Books for able but reluctant 12 yo reader

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Hi, I've tried to get ideas from other threads but still have questions. DS is 12, a very capable but not very emotionally mature reader. He loved Harry Potter but once he'd read them all 3 times(!), I have been trying to get him to broaden a bit. He has read the Alex Rider series but I got the impression wasn't hugely engaged (he read when there was nothing else to do) and he hated the gore and violence.

I was wondering about the Divergent series. How gory/brutal are they? He can be quite anxious and anything horror-related would terrify him. I also wondered about the Theodore Boone (John Grisham YA) books but they have got mediocre reviews.

He loves Pokemon and reads the Pokemon Manga(?) books but I don't know about getting him other Manga stuff as I think some of it can be quite adult?

Any suggestions would be great. Many thanks.

the tom gates and diary of a wimpy kid series are popular with that age range. If he likes the manga books, do you think he would read the marvel comics?

Divergent gets a bit grim at times, particularly in the later books. The Artemis Fowl series might be more appealing. Diana Wynne Jones is great - try Homeward Bounders or Tale of Time City or the Chrestomanci series.

My 12 year old has read HP and Alex Rider and just started the first Divergent book and he seems to be enjoying it. He saw the first film. I don't think he is particularly sensitive tho. My DH wasn't keen on him reading them but hasn't read them himself (no imagination ) whereas I have and think he will be fine. Will see how it goes for the other books I think

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy - My son read them from about 9 but was still enjoying them some years later.

Wolf Brother by Michele Paver - same son loved this.

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer. I think he's written another series too.

The Spook's Apprentice series by Joseph Delaney.

The Dark is Rising sequence by Susan Cooper - 5 books, starting with Over Sea, Under Stone.

Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander - first book is The Book of Three.

Has he tried Asterix or Tintin? My two adore Asterix, have done for years.

My older son liked the Cherub series, but if he's not keen on Alex Rider he probably won't like that either. Might be worth a try?

ooh, how could I forget Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third? for Thor's sake.

How To Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell - the books are completely different from the films. Delightful and funny. They get a bit more Heavy as the series goes along, in a similar way to HP.

Five Children and It et seq by E Nesbit
The Enchanted Castle and Last of the Dragons and Some Others, also by E Nesbit
The Dribblesome Teapots by Norman Hunter (who also wrote Professor Branestawm)
Molesworth school books by Searle and Williams - How To Be Topp, Back in the Jug Agane

All of Rick Riordan series are going down well with my 12 year old at the moment - he’s reading the Magnus Chase series at the moment.

Thanks everyone, there are lots of great suggestions here.

I'll leave Divergent and try some of these ones.

The Homeward Bounders looks just up his street, and I'd wondered about How to tame your dragon before so will try them. Also Artemis Fowl, The Dark is Rising, the Rick Riordan different series, lots of them look good.

He's read and loved all the Wimpy Kids but he gets through them very quickly. His little brother likes Tom Gates which means he won't touch them on principle.

Would His Dark Materials be worth a shot or too dark, does anyone know?

Many thanks again; this is a great list.

What about going old school with The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, etc? Adventure without much gore and very entertaining for most ages.

maybe he would actually prefer to read factual books on something he is interested in

The Explorer by Katherine Rundell (also any of her other books)
Frank Cottrell Boyce - Cosmic was a favourite in our house, also The Amazing Broccoli Boy

OP Dark Materials is good, my 11 year old is on the 3rd book and I’ve been reading them myself, on book 2 at the moment. We have a lot of discussions about the story, as there are so many layers and it’s so interesting to talk about.
Also recommend Cressida Cowell’s Wizards of Once series of books.

Cherub Series. 12yr old DS says they're not that violent.

Chase - Linwood Barclay
Phantom Tollbooth

watching with interest. DD is nearly 12 and reads jacqueline wilson and wimpy kid. Trying and failing to get her to read something a bit better, make her reading more mature. She has no interest in even trying one of the Harry Potter books either.

username2020 try Louise Rennison's Georgia Nicolson books. Not exactly literature, but I suspect your DD would enjoy them, and it would at least be something different. Cathy Cassidy too.

What about Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey.
If you don't know it, it's about a detective whose off on sick leave (broken his leg) who becomes interested in investigating the Princes in the Tower.
All three of mine, who have very different tastes, have loved it.
It's not gory at all, but investigates it logically. Ds spent some time verifying some of the sources too. He's going to have great fun if they do that in history at any point. He's already made a name for himself at correcting the teacher over WWII !

Hi, how about:
Percy Jackson series
Sean Yeager series
Hitchhikers Guide series
Red Dwarf
Enders Game
Biggles series