Novels for 16 year olds

And also on a theme of nights and circuses 'the night circus' by Erin Morgenstern is also fantastic- magic realism , uplifting , page turning.

I loved Iain Banks at that age 'The Wasp Factory' his debut novel was incredible. I also loved magical realism, The Angela Carter book 'Nights at the Circus', 'The Changeover' by Margaret Mahy, Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast trilogy. The adult fiction world is open to you at 16 as you will have exhausted the YA section by then.

This list is not a bad starting point:

www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2014/mar/06/world-book-day-ten-best-teen-reads

Rebecca? My 13 yr old loved it (bit of an age gap I know, but she's a fairly mature reader). She also liked I Capture the Castle. I'm planning on getting her Jane Eyre next.

The Ultimate Teen Book Guide is helpful. Maybe you should buy her that??

The Secret History? (quite long and grown up)

To be honest, they are reading adult books at that age and there is a huge range of different tastes. Do you know anything about what she likes?

Hitchhikers Guide - obviously

If you can't get her to read Pride and Prejudice try her with the Keira Knightley film to start with. I love the book but it took mum a while to persuade me to give it a chance. There is also a really good reading by Rosamund Pike on Audible that you may be able to persuade her to listen to.

At that age I also read The Woman in White and The Moonstone for the first time. Also Villette is my favourite Bronte and I first read it about then for.

If you are looking for a more adult version of a teen dystopia how about Children of Men?

Oh I loved that too fresta. I also really really loved the Heaven books.

How about The Flowers in the Attic seires? I loved that at her age.

The handmaids tale and Only ever yours.
Both have a similar storyline but imo are different enough to enjoy both.

I guess they do fall in the Young Adult category but they aren't dystopian like some of the other novels and are an important read, but I have three suggestions:

Asking For It - Louise O'Neill (it's about Irish rape culture and victim blaming).

Only Ever Yours - Louise O'Neill (it's about how society can pressure a person to be perfect and covers themes such as: addiction, body dysmorphia, eating disorders and homophobia).

The Art of Being Normal - Lisa Williamson (it follows two boys from different perspectives, one wants to be popular and the other wants to be invisible. They have one thing in common: they're both transgender.)

Also yes to any and all Terry prachett as a splendid thing~ but they are either your thing or very not.

I got into Isabella Allende at that age ( a long time ago) with house of spirits but I think I was also reading a eclectic mix of 'racy' trash like Lace and my dads Gerald Seymour novels. At 16 she can access adult novels I would have thought? A few I've I've enjoyed lately which I think are teenager friendly in that not to distressing - the miniaturist, the lie tree, state of wonder, the first 15 lives of Harry August, wool trilogy - it's such a broad request really. What sort of things does she like- fantasy/ family sagas/ detective etc then we could make more specific recommendations?

Take her to the library and let her loose in the adult fiction area.
She is old enough to be able to read a blurb and decide for herself.

Although I personally recommend Mort, Equal Rites and Wee Free Men (all by Terry Pratchett).

Or The Moss Witch by Sara Maitland is good - a collection of short stories (each a mix of science and magic) accompanied by an essay by the different scientists who advised Sara on the scientific content. Or even better, A Book of Spells also by Sara Maitland - more feminist magic realism,

Or how about The Life and Loves of a She Devil by Fay Weldon? Or (as an introduction to reading proper books) Letters to Alice on first reading Jane Austen (also Fay Weldon).

Or Angela Carter's fairytales?

How about the Cazalet Chronicles? I remember reading them and loving the family dynamics.

One Flew over the Cuckoo's nest
1984
Brave New World
Clockwork Orange
Madam Bovary
Catcher in the Rye
The Female Eunuch

i was reading stephen king, deen koontz at that age as well as jackie collins and jilly cooper
still read their stuff 20+ years later

I also loved Stephen King at that age (still do).

I just read holly bournes 'am I normal yet' it's a really nice read - YA fiction can be really good/exciting I think.

Just seen it's "her", sorry.

Sorry to be an arse- but why isn't 16 year old picking his or her own books?

I devoured Stephen King at that age, The Stand, Carrie. There's probably more modern ones now. Although I re-read Carrie recently, 20 years later and it's still a brilliant book

How about Attwood's 'The Handmaid's Tale' or some gritty crime drama. At 16 I was hooked on crime and also historical fiction. I'd just get her to try lots of different genres until she finds something she likes. It doesn't have to be a Classic. (I'm an English teacher at a 13-18 school).