Realistic Fiction Books for Teens
New Young Teen Realistic Fiction Books
Asking For a Friend
by Ronnie Riley

Eden Jones is a nonbinary kid with Social Anxiety Disorder. When their mother announces she is throwing a birthday party and inviting all their friends, they are thrown into a panic. While Eden's three "friends" are all real kids at school, they have almost never actually spoken to any of them.
TEEN REALISTIC RILEY RONNIE
Breaking Into Sunlight
by John Cochran

When his dad overdoses, seventh-grader Reese moves into a rundown trailer. He meets Meg and Charlie, who have also been stranded by circumstances beyond their control, and with these new friends, Reese gains hope for the future.
TEEN REALISTIC COCHRAN JOHN
Faker
by Gordon Korman

Trey’s dad gets him into schools with wealthy kids, where they make connections and set up scams to trick other parents into investing in his schemes. But as Trey grows tired of constantly running, lying, and losing friends, he begins to question how to stop his father without risking their livelihood.
TEEN REALISTIC KORMAN GORDON
Jupiter Rising
by Gary D. Schmidt

Jack is grieving his foster brother Joseph and adjusting to life caring for Joseph’s daughter, Jupiter, when he’s paired with Jay for cross-country. As their relationship grows, Jack starts to feel more like himself. However, when her grandparents try to take custody of Jupiter, his past and present collide and threaten his newfound confidence and friendships.
TEEN REALISTIC SCHMIDT GARY
Kareem Between
by Shifa Saltagi Safadi

From failed football tryouts to helping the new Syrian refugee student, seventh-grader Kareem attempts to navigate the social environment that is seventh grade. Things are further complicated when his mother is unable to return home from Syria due to an executive order.
TEEN REALISTIC SAFADI SHIFA
Linus and Etta Could Use A Win
by Caroline Huntoon

Etta, a hotheaded cynic, is challenged by her ex-best friend to help shy trans boy Linus get elected as student body president. As a genuine friendship develops between them, Etta starts to wonder if she should reveal the true origins of their connection.
TEEN REALISTIC HUNTOON CAROLINE
New Teen Realistic Fiction Books
Bright Red Fruit
by Safia Elhillo

This novel in verse follows Samira as she plans a perfect summer of parties, exploring DC, and growing as a poet, until a scandalous rumor grounds her at home. Turning to a poetry forum, she connects with an older poet named Horus, but the secrets of their relationship could threaten her reputation and place in the community.
TEEN REALISTIC ELHILLO SAFIA
Everything We Never Had
by Randy Ribay
Told in multiple perspectives from the 1930s to today, generations of Maghabol boys forge their own paths amid heavy familial and societal expectations. Each passes down his flaws, values, and virtues to the next generation, until it’s up to Enzo to see how he can braid all of these strands and men together.
TEEN REALISTIC RIBAY RANDY
The Glass Girl
by Kathleen Glasgow

In a candid, deeply compassionate exploration of the forces pushing young women toward addiction and self-harm, 15-year-old Bella turns to alcohol to cope with the pressures of life. She soon finds herself struggling with a life-threatening addiction.
TEEN REALISTIC GLASGOW KATHLEEN
Louder Than Hunger
by John Schu

Jake, who avoids kids his own age, mirrors, and food, loves helping other people - but it’s him who needs help when the destructive voices inside get to be too much. This raw novel-in-verse tackles managing and articulating pain, and embracing support and self-love.
TEEN REALISTIC SCHU JOHN
This Book Won't Burn
by Samira Ahmed

Amidst her parents' sudden divorce and adjusting to a new school halfway through her senior year, Noor teams up with two new friends to fight against book bans at their small-town Illinois high school. Together they take a stand, challenging the censorship threatening their education.
TEEN REALISTIC AHMED SAMIRA
The Way I Used to Be
by Amber Smith

After Eden is assaulted by her brother's best friend, everything she once knew about herself and her life falls apart. Over the course of high school, she struggles with trauma, navigating heartbreak, and rebuilding friendships, all while finding an unexpected strength within herself.
TEEN REALISTIC SMITH AMBER
Words on Bathroom Walls
by Julia Walton

Adam, diagnosed with severe schizophrenia that causes him to experience hallucinations, begins a drug trial to manage his symptoms. As he falls in love with fiesty and intelligent Maya, he struggles to keep his condition a secret from her.
TEEN REALISTIC WALTON JULIA
Classic Young Teen Realistic Fiction Books
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret
by Judy Blume

Margaret and her family move from the city to a suburb, where she longs to fit in. As she struggles with adjusting, she talks to God (does it matter if she’s not Jewish or Christian?), finds new friends, and longs for a sign that she is growing up while preparing for 6th grade.
TEEN REALISTIC BLUME JUDY
Holes
by Louis Sachar

Stanley Yelnats’ family attributes their bad fortune to a curse on a distant relative. As further evidence, a misunderstanding leads to Stanley being sent to a hellish correctional camp in the Texas desert. However, this is where he finds his first real friend, a treasure, and a new sense of himself.
TEEN REALISTIC SACHAR LOUIS
Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus
by Dusti Bowling

Thirteen-year-old Aven was born without arms and has always had trouble fitting in. The trouble continues at her new school after her parents take a job at a dying western theme park, but she makes a new friend in a fellow disabled boy who helps her solve a mystery.
TEEN REALISTIC BOWLING DUSTI
Slacker
by Gordon Korman

Eighth-grader Cameron Boxer creates the Positive Action Group to distract his parents, teachers, and sister from his focus on video games. However, as the group gains real traction, Cameron’s plan backfires when he unexpectedly becomes its president and must actually serve his community.
TEEN REALISTIC KORMAN GORDON
Sleepaway Girls
by Jen Calonita

Exceptionally people-pleasing Sam spends a summer as a counselor-in-training. With her new position comes learning how to say no, to stand up for herself, and what it feels like to have a crush on a great guy.
TEEN REALISTIC CALONITA JEN
Stargirl
by Jerry Spinelli

In this story about the perils of popularity, the courage of nonconformity, and the thrill of first love, an eccentric student named Stargirl changes Mica High School forever. Although Stargirl is shunned by many at school for her unique presence, Leo Borlock, a fellow classmate, finds her inspiring and soon finds himself head-over-heels in love.
TEEN REALISTIC SPINELLI JERRY
Wonder
by R. J Palacio

Ten-year-old Auggie Pullman was born with extreme facial abnormalities and was not expected to survive. Now, he goes from being home-schooled to entering fifth grade at a private middle school in Manhattan, which means enduring the taunting and fear of his classmates as he struggles to be seen as just another student.
TEEN REALISTIC PALACIO R.J.
Classic Teen Realistic Fiction Books
The Hate U Give
by Angie Thomas

After witnessing her friend Khalil's death at the hands of a police officer, Starr Carter's life is turned upside down. The police and a local drug lord both try to intimidate her to learn what happened the night Khalil died.
TEEN REALISTIC THOMAS ANGIE
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter 
by Erika L. Sánchez

The sister who delighted their parents with her faithful embrace of Mexican culture has died in a tragic accident. Julia is left navigating her desire to go to college, her parents’ desire for her to follow tradition, and the discovery that her sister may not have been as perfect as believed.
TEEN REALISTIC SANCHEZ ERIKA
I Was Here
by Gayle Forman

When her best friend Meg, commits suicide, Cody is shocked and devastated, wondering how she missed the signs. But when she travels to Meg’s college town to pack up her belongings, she uncovers secrets about Meg’s roommates, a mysterious boy named Ben, and an encrypted computer file that challenges everything she thought she knew about her best friend’s death.
TEEN REALISTIC FORMAN GAYLE
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
by Jesse Andrews

Greg has managed to become a part of every social group at his Pittsburgh high school without having any friends. His life changes when his mother forces him to befriend Rachel, a girl he once knew in Hebrew school who has leukemia.
TEEN REALISTIC ANDREWS JESSE
The Outsiders
by S. E Hinton

No one ever said life was easy. But Ponyboy is pretty sure that he's got things figured out. He knows that he can count on his brothers and his friends, but not on much else besides trouble with the Socs, a vicious gang of rich kids whose idea of a good time is beating up on “greasers” like Ponyboy. At least he knows what to expect—until the night someone takes things too far.
HS LIST OUTSIDERS
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
by Stephen Chbosky

In this thought-provoking coming-of-age novel, Charlie navigates the complexities of high school while grappling with sex, love, and the temptations of drugs. He also faces the pain of losing a close friend and his favorite aunt.
TEEN REALISTIC CHBOSKY STEPHEN
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
by Ann Brashares

During their first summer apart, four teenage girls, best friends since childhood, stay connected through a shared pair of secondhand jeans. The jeans magically adapt to each of their figures and influence their attitudes toward their different summer experiences.
TEEN REALISTIC BRASHARES ANN
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