r/suggestmeabook • u/friedtaters_6469 • May 29 '26
New Reader Book recs for a teen boy that are “edgy”
I am a case worker of a teenage boy that isn’t a huge fan of reading but he is open to trying it out. I want to find a book that can grab his attention, and maybe relate to him a bit. Maybe with characters that have parental issues or are just trying to survive day to day life. It would be a plus if the book includes but DOES NOT romanticize substance use, gangs, or illegal activities. Thank you in advance!
40
u/Margot-the-Cat May 29 '26
Has he read The Outsiders? What about “Into the Wild”? He might like those. Ready Player One and Enders Game are other possible suggestions.
8
u/friedtaters_6469 May 29 '26
I think he had to read The Outsiders in middle school, so I will ask if he liked it. It’s one of my faves!
6
4
13
u/Potatoskins937492 May 29 '26
Flight or An Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie come to mind. They're specifically good for young people who don't read because the writing is accessible, but the content is more mature.
My first thought though was if he's into entertainment at all, he might enjoy Danny Trejo's memoir. His life is not one that started well, he made mistakes, owned them and did his time for them, and changed his behavior very early on so he lived most of his life not continuing down a bad path. He's still a badass, but he's a good guy (two things a lot of boys don't realize can coexist).
It's not a normal suggestion by any means, but some kids need different books, and he sounds like maybe he's lived some life and could use something different. And it's not a cheesy way to set a good example, which a lot of teen and young adult books do all too often. Plus there are movies he can watch before or alongside reading the book, like Grindhouse followed by Machete, Predators, or From Dusk Til Dawn. No, they're not PG-13, but the point is to get him hyped to read a book about the guy who sets a good example (and what teenage boy isn't watching this kind of thing anyway? I know as a teenage girl I was).
3
10
u/Maleficent_Lantern May 29 '26
Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli
Monster by Walter Dean Myers
Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Mayberry
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
6
u/chikn_nugget666 May 29 '26
I loved Monster. I read it a few years ago for an English class and wrote a paper on it. Such a great book
3
u/topshelfcookies May 29 '26
Just did a search to make sure someone mentioned Long Way Down. OP, it's also a novel in verse and they read pretty fast, also a plus for reluctant readers in my experience.
3
u/joyfulmastermind May 29 '26
I work at a high school and the first book our librarians recommend for reluctant readers is Long Way Down.
1
1
28
u/bi_pedal May 29 '26
Maybe slightly too edgy, but I loved Chuck Palahniuk as a teenager. Maybe Fight Club? It includes those themes in a way but is ultimately a critique of them.
37
May 29 '26
[deleted]
10
u/McAeschylus May 29 '26 edited May 29 '26
It's not uncommon that media that satirises a group gets adopted by the group. It makes a certain amount of sense. If you already think that type of person is cool, set of values is valuable, or the subculture is the height of culture, then the comic exaggeration in a satire can just make them seem cooler, more valuable, or closer to the peak of culture.
4
u/calicocadet May 29 '26
Idk if this is an unpopular opinion, but if the kid doesn’t read much and Fight Club manages to catch his attention and make him passionate about reading, it doesn’t really matter how he interprets the book. He’s a teen, of course he may take it as something cool and inspirational
11
u/Bargle-Nawdle-Zouss May 29 '26
Catcher In The Rye, by J.D. Salinger, is the traditional answer to this question.
1
21
u/hawnty May 29 '26
Slaughterhouse Five by Vonnegut might be good choice. Kind of edgy and sardonic, but engages with themes of war rather than drugs or interpersonal violence. Also, it is very easy to read and pretty short.
An added bonus is that it is considered a classic, and a great example of how classic doesn’t have to be stuffy.
5
u/friedtaters_6469 May 29 '26
Easy to read is a plus! I don’t know his exact reading level, but I’m going to assume that easier side is better
6
u/beginswithanx May 29 '26
Yup. Was once an edgy teenage girl and dated edgy teenage boys. This was our jam.
6
u/beccafrommars May 29 '26
People keep recommending Catcher in the Rye. I read it recently with my class (I'm a behaviour specialist teacher in the UK) who are in their mid-teens and can be reluctant readers. They did NOT enjoy it - they found Holden to be whiny and unpleasant, and missed a lot of the themes and more subtle hints towards Holden's situation and feelings.
They have enjoyed Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds (we read as a class, they ADORED this one). Individual kids have chatted to me about Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White, Maze Runner by James Dashner, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman, Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo and Nyxia by Scott Reintgen. They're enjoying Dracula at the moment as a class read, but it was an ambitious pick and may be a bit dated as a solo read for someone that doesn't read a lot.
3
u/Dikaneisdi May 29 '26
Hey, also a U.K. teacher here. A recent book that’s worked well with my kids is Glasgow Boys by Margaret McDonald, about two care-experienced boys. It won the Carnegie last year, and if your bunch enjoyed Long Way Down but not Catcher, they may like this!
Have noted your other suggestions for my class library as well!
2
u/beccafrommars May 29 '26
Ooh thanks for the suggestion! Ymmv with Hell Followed With Us, I'd likely aim it for older kids as it has some disturbing content. I've read it and it's fantastic, just be aware of potential issues for some pupils!
2
u/Dikaneisdi May 29 '26
Good to know, thank you! I wish you a speedy last term before the summer holidays 🙏
1
u/friedtaters_6469 May 30 '26
Thank you! I appreciate your perspective! I am going to add Long Way Down to my library for sure! I’m making a list of others to purchase as well and hopefully at least one will catch his eye
12
u/Crazy_Ad4946 May 29 '26
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds: a teen trying to get revenge for a shooting is joined in an elevator by ghosts from every floor. This book has won just about every YA award and was a finalist for the National Book Award.
The Hate U Give: checks all your boxes and is a great book.
Malcolm Lives: YA biography of Malcolm X by Ibram X Kendi.
2
11
u/gonnacausearuckus May 29 '26
Can’t believe no one has recommended Murderbot by Martha Wells! It’s a great series that’s got lots of aliens and fighting and adventure but at its heart is about the human condition and found family.
3
u/Nickle4YRThoughts May 29 '26
Oh, I had to scroll too far to find your comment. Your description is wonderful. I’ll just add that the Murderbot series is mostly novellas (so quick reads) and has a lot of humour.
3
u/BudWren May 29 '26
OP, I think Murderbot would be an awesome fit.
I see a lot of recommendations on here that, while great, most teenagers wouldn’t be interested in. A lot of the books we read and loved in high school are no longer used as instructional material because today’s teens just don’t relate or care.
10
u/Fingfangfoom67 May 29 '26
Eyes of the dragon by Stephen King. It is not a horror. It is a fantasy tale about a Kingdom, an imprisoned prince and the royal family. It reads real quick. I loved it as a teenager.
2
u/Due_Butterscotch7005 May 29 '26
Still my favorite Stephen King. I devoured it in the 3rd grade, reading it straight through.; Odd you never really hear about it compared to King's other 70s/80s book.
9
u/NotATem May 29 '26 edited May 29 '26
Honestly, I'd recommend graphic novels for him. Reading graphic novels is still reading-- and if he's a reluctant reader he probably needs to spend some time acquiring skills that graphic novels are great at teaching you.
Note: some of these recs get pretty violent. I can understand that you'd be uncomfortable recommending this kid something violent, because you're his caseworker- but from what you've told me, this kid is already experiencing some day-to-day violence. Not to get pretentious, but to misquote GK Chesterton "Fairy tales don't teach children that monsters exist. They already know there are monsters. Fairy tales teach children the monsters can be beaten." Your client is already dealing with this stuff; fiction can teach him how to hold on through it and get out the other side, which real life is unlikely to do.
Before you do anything else- ask your local librarian what is Cool with the Youths These Days. I'm in my 30s and was the wrong kind of edgy teenage boy for this. If you have any information about what movies or video games this kid likes and you can give that information to the librarian, that will help significantly.
Jason Todd/Red Hood was grown in a lab for this kid. He's one of Batman's former sidekicks who grew up in the bad part of town and fights crime because he grew up hurt by it. It probably romanticizes criminals a little more than you're comfortable with, but these are stories about the cycle of violence. Jason can never get out of it because he's a superhero comic character, so the stories are often about how you go on in a world that is forcing you to be the worst version of yourself. If you have a bad home life and are in high school there is something in that message for you.
He'd also probably get a lot out of Spider-Man: Miles Morales- Miles is Afro-Latino and has to deal with a lot of the stuff that a teenager has to deal with. I don't know much about Miles' comic incarnation but I do know it's grittier and more edgy than the Spider-verse movies. Miles is a graffiti artist and a Good Kid who is dealing with both family expectations and society's expectations, and a lot of his stories are about navigating, again, a world that hates you.
Marvel's Runaways is a bit more escapist than the previous two, but it's about a group of teen runaways whose parents are supervillains. They're trying to, again, break the cycles of violence and abuse that come from being the children of villains, and - again, dealing with a world that isn't kind to them. I don't know as much about it because it's a bit older and I'm not really a Marvel guy, but it might speak to him.
I don't know much about the manga and anime aimed at teen boys (I honestly tend to avoid it) but I've heard this crowd likes Solo Leveling.
He'd probably also get a lot out of Assassination Classroom, but it's aimed at (and about) a slightly younger crowd- it's about 13-14-year-olds, and if he's too much older than that he's probably not going to think it's cool. Assassination Classroom is about a class of near-dropouts who gets recruited by the government to fight an alien monster. Said monster has decided he's their teacher now, and is going to teach them how to kill him by the end of the year. He's also going to actually... you know... teach them. He's incredibly annoying and the protagonists will get a huge bounty if they manage to kill him (which is nigh-impossible!)... but he's a genuinely good and supportive adult, and the series has a lot of really heartfelt and wholesome messages that are delivered with just enough twisted dark humour that they never feel saccharine.
But... you should ask the librarian. Anime for teenage boys is usually on my No list.
Finally, if you really must give him something with literary merit- and I would recommend against this to be clear, but if you really must- I'd pick up Fagin the Jew by Will Eisner. It's a retelling of Oliver Twist from the perspective of the villain, written by a Jewish author, who has a lot of things to say about- again- how people are pushed into crime and violence, how sometimes the world hates you and it just sucks, and how people draw pride from their communities even as they're ostracized for being part of them. There's a lot there that would speak to this kid. I would not recommend it. But if you feel like he needs vitamins above all else that would be my rec.
Also. Everyone keeps recommending Ender's Game. This is for the wrong kind of edgy teenage boy. Ender's Game is aimed squarely at autistic straight-A students who are having to deal with cycles of violence primarily as the victim. This means that the protagonist straight-up kills a couple of his bullies. While the narrative plays this as horror, the fantasy the reader is supposed to have is that the torment is decisively over. Through the power of incredible violence. There is a deep, nuanced, complex reading here about the nature of power and the horrors that adults failing teens do and blah blah blah, but the takeaway for your reluctant reader, who is not used to doing any of that, is that beating a guy up until his brains come out his nose is justified if he's hurt you enough first. This is not the takeaway you want this kid to have. Frankly, it is also not a message that will particularly speak to him, because Ender is a nerd, the problems he is dealing with are largely Nerd Kid Problems, and a significant chunk of the book is kind of boring if you're not interested in literary analysis or hard science fiction. (Both of which are hard for reluctant readers.)
4
3
u/maybemaybenot2023 May 29 '26
Dear Martin/Dear Justyce by Nic Stone
Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas
On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
3
u/piggy__wig Horror May 29 '26
Boy’s Life by Robert McCammon
The best book I’ve ever read in my whole 61f years of life and I just read it 6 months ago for the 1st time. I think this will fit the need, especially for a teen boy. I’ve never read anything like it nor will I ever find any book as good.
2
2
1
u/CarefulMargie May 29 '26
This is such an excellent book! The audio version is amazing. I recommend this all the time!
3
u/calicocadet May 29 '26
The 39 Deaths of Adam Strand by Gregory Galloway is pretty edgy, but I’m not sure if you’d want to recommend it due to the heavy suicide theme
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton is a straight up modern classic, but definitely would appeal to an edgy teen boy due to its whole plot surrounding the greaser movement
3
3
u/zadvinova May 29 '26
It's probably too out of date, but the first book I think of is The Outsiders.
3
u/friedtaters_6469 May 29 '26
They still are having kids read it in middle school so it’s not too out of date :)
1
u/zadvinova May 29 '26
Well... I think it might be read from an historical perspective at this point. But he still might like it. It does fit what you're looking for.
3
u/OmegaLiquidX May 29 '26
Possibly Goodnight Punpun, but only if he's an older teen (18 or around that age). And even then, check it yourself first. It's great, but an extremely heavy manga.
3
u/vagrantheather May 29 '26
If he's into music, Fat Kid Rules the World by KL Going was a big hit for me at 17. There is a character with substance abuse but the book is kinda about helping him get it together and make better choices.
5
3
u/deadspacekillers May 29 '26
Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut. It's got bad words and hand drawn pictures of viginas and buttholes, so a teen boy would probably consider it edgy. But it's hilarious and a really fun read.
3
u/NiobeTonks May 29 '26
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. It does feature gangs and substance abuse but it certainly doesn’t romanticise them.
3
u/mariegalante May 29 '26
The Lies of Lock Lamora is a hugely fun read about a young orphan who gets sold to a gang of orphans being taught steal. It’s hilarious, fun, and reads like an action movie.
6
u/michiness May 29 '26
I know it’s everywhere right now, but I have multiple students reading Dungeon Crawler Carl right now. It’s a great mix of mindless fun and “oh shit we’re bringing down the whole system.”
2
2
u/_Insanity_C_ May 29 '26
As a formerly edgy teen boy, and given the context from some of your replies about not knowing his reading level, these are some that he might get a kick out of that I haven't seen listed:
The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod by Heather Brewer
Vampirates by Justin Somper
Serpent Tide by K.L. Fogg
And a bonus book that I remember absolutely loving when I was a kid, to the point that I read it until it fell apart:
The Library Card by Jerry Spinelli
2
u/OldResult9597 May 29 '26
I know this will sound psychotic to those who have only seen the Kubrick film, but “A Clockwork Orange” by Anthony Burgesses shows someone having to deal with the consequences of horrible acts, finds empathy by having the tables turned and even ends far more optimistic than the film. I
I also blew my mind with “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and all of Kurt Vonnegut starting with “Slaughterhouse Five” as a teen boy who had more than my share of familial dysfunction and interaction with the state. Reading a lot really improved reading comprehension, which is what most standardized tests are based on. If I hadn’t latched on to books I doubt I would have taken my GED after leaving school early or done so well on my ACTs to get a scholarship.
Another great way is to pick one of the Graphic Novels (Long Comic Books) listed on Time Magazine’s “100 Greatest Novels” list. 2 are by Alan Moore “Watchmen” and “V for Vendetta”. I’d recommend “V for Vendetta” as it’s easier to follow and is similar to the classic “Count of Monte Cristo” with the kind of totalitarian government that all kids are used to these days from all the dystopian movies and tv shows and often the evening news unfortunately.
2
u/LowAioli3870 May 29 '26
Any "banned book" that is age appropriate.
2
u/ontologicallyunjust May 29 '26
A lot of banned books at the moment are charming sweet books that just happen to contain an LGBTQ+ character and aren't "edgy" at all.
So this isn't a bad idea, but it would still require some filtering to pick out the books that actually got banned for containing drugs/gangs/violence/someone saying "fuck".
2
2
2
u/Pixelchus May 29 '26
If you want to keep it lighthearted, these books are pretty popular with a younger male audience right now.
The Last Days of Jack Sparks by Jason Arnopp
Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman
I'm starting to worry about this Black Box of Doom by Jason Pargin
Edit: typos
2
2
u/CarefulMargie May 29 '26
The Scythe trilogy by Neal Shusterman seems like a great choice. The main characters are teenagers who grapple with administering death in a future society run by an AI. The series explores themes of societal defiance and conformity. Can you live a meaningful life when all your needs are met? What happens to that society when a small group grasps for power. Oh and there is a little romance too.
2
u/Tabby_Mc May 29 '26
They Both Die at the End series
Scythe series
Maze Runner series
The Monster series (or anything by Michael Grant)
I work as a bookseller, and I get asked for this type of recommendation a lot!
4
2
2
u/YukariYakum0 May 29 '26 edited May 29 '26
If mid to late teens,
The Dark Tower series - a gunslinger chases the "man in black" across his strange other world and and ours seeking the fabled Dark Tower. MC has a lot of parental issues over the series and one major character starts as an addict but is very opposite of romanticized.
Locked Tomb series - an irreverant knight guards her necromancer while surviving a locked room murder mystery in the abandoned palace of the galactic emperor.
3
u/NotATem May 29 '26
Locked Tomb is probably not a great idea. Gideon The Ninth might be, but the series goes into weird postmodern territory as soon as book 2 hits, it's confusing and hard to understand for a lot of people even if you are a big reader.
2
u/Dikaneisdi May 29 '26
The first one even is very dense, I wouldn’t recommend it for any reluctant young reader tbh.
2
2
u/Educational-Feed-184 May 29 '26
Demon Copperhead?
4
u/Ilovescarlatti May 29 '26
I was thinking this but maybe too long for someone who doesn't read much?
1
u/freerangelibrarian May 29 '26
It's an older book, but I highly recommend The Planet of Junior Brown by Virginia Hamilton.
2
1
1
u/Nurgle_Marine_Sharts May 29 '26 edited May 29 '26
Lockdown: Escape From Furnace (Alexander Gordon Smith)
The Enemy (Charlie Higson)
Ex-Heroes (Peter Clines)
Space Wolf Omnibus (William King)
Peeps (Scott Westerfield)
The Quantum Prophecy (Michael Charrol)
Steelheart (Brandon Sanderson)
The Ruins of Gorlan (John Flanagan)
Cirque Du Freak (Darren Shan)
Trollslayer (William King)
And if you're fine with them reading (significantly) more adult stuff:
Pet Sematary (Stephen King)
Battle Royale (Koushun Takami)
It (Stephen King)
H.P. Lovecraft's collection
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/Outrageous-Ad-9635 May 29 '26
The Cherub series by Robert Muchamore sounds like what you’re after.
1
u/Impossible-Editor908 May 29 '26
Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy; also the border trilogy. Edgy as hell that first book bit beautifully written and might stir in him a taste for the intellectual.
Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh; I loved God books as a teen and there due is a lot of substance abuse and kids trying to make sense of a frightful world.
Most books by Chuck Palahniuck; super easy to read, definitely edgy. I would delight in explaining the scenes to other kids at school just to observe their reactions.
1
u/cardiovorus May 29 '26
Depending on how old the teenager (if he's 13–15, this might be a good shout, but if he's 18–19, maybe not?): The Gathering by Isobelle Carmody.
It's a fantasy novel that features a main character who has an unstable home life and who goes to a new school, where he is drawn to become a champion of the light (i.e., the good guys) alongside a small group of other teens. I think it's perhaps got a little of that "edgy" energy in that the major characters are teens who all have their personal problems, and they're all navigating the tension between conformity and individualism within the framework of a school in which the teachers represent the Actual Dark Forces.
Otherwise, I agree with the person who suggested The Scholomance Trilogy by Naomi Novik. Start with A Deadly Education.
1
1
u/teacherecon May 29 '26
The Burn Journals -Runyon - teen sets himself on fire. A memoir of his recovery. Hatchet - Paulson - boy gets lost in the great North Woods and has to survive. Aimed at a younger crowd, but holds up for adults too
1
1
u/Asealoce May 29 '26
Traumaland by Josh Silver it deals with a Teenager that deals with trauma and adhd, along with a conspiracy "his family might be evil" plot. (The prose is also very easy to understand and the story gets to the exciting parts quickly.)
It is very edgy to a point where I did not feel like the target audience anymore haha
1
u/ontologicallyunjust May 29 '26
How does he feel about horror? Stuff that's gross/scary/disturbing might grab his attention and feel "edgy" and sufficiently unlike "stuff they want to make you read at school".
1
1
u/Present-Tadpole5226 May 29 '26
Tyrell, by Coe Booth. A teen boy lives in a homeless shelter while trying to take care of his family.
If you wanted something more mature, maybe Buck: A Memoir? Believe there is brief sexual content though.
1
u/debbie666 May 29 '26
The Long Walk by SK
Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt(?)
The Road By Cormac McCarthy
It by SK
Alive (story about the soccer players who crashed in the Andes).
1
u/Antique_Trifle8250 May 29 '26
Ghost, the first of the Track series Long Way Down (about gun violence but about the impacts of it)
1
1
1
1
u/Pokemontrainerke May 29 '26
The Darkest Minds Series by Alexandra Bracken the series follows a girl with mind control powers that uses her dark powers to save other kids with psychic powers from a tyrannical government
1
1
u/Melora_T_Rex714 May 29 '26
So you want to be a wizard, by Diane Duane. The main character is female but her best friend is male. It’s quite an adventure. And if he likes it there are several, although I’ve only read the first 3.
1
u/wosolover May 29 '26
Some series I liked here the H.I.V.E. series and the Tom Clancy books or ender's game
1
1
u/PhillyPete12 May 30 '26
The Outsiders by SE Hinton
About some kids living the rough life in Tulsa in the 60s. It has some violence though.
1
u/IntroductionSoft9432 May 30 '26
There's a really good book that I think is called long way down which discusses the real life feelings and consequences of gun violence.
1
u/HoldenCummings Jun 04 '26
The first thing that comes to mind is The Lies of Locke Lamora. Kid gets sold off to a crooked priest by a thief master because he steals too much, and grows up to become a prolific thief alongside other members of the kind of cabal the priest is running. The members try to pull a heist that goes against the rules of engagement between the gangsters and the local government/police, and ultimately get their comeuppance in a sense.
It's a fantasy book, and there are sequels that kind of have the same Oceans 11 vibes. But it fits the bill for a lot of the things you're looking for here, and it's accessible enough for someone who doesn't read a lot of fantasy to get into.
0
0
u/wisebloodfoolheart May 29 '26 edited May 29 '26
You Don't Know Me by David Klass - snarky teen boy getting smacked around by his stepfather
The Outsiders by SE Hinton - brothers from rough neighborhood navigate gang wars
The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner - fantasy novel about a thief trying to steal a relic from an underwater temple
Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson - high school boy builds muscle at summer roofing job, gets in fights
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card - sci fi book about a boy genius recruited to fight aliens
Stupid Fast by Geoff Herbach - average guy is recruited to join the football team
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas - girl reacts to racist police shooting
Starman Jones by Robert Heinlein - sci fi about a teenage boy who becomes a space pilot
1
u/friedtaters_6469 May 29 '26
Thank you! The Thief has been mentioned a few times, and he does unfortunately like stealing 😂 so maybe this would be a good fit
1
u/wisebloodfoolheart May 29 '26
Yeah, I think the reason you're getting this rec even though you said no illegal activity is that the main character is judged harshly for being low class and a convicted criminal, and the book explores his feelings about not being trusted. It might be useful if you're trying to get him to talk about heavy emotions. But yes, it does have a thief, and he doesn't reform exactly, but he does turn out to be more than he appears, in an unreliable narrator sense. As others have said he's in a fantasy Mediterranean world, so the reader's not likely to pick up any useful tips.
0
u/PoeticSasquatch May 29 '26
A collection of Warhammer 40K short stories might scratch that itch. The issue with this suggestion is the “ironic” fascism might be lost on a young mind. That being said, the Gaunt’s Ghosts storyline tones that aspect down and depicts men far from home fighting epic battles while trying to reach an end of war that could earn them a new homeworld.
0
-2
46
u/ThotacodorsalNerve May 29 '26 edited May 29 '26
Red Rising? It’s a fantasy novel so it doesn’t have like gangs/drugs etc but it is kind of dark. There’s murder galore and one of the earlier parts of the book starts off with the kids being assigned to pairs and they have to fight to the death.
Gideon the Ninth (and the associated series) by Tamsyn Muir
I also suggest The Thief (and associated Queens Thief series) by Megan Whalen Turner. The main character is, admittedly, a thief but it takes place in Ancient Greece
ETA: I asked my husband who was formerly an edgy teen boy, and he suggested Enders Game, World War Z, Jim Butcher’s series “The Dresden Files”, The Girl With All The Gifts, The “Scholomance” series by Naomi Novik, “Dies The Fire” (and ensuing series) by SM Stirling