Finding the perfect book for a 14-year-old girl can be challenging. Whether she loves historical fiction, fantasy, thrillers, or stories about self-discovery, this parent guide highlights must-read books that will entertain, inspire, and educate. Ready to help your teen find their perfect next read?
This list isn’t exhaustive, and it’s based on our own editorial perspective as parents of tweens and teens.
Genre: Thriller, survival fiction
Plot: Three sisters raised on the secret compound of a doomsday prepper community train to hunt, homestead, and protect their own. When danger from within puts them in danger, the girls must put their training into action as they realize nowhere is safe.
Why it made our list: This page-turning thriller is a fascinating window into prepper culture. It features strong teenage characters and leans into the importance of sisterhood. Teens will relate to themes of seeking independence, figuring out one’s place in the world, and finding hope in difficult circumstances.
Genre: Contemporary romance
Plot: When Lily ditches her ADHD meds and lands in detention with Abelard, who’s Autistic, she’s intrigued. The teens fall for each other over a shared interest in ancient love letters, but struggle to bridge their differences off the written page.
Why it made our list: Neurodiversity is accurately and respectfully portrayed in this hilarious, sweet, and, at times, heartbreaking love story. The addition of the letters adds an interesting texture to the book.
Genre: Young Adult
Plot: Liz has always believed she's too black, too poor, too awkward to shine in her small, rich, prom-obsessed midwestern town. As part of her plan to escape Campbell, Indiana, forever, Liz finds herself an unlikely contender for prom queen in the hopes of earning a scholarship. Everything changes when she falls for the competition.
Why it made our list: Watching Liz and Mack fall for each other in the middle of a small town is the kind of heartwarming portrayal of queer Black joy we want more of in literature. There's gobs of cuteness as the girls discover their feelings for each other and the realistic way Liz’s other friendships are portrayed jump off the page.
Genre: Historical fiction, supernatural
Plot: As infants, twin sisters Charlie and Magnolia were secretly separated after their parents were brutally lynched for loving across the color line. They reunite as teenagers at the dawn of the Civil Rights Movement. Charlie is a young Black organizer in Harlem, and white-passing Magnolia is the heiress to a cotton plantation in rural Georgia.
Why it made our list: Mirror Girls masterfully blends historical fiction, horror, and the supernatural to great effect. It’s a powerful examination of race, social justice, and privilege that will resonate for today’s teens.
Genre: Fantasy, mystery
Plot: When 17-year-old Alice’s grandmother, the reclusive author of a book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate, things go from bad to worse. After her mother is stolen away by a figure from one of her grandmother’s stories, Alice is forced to venture into the strange and treacherous world where her grandmother's tales began.
Why it made our list: The world Albert creates in this book is rich and absorbing. Alice’s close relationship with her mother is authentic and believable. It’s the rare YA fantasy book these days without a major romance subplot, so if your teen isn’t into the steam, this is a refreshing break.
Genre: Graphic novel, contemporary fiction
Plot: Issaac is an Arab-American college student struggling to live with epilepsy. The doctors won’t listen, his family is in denial, and his social life falls apart as he feels increasingly isolated by his illness.
Why it made our list: Mis(h)adra is a graphic novel with vibrant, manga-style illustrations that create a visual depiction of living with a disability, based in part on the author’s own disabled experience. Universal themes of overcoming self-doubt and struggling to fit in will resonate with disabled and able-bodied readers alike.
Genre: Nonfiction, history
Plot: Flowers in the Gutter tells the captivating true story of a group of German teenagers — known as the Edelweiss Pirates — who resisted the Nazis using whatever means possible.
Why it made our list: In a time when the world feels so uncertain and perilous, it’s easy for teens to feel like they have no capacity to make change. This book provides a powerful example of youth activism in a raw, unvarnished way. Because of its narrative nonfiction style, it reads like a novel, making it appealing to teens who aren’t traditionally nonfiction readers.
Genre: Self-help, nonfiction
About: Huber used surveys and interviews with hundreds of teenagers to discover what does and doesn’t work in their lives, how they perceive the adult world they’re about to enter, and what they want adults to know about them. The result is a self-help book with communication techniques to empower teens to take the lead in the often tricky, but necessary conversations between teens and adults.
Why it made our list: Advice for teens often comes solely from the perspective of the adults giving it. We love that the author talked to teens about their lived experiences and crafted her suggestions based on what they actually need and want.
These titles offer a mix of fiction and nonfiction, showcasing stories that address identity, resilience, activism, and relationships. Whether your teen is looking for an escape into a fantastical world or seeking guidance on real-life struggles, books can provide engaging, empowering, and relatable narratives.
Encouraging a love of reading in teens is about more than entertainment — it’s about offering them stories and guidance that resonate.
Looking for more ways to support your teen’s habits? BrightCanary helps parents stay informed about their child’s digital world while promoting healthy media consumption. Get started for free today!
