gripping books for 14 yr ds

[Hullygully]

Please oh please.

Ds has requested books "as gripping as Infernal Engines and Eragon."

He has read the "Gone" "Hunger Games" series, is quite mature and wants a break from his non-fiction physics books...

All ideas appreciated.

Has he read any of the Phillip Pullman 'His Dark Materials' trilogy?

He has read those, Peggoty, but thanks.

He tried those, Beer, but wasn't keen (dunno why)

OK, am asking for DS's advice:

suggestions are:

The Enemy & The Dead - Charlie Higson
Young Bond series - Charlie Higson
Jimmy Coates series - Joe Craig
Percy Jackson series and The Kane Chronicles - Rick Riordan
Skullguggery Pleasant - Derek Landy (might be a bit young for him)
Gone, Hunger & Plague - Michael Grant

Will post again once he's had a think about it further.

Has he tried any Patrick Ness books? He's good.

Oh, has he tried the Artemis Fowl series?

thanks.

rogue - he's read all those (loved Artemis) and he's got the Ness books.

This is why I'm struggling...

We're in exactly the same boat. Ds (also 14) has also read and enjoyed all those suggested so far (except Patrick Ness so we'll try those, thanks).
and also keen on physics
He feels he's grown out of most of the teen series type books and has enjoyed a few of the kid/adult crossovers Curious Incident of a Dog in the Nighttime, Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and at the moment Wasp Factory (Ian Banks).
So perhaps, can anyone suggest 'grown up' books that teenage boys may enjoy? BTW I have no objection to him reading some mild adult 'titillation' soft porn but draw the line at the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo rape scene type stuff.

How about the Ian M Banks Sci Fi stuff?

Blood Red Road is new and is a cross between Hunger Games and Patrick Ness. It's fab!

Have picked DS's brains a little bit more and have a few more:

Holes/Small Steps - Louis Sacher
Agent 21 - Chris Ryan
Virals - Kathy Reichs
Eagle of the 9th - Rosemary Sutcliffe
The Spooks ... (The Wardstone Chronicles) series - Joseph Delaney
The Prince of Mist/The Midnight Palace - Carlos Ruiz Zafon (for children)
Discworld series - Terry Pratchett
The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman

I will go through his bookshelf tomorrow to see if there are any others I can spy

MEdusa Project by Sophie Mackenzie
Wind on Fire trilogy by WIlliam Nicholson
Power of Five by Anthony Horowitz
Rangers Apprentice
Abhorsen trilogy by GArth Nix
STravaganza series by Mary Hoffmann
Otori series (bit more grown up) by Liam Hearn
books by Rayond Fiest - adult books but no real sex, bad language or whatever

Thanks, keep em coming!

Slambang - my ds loved the Hitchhiker's Guide series if yours hasn't read it.

I think you're right too, it's the more adult stuff we need, he has read (and loved) Curious Incident, will give him the Wasp Factory.

And I don't mind sex/violence etc (horribly liberal believing in let em practise their own censorship. Just so long as the writing is intelligent..)

Does he like sci/fi / fantasy? I would have thought lots of 'adult' fantasy / sci fi would be fine for a 14 y/o especially if you're happy with a certain amount of sex/violence (Neil Gaiman, Ursula le Guin, Zelazney) etc). Classic sci fi like Isaac Asimov might also appeal to a physics loving 14 y/o?

Kiss kiss - Adult Roald Dahl - there are others too
Lord of the flies
Unwind by Neal Shusterman
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
THe Giver by Lois Lowry
I Robot stories - Issac Asimov

Roald Dahl's short stories are fab for teens.

Left Hand of God. Comes with an adult and child cover.

good good. am checking them all out. I had all Roald Dahl's books - god knows where they are now. so annoying.

Banned and the Banished series by James Clemens
Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson
Godslayer series also by James CLemens
Redemption of Althalus by David Eddings
Sir Sparhawk books also by Eddings
Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne MacCaffrey if he liked Eragon
Edge Chronicles by PAul Stewart and Chris Riddell
Mortal Engines by Phillip Reeve
Deathscent by Robin JArvis also his Deptford books and Whitby Witches ones
Dark is Rising by Susan COoper
Bartimaeus triogy by Johnathon Stroud

ABhorsen series is my personal favourite out of these but all my boys have loved any combination of all of the above.

'starter for 10' 'one day' David Nicholls
Robert Goddard, quite boyish but good stories, not high brow, though

DD13 is reading Paolo Coehlo, is about sex in places, but within the bounds of a moral fable...

Donna Tart 'a secret history', about college kids, but intelligent writing
Dead Poet's Society
The god of small things
Dd12also enjoyed 'the book thief'
If you don't mind sex/ violence in context 'the kite runner'

Teenage classics like 'catcher in the Rye', 'to kill a mocking bird'

I would say go to the library, forget the teenage section if he's mainly read it all and scan for books you've enjoyed in the past.

Ooh 'the wasp factory' I loved that one. And 'the crow road'

Another good Scottish one is 'Lanark' by Alastair Gray.

Do your dc read your books? I must have five thousand books all over the house, but they seem to pass largely unnoticed...what is that about?

Thanks - I'll check them all out too.

ABhorsen not mentioned in your list?

My ds did like all the John Wyndham's - they're good.

Im a bit puzzled. why is he asking you for books? Why is he not being let loose in a bookshop/library to make his own choices?

Part of the fun is selecting your own books and searching out not so available books isn't it?