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Books for mature 15/16 year old

27 replies

lockdrawn · 27/10/2019 21:32

My Dd enjoys reading and has said she would like to read more and asked for some books for Xmas, what's good for a mature 15/16 year old?

I was thinking of Virginia Andrews flowers in the attic series as I loved those books as a teen

OP posts:
BarbedBloom · 27/10/2019 21:37

Hmm, I am not sure about those as I reread them a few years back and cringed at a lot of it, especially the portrayal of women and power dynamics. I was a mature reader and I was on adult books by then. Are there any particular genres she enjoys?

Moominfan · 27/10/2019 21:38

Battle royale

Pushmepullyou · 27/10/2019 21:39

Surrender the pink by Carrie Fisher. It was my absolute favourite at that age. Re-read it recently and it has aged ok

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mbosnz · 27/10/2019 22:11

Has she read 'The Hates You Give'? Or what about some classics - Jane Austen, the Bronte Sisters?

underneaththeash · 27/10/2019 22:16

Handmaid’s Tale?

Armi · 27/10/2019 22:17

Perks of Being A Wallflower- Stephen Chbosky
I Capture The Castle - Dodie Smith
The Woman in Black - Susan Hill
Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
Behind The Scenes At The Museum- Kate Atkinson
Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier
Dissolution - CJ Sansom

All engaging and pretty straightforward. I also remember absolutely slurping down ‘Gone With The Wind’ at that age, but it has highly problematic aspects to it so probably best avoided.

eddiemairswife · 27/10/2019 22:18

Why can't she go to the library and choose her own books?

Justhadathought · 27/10/2019 22:22

Handmaid’s Tale?

My favourite Margaret Atwood novel is 'Alias Grace'; and as an ex-teacher one that I would recommend for bright A-level students ( 16-18)

Justhadathought · 27/10/2019 22:23

Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte

Yes, or 'Villette' - my favourite.

Justhadathought · 27/10/2019 22:26

Why can't she go to the library and choose her own books?

She has requested books for Xmas.......

Obviously it would be good to know her character and interests.....

DonPablo · 27/10/2019 22:30

If you get her Jane eyre, get her wide sargasso sea too.

Barbara kingsolver? The poison wood Bible

Yy to Astwood. THT and the Testaments or Alias Grace.

All the Light We Cannot See

Caitlin Morgan?

DonPablo · 27/10/2019 22:30

Moran. New phone, keyboard hates me.

stucknoue · 27/10/2019 22:35

By that age I was reading mass market fiction like Barbara Taylor Bradford - looking back it's quite mature themes! (I know the exact age I was 15 and 11 months due to a holiday). Classics like a passage to India I also read that holiday

parietal · 27/10/2019 22:35

The Power - Naomi Alderman

For whom the bell tolls - Hemmingway

Tale of two cities - Dickens

The Country of Ice Cream Star - Sandra Newman

Drinkciderfromalemon · 27/10/2019 22:38

The Great Gatsby
Anything by Daphne du Maurier
Anything by Amy Tan
Anna Karenina
Brideshead Revisited
Breakfast at Tiffany's

Barbarian Days (cant remember author) is a fascinating non fiction (honestly!) as is Bury my heart at wounded knee by Dee Brown.

OpheliaBee · 27/10/2019 22:38

By the time I was a teen, my mum was just passing whatever she was reading onto me. Bestsellers, classics etc. What kind of books does she like? Surely she can just read whatever adult books she wants at that age?

Drinkciderfromalemon · 27/10/2019 22:40

Dd who is a bit younger struggled with the Flowers in the Attic series, found them, in her words "sick in a sick way" ie not cool...

Pumpkintopf · 27/10/2019 22:51

I read the Flowers in the artic series, not sure I'd recommend them to my dd - the incest theme alone would give me pause.

Does she like horror/suspense? Stephen King Needful Things?

Malorie Blackman Noigh

Can you tell us what she's interested in/some other books she's enjoyed?

Pumpkintopf · 27/10/2019 22:51

Grr hit post to early- noughts and crosses that was meant to say!

Tolleshunt · 27/10/2019 22:53

What about Sarah Waters? Tipping the Velvet or Fingersmith. Or possibly The Little Stranger.

HerculesTheBercules · 28/10/2019 06:19

At her age I discovered Jeffrey archer - loved those books, and would recommend Not A Penny More.

SuperMeerkat · 28/10/2019 06:31

Children of the Dust by Louise Lawrence.

DonPablo · 28/10/2019 06:33

Sarah Waters is a great shout. Fingersmith is brilliant!

whatswithtodaytoday · 28/10/2019 06:36

At that age I was reading adult fiction, though mainly stuff themed around women and relationships. I wouldn't say anything is off limits if she's bright. Let her read the problematic stuff and think about why it feels wrong nowadays.

I'd agree with Armi's list, and would add a couple of my favourites:

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Forever Amber

Both have difficult content but are excellent reads.

fruitpastille · 28/10/2019 06:37

Starter for ten/Sweet Sorrow by David Nicholls are really enjoyable and probably relatable for a teenager.

The Power, Vox, The girl with all the gifts if she likes dystopian.

I capture the castle, The catcher in the rye are teenage classics.

The fault in our stars or other John Green books might be more up to date favourites for teens.

The time travellers wife, maybe?

Can you find out what her friends are reading?

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