In its broadest sense, young adult fiction is geared toward readers ages 13 through 18, featuring characters in this age range and topics teens can relate to. But here’s the problem:
There’s a big difference between a 13-year-old and an 18-year-old.
Thirteen-year-olds are still navigating puberty and gearing up for high school. Eighteen-year-olds, on the other hand, are on the cusp of leaving the nest. Many already have experience with romance, heartbreak, and a whole host of real-life issues.
A lot can happen in five years!
Which is why not all YA fiction works for both ages, even among lists of clean YA fiction. Therefore, I’ve compiled this list of YA fiction for younger teens (approximately 13 to 15 years old) keeping in mind not only age-appropriate content, but also writing and topics that appeal to this age group.
Hey, I’m Lauren, author of YA Christian fiction and
blogger for teens ready to level up in faith.
Subscribe for inspiring content and free YA ebooks!
In This Article
YA Fiction for Younger Teens: Criteria
As always, fiction recommendations are very subjective. On this blog, you will find a few things to be true of every book I recommend:
- Free of explicit content, profanity, and unnecessary or overly graphic violence.
- Does not clash with biblical principles.
This last point is important to note because while not all the books I recommend are written for the Christian market, I am a Christian who champions Christian teens, and so I won’t endorse media that contradicts the Bible.
For this list of clean YA fiction for younger teens, a few extra parameters were added:
- Limited romance. I don’t believe teens under 16 should focus on romance, both in real life and in fiction. You might find light romance in some of my book recommendations, but it won’t be the main plotline.
- Age of the main characters: This is one rule that isn’t hard and fast, but overall, YA fiction for younger teens should feature . . . younger teens. For the books where the MC is 16+, other factors (mentality of the MC, subjects covered, etc.) were still in line with what’s appropriate for 13- to 15-year-olds.
- Topics: Not that 13- to 15-year-olds can’t handle heavy topics, but some lines need to be drawn. You won’t find stories about teen pregnancy or the consequences of steroid use. Innocence is not a bad thing!
One criterion that did not play a factor was length. An avid teen reader has no problem eating up a 400-page book, so I didn’t exclude longer books. You will, however, find plenty of options that are less than 300 pages.
And now for the list! I’ve separated it into two categories: YA Christian fiction and mainstream YA fiction.
YA Christian Fiction for Younger Teens
Swipe (Swipe series #1)
Christian Sci-fi & Dystopia, by Evan Angler
In a world where everyone must be Marked to gain citizenship and participate in society, a group of pre-teens who question the system struggles to identify the true enemy—while pursuing a group of Markless teenagers.
This is somewhat of a crossover between middle-grade and young adult fiction. The main characters are 12 and 13, but in this dystopian society, 13 is considered an adult. Logan is a mature, affable character despite the immaturity of some of his friends.
This is a good alternative to the more violent Hunger Games. God and Christianity are not outright mentioned in this first book of the Swipe series, but you can connect the Mark with the mark of the beast mentioned in Revelation 13. Faith and religion rise to the surface as the series progresses.
Content:
- Main character’s age: 13
- Violence: Moderate and non-graphic. Several teen boys are prone to roughhousing, resulting in bloody noses. A raid by government agents results in a death. Some instances of kidnapping and restraining.
- Sex: None
- Profanity: None
- Substance abuse: No partying or alcohol. Drugs are administered by teens, and again by government officials, to knock someone out.
Escape From the Everglades (High Water #1)
Christian Action Suspense by Tim Shoemaker
After Parker Buckman is mauled and nearly killed by an alligator, he sees the glades as a place of death. All he wants to do is get out of the area, and he’s convinced he won’t truly be okay until he does. But he can’t leave until he finds a friend who goes missing.
Teen readers looking for a good thrill will find this one hard to put down. Also, while there is a great boy-girl friendship in the story, it doesn’t tend toward romance. Great lessons about integrity and trusting in God.
Content:
- Main character’s age: high school freshman
- Violence: Moderate—several alligator attacks. Though the book mentions blood, the scenes move quickly through the violence.
- Language: None
- Sex: None
- Substance abuse: None
- Other: A secondary character is involved in a dangerous/toxic dating relationship that the other characters are trying to break up. Physical abuse is implied but not described.
Once a Queen
Christian Fantasy by Sarah Arthur
When 14-year-old Eva finds herself spending the summer at the mysterious manor house of the English grandmother she’s never met, troubling questions arise. And after strange things start happening, Eva turns to the elderly housekeeper, the gardener, and the gardener’s great-grandson for answers. She soon learns that her estranged grandmother was once a queen in another world.
But Eva’s grandmother denies it all.
This one is a nod to Chronicles of Narnia, with similar magical elements. I wasn’t sure if I should categorize it under mainstream or Christian. The publisher doesn’t market it as Christian, but I feel there are enough subtle religious elements (plus the characters have faith and talk about religion in small bits) to make it work on a list of YA Christian fiction. Great read for young fantasy lovers!
Content:
- Main character’s age: 14
- Violence: Mild, nothing graphic.
- Language: None
- Sex: None
- Substance abuse: None
Chosen (The Lost Books #1)
Christian Fantasy Adventure by Ted Dekker
The land of the Forest Dwellers has been decimated by the Horde. Thomas Hunter, supreme commander of the Forest Guard, is forced to lower the recruitment age of his army from 18 to 16. From among thousands, four new recruits are chosen to lead—and perhaps die—for the greater good. But their quest to prove their character takes a dramatic turn when they are intercepted, sworn to secrecy, and redirected to a different endgame.
The Lost Books are overall easy reads with continuous action. The series does touch on some darker themes in the battle of good versus evil, but the violence is brief and the romance light. I think younger teens will relate well to the four “chosen.”
Content:
- Main character’s age: 16
- Violence: Multiple battles and skirmishes, but nothing graphic
- Language: None
- Sex: None
- Substance abuse: None
Christy Miller Series
Contemporary YA Christian Fiction by Robin Jones Gunn
After moving across the country with her family, Christy must begin her sophomore year of high school uncertain where she’ll fit in. A new best friend, a try at cheerleading, a job at a pet store, a cute surfer boy . . . Follow Christy Miller as she stays true to her identity in Christ, drawing closer to God for help in realizing her dreams and dealing with her disappointments.
What makes the Christy Miller series so popular after all these years? These were written when a tweet was a noise made by a bird, and a text was a heavy book you carried to algebra. But Robin Jones Gunn somehow managed to capture the plight of the average teen girl navigating school changes, new friendships, and first love. And she does it with a firm biblical understanding.
What’s awesome about this series is you have the opportunity to follow Christy right up to her wedding day—and beyond!
Content:
- Main character’s age: 14 (at the start of the series)
- Violence: None
- Language: None
- Sex: None
- Substance abuse: Some references to drug use
More YA Christian Fiction Recommendations From Other Posts
More Christian YA fiction for younger teens is featured in my post 9+ Low-Violence YA Books (That Aren’t Just Romance):
- Because of You, by Hannah Currie
- Right Where I Belong, by Kristy McGee
Visit the post for a full review of each.
Mainstream YA Fiction for Younger Teens
The Cupcake Queen
Contemporary Fiction By Heather Hepler
When Penny moves to Hog’s Hollow from New York City, her life changes drastically. Penny’s mom now runs a cupcake bakery, and Penny is stuck helping out. But that isn’t the worst of it. Not only did she leave her friends back home, but her dad stayed behind, too. And then there’s Charity, resident mean girl who’s out to get Penny. With all this, Penny still finds some things to like: Tally and Blake . . . and Marcus—the cute, quiet boy who runs on the beach every night. But just when Penny begins to accept her new life, she’s forced to make a choice that will change everything.
This story is about as clean as it gets, with younger characters, but I never got the sense that I was reading super-juvenile fiction. The characters are dealing with lots of serious, real-life issues, including abandonment, grief, and parental separation. There is some bullying, though not of the violent type.
Content:
- Main character’s age: 14
- Violence: None
- Sex: Clean
- Profanity: None
- Substance abuse: None
Peak (Peak #1)
Contemporary Adventure & Suspense by Roland Smith
After 14-year-old Peak Marcello is arrested for scaling a New York City skyscraper, he’s left with two choices: wither away in Juvenile Detention or go live with his long-lost father, who runs a climbing company in Thailand. But Peak quickly learns that his father’s renewed interest in him has strings attached. Big strings. As owner of Peak Expeditions, he wants his son to be the youngest person to reach the Everest summit—and his motives are selfish at best. Even so, for a climbing addict like Peak, tackling Everest is the challenge of a lifetime. But it’s also one that could cost him his life.
Regarding suspenseful plots that don’t center around violence or romance, Peak excels. You’ll get a stark taste of the dangers of high-altitude climbing, plus some justifiable irritation with ignorant parents. Peak himself is a likable, relatable character who grows through the story to a heart-touching end.
Content:
- Main Character’s age: 14
- Violence: None (other than the occasional climbing accident)
- Sex: None
- Profanity: Two incidences, plus one rude gesture
- Substance abuse: None
- Religion: Buddhist practices are frequently mentioned in keeping with the culture surrounding Everest
Stargirl (Stargirl #1)
Contemporary Fiction by Jerry Spinelli
Leo Borlock follows the unspoken rule at Mica Area High School: don’t stand out under any circumstances! Then Stargirl arrives and everything changes—for Leo and the entire school. After 15 years of home schooling, Stargirl bursts into tenth grade in an explosion of color and a clatter of ukulele music, enchanting the Mica student body. But the delicate scales of popularity suddenly shift, and Stargirl is shunned for everything that makes her different.
And somewhere amid Stargirl’s arrival and rise and fall, normal Leo Borlock has tumbled into love with her.
Stargirl offers a dramatic lesson in social conformity, passive bullying, and the fleeting nature of popularity that all younger teens would benefit from. The romance in the story is light and secondary to the lesson, and Stargirl is probably the craziest character you’ll ever meet in realistic fiction.
Content:
- Main character’s age: High school junior
- Violence: None
- Sex: Clean
- Profanity: None
- Substance abuse: None
Princess Academy (Princess Academy #1)
Royal Fantasy by Shannon Hale
Miri lives on a mountain where, for generations, her ancestors have lived a simple life. Then word comes that the king’s priests have divined her village the home of the future princess. In a year’s time, the prince will choose his bride from among the village girls.
The king’s ministers set up an academy on the mountain, and every teenage girl must attend and learn how to become a princess. Soon Miri finds herself confronted with a harsh academy mistress, bitter competition among the girls, and her own conflicting desires. Winning the contest could give her everything she ever wanted—but it would mean leaving her home and family behind.
The setup for this story made me think this would be an Esther retelling, but the outcome is very different. This is a good book for those wanting to dip their toes in fantasy, as the fantastical elements are very light and easy to follow. There is also some light romance.
Content:
- Main character’s age: 14
- Violence: Mild. Some non-graphic physical violence.
- Language: None
- Sex: None
- Substance abuse: None
Anne of Green Gables
Historical Fiction by L.M. Montgomery
Anne Shirley, an eleven-year-old orphan, has arrived in this verdant corner of Prince Edward Island only to discover that the Cuthberts—elderly Matthew and his stern sister, Marilla—want to adopt a boy, not a feisty redheaded girl. But before they can send her back, Anne—who simply must have more scope for her imagination and a real home—wins them over completely.
Given the long timeline of this story, this is another crossover between MG and YA fiction, with Anne going from preteen to well into her teen years.
This beloved work of classic fiction has charmed young readers for more than a century. Classic fiction can be tricky because its language and format differ from modern fiction, with longer paragraphs and more narrative. Anne of Green Gables is a good first for readers not used to classic fiction. Not only is Anne a dynamic character, but you also have the benefit of seeing the movie, which is surprisingly accurate to the story. (But read it first if you can.)
- Main character’s age: 11+
- Violence: None
- Language: None
- Sex: None
- Substance abuse: One instance of underage drinking (followed by appropriate consequences)
More Clean YA Fiction Recommendations From Other Posts
Other reading lists on my blog have great recommendations for clean YA fiction for younger teens. See my review for each at the specific post.
From 9+ Low-Violence YA Books (That Aren’t Just Romance): We Were Beautiful, by Heather Hepler
From Great YA Literature: Clean Classic Books For Teens:
- The Giver, by Lois Lowry
- Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen
- The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton (note that this one has gang violence and rough characters)
You don’t have to have all the answers.
but, hey, why not?
Bring me your questions about faith, life, God, the Bible… and I’ll help you find the answers.
Looking for More Clean & Christian YA Fiction Recommendations?
Subscribe to my list and you’ll not only get monthly book recommendations but free Christian YA fiction ebooks and notifications when new content is posted to my blog!
