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Non-fantasy fiction for DD, 13

28 replies

FeelingForced · 02/12/2020 03:31

I'm looking for books for DD who's 13. She's not really a fan of anything set in imaginary times and places, though she's read the Harry Potter and Percy Jackson series. We have other Rick Riordan books at home, also Artemis Fowl, Hunger Games, Alex Rider, Tamora Pierce etc., and she's not been keen.

Books she's really enjoyed are The Diary of Anne Frank, When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit and the sequels, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and the other books in the series. She's read the Anne of Green Gables books, Malory Towers and other school series as well. Has read Pride and Prejudice and Sherlock Holmes stories through school and liked them, but found Sense and Sensibility boring. Not too fond of Agatha Christie books. Tends to be squeamish about romance and would prefer books without much reference to it.

I'm trying to figure out what she might enjoy. She's studying the Cold War in school right now and would probably like books set in that time. Any other suggestions would be really helpful too!

OP posts:
Orangesarenottheonlyfruit · 02/12/2020 07:06

Slay Brittany Morris
Clap when you land Elizabeth Acevedo
The Enemy Charlie Higson (there's an entire, brilliant series. So good)
Raybearer Jordan Ifueko
Wolf by Wolf Ryan Graudin

That should start her off! All these books are crackers.

PoulePouletteEternellement · 02/12/2020 06:59

(Dash it! Emily Not Emilia ...)

PoulePouletteEternellement · 02/12/2020 06:58

Elinor Brent Dyer - has she read the entire Chalet School series? (A lifetime's reading.)

P. G. Wodehouse - everything.

Mervyn Peake - Gormenghast trilogy. (Oh dear, this might be a little 'imaginary' - but very different!)

Kazuo Ishiguro - everything.

John Buchan - all the Richard Hannay novels.

Georgette Heyer - all the Regency novels. These are ostensibly historical novels centring on 'romance' - but there's nothing to induce squeamishness and they're sparklingly brilliant.

Geoffrey Household - Rogue Male (brutal and absorbing adventure).

Sylvia Townsend Warner - The Corner That Held Them.

Evelyn Waugh - everything.

Rosemary Sutcliff - all her Roman novels.

David Garnett - Lady Into Fox (brief, astonishing; nothing else like it).

Petina Gappah - everything: novels and short stories, fabulous reading.

Anna Burn - Milkman (phenomenal, groundbreaking contemporary fiction).

Philip Roth - Nemesis

Emilia St. John Mandel - Station Eleven ( this and the Roth have something in common ...)

Enough for now.

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