Adult book ideas for nearly 13 year old boy please

[VanessaBet]

DS is a very prolific reader and has enjoyed all the usual suspects, loves Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Philip Pullman etc, has read Hunger Games, Watership Down, LOTR, Pratchett and so on but finds it hard to find anything in the 'teen' section at the library, claiming 'they're all either about love or someone is running away from something'!

I've introduced him to SE Hinton (one of my favourites as a teenager) and am now attempting to find less teenage/kid focussed books for him which aren't too unsuitable. (I know he'll find the less suitable stuff of his own accord - I guess I mean full on sex scenes or disturbing violence - but I don't want to be the one who gives it to him, if you see what I mean!). So far he's enjoyed the Sharpe books by Bernard Cornwell, the James Herriot vet books, Gerald Durrell's Corfu sage but he's fast and I'm running out of ideas from my shelves if I haven't reread them recently!

I'm thinking of suggesting Rebecca, The Woman in Black and Cold Comfort Farm which I remember enjoying as a teenager - any other suggestions please?

I don't think I'd offer turn of the screw- it's all a bit disturbing. Nothing at all explicit, but very dark and twisted, whatever you decide happened...

John Christopher? Tripods series, prince in waiting trilogy, empty world, death of grass.

Good Omens (if he hasn't already read it)

Ben Elton - stark, gridlock, this other Eden

Robert Heinlein - farmer in the sky, podkayne of mars, starship troopers, space cadet, tunnel in the sky

Arthur C Clarke and Asimov.

Has he read the Lionboy series?

A great pile of agatha christie
A great pile of Dick francis

Robin Hobb's Farswer Trilogy is regularly recommended for fantasy lovers and as a progression from David Eddings. There's quite a bit of torture but don't think it's too gruesome and there's not much sex at all.

I was just going to suggest Agatha Christie - my 13yo DD loves a bit of Marple!
She is currently devouring the Dan Brown stories (the Da Vinci Code was a suggested book from school before people start criticising).
If he liked His Dark Material has he tried the Lockheart stories also by him - young female amateur detective in the Victorian times. Another hit with my DD.
There are the Young James Bond books by Charlies Higson which my DS enjoyed, or maybe some of the real James Bond?

Ben Elton is a good suggestion, as is Sherlock Holmes.

How about Bonfire if the Vanities - can’t remember if there’s any sex in it though. It’s about a man who accidentally commits a crime but makes it all worse/in built prejudice etc.

Oh and also Small Great Things by Jodi Piccoult. Really interesting and relevant discussion on race.

Oh and also Small Great Things by Jodi Piccoult. Really interesting and relevant discussion on race.

Mine is slightly older but likes the old style thriller type books. James Bond, anything by Tom Clancy or Clive Cussler. Grown up themes but not too much sex or bad language.

Diana Wynne Jones is great - her YA books are really interesting and I love them as an adult. Charmed Life, the Dark Lord of Derkholm and Howl's Moving Castle are good places to start. I see The Graveyard Book has already been mentioned - Neverwhere, Stardust and Anansi Boys are also really good. An Ember in the Ashes is good, as is the Steerswoman series. Finally Lois McMaster Bujold's Chalion series is good - start with The Curse of Chalion.

picklemepopcorn

Very true for the adult reader, although it is taught in UK schools from 13+. Children and young people will make what they want of it!

DS really liked The Eagle of the Ninth and then went on to read a big Simon Scarrow series about a couple of centurions.

Bill bryson short history of nearly everything
The boy who harnessed the wind cant remember the author
Saki short stories
Huckleberry finn?
War of the worlds?
Around the world in 80 days?
Another vote for Nevil shute

Check out The Cherub series of books by Robert Muchamore. They're about teenagers being recruited as spies. Pretty good books in my opinion :).

Would Nick Hornby be too old, I wonder? Something like Fever Pitch or High Fidelity.

These are all great suggestions, thanks!

Adrian Mole series and also The Queen And I, all by sue Townsend

Harlan Coben has written a YA series based around Mikey Bolitar. DS 12 loved them.

Great thread (cos he sounds very like my DS!)

I second the Agatha Christie suggestion. Also books by Jonathan Stroud, the Lockwood & Co series as suggested above and also Bartimaeus series - I have just confiscated the first one from my 12 yo who was reading it under the covers. He also loved the Eragon trilogy by Christopher Paolini

Has he read the Earthsea books by Ursula Le Guin, another big hit here?

Lord of the Flies you've probably done already.

Has he read all the Robert Muchamore books. My ds loved those at 13 and theres lots.

Kathy Reichs wrote a series of books with her son called the Virals, it was about some teenagers that..... well don't want to spoil the story.

Brandon Sanderson - Mistborn Series, Way of Kings, Elantris.
They changed my life!

What about the Flashman books by George MacDonald Fraser.
There are some references to sex but I don't think it's terribly explicit. Ad they are terrifically good reads.