Introduction: 

Do you remember the last book you read? Over the years, the number of teenagers who identify reading as one of their hobbies has noticeably dwindled. Since 2010, nearly 46% of teenagers have reported that they have no interest in reading as a hobby or pastime, according to the parenting organization FamilyEducation. With the ongoing onslaught of social media over the past decade and a half, it has become rarer and rarer to see teenagers actively choosing to read rather than spend time on their phones. However, while there is an arguable gain from the advancement of technology, it is also important to keep the love of reading alive among students. For Oakton students looking for another book to add to their reading list, this is the perfect place to start!

• Fable for the End of the World by Ava Reid

  

Looking for a high-stakes dystopian thriller? Ava Reid’s newest novel Fable for the End of the World follows the harrowing tale of Inesa Soulis, a seventeen-year-old girl living in Esopus, a filthy, ramshackle town that is drowning in radioactive pollution. In fact, there is so much radioactive pollution that many of the deer in Esopus have grown webbed feet and third eyes. Under the control of Caerus, Esopus is made subject to the Gauntlet, an internationally broadcast fight to the death between any citizen who can’t pay their debts and one of Caerus’s Angels. But when Inesa is offered up to fight in the next Gauntlet, she and the Angel, Melinoë, end up off the fighting grounds and lost in the wilderness past Esopus. Now, the two girls must put their differences aside and work together in order to survive. For its beautifully written story, unique take on dystopia, thrilling high-stakes adventure, and its focus on LGBTQ+ characters, Fable for the End of the World is a definite must-read for any YA enjoyer.

• The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

  

A longtime favorite at the Oakton library, Jennifer Lynn Barnes’s The Inheritance Games is an intriguing mystery that follows the misadventures of seventeen-year-old Avery Grambs, who after a series of unfortunate events in her home life, is told that she has been included in the will of philanthropist Tobias Hawthorne. Despite having zero connection to the man in her memory, Avery jumps at the opportunity to reside in the Hawthorne Manor for a year to secure her cut of the estate. During her time there, Avery speaks to the many sons of Tobias Hawthorne, and as she learns more about the manor and its family, she comes closer to uncovering the mystery of why she was included in the will. This page-turning mystery is a solid read and is guaranteed to keep readers on the edge of their seats.

• A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

  

Keeping with the theme of mystery, Holly Jackson’s A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is a murder mystery that follows the story of Pip, a seventeen-year-old girl who chooses to investigate the seemingly long cold case of the murder of Andie Bell, the most popular girl at her high school before her death. Her boyfriend, Sal Singh, was thought to have murdered Andie and then taken his own life directly afterward to avoid being detained by the police. Pip works with Sal’s brother, Ravi, to uncover the truth of what happened to his brother. As Pip follows every lead she can find, she comes to find out that Andie wasn’t as perfect as she was made out to be, and that the roots of Sal’s death go far deeper than she ever could have thought. Students won’t want to miss this page-turning murder mystery and detective story.

• One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus

  

Yet another enticing mystery that is already popular among Oakton students, Karen M. McManus’s One of Us is Lying is a YA investigative novel that follows four teenagers, Bronwyn, Nate, Addy, and Cooper, as they work in tandem to uncover the secret of the mysterious and abrupt death of a fellow classmate, Simon. He just so happened to be the creator of About That, an app dedicated to exposing the personal secrets of students at Bayview High. After Simon spontaneously drops dead in the same detention class as the four protagonists, they are all listed as suspects in a murder case. Now, they all must work together to clear their names. But even if all four claim to have not committed the murder, that still does not mean any of them are totally innocent. So who or what killed Simon? Will the main four be able to clear their names? The only way for intrigued readers to find the answers to these questions is to read the book themselves!

• To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

  

For all of the romance readers looking for a little extra drama in their next book, Jenny Han’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before provides just that. The story follows sixteen-year-old Lara Jean as she navigates her confusing feelings for her older sister’s ex-boyfriend, Josh, who she has had a crush on since childhood. Lara Jean tackles her conflicting emotions over Josh the same way she’s handled all of her crushes throughout her life: by writing letters to him that express her true feelings, but keeping them in a sealed hatbox rather than actually sending them. Lara Jean has no intention of telling Josh how she feels about him. However, she soon doesn’t have a choice after her hatbox suddenly disappears, and Josh inquires about the letter that he received. Lara Jean never sent him a letter, but she quickly lies and says that she is already dating Peter Kavinsky, an old friend of hers from seventh grade who also happened to be one of the boys she had written letters to. Lara Jean implores Peter to go along with pretending to be her boyfriend, and he agrees. Peter and Lara Jean are strictly pretending to date for now, but what will happen as time goes on? Will Lara Jean retain her love for Josh, or will she choose Peter over him? Read To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before to find out!

• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

  

A timeless classic and revolutionary work for the dystopia genre, most students here at Oakton have surely at least heard of Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games. This critically acclaimed story follows the harrowing tale of Katniss, a sixteen-year-old girl who is selected to compete in the nationally televised spectacle known as the Hunger Games. In the games, two contestants selected from each district compete in a bloody free-for-all where the last contestant alive wins. The Hunger Games are orchestrated by the tyrannical head of the Capitol, President Snow, as a means of strengthening his grip over the districts. A boy named Peeta is chosen to compete alongside Katniss, and together they must fight for their lives in a world that cheers for their bloodshed. Don’t skip out on this riveting, high-stakes adventure that the world remembers to this day!

• Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

  

Looking for a beautifully written, coming-of-age story with a focus on young queer people as well as the Mexican American community? If so, Benjamin Alire Sáenz’s Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe would definitely serve as a worthy read! This critically acclaimed novel follows fifteen-year-old Ari Mendoza as he navigates life during 1987 in El Paso, Texas. Ari struggles with making friends and fitting in. He is haunted by the loss of his older brother after he was arrested, and his parents refuse to speak a word about him as though he never existed. One day, Ari meets a boy named Dante at the pool. As Ari and Dante grow closer, Ari starts viewing the world and himself differently. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is a beautifully written depiction of adolescence and self-discovery that teenage audiences will definitely be able to relate to in some capacity.

• They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

  

Staying in the vein of queer Hispanic leads, Adam Silvera’s They Both Die at the End takes place in an alternate version of the world in which the organization Death Cast can pinpoint the day that any given person is going to die and alerts them of their limited time left alive. The book’s main characters, Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio, both receive an alert that their untimely deaths will occur at any time within the next 24 hours. With this newfound information and sense of urgency, the two decide to be each other’s best friend until they inevitably meet their ends within a matter of hours. During this time, the boys unpack both of their own tragic pasts, the lives they’re leaving behind, and what their plans for the future would have been. Mateo struggles with connecting with other people, while Rufus struggles with being temperamental and impulsive. With each other’s help, they are both able to make life worth living right as they’re about to lose it. They Both Die at the End is a beautifully written story about life, death, and what makes it all worth it.

• Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

  

Want a story that’s less a coming-of-age and more a dystopian psychological thriller? If so, Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me might serve as a point of interest. The plot of the book follows seventeen-year-old Juliette Ferras, an asylum patient who has spent almost a year behind bars after accidentally murdering a boy in her class. Juliette was born with lethal skin that can kill anyone if they touch her for too long or vice versa. While in the asylum, Juliette receives a cellmate by the name of Adam, who she swears reminds her of someone she once knew in the distant past. It is soon revealed to her that Adam is an agent of Warner, the chief commander of a worldwide organization called the Reestablishment. Juliette is then offered the opportunity to escape the asylum that she’s trapped in, in exchange for becoming a human weapon that the Reestablishment can use to torture its prisoners. As Juliette continues to work for Warner, she slowly uncovers more and more information about her past and soon has to come to terms with who she was and what she’s becoming. All in all, Shatter Me is a must-read for any of the hardcore dystopia fans here at Oakton.

• Layoverland by Gabby Noone

  

Almost no one enjoys airports, but in this story, purgatory itself quite literally takes the shape of one! In Gabby Noone’s Layoverland, readers are introduced to Bea, a seventeen-year-old girl who is aimlessly driving through her neighborhood as she laments how she has ruined her younger sister’s life. But before the reader learns what exactly Bea did to ruin her sister’s life, the scene is abruptly interrupted by her death. Bea has been hit by a car, and after she blacks out, she awakes to find herself in an airport, of all places. There, she encounters Caleb, another deceased spirit residing in purgatory, who just so happens to have been driving the car that killed Bea. Together, Bea and Caleb must help each other work through the issues they had in life so they can finally exit the airport and enter the great beyond. Layoverland is without a doubt an entertaining ride of a read for its unique premise, snarky humor, and its romcom-esque main romance between the two leads.

Conclusion:

With technology advancing now more than ever, it is becoming exponentially easier for young people to allow their lives to be defined by their phones. And while teenagers are very much still reading, it is still important to help those who are losing interest. So while America’s technological advancements continue to grow, the Oakton community will continue to value the countless books that authors put their hearts and souls into every year.