16 Great Adult Books for Teens Ready To Move On from YA
by Liz Lesnick
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from parenting a teenager, it’s that they are predictably unpredictable. Just when I thought my daughter would never read anything except young adult novels, she informed me, “I am so over YA.” I wanted to make sure that she wasn’t over reading, so I set out to find some adult books that she would find as compelling as her YA favorites. With the help of a fabulous librarian, I compiled this list of fantastic adult reads for teens.
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Mexican Gothic
Available from:If your teen craves spine-tingling chills and is ready to move on from YA horror novels, give them a copy of Mexican Gothic. The main character is a young, headstrong woman who goes to visit her recently married cousin in a secluded mansion in Mexico. Before long, Noemí realizes that her cousin’s charming husband, the house, and the staff are hiding something sinister. This suspenseful novel will keep readers up all night!
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The Beautiful Struggle: A Memoir
Available from:Before Ta-Nehisi Coates penned his bestseller Between the World and Me, he wrote this powerful memoir about growing up with an activist father. More than just a coming-of-age story, The Beautiful Struggle reveals the challenges of being an African American man in a country where it often seems like black lives don’t matter.
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Everything I Never Told You
Available from:A tragic event befalls the Lee family. Their "star child" Lydia is dead. Grappling with her mysterious death, each family member is forced to confront their own buried secrets and confront the expectations and pressures that have shaped their lives. A poignant and suspenseful story by the author of Little Fires Everywhere that explores issues of gender, race, and the sometimes crippling weight of parental expectations.
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The Secret History
Available from:Misfits, mystery, and murder combine in this captivating novel from the author of The Goldfinch. Teens who enjoyed YA novels like The Ivies by Alexa Donne and They Wish They Were Us by Jessica Goodman will obsess over this dark academic novel set at a small New England college. The brilliant plotting and slow-burn suspense will keep readers thinking about it long after turning the final page.
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Ramón and Julieta
Available from:Shakespeare lovers will adore this swoon-worthy Romeo and Juliet retelling with a Latinx twist. Sparks fly between an over-achieving fast food mogul and a taqueria owner when they share a kiss during Day of the Dead celebrations. However, a rivalry between their families and growing tension in the community threatens to keep them apart. It’s perfect for Jane the Virgin fans!
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Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
Available from:Legendary YA author John Green took to TikTok to tout this as one of the best books he's ever read. Childhood besties Sam Masur and Sadie Green created a blockbuster video game together. Fame, fortune, and everything that goes with it come to them at a young age. It’s a dream come true for everyone, but as the years pass, their creative ambitions and need for love might destroy them. Zevin delivers a multi-layered coming-of-age novel about human growth and the evolution of friendships over time with raw, messy, and complicated characters you can’t help but root for.
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The Haunting of Hill House
Available from:If your teen was first in line to see “The Shape of Water” or can’t get enough of Stephen King, they’ll go crazy for Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House. Jackson was the master of creating horror through atmosphere and suggestion rather than through explicit descriptions or gore. True confession: I had to read this with the lights on when I knew I wasn’t alone in our house.
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Prep
Available from:When my daughter came home from camp last summer, she started saying that she really wanted to go to boarding school. She knew that this was never going to happen, but she continued to bring up the subject. I’m not sure if she appreciated it when I left a copy of Prep on her bed, but she gave it a try. She finished the novel in a day, and while it didn’t stop her from bringing up the subject of boarding school, she did thank me for giving it to her — score one for Mom.
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Love, Theoretically
Available from:Ali Hazelwood is one of the most popular romance novelists right now, and teens ready to move on from YA will find much to love about her books. If your teen enjoys fake dating, enemies to lovers, and school-adjacent stories, they’ll love this rom-com!
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Ready Player One
Available from:If your teen is a gamer, a sci-fi/fantasy fanatic, or a self-proclaimed nerd, they’ll geek out over Ready Player One. Words can’t do justice to this laugh-out-loud quest novel whose twists and turns will keep readers glued to the page. Bonus for parents: You get to explain all of the ’80s references from Billy Idol to Atari to “Family Ties”!
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Heroine Complex Series
Available from:Teens who love books like The DC Icons series and The Babysitters Coven series will enjoy this humorous superhero series. Between rescuing San Francisco from demons, Asian American superheroines Evie Tanaka and Aveda Jupiter tackle real-life problems like raising a teenage sister, dating, and holding down a job. Witty banter and an action-packed plot make this series an instant hit with young adults!
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Rebecca
Available from:If your teen couldn’t put down E. Lockhart’s We Were Liars, she’ll devour Daphne du Maurier’s classic tale of a young woman haunted by the legacy of her husband’s glamorous first wife, Rebecca. Du Maurier creates a mysterious and compelling cast of characters from the dashing Maxim de Winter to the severe and terrifying housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers, that are as memorable as her famous first line: “Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.” For an extra treat, I recommend a mother-daughter screening of the Hitchcock classic adaptation of the novel.
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Binti: The Complete Trilogy
Available from:Girl power and STEM themes combine in this fast-paced sci-fi story about a math-loving girl who survives an attack from the Medusae — jellyfish-like creatures in outer space. Readers will be on the edge of their seats as Binti travels across the galaxy alone, brokers peace, and joins the ranks of a prestigious university. It’s a must-read for anyone who loved Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
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Red Rising Series
Available from:If your teen obsessed over The Hunger Games, they’ll love this bestselling post-apocalyptic series for adults. When Darrow discovers his entire life has been based on a lie crafted to keep his people enslaved, he sets out to change the system. He enters a cut-throat competition against the ruling class’s most fearsome warriors in hopes of earning a spot at the prestigious Institute. He hatches a plan to take down the ruling class from within its highest ranks.
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Dune Series
Available from:Teens will love reading and then watching one of the bestselling science fiction novels of all time! Readers will get sucked into this award-winning story about a boy who lives on a planet with only one valuable product — a magical spice with life-extending properties. As Paul becomes a man, he goes on a life-altering and galaxy-changing journey that will keep teens glued to the page.
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The Martian
Available from:Send your teen to Mars to eke out their survival one day at a time alongside astronaut Mark Watney. Chances are, your teen has already seen the movie adaptation of this book, but that will only make reading the book more enjoyable. Readers get a deeper dive into the science behind Mark’s survival and the incredible lengths it took to return to Earth.
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Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in 2018 and updated in 2024.