Realistic fiction deals with the problems of adolescence: abuse, violence, pregnancy, divorce, mental illness, and bullying to name just a few and it's a popular genre for teen girls and boys alike. Although many of today's popular realistic fiction books feature teen girls as the main characters, here are 11 notable realistic fiction novels which feature teenage boys.
3 NB's of Julian Drew by James Deem (Graphia, 2004, ISBN 0618439072)
A physically and emotional abused and neglected 15 year old boy keeps a cryptic diary about life with his father and the most evil stepmother ever.
Breathing Underwater by Alex Finn (HarperTeen, 2001, ISBN 0060291982)
Rich, popular, seemingly perfect Nick is ordered by the court to keep a journal and attend counseling after hitting his girlfriend. The author presents an abusive relationship from the POV of the abuser.
You Hear Me? Poems and Writings by Teenage Boys Betsy Franco, editor (Candlewick, 2001, ISBN 076361159X)
Honest, open, and sometimes painfully raw, teenage boys share their hopes and hurts as they write about sex, drugs, secrets and life.
Looking for Alaska by John Green (Dutton Books, 2005, ISBN 0525475060)
Sixteen-year-old Miles “Pudge” Halter leaves his non-eventful adolescence existence in Florida to attend a boarding school in Alabama. There he meets his roommate Chip, a dirt-poor genius scholarship student who lives to one-up the rich preppies; and Chip's friend Alaska, a literate, articulate, beautiful and wildly reckless girl whose life leads to a tragic end.
Breaking Through by Francisco Jimenez (Sandpiper, 2002, ISBN 061834246)
An engaging fictionalized account of Francisco's transition from deported illegal alien to high school class president while living in a labor camp and juggling school and several part-time jobs.
The First Part Last by Angela Johnson (Simon & Schuster, 2003, ISBN 1442403438)
Sixteen-year-old Bobby Morris learns what his old pal “Just Frank” meant about "becoming a man" when Bobby's girlfriend slips into a coma and he is forced to bring their newborn daughter. Feather, home to raise without any help from his mother.
You Don't Know Me by Davis Klass (HarperTeen, 2002, ISBN 0064473783)
Fourteen-year-old John defends himself against his almost-stepfather's abuse as well as his misfit status at school by using his clever wit and imagination to keep himself grounded and sane. Exceptionally well-written and real.
Monster by Walter Dean Meyers (Amistad; Harper Tempest 2001, ISBN 0064407314)
Was sixteen-year-old Steve really just the lookout who gave the all-clear to the “monster” who murdered a Harlem convenience-store clerk, or was he just in the wrong place at the wrong time? Monster keeps up with the struggles and lingo of today's teens living in a violent world.
Rock Star Superstar by Blake Nelson (Speak, 2006, ISBN 0142405744)
Sixteen-year-old bass player Peter learns life's lessons about love, sex, and rock-and-roll during his his high-school stint as part of the band The Tiny Masters of Today. Up-to-the-minute popular culture references make this book super-relevant.
Three Clams and an Oyster by Randy Powell (Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, 2006, ISBN 0374400071)
Three members of a flag football team (three clams) must search for a replacement for the fourth player an unreliable party animal (the oyster) over a weekend in order to get ready for a national competition. Should they choose the “Wayne Newton with breasts,” the womanizer, or the girl who doesn't shave her legs? Less about football, more about friendships, and all about three funny, winsome guys.
Inside Out by Terry Truman (HarperTeen, 2004, ISBN 0064473767)
When two desperate teenage brothers hold up a Spokane coffee shop and hold Zach hostage, he isn't afraid. Unable to distinguish fantasy from reality once his anti-psychotic drugs have worn off, Zach agrees to remain hostage while the others are set free. Zach's unreliable narration gives this story an uncomfortable feel as it explores the mind of a schizophrenic teen.
For more information about the realistic fiction genre readers can check out Realistic Teen Fiction, an article which defines the genre and offers a link to a list of great realistic fiction books for teens and young adults.
Francine Morrissette - Francine Morrissette is a freelance writer from southern Maine who has published articles on a wide range of topics including health, ...
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