Beginner Book Recommendations for Teens

1st Mentor Street

If your parents or your school are forcing you to read books, don’t sweat it. There is always a book that fits you. This article is specifically for teens, who are just starting to pick up a book and love fiction books. In the eyes of a reader, books bring us into a new world, where imagination is the only rule. Anything can happen. It’s adventurous, it’s terrifying, it’s sweet, it’s happiness, it’s sadness, it’s anger, it´s hope, it´s bitterness. It can portray any emotion. If you love books, but can’t sit still and read, there are always audio books you can borrow from your local library. So, here are some of my favorite book series.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians, the Heroes of Olympus, Magnus Chase and the Kane Chronicles

            The first series that I would recommend is the Percy Jackson series, the Heroes of Olympus series, the Magnus Chase series and the Kane Chronicles series by Rick Riordan. These book series can be read by any age. 

The Percy Jackson series is based off of a demigod who has just started his journey at twelve years old. Percy Jackson is the son of Poseidon, God of the Sea. He is forced to leave home and ends up in Camp Half Blood, while his mom is being captured. He meets Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena. Annabeth, Percy and his friend Grover Underwood, a satyr, set off on a journey to retrieve the stolen lighting bolt and rescue Percy’s mom. 

This is the summary of the first book of the Percy Jackson series. It is based on Greek mythology. During this series, the characters all grow a year older in every book. There are five books in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan’s Curse, The Battle of the Labyrinth and the Last Olympian. 

The Heroes of Olympus is the continuation to this series, but has added many new characters and also Roman mythology. The five books in this series are The Lost Hero, The Son of Neptune, The Mark of Athena, The House of Hades and The Blood of Olympus. 

The Magnus Chase series is based off of Annabeth’s cousin, Magnus Chase. Magnus has died, and he arrives in a Norse afterlife as an Einherji. Magnus discovers that he is the son of the Norse deity, Frey, and must stop Fenris Wolf from leaving his prison and ending the world. The Magnus Chase series has three books, The Sword of Summer, The Hammer of Thor and The Ship of the Dead. This series is based on Norse mythology. Examples of gods are Odin, Thor and Loki. 

The Kane Chronicles is set off of Egyptian mythology. It follows the story of two siblings, Carter and Sadie Kane, the most powerful magicians to be born in hundreds of years. As the Egyptian gods begin to awaken, the siblings and their new allies must fight the forces of Chaos in order to maintain Ma’at. This is also a trilogy. The books in this series are The Red Pyramid, The Throne of Fire and The Serpent’s Shadow. 

My personal favorite book out of these four series is the Heroes of Olympus, specifically The Mark of Athena. I love Greek mythology and have always been interested in the myths and gods. But in the Heroes of Olympus, we get a twist of both Greek and Roman mythology.  

The Hunger Games Trilogy

The next series I would like to recommend is The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. This trilogy is absolutely amazing. The Hunger Games is so entertaining and captures your attention. When you read this book, your emotions are brought to life. You feel as if you´re inside the book fighting for your life and freedom with Katniss Everdeen. 

This book series shows how cruel society can be, and how trapped we can be. Thankfully, it’s not the same right now. Freedom is a very important right every single person should have. Every single individual is equal and beautiful, no one is better than another. This series isn’t recommended for younger children, as some genres and content are not appropriate for them. 

In the Capitol of Panem, a boy and girl are each chosen from the twelve districts to fight in the yearly Hunger Games; they are called tributes. These twenty-four people are put into an arena to fight to the death, only one can survive. There has been only one champion, until this year. Katniss’s little sister, Primrose is chosen as a tribute, but Katniss volunteers, as she cannot watch her little sister in the games. Now, Katniss must find a way to survive in the Hunger Games. This series contains three books, the Hunger Games, Catching Fire and the Mockingjay. 

Divergent Trilogy 

            The Divergent Trilogy, a young adult science fiction book series by Veronica Roth, is a magnificent masterpiece. I highly recommend this series. It’s really popular, and one of my personal favorites. I love the message that the book sends, and that is that you should always make decisions for yourself, not let the government or society make them for you. 

            Tris Prior lives in a society that is spread into five factions, the Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Dauntless, and Erudite. At the age of sixteen, she must choose a faction. Tris Prior had chosen Dauntless, dedicated to courage, bravery, strength, intimidation, and fearlessness. It was formed by a group of people who blamed fear and cowardice as the cause of problems that society faces, genetic impurity. She and Four, a leader she met, go on a journey of self-discovery and freedom of the society, as she discovers she’s divergent. 

            I really loved this trilogy. I fell in love with all the characters, and I have to point out that Veronica Roth is an amazing author. She describes everything with such a powerful manner. The journey was suspenseful, exhilarating and captivating. This series contains the books Divergent, Insurgent and Allegiant. There is an extra book called Four that is from Four’s POV.  Slight spoiler,I wasn´t the most satisfied with the ending, as I wish it could´ve been different. But that is the harsh truth of reality, and I actually like the fact that she had added this.

The Maze Runner Series

            The Maze Runner by James Dashner is a crowd’s favorite. The author had absolutely brought the characters and the Glade to life. I loved this series, so highly recommend it. The beautiful details James Dashner added in paint a vivid picture. The storyline was actually very interesting. It may have been a little violent, so it´s not recommended for younger children, but it’s a fast-paced series. There were a few dark scenes and some betrayal that some readers might not enjoy. But overall, the characters are each so unique. This book brings a new perspective to life. 

            The Maze Runner tells the story of a teenage boy named Thomas, who suddenly arrived at the Glade in the center of the labyrinth. Like every other teenage boy that arrives, he also has lost his memories of his life, only remembering his name. But suddenly, the very first girl, Teresa, suddenly gets trapped in the Glade as well. As they both join the group of boys, Thomas makes a name for himself as a Runner, so he is determined to lead them out of the Glade. 

            It’s actually a very interesting story, with many twists and turns and loveable characters. I really loved Newt and Minho, who I would consider the main characters as well. They really add excitement and adventure to the storyline. The whole story is just so interesting because it’s suspenseful and keeps you on your toes, you’ll never get bored. There are some heartbreaking moments in the books but that’s just how life goes, it gives a realistic aspect to it as well, and that’s what I love about it. 

Twilight Series

            This book series is an absolute masterpiece. Stephenie Meyer brought your everyday-neighbor vampires and werewolves to life. It was absolutely incredible to read and words were flying out of the pages. I was stuck in the books for days, thinking about it day and night. The storyline was so fascinating, and the vampires were mysterious yet captivating in a way. They drag you in, making you want to learn more about their backgrounds. 

            Twilights tells the story of a human girl, Bella Swan, who moves to a small town. As a bit of a misfit, her highschool life isn’t up for a great start. Then, she meets Edward Cullen, a handsome and mysterious person, who seems to stare right into her soul. With every glance and every thought comes attraction between the two individuals, and there starts a dangerous love story between a human girl and a vampire. 

            Twilight is a very popular book series, and many have read it before, or at least have heard of it. If you haven’t started it, I highly recommend this book series. It’s absolutely breathtaking. If you love fantasy and romance, this is perfect for you. Each character is so enchanting and charming. These novels will captivate you for a long time. Twilight has always been one of my favorite book series because it captures the essence of a love story that appears to be impossible between two people from different worlds. That storyline could be cliche, but there are many different versions of “star crossed lovers”, and Meyer puts a whole new aspect and direction to it, the story truly came to life. 

One Of Us Is Lying 

            One Of Us Is Lying is a young adult mystery and suspense novel by Karen M. McManus. When I first picked up this book, the summary had immediately dragged me in. I was just so interested in starting this book. For people who absolutely love murder mystery stories that take place in high school, this novel is absolutely perfect for you. This is another captivating and intriguing novel, making you think and try to solve the mysteries along the way. 

            In this high school mystery, five kids are stuck in detention including Simon, the self proclaimed creator of the gossip app, About That. The twist is, everything he writes on there is true; he knows all your deepest and darkest secrets. Then comes, Bronwyn, the genius student who comes from a family of Yale graduates. Cooper, the athlete, a talented baseball player and a popular student among classmates joins them. Addy, the stereotypical “popular girl” is also part of the Bayview Four. And last but not least, Nate, the school’s loner. Five students in detention, what could possibly happen? Well, murder. In a huge turn of events, Simon suddenly dies. One of the people in the room are suspects, and it’s everyone for themselves. 

            The story was absolutely thrilling and so exciting to read. The journey to find the killer is  a bit unexpected, but nonetheless brilliant. The book gives you four different perspectives of the story, as in the Bayview Four, Bronwyn, Cooper, Addy and Nate. It also teaches you that you have to be careful how you treat others. One little word and mistake could lead to a disaster. Always treat everyone how you want to be treated. 

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before Trilogy

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before is a popular movie series on Netflix as well as a popular book series by Jenny Han. The trilogy is based on a girl named Lara Jean who writes love letters to five boys whom she had a crush on over time, but she never intended to send them out. Because of her younger sister, the letters get all mailed out at the same time, and thus starts her love story between the five boys. 

It’s kind of that typical cliche storyline in which the main lead and the male lead get into a contract relationship then end up falling for each other, but this starts with a love letter. I absolutely love that the storyline of the book takes place in high school because this is mostly where first loves happen. It was a cute love story, with of course ups and downs, misunderstandings and character development. It was a great trilogy to read if you want something just light, with some typical highschool drama. 

So for those teens out there that are looking for a suggestions list for books, here they are. These are my personal favorites, and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. 

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