To ask for your recommendations for 15yo DD

[Pumpkintopf]

Hoping for some suggestions for my daughter- she used to be a voracious reader but lately has struggled to find books she wants to invest the time in reading.

Her preferences are for a strong female lead character, elements of fantasy, some romance but not the main focus of the book - so she has enjoyed Hunger Games, Throne if Glass, Red Sister, Skullduggery Pleasant...

Any great suggestions I could share with her?

Thanks

Nightmare stairs by Robert Swindell
My sister lives on the mantelpiece and
Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher

Thank you , those look interesting and are new to her so will see what she thinks!

Charlotte English’s Modern Magick series; all of books really.

Olivia Atwater’s Half A Soul.

Garth Nix’s Old Kingdom series, but she might also enjoy Frogkisser.

Maureen Johnson’s Shades of London and Truly Devious series.

That’s a start. :-)

Marge Piercy's Body of Glass fits all those criteria, and it's a good story. But as there is sex in it would you consider it a little too adult for her?

She's probably read it already but the Divergent series meets these requirements?

Also Eve of Man series by Giovanna and Tom Fletcher, although only the first two in the trilogy have been released so far.

I know when I was struggling with finding books to really captivate me I found short stories/novellas worked for me, mostly Stephen King and other horror/twist in the tale style personally but maybe this is an avenue she might want to explore within her preferred genre?

Brandon Sanderson's Final Empire series would fit.

Philip Pullman Northern Lights trilogy. Vampire Academy (Richelle Mead), Mortal Instruments series (Cassandra Clare), Vampire Diaries (series on Netflix I think as well as books).

All light and very non-educational-literature, but books dd enjoyed at that age. She also liked the Cherub books by Robert Muchamore (full of violence and bad language, but both dd and ds loved them from about 12), the Maximum Ride series and the Divergent series

A couple of non-series include iBoy, Paralized, others by Malorie Blackman, The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants, StarGirl

Has she read the Inkheart trilogy? I loved them, but don't find that many people who've read them!

The House on Falling Star Hill is nice as a short-ish standalone book — possibly slightly young, but very readable. I still read it now as a comfort read. The main character is a (shy) boy, but he's with a girl for almost the whole book.

I'd second Garth Nix's Sabriel, Lirael etc.

And (although there's a lot of books!) the Tamora Pierce quartets — The Circle of Magic were my favourite, but for a strong female lead go for The Song of the Lioness.

Phillip Pullman’s Ruby in the Smoke series as well as His Dark Materials!

books I’ve loved with strong female characters (at similar age to your DD)- Anna Karenina by Tolstoy, labyrinth by Kate Moses (could go either way—she might like it or might hate it like my friend as there is an extract on it in some gcse English papers and some mocks use it.Didn’t realise this until I started reading it and remembered I saw alice before )

Gone with the wind is also good—I’m currently reading and loving it. Although romance is there it isn’t necessarily the main focus

The Atlantis grail series by Vera nazarian. The first book is free on kindle. Marvellous series.

@PolkadotsAndMoonbeams I LOVED the inkheart series!

Reread the OP, the Atlantis Grail is more future world dystopian than fantasy. However it does have a similar vibe to the Hunger games.

There is also "the host" by Stephanie Meyer, fabulous book.

And I recently started reading a series called the resistance trilogy. I've only read the first but it was decent. Author K.A Riley. The first book is called Recruitment.

Some amazing suggestions here thanks all - will share with dd and have a look!

A bit out there, but has she read any of Terry Pratchett's books? Several 'parts' of his series have strong female leads.

Good idea she hasn't read any Terry Pratchett - thanks!

has she read "the outsiders " by s e hinton. ...my fav as a teen

I, Coriander

My daughter recently enjoyed “little Fires Everywhere”, the first book in “My Brilliant Friend” series, “witchborn”, “Orphan, Monster, Spy”

@Pumpkintopf

Good idea she hasn't read any Terry Pratchett - thanks!

Weird Sisters is the perfect one for her to start with, followed by Maskerade, and then Monstrous Regiment. All TPs books are good, but these have the strongest female protagonists of all of them.

Niece has recently worked her way through the Earth Girl series by Janet Edwards and the Hive series. They are light reading, but fun and might get your daughter back to reading.

I read one as I was without something to read, last week. I enjoyed it enough to finish it. They’re not going to set the world alight, but they entertain.

Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore and Sourdough by Robin Sloane

The Cruel Prince. First book in a series by Holly Black. My niece and her friends are crazy about these books.

Virals - a series from Kathy & Brendan Reichs.

Tory Brennan, niece of acclaimed forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan (of the Bones novels and hit TV show), is the leader of a ragtag band of teenage "sci-philes" who live on a secluded island off the coast of South Carolina. When the group rescues a dog caged for medical testing on a nearby island, they are exposed to an experimental strain of canine parvovirus that changes their lives forever.

As the friends discover their heightened senses and animal-quick reflexes, they must combine their scientific curiosity with their newfound physical gifts to solve a cold-case murder that has suddenly become very hot if they can stay alive long enough to catch the killer's scent.

Fortunately, they are now more than friends. They're a pack. They are Virals.

Excellent series. Well written, lead character is a 14 year old girl - mother dies sent off to Dads

@Pumpkintopf

Good idea she hasn't read any Terry Pratchett - thanks!

I find pratchett is a must at any age, regardless of the gender of the lead protagonist- they’re brilliantly written and hilarious (mort is an all time favourite)

I can also recommend good omens by pratchett and gaimon

Also Margaret Attwoods a handmaids tale

The Eragon series is really good too.

Also another vote for his dark materials