Generation after generation, the pressures teens face change. This results in more stress, social pressures, and feelings that they need to fit in or belong. These anxieties are always changing, so they need books and stories about suicide and suicide prevention that are up to date.

There is no single book about death that works for all teenagers. Find a story or genre that fits your or your loved one's needs by scrolling down this list.

Best Nonfiction Books About Losing a Loved One to Suicide for Teenagers

These books about grief are written from the point of view of teenagers and adults who have lost someone close to them. They describe the process of healing and recovery and advocate for better mental health and healing.

A Marshland of His Own by Gavin Zastrow

After his friend killed herself, author Gavin Zastrow wrote A Marshland of His Own. Zastrow was encouraged to write about his feelings and the events that happened during the process of healing by people who cared about him at the time. This gave him the ability to process the event.

Twenty-six years later, he came back to the story. Making only a few changes to the original, the story as a whole still has that high school mind. Each stage that Zastrow goes through builds on the one before it until he fully understands what happened to him, and then he is done with it. It's then that the author starts his journey into adulthood, and that's when it starts.

When a Friend Dies: A Book for Teens About Grieving & Healing by Marilyn E. Gootman Ed.D

When a Friend Dies, Marilyn E. Gootman, a teacher for more than 30 years, talks about what it's like to lose a friend to suicide. She's calm and supportive, and her story helps people understand what it's like. Gootman is an advocate for teenagers, parents, and teachers. He helps kids and teenagers from elementary school to college grow into successful people.

As a teacher and a mother, Gootman has a lot of skills that can help other kids deal with suicide. In order for teenagers to become healthy and successful adults, they need more help and resources. This could be from a close friend, an acquaintance, or another classmate.

It's best for people who are 11 and up.

The Suicide Epidemic by Bradley Steffens

In his book, The Suicide Epidemic, Bradley Steffens talks about suicide as an epidemic that is getting worse every year, affecting teenagers and their families more than ever before. It's more of an analytical approach to suicide than one that tries to figure out why someone would do it.

Critics of the book say that in one case, the data Steffens gives is wrong. They say that transgender boys are not properly labeled. Transgender boys and transgender girls have different suicide rates, but he doesn't break them down by gender. Instead, he looks at the statistics for transgender as a whole.

It's best for people ages 12–17.

Teen Suicide: The "Why" Behind America's Suicide Epidemic by Jeff Yalden

Use Teen Suicide: The "Why" Behind America's Suicide Epidemic to get a different point of view and learn about the mental health issues that young people deal with today, as well as how to help them. It won't give you all the answers, but it will give you some important ones to think about.

 

In the book, Yalden talks about mental health, social media, sexting, bullying, and how teenagers are more stressed out about being perfect. If you're a teen or a parent, you should read the part about legal culpability and teen sexting, no matter what. As it turns out, there could be a lot of legal trouble even for parents

Best Fiction Books About Losing a Loved One to Suicide for Teenagers

Each story below looks at how people deal with the pressures and anxieties of society and how they come up with ways to deal with their heartache and pain.

Stillwater by Mary Jo Hazard

The town of Stillwater is in the upper part of New York. Grace, who is 12, has to deal with a lot of mental health issues there, like the truth about her father's death, friends with family problems, and a town arsonist.

During Grace's pre-teen years in the 1950s, you'll learn timeless but important lessons and advice about love and life, including how people can be judged for things they can't change.

Yes, this is good for teenagers and young adults.

Hannah Baker’s Fatal Flaw by Fonda L. Hart

With the rise of social media, there is more pressure on teenagers than ever before. Hannah Baker, a teenager, has had to deal with a lot of trauma, depression, anxiety, and bad decisions because of these new social pressures and rules.

In her book, Fonda L. Hart, LMFT, the author talks about how to deal with trauma. Her goal is to help people get back their strength and start living again. She starts with Hannah Baker's Fatal Flawas as a starting point, but then adds other things that one could do to get better results.

Yes, this is good for teenagers and young adults.

I Was Here by Gayle Forman

It's just Meg and the cleaner in the hotel room. She leaves behind her family and best friend, Cody. Cody is shocked, devastated, and filled with survivor's guilt because he was there. Gayle Forman, the author of I Was Here, takes this chance to show suicide from the survivor's point of view.

When Cody is away at college, Meg's things are at her home in Tacoma, Washington. Cody will go there to pick them up. In the beginning, Meg's parents are happy. Cody is going to find out some things she didn't expect.

It's best for people who are 14 and up.

Hold Still by Nina LaCour

In her book, I Was Here, Gayle Forman talks about how Nina LaCour's novel is the best at portraying the "aching, gaping hole" that comes after someone dies. When Caitlin's friend kills herself, she freezes in place. Ingrid's death has changed everything she thought she knew about life, including her place in the world.

After Caitlin finds Ingrid's hidden journal, she reads it very slowly. Pages and words help her work through the pain and move forward with her life. Caitlin has hope again after reading the journal.

It's best for people who are 12 and up.

Suicide Notes by Michael Thomas Ford

Jeff, who is 15, is in the psychiatric ward with bandaged wrists on New Year's Day. Sure, Jeff doesn't fit in there, but he's about to discover that he has a lot in common with the other people there.

In Suicide Notes, author Michael Thomas Ford makes a group of people in the hospital that the reader can connect with. This allows the reader to feel pain and loss on many different levels. Through Jeff's stories, the reader will learn that keeping things quiet and not telling people what you think can do more harm than good.

It's best for people who are 14 and up.

Skim by Mariko Tamaki

Teenage life is shown through the eyes of a young Asian girl called Kimberly Keiko Cameron, or "Skim." This is Mariko Tamaki's comic book, Skim. When a young boy from the school kills himself, she and the rest of the school go into mourning.

Tamaki talks about a lot of the hard things that teenagers deal with today, like depression, love, anxiety, peer groups, and homosexuality. Critics say the book isn't worth reading, but fans say it was well-thought-out and the illustrations match the story perfectly.

It's best for people who are 14 and up.

Best Books About Suicide Prevention for Teenagers

It's your road. And the authors on this list want to help teenagers deal with their grief and figure out what their future will look like.

I Would, But My DAMN MIND Won't Let Me!: A Guide for Teen Girls. How to Understand and Control Your Thoughts and Feelings by Jacqui Letran

Jacqui Letran wants you to know that you aren't too sensitive and that you don't have to stop feeling something just because you're feeling it. Even if you think life is too hard, unfair, or hopeless, you can control how you feel. You can also help your brain think about happy and successful things in your life.

If you read I WOULD, But My DAMN MIND Won't Let Me!, she'll help you figure out how to be in charge of your life from now on. To do that, Letran will help you think about things in a different way, have positive experiences, stay calm and in control, and use the power of your mind to make sure the future is better.

It's best for people ages 13–18.

The Weight of Zero by Karen Fortunati

In her book, The Weight of Zero, Karen Fortunati wants people to know that they're not alone and there are ways to get help. Fortunati tells the story of a girl who has bipolar depression and other mental health problems, and how she deals with them.

Catherine "Cat" Pulaski makes a bucket list of things she wants to do before "Zero," the name she gives to her depression, comes back again.

In one of the most pointed comments in the book, Cat says, "I don't know what to say." "And someone who hasn't felt it can't understand what it's like to not have any emotions at all. It is a hopelessness that is impossible to understand or speak about."

It's best for people who are 14 and up.

Depression: A Teen’s Guide to Survive and Thrive by Jacqueline B. Toner, Ph.D., and Claire A.B. Freeland, Ph.D.

Depression: A Teen's Guide to Survive and Thrive is a book about real-life depression. Authors Toner and Freeland, both psychologists, give advice on how to deal with stress at home and keep your mental health strong.

Writing down your thoughts in a journal, coming up with ways to change negative thoughts into positive ones, and having a list of people you can call when you need help are the three most important things you can do. The ideas are simple, effective, and meant to help you when you're stressed.

Yes, this is good for teenagers and young adults.

Dead Serious: Breaking the Cycle of Teen Suicide by Jane Mersky Leder

An author named Jane Mersky Leder wrote her first book over 30 years ago. There are more stressors and anxieties for teenagers in this new, updated version. These include sexual and gender identity, bullying, schoolwork stress, social media, and a whole lot more.

Today, teens are under more stress than ever, which can cause anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts. Find the warning signs, take back control, set up a network and find the right resources to help you manage your mental health in a positive, productive way. That's what Leder wants to do.

It's best for people ages 13–17.It’s Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

He is the main character and teen in the movie, It's Kind of a Funny Story.

Getting good grades in high school, getting into the right college, and having a good future are the things that make him feel pressured to be a good person.

Craig tried to kill himself because he was under a lot of stress. After he tried to kill himself, he's taken to the psychiatric ward, where he meets new people with their own stresses, anxieties, and problems.

Seeing things from their point of view helps him understand what makes people happy and how to get there.

It's best for people ages 12 to 18.

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