With all the recent discussion about To Kill a Mockingbird, I was inspired to re-read the #2 Most Classic Novel for Teenagers (#1 is The Catcher in the Rye, of course). And, well, it’s great. But also, it’s not exactly the most relevant thing for teenagers in 2016 — at least not relevant enough that it should be the pinnacle of their reading list, promised to change their minds about everything. As Jenny Slate might say in my favorite Jenny Slate performance of all time: “Everybody can do everything now! I can’t relate to that goddamn story! Just read a frickin’ Dilbert and go to sleep.” Well, let’s not go crazy, because there are tons of great books that are utterly relevant to modern teenagers — or at least should be. From old books to brand-new ones, from YA to poetry, from sci-fi to nonfiction, here are 50 books every modern teenager (and many modern adults) should read.
