Recommendations for about to turn 15 year old boy

[Comefromaway]

Ds has always been a very good reader but doesn’t read for pleasure, unlike dd.

However he is starting to realise that if he wants to get into college to study performing arts he needs to be more widely read.

At primary school he really enjoyed the Alex Rider books (a quote from his review was printed inside one of the covers. He used to devour Captain Underpants, Wimpy Kid & the Tom Gates books. He also liked David Walliams.

Since secondary school he has read a lot less. He used to read manga (Naruto) & autobiographies of footballers & youtubers/comedians. Most recently he has read the Death in Paradise novels by Robert Thoroughgood, Dear Evan Hansen, Be More Chill by Ned Vizzini, Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night (I told him to read that one), Black K Klansman (the autobiography the film was based on) & Theodore Boon by John Grisham. He didn’t finish the second in the series. He started the Ron Chernow Alexander Hamilton biography but it was a bit heavy going. He’s also read the play scripts of Everybodies Talking About Jamie & the Book of Mormon.

Any suggestions welcome.

Try him with Day if the Triffids. It's a great story but uses very simple language so is an easy starter read for a teen.

When I was about that age I think I was reading, among other things:
Good Omens
Neverwhere
The Crow Road
Tales of the City
Catch 22
Sophie’s World
As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning
Down And Out In Paris And London

The sex and drugs (and varying amounts of rock’n’roll) in the Banks and the Maupin might put me off giving them to a teen today, but you’ll know whether that’s something he can read about without needing to go out and try it.

Dan Brown’s novels are gripping and relatively easy reads that might function as a ‘gateway’ to more grown up books, as long as he understands that they are not exactly High Art.

Sorry, I forgot to say that Julie’s suggestion of John Wyndham is also a good shout.

My 15yo ds is really enjoying the Christopher Brookmyre books at the moment.

John Wyndham was a big hit.

Curseworker series! Modern, creepy, teenage angst, clever plot twists. Fab. Read 'em in order. White cat first.

The gentleman's guide to vice and virtue
Absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian
Flush by Hiaasen
Orbiting Jupiter

Catherine Jink’s Evil Genius and sequels might suit. Although I think the intended readership skews a bit younger, they’re long and complex books. Also heaps of fun.

Chris Morphew’s The Phoenix Files is a terrific sci fi series.

Ben Aaronovitch’s Rivers of London might appeal - if he enjoys fantasy.

Lee Child is gripping - terrific thrillers. I’m less fond of Matthew Reilly, but he appeals to other people.

Pretty much anything by Neil Gaiman or Neal Stephenson. If Stephenson’s epic time’s are a bit daunting, Snowcrash is shorter, but still a terrific read.

The Diary of Adrian Mole is an older book now, but still really fun, especially for an adolescent boy.

Jeffrey Archer, especially Paths of Glory, about an attempt to climb Everest.

I've never heard of lots of these so will investigate.

He's not overly into Science Fiction (except Star Wars), he did used to enjoy the Maze Runner series.

He generally prefers male main characters. Anything involving theatre with a male main character would be idea (asking a lot I know)

The book he is taking to school at the moment (they have to have a book at all times) is Born A Crime by Trevor Noah. Its an autobiography about a mixed race child growing up in South Africa during Apartheid.

1984
Things fall apart
A kind of loving
Of love and hunger
Lord of the flies

My DS was a reluctant reader. His breakthrough books were Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam, and Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson. He was about 15.

I flipping LOATHE the Adrian Mole stories.

Curseworkers, I'm telling ya'. Everything you want. Funny, too.

Books about young males...

Modern Enough
A Separate Peace
Zen & the Art of Motorcycle maintenance
The Highest Tide (Jim Lynch)

Not so Modern
A Catcher in the Rye

Ancient, but funny if steeled for the arcane language
Tom Sawyer

A bit left-field (and obviously contains quite a lot of sex) - but what about The Buddha of Suburbia? Teenage boy escaping suburbia for a life in the theatre...

Think The Hobbit was probably one of the first books I finished at round about that age.
Then I quickly moved onto horror, reading some of Stephen King and Dean R Koontz stuff.
Fond memories of many a night tucked up in bed reading that kind of thing on a school night.
Perhaps a good place to start to get him into the practice of reading...and enjoying it.

I was keen on Stephen King at that age too.

I’ve just bought my 13 year old son The Talisman that is co-written with Peter Straub. It has a young male protagonist.

Other ideas:

The Long Walk - Stephen King
The Green Mile - Stephen King
Wonder - R J Palacio
Junk - Melvin Burgess
Henry Tumour - Anthony McGowan
A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich - Alexander Solzhenitsyn
The Girl With All the Gifts - MR Carey
The Martian
Dracula
Story collection - maybe Poe
Slam or High Fidelity - Nick Hornby
The Kite Runner
Life of Pi
The Book Thief

Sorry for the epic list! Hopefully it’s of use.

If he’s into theatre, what about some plays?

Equus by Peter Schaffer has a 15 year old male protagonist.
DNA - Denis Kelly
Punk Rock - Simon Stephens (he also wrote the stage adaptation of The Curious Incident...)
Pitchfork Disney - Philip Ridley
Pink Mist - Owen Sheers

I heard Michael Caine reading his autobiography on the radio recently, he might like that, don't know what it's called I'm afraid.

I'm sure there are other actor blogs too

Dd loves classic literature from the 18th & 19th century. (Remember Jane Austen's original audience was men!) but she also likes hg Wells, and classic American literature. There's some great non fiction about the early days of Hollywood which might interest.

Some random ideas... I read a lot of young adult books so lots of those he might like. They're all suggestions just for everyone too!:

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (if he fancies a bit of comedy-fantasy? Good film adaption too)
Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner
Vicious by V. E. Schwab
Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertelli (bit of musical theatre, does have a gay main character so not sure how he'll feel about that)
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Unwind by Neal Shusterman
Holes by Louis Sachar
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (bit of musical theatre)
Gone series by Michael Grant (bit sci-fi ish I guess, but great)
Harry Potter (obviously)
The Raven Boys series by Maggie Stiefvater (the blurb doesn't do it justice, and it's from several POV mostly male, not just 1 female, and involves lots of adventures/magic but in the regular world and not wands and shit, more real... wish I could do this series justice)
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown (I remember my male friends reading this when we were teens!)

Sorry that was an immense list

The Tomorrow series by John Marsden (starting with Tomorrow When the War Began).

I'd second Melvin Burgess (not his Bloodtide and Bloodsong books though). Junk, My life as a bitch and Cry of the Wolf are great reads.

If he likes Manga and has finished the 100 or so Naruto books he could move onto Death Note or Attack on Titan. (Fairytail, One Piece , Full Metal Alchemist are also popular in the mid/late teen age group)

John Christopher The tripods series are slim volumes but good teen reads.

My daughter loved the Spooks Apprentice series at that age and is still buying them in her 20's.

If he wants to educate himself about the world then Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall is a good call.