(Part 3) Best teen action & adventure books according to redditors
We found 1,268 Reddit comments discussing the best teen action & adventure books. We ranked the 508 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 41-60. You can also go back to the previous section.
Wrote a book. Apparently, this book.
Okay, I love this question.
Padme suggests Lips Touch by Laini Tailor--it's a beautiful book of short stories that are strange but gorgeous, much like Naboo. And despite the title, it's not a romance so much as slices of lovely weirdness held together by the relationships people develop, which suits her. But Jyn and Rey vote this one down.
Leia suggests Passenger by Alex Bracken. It's a time travel book, but also about loss and displacement and people who don't have any real home left, so it makes her sad but hopeful.
Jyn and Rey team together to get the book club to read Six of Crows and then Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo, a fantasy duology about the dregs of society. In SoC, a team of low-lifes from a hard city take on a con job--think Ocean's Eleven, but in a fantasy world and with a rag-tag misfit crew of criminals. CK is about the revenge they take after a double cross. These books are both brilliantly written but also perfect for the characters as they are dark but hopeful at the same time, and Jyn in particular like Kaz Brekker, who will basically do anything to win but still loves his people.
The next person they invite to the club is Dr. Aphra because she's so badass. She suggests Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. K2SO told him about this one. It's a story told through found documents--there's no straight narration, but instead transcripts of interviews, photographs, documentation from space ships, etc. It's about a small group of ships on the run from a random attack on their home planet, trying to outrun the remaining enemy ship chasing them. But it also features a psychotic AI and a lot of death and chaos, which is right up Dr. Aphra's alley.
Terry Pratchett's "Tiffany" stories in Discworld. Not just female. Young too.
My list of authors with first books:
Elizabeth Haydon: Rhapsody; Child of Blood
Elizabeth Kerner; Song in the Silence
Elizabeth Moon: The Deed of Paksenarrion
Kristian Britain: Green Rider
Sara Douglass The Wayfarer Redemption
Robin Mckinley: The Blue Sword
Robin Hobb: Assassin's Apprentice
Mercedes Lackey: Arrows of the Queen
Anne McCaffrey: The Dragonriders of Pern
Meredith Ann Pierce: Birth of the Firebringer
Katharine Kerr: Daggerspell
Oryx and Crake is excellent, and I would recommend it to anyone. It's part of a trilogy that continues with The Year of the Flood, which covers the same time period viewed by entirely different characters (segregated lower class and a hippie-ish religious cult rather than the biotech-happy upper crust in Oryx and Crake). MaddAddam is meant to tie the two together.
Depending on what type of dystopia you're interested in, I have several recommendations:
Downriver?
https://www.amazon.com/Downriver-Will-Hobbs/dp/1442445475
So I'm currently listening to the audiobook for Little Brother, and it gets a whole-hearted recommendation from me. It hits a lot of points we seem to frequently talk about:
Add to that a natural lesson in math and programming as well as plenty of paranoia, and I'm enjoying it immensely. I may have to flip through the book when I'm done to see if it passes the Bechdel test and its variations though.
Here's one for you: A science fiction from Kendall and Kylie Jenner.
>In a world of the far future, the great city of Indra has two faces: a beautiful paradise floating high in the sky, and a nightmare world of poverty carved into tunnels beneath the surface of the earth. Kendall and Kylie Jenner, the youngest sisters in the Kardashian dynasty, have written a gripping tale of air, fire, and a bond of blood.
Imagine, if you would, those two young ladies sitting down for 100s of hours to write a fiction novel.
Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Teen Superheros:
Please Don't Tell My Parents I'm a Supervillain by Richard Roberts (Three children of superheros develop powers and accidently become supervillains. Good writing, very clever worldbuilding and characterization. Interesting love triangle You've probably seen it advertised as "What if Harry Potter were steampunk?" but underneath the obvious cashgrab advertising is a great book)
Sidekicks by Jack Ferraiolo (Two sidekicks-One of a superhero, another of a supervillian, learn that they go to the same school, and develop a romance. Excellent Writing, especially for a children's book. Cute romance, and realistic characterization of the main characters at the age they're at without being either condescending or simplistic, interesting twist on superhero/supervillian dynamics. Be careful, since the title's genericness means its possible to get the wrong book)
The Vindico by Wesley King. (5 children are kidnapped by a team of supervillains in an attempt to train apprentices. Generally sold as "The Breakfast Club meets X-Men", which it somewhat lives up to. Good plot, nice twist both on traditional super villain roles and "school for supers" idea)
Realistic Fiction:
The Theif Lord by Cornelia Funke. (Two Orphans run away to Venice and join a group of runaways taken care of by "The Thief Lord", a child master thief. Clever Plot, and the writing really takes you in)
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (Written by 16 year old who really lived in similar conditions. Plot revolves around "Ponyboy", a member of a Greaser gang in the 60s, and his life after a gang fight goes wrong. You really care about people who would otherwise serve as hoodlums in another novel)
Sci-fi:
A Confusion of Princes by Garth Nix. (A Prince, one of a few million of the rulers of a galactic empire, becomes tangled in a web of plots and conspiracies. Good sci-fi with excellent world building. Watching the main character learn how dangerous his life has become and slowly adapt to it)
Red Rising by Pierce Brown (After the death of his wife, a member of the lowest Red caste is disguised and made into a member of the ruling Gold caste in order to infiltrate the ruling society. "Ender, Katniss, and now Darrow" was the quote that got me into this. Lives up to it. Reads like a more violent Hunger Games, and goes places the HG didn't. Excellent read, and the main character's intelligence make him more than just an angry revenger. Some slightly guessable "plot twists", but does a good job exploring the theme of unfairness and winning against a stacked deck.)
Levithan by Scott Westerfield. (Alternate World War One, where the allies use genetic manipulation to create huge beasts of burden and war, while the Central powers use huge steampunk machines. Plot follows a girl who dresses as a boy to join in the ranks of an air force, who meets an Austrian Prince on the run from the German Empire)
Fantasy/Horror:
The Spook's Apprentice by Joseph Delany (Seventh son gets appreticed to the local spook, a man who fights magical threats around the County. Does a unique job of showing its monsters and boogeymen, with a plot that builds over the course of the books.)
Cirque Du Freak (Boy becomes a half-vampire, traveling with a circus of freaks. Most action takes place away from the circus and towards the other vampires in the world. 12 books that are really 4 trilogies, which ought to be 4 books. Nice job of presenting unique vampires. Actual horror varies, although I've heard good things about the Demonata series by the same author, which I haven't read.)
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. (First line: "There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife." Plot is series of vignettes about boy being raised by a group of ghosts in a graveyard. Gaiman gets pretty good reviews overall, and for good reason.)
The Midnighters Series by Scott Westerfield (Girl moves to new town and discovers she is one of a very few who can access the "Secret Hour"- An extra hour when time is frozen at midnight, along with gaining new powers. Her and a few select others fight ancient beasts who were the last predators of ancient man.)
I honestly can't remember a lot of the details from it, so this may be way off base but are you talking about one of the Cirque du Freak books by Darren Shaun? Main character is named Darren, the old vampire is Mr. Crepsley.
Hopefully the link works. On mobile.
Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie is my favorite. Very dark and gritty, there is no question how badass Monza is, she could take out any male lead with her shear determination
The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley is much lighter but I fell in love with it a young age and it’s still a great read
Red Sister by Mark Lawrence is my most recent favorite. Nona is a fantastic character, her flaws make her real and you root for her so much. I’m so pissed I have to wait a year for the final book when it’s already been finished but no doubt I will be reading it the moment it comes out in April of 2019
Also thanks for asking this question, love finding new books with strong female leads
Right after I read Hunger Games I read Graceling by Kristin Cashore. The main character is another strong female. I'm not really good at explaining books so here is a link to Amazon to help you out.
http://www.amazon.com/Graceling-Kristin-Cashore/dp/015206396X
Laine Taylor has a good theory. Starts off a little slow, but is good.
Hmmm... paranormal/supernatural tween reads with strong girl characters (not that Twilight had a strong female lead in it, but you may as well steer her in a better direction).
You really can't go wrong with the Hunger Games. Or you could get her the Japanese novel Battle Royale. It's also a dystopian novel about teenagers forced to battle each other to the death.
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is worth checking out. It starts to lose some oomph towards the end, but is still a solid read with actual substance to the storyline. I'd get the hardback - the photography in it is just genius. Male lead, but there's a pretty cool chick who throws fireballs.
I enjoyed Anna Dressed in Blood. It's a bit like Supernatural, only with one male ghost hunter as the protaganist. He falls in love with a ghost, but she's a homicidal maniac.
The Rise of Renegade X - a boy raised by his evil supervillain mom discovers that he's the product of her one-night-stand with a superhero. That was pretty enjoyable...
Poison Study is a great book about a girl who's been sentenced to death and is offered a reprieve if she becomes the king's food taster. Her handler ends up subjecting her to a litany of poisons so that she can build up immunity. Didn't read the sequels, but the first book was pretty good.
Graceling is set in a world where certain people are born with random talents - the ability to hold their breath underwater for long periods of time, musical or dancing abilities, cooking the best food imaginable, etc. The main character is born with the talent to kill & becomes her uncle's assassin.
Stardust - Neil Gaiman... really nuff said, eh?
Howl's Moving Castle - A girl is turned into an old woman by an angry witch & takes refuge in the mysteriously moving castle of an "evil" wizard.
Okay. I'll stop now. :)
The Great Brain. AWESOME series , loved all of them at that age
The Great Brain https://www.amazon.com/dp/0803725906/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_kkb8ybEC2072M
The Dragonlance series and the Deathgate Cycle have already been recommended. Absolutely what you say you are looking for.
The War of the Blades books have elves - more in the second book than in the first - but no dwarves that I can recall. They also have fair numbers of fantasy creatures, both novel and more traditional. Dragons, of course, have a huge role.
The Inheritance Cycle might be something you'd like. Eragon is a pretty straight-forward clone of The Belgariad's plotline, but with the addition of dragons, elves, and dwarves.
ETA: Terry Pratchett's Lords and Ladies and his Tiffany Aching books have an interesting take on elves.
Books were my best friends, growing up, and I developed a deep, abiding appreciation for what being a reader can do for a person. I read to both of my kids, even in utero, and they both became very avid readers. My daughter has developed a talent for writing, and a desire to be a doctor. She knows I am unlikely to be able to pay her tuition, so she's worked really hard. She's a straight-A student, and the only freshman at her school taking the advanced math and science classes.
She'll be taking AP Chemistry and Calculus, as a sophomore, next year, and she really wants to get a head start. She wants Wonderful Life With the Elements, which is on her wishlist, here. She doesn't really care if it's new or used, but it would need to be a hard copy, rather than an e-book.
My son still hasn't figured out what he wants to be, yet, but he's only almost-eleven. Right now, I think he's vacillating between engineering and video game design. :o)
He's seen me laughing at the Terry Pratchett Discworld series, and is dying to read Wee Free Men, also in hard-copy. His list is here.
What?? But...they write YA science fiction!!
Thank you for your kindness to your niece.
You mentioned YA fiction - how about the Daughter Of Smoke And Bone series?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/031613399X
Was it by any chance this book?
I take it from Harry Potter and Divergent he likes strong, morally-white protagonists on journeys to save the world. I don't know his exact reading level or interests, so I will make the following suggestions by category. I ranked books in each category by difficulty.
 
Teen Fantasy:
 
Dealing with Dragons: Funny, easy to read, dragons, magic, and sarcasm.
The Lioness Series, Immortal Series, or The Magic Circle Series: Strong female leads and interesting to read with great stories (Think Mulan). My brother loved them.
Artemis Fowl: Strong, morally ambiguous but ultimately altruistic, sarcastic, and smart protagonist against the world.
User Unfriendly: Dudes get sucked into a video/rpg and try to get out without dying. Like Tron, but less sci-fi and more fantasy.
Halo: One of my brothers who HATES reading -- or at least is incredibly picky actually stayed up all night to finish four of Halo books. He also really likes the games. I don't know which one is the first or the best but this one had the best reviews. I dunno if it is dark either -- I haven't read it :'(.
The Dark Elf Trilogy: Darker than anything else I have on here (or can be) hero vs world type fantasy. Drizzit = my brothers' hero growing up. Kinda WOW-esque? Having played both, I understand how much of WOW is inspired by DnD. I personally didn't like this.
Redwall: Harder to read, talking animals save the world from other talking animals. I personally hated this series, but my brothers read every single book in the series at the time.
 
Adult Fantasy:
 
Magician: Magic, totally badass protagonist, BORING first couple chapters, but ultimately the most OP hero I have ever read. Amazing, truly amazing. I think it is two-three books in the first series.
Harper Hall: Dragons, music, strong, but lost protagonist. Deals with sexism and gender biased. The other books in the cycle range from sci-fi to political fantasy.
Dragonbone Chair: Strong, badass hero vs a dragon. What happens? He becomes more badass. It is a lighter verison of LOTR/Sword of Shanara (which is probably too much politics/genetics/enviromental commentary -- generally boring-- for him right now) --
An even lighter alternative, more teen book is Eragon. That being said, I absolutely DETESTED these books. I don't care if he was 16, he didn't coming up with any of his own material. But -- a lot of people really like it, so your brother might!
 
Sci-fi:
 
Ender's game: Amazing ending, especially if he likes videogames. I haven't seen the movie, but my Dad said it was "loosely inspired" from the book. All I know is the book was world-changing. It has some legitimately dark points (like gouging out a giants eye or drowning puppies).
Johnny Maxwell Trilogy: This dude is cool. I didn't know until I linked it that it is hard to get a copy >.<.
Dune: This, like LOTR, is VERY political and can be very easily boring. It might also be too adult or hard for him. There is mental illness and just crazy people in the later books.
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Mature Humor:
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He should be ready for some British humor, which is a little more mature than American humor (sorry) and much more sarcastic. You also have to be in the mood for it, especially if you aren't expecting it.
Sourcery: Really, really funny.
Hitchhiker's Guide: Also funny.
Magic Kingdom for Sale -- Sold: American. Funny take on fantasy books.
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I kept away from darker books where the protagonist is morally grey (Artemis fowl and Drizzit being exceptions -- though they are both still definitely heros), sex, questionable themes, or general mental derangement.
I also stayed away from more modern books, which I have read a lot of if you would like recommendations for those instead. I read a lot in general, so if you have a questions about a book in particular, I can try to help.
Edit: Links
[Demonata] (http://www.amazon.com/Lord-Loss-Demonata-Book-ebook/dp/B000SEWISU/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_kin?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1377297988&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=demonata) and [Cirque Du Freak] (http://www.amazon.com/Cirque-Freak-Saga-Darren-ebook/dp/B000SESJ0Q/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_kin?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1377297957&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=cirque+du+freak) have some really interesting themes.
Some of my fondest book memories from around that age come from this series.
The Great Brain
Miyuki Miyabe. That is all.
Totto-chan is a delightful, light-hearted read despite the backdrop of WWII. The publishing of the Kino no Tabi series is a bit up in the air, but I thoroughly enjoyed the first one. I highly recommend The Woman in the Dunes; it is a beautiful work. I loved the first volume of Ballad of a Shinigami. Goth is a personal favorite, but it's horror and can get a tad gory. I would encourage you to give it a try though, it has altered my point of view quite a bit.
While I have not read any, I have heard good things about Brave Story, Kazuo Ishiguro (The Remains of the Day, Never Let Me Go) and Kenzaburo Oe (The Changling). I have heard Botchan is popular in Japan.
As a tip, search for Japanese light novels. They are "light" in the sense that they are the literature equivalent of manga, often with many volumes. They were really popular a few years back, but I am not sure if they are still being published. Check out Amazon for some old Tokyopop, Seven Seas, and Yen Press books. Also, Spice and Wolf.
Monument 14
Almost sounds like Shade's Children, by Garth Nix. But it's a boy.
>School Library Journal:
Gr 9 Up--One day, in the not-too-distant future, everyone over the age of 14 simply disappears. The remaining children are rounded up to live in dormitories. Once they reach their "Sad Birthday" they are sent to the "Meat Factory," where they are dismantled and used to make up the horrible half-human, half-mechanical creatures that fight the violent, ritualistic battles of the seven warlords who have taken over Earth. Some of the young people, however, develop psychic abilities that make escape from the dorms possible; they live underground, doing their best to avoid the creatures and certain death. An almost-sentient computer, Shade, uses teams of escapees to help him discover the secrets of the warlords so that he can return things to normal. When his best team completes a nearly impossible mission during which one of their own is captured, Shade refuses to authorize a rescue. It then becomes clear to the teens that he has no intention of letting things return to normal and that they are the last chance to save humanity from robotic servitude. Although this is a fast-paced, exciting, and often graphic story, it is pretty serious science fiction and its appeal will be limited to fans of the genre. Straight narrative chapters alternate with files from Shade's increasingly unbalanced memory, a device that works well in this context. A well-written and engaging book.--Carrie Schadle, New York Public Library
Shade's Children by Garth Nix (amazon link)
Targeted to teen/YA audience, but still readable for adults.
Is it Brave Story?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1421527731/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1462865167&amp;sr=8-1&amp;pi=SY200_QL40&amp;keywords=brave+story
I read the book was wholly disappointed in it. The narrative was different from the other two books that I fell in love with, the characters were unfamiliar, and the ending was terrible. But rather than go on, I'll post this review of the book that I sums my thoughts up:
http://www.amazon.com/Allegiant-Divergent-Series-Veronica-Roth/product-reviews/006202406X/ref=cm_cr_dp_qt_see_all_top?ie=UTF8&amp;showViewpoints=1&amp;sortBy=byRankDescending
Enclave is a really good dystopian story. The entire trilogy is fabulous.
The Sirantha Jax books by the same author are amazing science fiction too.
Partials is another dystopia and it has a decent amount of humor. I really loved it!
The Scourge is great too. The main character is blind which makes it more interesting.
Thanks for the contest!
I would like Crewel. If that's too expensive I have many cheaper books on my list too.
Hello. Insurgent! It is the second book in the Divergent series. I just finished Divergent and I loved it! For some reason failing Utopian societies are really interesting settings for great stories. It also helps that this has great themes and a combination of action, adventure, mystery and romance! I can't wait to dive into the rest of the series!
Perhaps you could write it in an epistolary format.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OEXJARS/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
Granted, this book is science-fiction, but there are certainly ways to write fantasy in a similar fashion.
Has anyone read Illuminae? It seems like it would be a pretty good book for this sub. I was gonna grab the Kindle version but the physical copy seems the better way to go because of all the pics and charts in the book.
Anyone read it?
Book.
Unfortunately, I don't even know what a loris is. :( Thanks for the contest!
I think it was just around that time that I started in on the Pendragon series (link for book 1 of 10). And of course the Eragon series. I think fantasy captured my imagination best at that time, but obviously every one is different. If you have ideas about his/her interests, we may be able to track down some better options for you. Good luck!
I would love this book!
Thanks for the contest! :D
Across The Universe by Beth Revis
This seems like a longshot since I don't know what the spine looks like and there only seem to be 3 gems, but could it be The Prophecy of the Stones?
Midnighters are tonally different than the Unwind series, but I still recommend it to anyone who's fine with reading YA. It's a pretty classic good versus evil story. If you like Unwind then I recommend Partials, which is fun commentary on the dangers and advantages of genetically engineered human beings. I also recommend Legend by Marie Lu. But basically everyone recommends Legend.
I'll stop reccing books now. But in theory you'll eventually run out of books and you're welcome to come back for more recs. I will have them. [It wasn't until this thread that I realized how many books I actually so read.]
Taylor - Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Maybe The Prophecy of the Stones by Flavia Bujor? It doesn't entirely line up but parts of it definitely do.
That's so sick, it's like that book Little Brother I read as a kid, and still cool for anyone who's into this stuff.
But yeah, can anyone tell me how to do this haha. Like how to make a key and where the Soul Nexus people are.
Graceling has a really original concept and a fearless lady protagonist.
Link: https://smile.amazon.com/Blue-Sword-Robin-McKinley-ebook/dp/B01CY2XFDK
Garth Nix also wrote the Keys to the Kingdom series.
DJ McHale wrote a "Pendragon" series that is non Arthurian: http://www.amazon.com/Merchant-Death-Pendragon-1/dp/0743437314/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_c
Annnnd here we go again. I'm doing this with all books, just because.
Allegiant
Berenstain Bears
Calvin and Hobbes
Dune
Edgar Allen Poe collection
Fahrenheit 451
Gulliver's Travels
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
If You Give A Mouse A Cookie
Julie of the Wolves
Kite Runner
Little House on the Prairie
Machine of Death
Neverending Story
Omnitopia Dawn (The book I'm reading now, actually!)
Pilgrim's Progress
Quarter Share (Also available free as a podiobook!)
Room
Snow Crash
[Tell-Tale Brain](http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_9?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&amp;field-keywords=tell-tale brain&sprefix=tell-tale%2Cstripbooks%2C222&rh=i%3Astripbooks%2Ck%3Atell-tale brain&ajr=2)
Uglies
Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Watership Down
Xenocide
Year Zero
Zen and the Art of Knitting
Some quick googling came up with two more possibilities: User Unfriendly and The Game of Sunken Places
I just read On Writing by Stephen King, which was awesome. Half autobiography, half writing advice. If you're more interested in fiction, I just finished the Nadia Stafford trilogy by Kelley Armstrong and loved it.
A few of my WL books just price dropped to $1.99: Partials, The Whole Enchilada, Girl Parts, and Tantalize. Any one of them would be great! Thanks for the contest.
That makes me think of the book Graceling.
Across the Universe?
Amazon link for those that want to know more about it
Sticking with dystopian, I'd recommend trying the Monument 14 series. You get to experience the black out while it is happening, and later books deal with fallout from it.
What a wonderful way to celebrate the end of Prime!
A book for under $4! I had to go dig around in my private wishlists because I didn't have any prime items that were around $5 >.>
Garth Nix is one of my favorite authors.
Downriver
https://www.amazon.com/Downriver-Will-Hobbs/dp/1442445475
Try this earlier work with a male protagonist.
http://www.amazon.com/User-Unfriendly-Vivian-Vande-Velde/dp/0152163530
The Phantom Tollbooth
The Pendragon Series Was one of my favorites when I was a kid, one of the series I grew up with. It's about a kid who finds out he can travel to other worlds, and goes on a quest to save them. It might be a little heavy for him, but it's the only suggestion I've got lol.
Sorry, I should have been clearer. Tiffany Aching is the fictional protagonist in some of Pratchett's novels.
Here's the first in the series.