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.

Can't remember if I mentioned it before but my current almost 14 year old, who loved the Hunger Games, has just read the Warriors trilogy by (I think) N M Browne. The first one is called Warriors of Alavna. He really enjoyed them.

Not sure if you want suggestions that are not thriller/urban fantasy-type stories. For teens that are more mature and want "thinking" stories but aren't too girly in their approach, Jan Mark's "The Eclipse of the Century" and "Useful Idiots" are superb (weird but pretty advanced in their plots), her "Stratford Boys" is a funny look at how a young Will Shakespeare and his gang of teen mates put on their first play.

Mal Peet's Tamar is set in WW2 about undercover SOE agents (but there is a significant romantic plotline).

Aidan Chambers - any of his books are good for older teens, but they're about issues in modern life - relationships, death, sexuality, identity, religion - and not plot-rich thrillers.

New World Order by Ben Jeapes sets time-travelling folk from our future back into the English Civil War and using hi-tech weaponry to advance the cause of King or Cromwell.

I wasn't impressed by Hatchet, myself, as the scenarios were a little over-egged; but a good wilderness story that all of my kids loved to bits (until the book dropped to bits) was My Side of the Mountain by Jean George.

One of my 14/15 yr olds has this week been reading The Bridge Over the River Kwai, some of the original Planet of the Apes novelisations (ready for the new film next year), the book of the film Dog Day Afternoon and Brighton Rock by Graham Greene.

The Godfather is a big hit with our teens too.

Thanks, indeed all suggestions, all genres welcome.

You have had some great recs here and I may have missed these but oldies but goodies that he might like are Alan Garner, Ursula Le Guin and Madeline L'Engle.
If he liked Ness and Hunger Games them Blood Red Road Moira Young.
Second Orwell, Wyndham and Golding from among the classics.

Colyngbourne I love Jan Marks! Have just read They do things differently there and will now hunt out Stratford Boys.
Agree Mal Peet and also Anthony McGowan do great non-fantastical stuff for boys, especially liked Henry Tumour by McGowan.

Jan Mark grr too late must go to bed

ds(14) is also a 'lazy' bookworm (i.e. he's got used to books magically appearing!)

It's partly because reading isn't 'cool' - although he loves it he'd hate to admit it. And also because he's lazy and loathes shopping ....

And frankly I'd rather he continued reading than me make a stand and watch him stop

anyway ... books ds has recently enjoyed are The Tales of the Otori series, Ray Bradbury short stories, The 39 steps, Ian Fleming Bond books, Terry Pratchett - Discworld, the first Chaos Walking book but not the second and third in the trilogy, the Infernal Engines series and especially the 'Fever Crumb' prequels, Edge Chronicles, Ranger's Apprentice, I, Robot, Day of the Triffids, Noughts and Crosses (plus sequels), Brighton Rock, Animal Farm, 1984

He's not very patient and gets irritated with slow starts or subtlety (!) - unfortunately he dismissed my beloved Ursula K Le Guin as 'boring' (sob)

Time Riders is very popular. Can't remember the author though

DS1 enjoyred the Michelle Paver Chronicles of Ancient Darkness. Series of books set in post ice-age 6000 years ago.

Alex Scarrow writes 'Time Riders'.

I enjoyed the Gormenghast books by Mervyn Peake when I was in my teens. Worth a go if he likes fantasy?

Try The Name of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss I work in a bookshop(in the kids section) and often suggest this as an idea to read, after boys in particular have read everything in the teenage section worth reading! It is a fantastic book. I am not a boy obviously but love the book, it is my favourite read from the last decade.
Also The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathon Stroud (actually there are four parts now!) amazing series about a very sarcastic and intelligent gargoyle who has to serve wizards as and when he is summoned, throughout the hundreds of years of his life much to his distain. It is really funny not to mention extremely well written and as an adult is one of my all time faves, I sell it each and every week to people young and old who have run out of things to read and want something original. As much as I love Harry Potter rest assured it is nothing like it at all despite the wizard reference, more gritty and witty.
And my last suggestion sorry if have waffled!! Have you googled steam punk yet? Mortal engines falls under this genre of reading and there are numerous great books which people suggest if your son loved P. Reeve. The final Eragon book Inheritance is out in November as you probably already know. Hope this helps!

oooh sorry, Name of the wind is in adult section not kids, sci-fi fantasy in case you thought i meant look in kids section, do read it!

I couldn't see the James Bond books by Ian Flemming being mentioned. I'd have thought the first one would be super for a 14 yr old?

it's a difficult age i think if they are keen readers and have read all the obvious teen things... ds1 (14) has always been voracious reader and now mostly enjoys adult fiction...

ian fleming
agatha christie
john le carre
john wyndham
douglas adams
susan hill...

he really enjoys some "old fashioned" comic things too. loved diary of a nobody!