Five must-read teen angst novels

by Francesca Jones at 2008-09-18

It's the worsttime of your life.

No one understands you, everything's changing and you wishthat everyone would just go away and leave you alone.

Welcome to the world ofbeing a teenager.

Hopefully by the time we've reached university we've grownout of the sulky silences and the explosive arguments.

We can look back fondlyon those books which helped us to realise that we are not alone.

1. Voices bySue Mayfield

This novelcleverly incorporates another of Shakespeare's teenage heroines, The Tempest's Miranda, with a modern daystoryline about the plight of Isabel Bright.

Whilst on holiday in ScotlandIsabel's sister throws a message in a bottle into the ocean begging for anydecent guys to contact her little sister who has recently been scorned by herex and school hunk, Jamie.

Voices follows Isabel as she discovers a new friend in Duncanfrom the cut-off Isle of Rimsay in the Hebridesand performs opposite her on-again, off-again boyfriend in The Tempest all surmounting in a tumultuous ending.

This is a greatbook for any girl who has lost her faith in the male species and wants toregain it.

2. Boy MeetsBoy by David Levithan

Boy Meets Boy is a forerunner in gay teenage fiction.

Set in America itfollows the trials and tribulations of a group of friends, and new boy, Noah.

Itnot only appeals to LGBT teenagers, but to anyone who has loved, lost and lovedagain.

Paul, the protagonist and narrator has the same fears as anyone with acrush:

"Now I fear he's humouring me. There's nothing coolabout being a sophomore. Even a new kid would know that."

Read Boy Meets Boy for an insight intoteenage life in the U.S.

It does give a rose-tinted gloss over the acceptance of sexuality.

However itis sensitively and humorously written and it makes for an enjoyable read forteenagers and adults anywhere. [-[more]-]

3. NorthangerAbbey by Jane Austen

Victorian teenswere either thought of as big children or young adults - there was noin-between factor and all of Austen's protagonists are young girls forced intogrowing up and becoming wives usually before they reach the age of twenty!

It is nodifferent for the heroine of NorthangerAbbey, Catherine Morland.

Aged just 17, and with low self esteem("Catherine [was] as plain as any") she is sent to Bath to be presented to society.

Here sherealises that perhaps she is not so plain as she interests two very eligiblebachelors and befriends two both their sisters.

Catherine, still with childishfancies allows her imagination to take over when visiting one of her suitors inhis home, Northanger Abbey.

A lot of drama ensues, but of course the novel endshow all Austen novels end - happily.

Catherine is anextremely relatable character - stuck between childhood and adulthood herplight is extremely endearing. [-[quote]-]

4. Confessionsof an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire

Maguirespecialises in the retelling of fairytales and the plight of teenagers.

Probablymost famous for his book Wicked: The Lifeand Times of the Wicked Witch of the West which, along with it's sequel Son of A Witch contains more than it'sfair share of angst ridden teenagers of Oz.

Confessions... is a re-telling of, you guessed it, Cinderella whichtakes a different, fairer view on the role of the stepsisters.

Iris, Clara's(aka Cinderella's) stepsister has been told since the day she was born that sheis ugly.

If that isn't enough to cope with her father has been killed and herfamily made to flee to Holland,where she becomes the step-sister to the beautiful, but awkward Clara.

Claraand Iris become friends, along with Iris' big sister Ruth and together theylearn about love, death and life.