yet – I recommend The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie Pope.
I didn’t read all of the comments to see if anyone recommended these yet, but Cassandra Clare has a series called The Mortal Instruments that is pure awesome. City of Bones, City of Glass, and City of Ashes are the titles, and a new one coming out in April (OMG I can’t wait!!!)
Try
Suzanne Collins Hunger Games series
Gena Showalter Intertwined series
Sherrilyn Kenyon Chronicles of Nick series
James Patterson Angel Experiment series
Lauren mentioned Agatha Christie a few posts up, and many of hers are great reads. Unchallenging in terms of style and language, but with clever plots, some intriguing settings, and also, because of her long career, full of interesting 20thC social history to absorb painlessly. Also, on the detective-story tack, Patricia Wentworth (who has been mentioned), and Ngaio Marsh, who was a most elegant writer — much more so than Christie. As was Dorothy L. Sayers. Mary Stewart wrote beautifully and vividly, too, and her romantic suspense books are so exciting!
I understand why many of you are recommending books that are specifically written for adolescents and deal with fantasy and modern mythology, and I realise that there is a huge choice of this material available now, some no doubt very well written, but I think that reality-based contemporary fiction published for adults between 40 and 100 years ago is also well worth the attention of a bright 13-year-old. It is safe from the ‘explicit sex’ danger of recent adult fiction, and will also widen the young reader’s horizons on some 20thC history issues.
😉
Hunger Games all day. I also liked Matched by Ally Condie and it makes an interesting counterpoint to the Hunger Games.
Someone else mentioned The Mortal Instruments and I would add to that the companion series to them, The Infernal Devices. I read the first one of those back in November and loved every second.
I re-read the first two Anne books a few months ago. They hold up. I’d also recommend the Emily Starr books, also by L.M. Montgomery. I read those at that age till my copies fell apart. Then I bought more and read them again (my allowance never lasted long).
I stand by the list I left here earlier, but it started me thinking about some of the best romance storylines from books I read as a child an young teen. I wrote a post about it, with a list of my seven favorite childhood book crushes:
http://elizabethcornwell.com/?p=736
I know I’m pluggin myself, but it’s totally relevant, I swear! : )
A POSSSE OF PRINCESSES by Sherwood Smith is absolutely excellent; a group of princesses are brought together, one of which is to be chosen by the prince. Then one of the girls is kidnapped. Instead of standing around, these princesses go out to rescue her. It’s very good.
Alright then!
I remember reading Amelia Atwater Rhodes vampire books when I was 13, it was pretty cool because the writer was actually 13 when she started writing, most of her stuff is pretty PG
I would also suggest Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl Series
And I would strongly suggest any of Nancy Farmers books along with
Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
doesn’t like Harry Potter eh? (Inwardly cringe* and sigh “All to her own, I guess”)
Also I’d get her started on the classics, Jane Austen, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle the works!
I remember being 13, the best you can do for a kid at that time is to get them reading in as much diversity as possible, moderation doesn’t exist when it comes down to reading.
looking39 OMG! That’s 13 times 3… not sure what that means.
I know there have been plenty of great recommendations, but I just had to add my two cents. I would like to second Isobel Carr’s suggestion of Rosemary Sutcliff, specifically “The Mark of the Horse Lord”.
It’s got swordfights and chariot battles, murder and intrigue, old prophets and a coming of age story. It’s got revenge and romance, gladiators and usurpers, slaves earning their freedom, and an imposter who becomes the mask he was wearing. Everything a growing girl needs, really.
The book has a strong emphasis on friendship, and much of the story involves the main character earning the trust of his compatriots. I didn’t date at all throughout my high school years; I loved this book because it contained so many relationships I could relate to. I wasn’t interested in romance books until after I fell in love myself.
Thanks to everyone who replied, you’ve expanded my reading list!
Bella at Midnight by Diane Stanley (awesome fairy tale retelling)
Enthusiasm by Polly Shulman (I think someone already mentioned it, but I second it!)
The Gemma Doyle Triology by Libba Bray (A Great and Terrible Beauty, Rebel Angels, The Sweet Far Thing)—historical fiction, romance, and fantasy combined!
Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix (I don’t know that this fits the criteria, but it is one of my favorites historical novels!)
My 8th grade girls (I teach 7-8 grade drama and 10th writing) can’t get enough of Nicholas Sparks.
Oh, just saw that someone mentioned Agatha Christie! When I taught 8th grade English, we read And Then There Were None, and my students—non-readers included—LOVED it.
If your niece was Team Jacob, then I second the several recommendations for Kelley Armstrong’s Darkest Powers series, starting with The Summoning.
I still think New Zealand author Margaret Mahy’s The Changeover is one of the best books I’ve ever read—and re-read, and re-read…A teen must save her little brother from an evil spirit. Simply the best teen paranormal romance I’ve ever read.
Dragon’s Bait and Companions of the Night were very memorable. Good suggestions. Loved seeing my old faves show up in this thread.
—Plus, I’ve added so many new free samples to my nook based on this discussion! Thanks to everyone
I want to second (third, fourth) Melissa Marr’s Wicked Lovely series and anything by Madeleine L’Engle. The Austin series were some of my favorites as a teen and so were the later O’Keefe books, especially A House Like a Lotus.
Somebody may have recommended these already (probably has, I saw “140 comments” and bagged on reading them—so far), but the Septimus Heap books are good.
Bess
These may not be in print anymore, but does anyone else recall the Sunset Island books? Loved them in the eighth grade. There are a ton of other books I’d like to recommend, but sadly I don’t remember the names or authors (Me from 15 years ago: “I don’t need to keep all these books about teens in high school. I’m a grown up in COLLEGE now.” Adult me: SMACK!) Would anyone else love to see a HABO on YA books?
My two cents—Andre Norton was the writer that actually got me started reading romance. Practically every book she wrote had a romance in it. Her stories are fantasy or sci fi and there are a lot of them. I love the Witch World series and most feature strong young heroines, romance and adventure.
I’d recommend against the Mortal Instruments series—they get really pretentious and Canon Sue-ish, and generally read like bad fanfiction (considering that Cassie Clare is best known on the Internet for her Harry Potter fanfiction The Draco Trilogy, it figures).
I would, however, thoroughly second all the recommendations of works by Kristin Cashore and Holly Black. Graceling was the first book I ever read where I felt totally safe from any unfortunate implications regarding gender, and it was a totally affirming thing to read as a young woman who wants a relationship but never marriage. And Holly Black’s works are gorgeously crafted and really tap into a teenager’s mind.
Another one I don’t think anyone’s mentioned yet is I Am Morgan le Fay by Nancy Springer—there’s definitely romance, but it doesn’t play out in a typical romance novel manner. I read it for the first time when I was eleven and it remains one of my favorite books seven years later.
I recommend Keturah and Lord Death: great fantasy romance!
My sister-in-law is 15 (oh my gosh, time flies) and I’ve been loaning her books from my collection as well as buying her books and putting stuff on order for her at the library. She loved Twilight, Francesca Lia Block’s Dangerous Angels books, Megan Mcafferty’s Jessica Darling series, and (to my dismay, we’ve had a lot of discussions about Zoey’s use of “slut” as a pejorative) the House of Night series.
Recently, I’ve gotten her Beautiful Creatures, Pride and Prejudice (after she said she loved Mr. Darcy, Vampire), the Georgia Nicholson series, and I just started reading Graceling, so I’m sure that’s the next title I’ll slip her way.
I work in a middle school (grades 5-8) library. I’m a romance lover so I always try to make sure that we are well stocked with young-audience love stories.
Here are some worth checking out… Haven’t included all the authors, sorry!
Mara Daughter of the Nile – Historical fiction adventure. Set in ancient Egypt. Slave becomes a spy and a double agent, falls for one of her “handlers”. Easily one of my favorite books as a girl.
The Perilous Gard – Another historical fiction adventure. Fantasy this time, it’s a take on Tam Lin. Bit of a slow start but has a swoon-tastic ending.
Dairy Queen – Haven’t read it (yet!) but the students say it’s amazing.
A Song for Summer (Eva Ibbotson) – See above.
The Countess Beneath Stars (Eva Ibbotson) – Super cute but a little denser than it needs to be at times. An upstairs/downstairs romance.
The Silver Kiss – Vampire romance, scary, sad, lovely. (as mentioned by others)
Puppy Love (Katie Krulik) – Haven’t read yet, kids love it.
Wildwood Dancing – Haven’t read yet, kids love it.
I want to thank the bitchery for this awesome thread, which has made me discover YA romance. These recommendations have been realy great! In the last few weeks I’ve been reading a number of the books mentioned above and loved most of them. I particularly enjoyed Richelle Mead’s vampire series (awesome romance) and Anna and the French Kiss.
I’m also loving these recommendations (and I’m far from being a teen) and hopefully, I’m not too late to the party, but I just realized I’ve recently read one that I love and adore and can recommend.
Death Cloud by Andrew Lane. Young Sherlock Holmes. I loved it and my kids are reading it now and both enjoying it. So good if you know nothing about Sherlock, and so good if you know lots. Really enjoyable.
consider62: I have a least 62 more books to consider reading… 🙂
Oh, and Carola Dunn’s Daisy Dalrymple series is awesome as well.