Adult Novels that Teens Would Like
Although the lines between audience categories are blurring more and more these days, some teens look beyond the YA section for books to devour. Here are some “grown-up” books that I think the teens would enjoy, with plenty of adventure, mystery, and action.
Time and Again by Jack Finney (1970)
This is an old favorite of mine about a man who figures out how to time travel to New York in 1882, which includes outfitting an apartment in the Dakota as if it were the past. The exciting plot involves a conspiracy and a love triangle.
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler (1993)
For fans of YA dystopia, here is an option from adult sci-fi. Octavia E. Butler tells the story of California in 2024, where water is scarce, violence and arson are rampant, and our protagonist lives in a gated community. Even she knows that her neighborhood won’t be safe forever. As she plans how to survive, she also develops a new religion.
The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker (2013)
A historical fantasy set in New York where the main characters are a golem and a jinni who become friends. I really shouldn’t have to say more, but you should also know that the writing is gorgeous, the descriptions are captivating, and the characters believable even in their fantastical beings.
The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow (2019)
I love books within books. Protagonist January finds a book, The Ten Thousand Doors, about people who are able to open doors between worlds. She discovers that she has the same power and uses this skill to escape a tyrannical guardian and a mental asylum.
Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Kate Racculia (2019)
If my previous column on books like The Westing Game included adult novels, this one would definitely be on it. An eccentric millionaire dies and leaves clues for a treasure hunt behind (sound familiar?). Tuesday Mooney, who loves puzzles and, if she’s honest, has nothing better to do, can’t help but start searching.
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune (2020)
Linus, an administrative drone, is sent to evaluate the care at a remote orphanage, where he finds a garden gnome, a wyvern, a forest sprite, and the antichrist among its charges. To his surprise, the remote locale may also be where he finds love.