In addition to reviews for books written for teens (both fiction and nonfiction), I also read reviews for books written for adults that have teen appeal (the Adult Books 4 Teens blog is an incredibly useful resource for this reason). Here are some recent adult fiction titles we’ve added to the collection that are also recommended for teen readers…

• Joyland by Stephen King — Set in a small-town North Carolina amusement park in 1973, Joyland tells the story of the summer in which college student Devin Jones comes to work as a carny and confronts the legacy of a vicious murder, the fate of a dying child, and the ways both will change his life forever. “With its young protagonist and coming-of-age story line, this stands out as teen-friendly even more than the usual King.” — Booklist

• The Kings And Queens Of Roam by Daniel Wallace — When their parents die an untimely death, a blind, naive younger sister becomes wholly dependent on her bitter and conniving older sister, who overprotectively imparts stories of a brutal and dangerous world until the younger sister makes a surprising choice. “This book will resonate with teens as they are particularly attuned to issues of family power struggles and jealousy. Adding to the book’s appeal is the smooth integration of the fantastical elements, making their existence completely credible.” – Adult Books 4 Teens

• Maddaddam: A Novel by Margaret Atwood — Bringing together characters from Oryx and Crake and The Year of the Flood, this thrilling conclusion to Margaret Atwood’s speculative fiction trilogy confirms the ultimate endurance of humanity, community, and love. “Atwood’s laser-sharp writing, magnetic characters, and dramatic and funny vision of renewing life on a poisoned Earth will fascinate advanced teen readers, especially those who have read the previous novels.” — Booklist

• Night Film: A Novel by Marisha Pessl — When the daughter of a cult horror film director is found dead in an abandoned Manhattan warehouse, investigative journalist Scott McGrath, disbelieving the official suicide ruling, probes into the strange circumstances of the young woman’s death. “Teens will be sucked into this mind-bending story, with all its accompanying online accoutrements available using the ‘Night Film Decoder’ app.” – Adults Books 4 Teens

• The Ocean At The End Of The Lane by Neil Gaiman — Dark creatures from beyond the world are on the loose, and it will take everything our narrator has just to stay alive: there is primal horror here, and menace unleashed – within his family and from the forces that have gathered to destroy it. “Teens know Gaiman’s unique ability to conjure thrilling discomfort with just a few disturbing words, such as ‘button eyes’ or ‘the man Jack.’ In this book, Gaiman once again escorts readers just past the borderline of evil, and then returns them to this world, not unchanged.” – Adult Books 4 Teens

• The Raven’s Gift by Don Rearden — After a deadly epidemic strikes a Yup’ik village, newly widowed teacher John Morgan must make the thousand-mile trek across the Alaskan wilderness for help and encounters a blind Yup’ik girl and an elderly woman who need his protection. “Teen fans of dystopian fiction, and those with an interest in sustainability, will find this completely riveting.” — Booklist

• Romulus Buckle & The City Of The Founders: The Chronicles Of The Pneumatic Zeppelin by Richard Ellis Preston, Jr. — In a post-apocalyptic world of endless snow, Captain Romulus Buckle and the stalwart crew of the Pneumatic Zeppelin must embark on a perilous mission to rescue their kidnapped leader, Balthazar Crankshaft, from the impenetrable City of the Founders. “Teen fantasy fans with a taste for steampunk will wolf this one down and ask for more.” — Booklist

• The Silver Star: A Novel by Jeannette Walls — Two motherless sisters, Bean and Liz, are shuttled to Virginia to live with their Uncle Tinsley in a decaying mansion. When school starts in the fall, Bean easily adjusts and makes friends, and Liz becomes increasingly withdrawn. Then something happens to Liz and Bean is left to challenge the injustice of the adult world. “Teens will clamor for this novel with its many endearing characters, its emotional honesty, and the plot twists and turns.” – Adult Books 4 Teens

• The Sleeping Dictionary by Sujata Massey — Kamala, a young peasant woman from West Bengal, is drawn into a forbidden romance in 1930s Calcutta and is caught between the country’s independence movement and the British colonial society in which she lives. “The coming-of-age story and the multicultural themes make this a natural for teen readers.” — Booklist

• Someday, Someday, Maybe: A Novel by Lauren Graham — The story of a struggling young actress trying to get ahead–and keep it together–in New York City. “Though Franny is three years out of college, her inner monologue and anxieties (friendship, family, career, romance) are completely relatable to teens. Recommend this book to Meg Cabot fans who like funny women and light romance, and to all the teens in school plays.” – Adult Books 4 Teens

• The Universe Versus Alex Woods by Gavin Extence — Alex Woods was struck by a meteorite when he was ten years old, leaving scars that marked him for an extraordinary life. “Inevitably, comparisons will be made with Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time , and teens who appreciate that novel, or the works of Kurt Vonnegut, will be fascinated with the extraordinary world of Alex Woods.” – Adult Books 4 Teens

• Wool by Hugh Howey — In a toxic world, a community lives underground, when Sheriff Holston asks to leave and go outside, mechanic Juliette is appointed as the new sheriff and learns how badly her world is broken. “As a post-apocalyptic-survival-thriller, Wool is a page-turning rip-roar sure to please any teen looking for five hundred pages of escape this summer.” – Adult Books 4 Teens