Teen girl books

[christmasfish]

DD13 has always been a voracious reader, but since starting at grammar school, she never reads for pleasure anymore. Some of it is a lot of homework turns her off from more reading, but in her "reading time" (1 hour before bed, screen free) she'd rather play the guitar or write her diary. None of this is a problem - it's her time, but I'm just sad she's missing out on the books she used to love.

Her reading age is (was?) older than her actual age. Books aimed at young teens don't really interest her.

Things she loved in the past: Hunger Games (but only the first one), Holly Bourne books, The Good Girl's Guide to Murder, Five Survive, They Both Die at The End. I tried and failed to get her interested in Divergent.

I have a cunning idea to get her to start listening to audiobooks, and I think the novelty will be enough to hook her back in. But I need to make sure the first one is a banger. So whilst I would love for her to be reading Jane Eyre or Lord of the Flies, I think we're going to have to start with something a bit less classic and a bit more page-turny / TikTok famous. She hates fantasy, so none of the romantasy stuff is going to do it for her.

Any ideas?

Hopeful bump

How about a verse novel? Fast to read as the descriptive passages are omitted-the intensity of emotion sucks you in though.Try books by Louisa Reid,Elizabeth Acevedo,Manjeet Mann.Alternatively could you take her
to a bookshop and let her choose.Good luck

The Maze Runner - James Dashner
The Loop - Ben Oliver
Truly Devious - Maureen Johnson
One of Us is Lying - Karen M McManus
The Marrow Thieves - Cherie Dimaline

Despite being a lifelong reading-is-breathing reader, I took a break during my English degree. It came back.

How about retro modern classic - The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy?

Authors

• Joan Aiken (eg The Wolves Of Willoughby Chase)
• Patrick Ness (eg Chaos Walking trilogy, A Monster Calls)

My 12yr old had similar taste and has also enjoyed both Karen McManus and Ravena Guron. She gets bored of series though. She refuses to read The Wolves of Willoughby Chase or Little Women which I know she would love but maybe audio books would work?

Something by David Almond? A Song for Ella Grey or Bone Music are both about teen girls. His language is so poetic and his books are quite short. Both on Audible.

Z for Zachariah by Robert C O'Brien.

One of us is lying series by Karen McManus
Heart stopper series (graphic novels, could work if she likes journalling)
Scythe series (hefty though, might be a bit off putting)
Watch out for some of the booktok romantasy- they're explicit!
Elle McNicholl - not the kind of spark kids ones, but some like it cold.
The fault in our stars is a weepy.

Don't despair, I'm sure it will come back 💐

The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare; The curious incident of the dog in the night time by Mark Haddon. The Girl who couldn’t lie by Radhika Sanghani. Wonder by RJ Palacio.
Cherub series by Robert Muchamore -although these get older as the children in it get older.
The Ransom of Mercy Carter by Caroline Cooney. She’s written lots of others too.
Girl, Missing by Sophie McKenzie -lots more by her, too
I’m sure there are more now, I may have lost touch a bit in the last 5 years.
I’d search on Goodreads website, you can search by age range and genre. Audiobooks are a good call if she’s got out of the habit of reading.

Thank you so much for these - there are some fabulous suggestions here.

I have started her off with Scythe.

When I was her age, I'd hoover up series, so if I loved the first one, I'd read ALL of them (even when the next ones weren't as good). She won't do that, and I sort of respect it (she's right - the first Hunger Games book is much better than all the others). But it does mean I can't lazily just get her the next in the series.

I did take her to the bookshop about 6 months ago and she picked out about 6 books, and spent £60ish, but has half-read a couple of them and lost interest. I know that makes her sound spoiled, but I'm also conscious that I'm going to turn her off faster by insisting she reads what she's bought.

I also regularly pick stuff up at the library I think she'd like. I used to have about an 80% hit rate of things I thought she'd enjoy - but she's not read anything I've chosen for several months.

Of the things other people have recommended so far - she enjoyed Heart Stopper. I thought she'd love "The Fault in Our Stars" (I did) but she didn't get on with it. I've even tempted her with Judy Blume's "Forever", which was the must-have book when I was that age, but she read about 20 pages and gave up.

I tried reading Hitchhiker's Guide to her a year or so ago, but the sentences are LONG and quite a lot of it is archaic and you have to work quite hard to pull the humour out.

I was surprised at how well John Wyndham went down with teenage girls: The Chrysalis, the Day of the Triffids, that sort of thing.

My daughter loved Good Girl's Guide to Murder, Noughts & Crosses series not just the first one & has just started Inheritance games and is really enjoying it.

I've always read loads but read very little from 14-17 and that was without the distraction of phones/social media etc but came back to it.
Even now I have peaks and troughs and stages like when my kids were younger where I can only re-read Jilly Cooper or something equally lightweight.
I think there are a lot more Young Adult books than ever before which is great for our children although I have to admit to being slightly shocked that Flowers in the Attic was still in teen reading when I was in an independent book shop recently. 😱

Mine devoured the divine secrets of the ya ya sisterhood and the book that goes with it at that age

Was also going to suggest we were liars

To kill a mockingbird on audible. So atmospheric
Maybe Wild Swans?

Anything Sally Rooney
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

Totally unrelated but I wrote a university essay on The Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood for a module on women’s fiction!

@Hameth wild swans for a 13 year old ? Isn't that a bit harrowing?

Op don't panic and certainly don't push..I'm amazed you can get her to bed with strict timings for activities.

It's great you are doing this and I'm taking notes for my 13 year old but the comment about her not getting into series like you did and you can sort of understand it makes me wonder if you are projecting onto her.
Remember even if she never gets back into reading ever again she can enjoy a full and wonderful life.

I tried reading Hitchhiker's Guide to her a year or so ago, but the sentences are LONG and quite a lot of it is archaic and you have to work quite hard to pull the humour out.

I meant as an audio book rather than actually reading it. Great for in the car. Appreciate that if you've tried it and she didn't like it it'll be hard to try again though. Leave it another couple of years.

I totally feel your pain! My daughter went through a similar phase when the grammar school workload hit—it’s like their "reading brain" just gets fried by all the academic stuff.
Since she loved A Good Girl's Guide to Murder and Five Survive, she clearly has a taste for those "unputdownable" modern thrillers. If you’re looking for a "banger" to hook her back in via audiobooks, you might find some inspiration here: Recommended Reading List.

And I kind of agree with PP. Your daughter seems to be all 'read out' from her school day. Maybe she just needs a break from words. She knows she enjoys reading, she'll find her way back to it when there's space in her head.

Dd2 was 12 in lockdown and loved the ya ya books she’s re read them a few times. 17 now and planning an eng lit degree 😄

I recommend Project Hail Mary, my kids were completely riveted around the same age (and me!)
I loved wild swans when I read it years ago but I tried the audiobook and did not find it riveting like I did the book (also agree maybe not for a 13 yr old)
Scythe is a good choice was popular with my youngest at that age. I don't think the second and third are as good, though she liked them.

@BackToRealitySigh

My DD is into detective stuff i think she would enjoy the good girls guide book. Is that the title of the first one ?

Also what's the inheritance one about

It doesn’t feel that strict! So long as she’s finished her homework, she comes down and watches TV with us for an hour (we’ve just watched “The Good Place” together). Then at 8 she goes upstairs, and has an hour of winding down before bed. We call it “reading time” from when she was tiny but she can do whatever she wants as long as it’s not on screens and isn’t homework. I just miss her loving books - and I’m also aware that reading is the strongest indicator of academic outcome.