Teenagers, these days, are overscheduled and overwhelmed, and while we may think they don’t have time for leisure reading, that is exactly what the doctor ordered. Studies show that teenagers who spend a few minutes reading during the day or before bedtime relax, de-stress, and show up rejuvenated for the next challenge. So here is a list of books that do not deal with schoolwork but are about topics they are passionate about. These books are interesting, relevant, and written in a style that is sure to hook Gen Z and Gen Alpha!
An Absence of Squirrels
Written by Aparna Kapur. Buy here
An Absence of Squirrels is a dystopian fiction set in the tooth-shaped country of Thutta. In this ideal land live 5,120 people governed by the Captain, who wants only the best for her people. She has created and maintains this utopia by enforcing some bizarre rules. This is considered de-rigeur until Katli, a thirteen-year-old, class 7 student, feels something is amiss when she sees a peer in a very strange situation. She manifests different personalities and enforces one depending on the mood of the day. What follows is an exciting adventure involving lost animals, a whiff of revolution, a megalomaniac, and the power of unity.
The School for Bad Girls
Written by Madhurima Vidyarthi. Buy here.
The School for Bad Girls is a fictionalised story of the women’s emancipation movement in Bengal in the 19th century. It is the story of Kadambini Bose and Kumud, two fierce women who changed the course of history. It chronicles their life from when they join school to when they graduate from university. We cheer for them as they face multiple roadblocks and finally achieve what they dreamed of. This book is an eye-opening account of India’s history and an interesting look at the women’s emancipation movement.
Off With Their Heads
Written by Mandira Shah. Buy here
Every teenager we know is using AI for schoolwork and research these days. Off With Their Heads is set in the near future, in a school where students wear AI ThoughtWeaver bracelets to maximise efficiency in thought and work, grooming them to become productive and compliant. It highlights the descent into AI dependence that we commonly see and asks just how much we can depend on AI to think for us and where we lose freedom of thought. Very interesting and extremely relevant book for today’s teens!
When Blackbirds Fly
Written by Hannah Lalhlanpuii. Buy here
This is a book on a forgotten chapter of Indian history — the Mizo insurgency. The author, whose family was deeply affected by the insurgency, writes a story that will move you to tears when you learn about things happening in our country that we have no idea about. This book is part of Duckbill’s Not Our War (NOW) series, which deals with the powerlessness of children growing up in times of conflict, and yet dreaming of a brighter, safer future.
Death Comes to Matheran
Written by Shabnam Minwalla. Buy here
A Shabnam Minwalla murder mystery that will grip you from the first page to the last word. Tara Jhaveri is determined to find out who killed her father, but her suspect pool happens to be some of the family’s closest friends. To her dismay, her mother cannot remember anything from that time period. It is now up to her and her brother Sameer to find out how her father died. The author hooks her teenage audience with a clever mix of WhatsApp messages, letters, and Google Doc entries, creating a modern epistolary style that feels immediate, immersive, and dynamic. Definitely a must-read!
The Secret of the Star Sapphire
Written by Monika Bhatkande. Buy here
Monika Bhatkhande’s The Secret of the Star Sapphire is a sweeping saga of a tale that spans generations and will leave you breathless. Twins Nahid and Anosh and their friend, Neel, cross paths with a failed attempt to rob a clue at the Asiatic Society in Mumbai. This sets them on a trail to find a gemstone that has the power to topple dynasties and change the world. We follow the three children as they stumble upon clues and make their way through all of Mumbai’s famous landmarks to uncover a hidden truth that will change them forever. This is an absolutely stunning book worth your teenager’s time!
The Turning
Written By Shannaaya Chopra. Buy here
Kiara Sharma is on the cusp of her 18th birthday, but what awaits her is beyond her wildest imagination. Under a full moon, Kiara turns into a red-eyed Katrol, a fierce werewolf. Her life changes as she moves to Ordenia, meets her mother, and learns truths about herself that will stretch her willpower to the limit. Think of this as a Twilight-inspired book set in Mumbai.
Woebegone’s Warehouse of Words
Written by Payal Kapadia. Buy here
Woebegone’s Warehouse of Words is a delightfully quirky, imaginative, dystopian novel that will capture the attention of young readers. The story is set in a world where words come at a price. It is a time when those who can speak, Speakers, need to purchase words to use them. Things are turned around when two teens, Asha and Zeb, graffiti a wall one night and use words in a way they aren’t meant to. A perfect mix of adventure, thrill, and energy, this book will drive home the point of how much we should value our freedom of speech.
Roop and the River Crossing
Written by Samina Mishra and illustrated by Shivam Choudhary. Buy here
This is a picture book about the India-Pakistan Partition with text and images, so evocative and nuanced that it will force the reader to think about the concepts of home, displacement, and people forced to leave everything behind against their will. Roop has a new gift from her Jaggi Chacha – a kaleidoscope that breaks everything she looks at into colourful triangles and circles. But even as she enjoys her new toy, she can hear whispers around her — of batwara, and Hindustan and Pakistan. This book is worth your time because no matter how many times you read it, there is something new that will stay with you.
Rain Holiday
Written by Shreya Ramachandran. Buy here
Rekha and Latisha are best friends and have been since Grade 1. But on one rainy school holiday, Latisha doesn’t come to spend time with Rekha, choosing instead to cut off all communication and remain in her room. This continues for days until Rekha decides to find out why her friend is depressed. This book doesn’t dwell on the reasons why a child is depressed, instead choosing to focus on the role played by all those around her. How can a close friend or a family member help? The book looks at complicated relationships and how children and adults navigate them. The emphasis is on the simple, healing powers of friendship when the dark clouds roll in and the sun refuses to shine. Must read for all teens and their parents.
Uma Kapoor vs The Universe
Written by Vinitha. Buy here
Perfect for your tween/teen, this book looks at both ends of the menstrual spectrum in a way that hasn’t been done before. Uma is waiting for her period so she can almost get an ‘In’ into the secret girls’ club that she feels left out of. As she waits eagerly daily, her Type A mother is wading through brain fog — forgetting her children’s schedule and eventually leaving the gas stove on, which ends up burning the kitchen down. This puts an inexplicable strain on the family. This is such an important book because it talks about a girl entering her menstrual journey at the same time as it talks about a mom entering perimenopause. Highly relevant and a must-read for every family.