Top Five ‘intense reads’

Allison Hall-Murphy, who chooses books for teens at the Ottawa Public LIbrary, says these are her top five “intense reads” and explains why:

1. Green, John. The Fault in Our Stars (2012)

Green tackles the subject of teens facing death with sharp, humorous dialogue and appealingly real characters. This is a love story about two smart, funny teens that is both normal and heartbreaking, marked by flirtatious banter and an awareness, always close to the surface, that one of them may die. Green does not shy away from the indignities that illness and death inflict on the human body and mind, but the elements of seriousness are tempered by moments of fun.

2. Chbosky, Steven. The Perks of Being a Wallflower. (1999)

This book, which came out in 1999, is one of the landmarks in the new era of teen fiction and along with Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (also published in 1999) is probably one of the most well-known of these hardhitting, intense reads. Although Perks has been popular for more than a decade, there has been a surge of interest recently, due to the movie adaptation that came out in the fall. The Perks of Being a Wallflower deals with lots of issues—suicide, homophobia, depression, sexual abuse, loneliness, the use of drugs and alcohol. It is a great example of what makes a teen book—really intense emotions and intimate relationship between the reader and the protagonist. It speaks to teens who feel like outsiders— and that’s probably almost all teens at one time or another.

3. Anderson, Laurie Halse. Wintergirls (2010)

If you’re looking for intensity ... Wintergirls is a harrowing look inside the mind of Lia, a young woman in the grips of an eating disorder. This is not an easy book to read — Lia is often unlikable and frequently infuriating but her mental anguish feels very real.

4. Hopkins, Ellen. Crank (2004)

Told in free verse, this story of a young girl’s journey into drug addiction is extremely compelling and accessible even to reluctant readers. The verse style brings an immediacy and emotional intimacy to the reader’s relationship with the protagonist. Teens will connect with the authenticity of the story, which was inspired by the author’s devastating experience of her own daughter’s spiral into meth addiction. This is definitely a cautionary tale—the new Go Ask Alice.

5. King, A.S. Please Ignore Vera Dietz (2010)

An edgy, thought-provoking and drily funny story about a teenage girl dealing with the tragic and mysterious death of her best friend, Charlie. Complicating matters is the fact that before Charlie’s death he had rejected Vera and betrayed her terribly with his new friends. Troubled teens and troubled parents deal with alcoholism, risky or self-destructive behaviour and suicide.