Top 16 Drama Books For Teens Updated 04 /2024

If you love Riverdale...read Broken Things by Lauren Oliver!

When a young girl is playing a game based on a dark fantasy book, she is killed by a man. It turns out her two best friends are suspects and social outcasts. They lose touch until they decide that they want to solve the mystery as teenagers, and they do it together. This means going back to the game they played when they were younger, which can lead to amazing revelations and blurred lines between reality and fantasy.

One of the best things about Riverdale is that it doesn't seem to be real at all. It's a drama, but mysteries that seem to be supernatural make it hard to tell what's real and what isn't. The first season of Riverdale was full of mystery, so if you liked that, you'll love this twisty surreal psychological thriller that makes you think.

If you loved Pretty Little Liars...read One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus!

In One of Us is Lying, five people from different groups end up in jail together. Only four people come out alive.

The rest of the book is about the teens being suspects for the murder and trying to solve the mystery on their own. There is no way for you to know if any of the people are telling the truth. If you like Pretty Little Liars, you'll like this show because it's twisty and suspenseful, but also has characters you want to root for. If you do this, you'll be done with this mystery in no time!

If you love The Society....read Gone by Michael Grant!

It happens in the movie Gone that everyone over the age of 15 disappears at once. A town of kids and animals are left to fend for themselves as radiation starts giving them strange powers. A lot of the people who are left behind are babies and toddlers, so the story goes even further. A lot of Gone's background is in sci-fi. But it still has relatable stakes and plots that make it feel real and relatable. A lot of things happen in Gone, and they're not happy about it. Alcoholism, corruption, sex and racism are just a few of the things that happen in the book. It's also very diverse. If you want to read a lot, you'll have to read six books and a spin-off series. We promise you won't want to put the books down.

If you love Sex Education...read Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg!

As a group, we couldn't think of any young adult books that dealt with sex with as much honesty and humor as Sex Education. Our book instead captures the awkwardness of adolescence, including having wacky parents, dealing with high school cliques, and figuring out who you are. This book is about Rafe, an openly gay high school student who is tired of being seen as gay first, and then Rafe second. This book is called "Openly Straight." When he goes to private school, he decides not to tell anyone that he's gay, which is met with shock and anger from his parents and best friend.

: It's a story that deals with issues of identity, privilege, anti-gay bias, and mental illness in a way that is both heartfelt and funny. One of our favorite YA couples is also in this book. They managed to make even our cold and dead hearts swoon.

If you like Atypical...read Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

Sam, who is autistic and goes to school and dates, is the subject of Atypical, which tells his heartbreaking story. Turtles All the Way Down, on the other hand, looks at Aza's life as a high school student with obsessive-compulsive disorder. She and her friend Daisy work together to solve the mystery of a missing billionaire in the area. Aza is worried that her mental health will keep her relationship with her love interest Davis from growing. Many parts of the book are based on John Green's own experience with OCD, which makes the book even more powerful.

If you love Euphoria...read Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasglow!

Euphoria is an honest and heartbreaking look at serious teen problems like drug use and violence in relationships. Girl in Pieces, which tells the story of a suicide attempt survivor's recovery, looks at homelessness, sexual assault, and self-harm in a very important way. Like Euphoria, Girl in Pieces doesn't hold back when it comes to dealing with these issues. It also has flawed main characters and families that people can relate to. Like Rue, Charlie has a way to get better that isn't very straight forward. Overall, it's a good story that makes the reader think about things that aren't talked about in popular media.

If you loved One Tree Hill...read All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven!

All the Bright Places is a story about two teenagers who meet and fall in love. It's both sweet and heartbreaking at the same time. The plot is very different from the melodramatic One Tree Hill, but it still makes you feel the same way. You feel like you can find magic in the midst of hopelessness and meaning in the everyday. After reading this, your heart will feel the same as it did when you watched One Tree Hill.

If you liked Reign...read The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead!

She was Queen of Scots. Reign brings the story of Mary, Queen of Scots to life, You can escape to an old world with swords and corsets. The Glittering Court series has a similar appeal: strong, powerful women show how to be clever in court. The three protagonists in the trilogy are three young women who are desperate for a new life. They compete to get the hand of rich bachelors. They cover everything from royal scandals to ball gowns to religious zealots in these books. Reign fans will feel right at home with these books.

If you love 13 Reasons Why...read Hate List by Jennifer Brown!

If you don't like 13 Reasons Why, don't worry. The show doesn't shy away from difficult topics like suicide, bullying, and gun violence. Hate List, which tells the story of a school shooter's girlfriend coming back to the school that blames her for the attack, deals with similar issues in a more sensitive way than other movies that deal with the same things. Val, like Clay, is not innocent. The choices she makes hurt and harm her classmates, who have been through a terrible thing. When you look at her, you can't help but root for her, even when her own memories and perceptions of the person she loved aren't clear. Also, the story of how the school changes after a tragedy is very real and thought-provoking, and it gives you hope. In the first season of 13 Reasons Why, you get the same message: "It has to get better."

If you love The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina...read The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert!

An old book of dark fairy tales called The Hazel Wood tells the story of an 18-year-old named Alice. Her grandmother wrote the book, and it has become very popular all over the world. As soon as Alice's mother goes missing, she will be at her grandmother's well-known home. In her search for her mother, the lines between her grandmother's fantasy world and the world she knows start to blur. She can't even tell who she is or where she comes from. There's a lot of overlap between this and Sabrina's situation and the way it's written, but it's not the same. Both of the main characters are strong and smart, but both also have some dark parts in them. I think you'll like The Hazel Wood. It is a scary and haunting teen book.

If you liked The Vampire Diaries...read Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead!

The Vampire Diaries became a huge hit because of sex, love, and vampires. The Vampire Academy series has these themes, but it's set in a more complicated world. The six-book series is about Rose Hathaway, a firecracker with a sharp tongue and great fighting skills. A lot of people read this book, and they get to see how Rose grows from being an angry teen to being a brave leader who is always willing to fight for those who love her. Her friendship with her best friend, Lissa, and her love for her teacher, Dimitri, pushes her out of the academy and into the dangerous world outside. She fights monsters, governments, and even herself.

If you loved The End of the F***ing World...read Mosquitoland by David Arnold!

One of the most interesting things about The End of the F***ing World is how the two main characters speak. They're very different from most teenage drama characters, and both are very unique. Mosquitoland, on the other hand, has one of the most unique voices I've read in YA books. Mim Malone, a teen with schizophrenia who has run away to see her sick mother, is funny, flawed, and self-aware. She is also a good friend to herself. A lot of things happen that she didn't plan on. She wants to know the truth and be free, just like James and Alyssa. Make sure you read this book. You'll see things in a whole new way.

If you loved Teen Wolf...read Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins!

Rebel Belle tells the story of Harper. Harper is from the South and was attacked at a school dance. After she was hurt, she became superhuman. As time goes on, she learns that her true purpose in life is to protect the person who has been her worst enemy since grade school. There are bound to be sparks.

In Rebel Belle, things are cheesy, silly and fun. It has bad guys being killed by high heels and archenemies dressed in blood-splattered Lily Pulitzer clothes. This is what Rebel Belle might look like if Teen Wolf focused on Lydia and was set in the South. Also, like Teen Wolf, Rebel Belle focuses on less well-known myths. Quick: You'll want to read more!

If you loved Skins...read All Souls by Michael Patrick McDonald!

Skins gave many teenagers their first chance to see people like them on TV. Skins was a show about people who were crass, damaged, and had a lot of problems. When you read All Souls, you're actually reading a memoir, which makes it even more emotional and real. During the 1980s, it is about a boy who lives with a poor family. It is about kids who can't afford to play. We felt the same way Skins did. If you want to be sad when you read, look no further.

If you loved The 100...read Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer!

When a meteor hits, it moves the moon a lot closer to Earth. This causes many natural disasters and changes in society that we're used to. Story: It's very personal and family-based, but the stakes are high. During The 100, the fate of the world is at stake, but personal issues still matter. This is one of our favorite things about the show! It's scary to think about a future that isn't very far away, but the characters in both are still relatable.

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