Literary theme analysis, by a book like {foo}
Books about Youth
About a Boy
by Nick Hornby
A man reevaluates his life when he meets an awkward 12-year-old boy.
Set in 1993 London, About a Boy features two main protagonists: Will Freeman, a 36-year-old bachelor, and Marcus Brewer, an incongruous schoolboy described as 'introverted' by his suicidal mother, ... (Wikipedia)
There's Treasure Everywhere
by Bill Watterson
A humorous collection of cartoons about the everyday adventures of a curious young boy.
In the world that Calvin and his stuffed tiger Hobbes share, treasures can be found in the most unlikely places, from the outer regions where Spaceman Spiff travels to the rocks in one's own ... (Goodreads)
Glue
by Irvine Welsh
A gritty portrait of characters struggling with poverty, addiction, and violent crime in Edinburgh.
Glue is the story of four boys growing up in the Edinburgh schemes, and about the loyalties, the experiences - and the secrets - that hold them together into their thirties. Four boys becoming men: ... (Goodreads)
This Side of Paradise
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
A young man's quest to find purpose and meaning in a turbulent post-war world.
The book is written in three parts. Amory Blaine, a young Midwesterner, is convinced that he has an exceptionally promising future. He attends boarding school and later Princeton University. He ... (Wikipedia)
This Boy's Life
by Tobias Wolff
A young man's memoir of his tumultuous childhood and his struggle to overcome obstacles.
In the 1950s, nomadic and flaky Caroline Wolff wants to settle down and find a decent man to provide a better home for herself and her son, Tobias "Toby" Wolff. She moves to Seattle, Washington and ... (Wikipedia)
Ghost World
by Daniel Clowes
Two teenage girls navigate the awkward transition to adulthood, grappling with identity, relationships, and the mundanity of suburban life.
Ghost World has become a cultural and generational touchstone, and continues to enthrall and inspire readers over a decade after its original release as a graphic novel. Originally serialized in the ... (Goodreads)
The Rotters' Club
by Jonathan Coe
A group of school friends navigating life's ups and downs during the 1970s in England.
Three teenage friends grow up in 1970s Britain watching their lives change as their world gets involved with IRA bombs, progressive and punk rock , girls and political strikes. In 2003, a four-part ... (Wikipedia)
The Paul Street Boys
by Ferenc Molnár
A group of boys navigate their way through the streets of Budapest, facing their fears and learning about friendship.
The war between two groups of Hungarian boys living in Budapest. One with Hungarian national colours (red, white, green) is defending the square from redshirts (from Garibaldi's redshirts), who want ... (Goodreads)
Betsy Was a Junior
by Maud Hart Lovelace
Betsy Ray navigates the ups and downs of high school life, from friendships to first love.
The novel begins with the return of Betsy's childhood friend Thelma (Tib) Muller, who had been living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin since her parents were independent and they wanted to return to their old ... (Wikipedia)
Norwegian Wood
by Haruki Murakami
A young man's journey of love and loss set against the backdrop of the 1960s.
Toru, a quiet and preternaturally serious young college student in Tokyo, is devoted to Naoko, a beautiful and introspective young woman, but their mutual passion is marked by the tragic death of ... (Goodreads)
Scott Pilgrim, Volume 3: Scott Pilgrim & The Infinite Sadness
by Bryan Lee O'Malley
A comedic exploration of love, relationships, and modern life through the lens of a young man.
Scott Pilgrim, a 23-year-old slacker, lives in Toronto with his roommate Wallace Wells. He is the bass player for Sex Bob-omb, an unsuccessful band consisting of himself, guitarist Stephen Stills, ... (Wikipedia)
Scott Pilgrim, Volume 4: Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together
by Bryan Lee O'Malley
A slacker's journey to becoming a mature adult, with the help of his friends.
That’s right, folks! Put down the video game controller! Skip that rehearsal for your band! Make whatever sacrifices you must to those comic gods you hold so dear! Just make sure you’re ready because ... (Barnes & Noble)
Le Grand Meaulnes
by Alain-Fournier
A young man's journey of adventure, romance, and self-discovery.
François Seurel, the 15-year-old narrator of the book, is the son of M. Seurel, who is the director of the mixed-ages school in a small village in the Sologne , a region of lakes and sandy forests in ... (Wikipedia)
The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line
by Rob Thomas
A mystery set in a beach town, where a hacker must uncover the truth behind a missing girl.
From Rob Thomas, the creator of groundbreaking television series and movie, Veronica Mars, comes the first book in a thrilling new mystery series. Ten years after graduating from high school in ... (Goodreads)
The Nick Adams Stories
by Ernest Hemingway
A collection of short stories following the life of Nick Adams, from his childhood to adulthood, exploring themes of war, love, and loss.
The Nick Adams Stories show a memorable character growing from child to adolescent to soldier, veteran, writer & parent–a sequence closely paralleling events of Hemingway's life. The 1st section, ... (Goodreads)
Talking to Girls About Duran Duran: One Young Man's Quest for True Love and a Cooler Haircut
by Rob Sheffield
A memoir of a boy growing up in the 80s, navigating love, music, and identity through the lens of Duran Duran.
The author of the national bestseller Love is a Mix Tape returns, with a different-but equally personal and equally universal- spin on music as memory. "No rock critic-living or dead, American or ... (Goodreads)
In the Café of Lost Youth
by Patrick Modiano
« Encore aujourd'hui, il m'arrive d'entendre, le soir, une voix qui m'appelle par mon prénom, dans la rue. Une voix rauque. Elle traîne un peu sur les syllabes et je la reconnais tout de suite : la ... (Goodreads)
Blue Is the Warmest Color
by Julie Maroh
A young lesbian's search for acceptance and self-discovery, in a society that doesn't understand.
La vie de Clémentine bascule le jour où elle rencontre Emma, une jeune fille aux cheveux bleus, qui lui fait découvrir toutes les facettes du désir et lui permettra d'affronter le regard des autres. ... (Goodreads)
The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches
by Alan Bradley
Amateur detective Flavia de Luce investigates mysterious murder in an English village.
On a spring morning in 1951, eleven-year-old chemist and aspiring detective Flavia de Luce gathers with her family at the railway station, awaiting the return of her long-lost mother, Harriet. Yet ... (Goodreads)
The Darkest Minds
by Alexandra Bracken
Young adults with extraordinary powers fight for survival against a tyrannical government.
When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to ... (Goodreads)
Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys
by Viv Albertine
A memoir of a young woman's journey to self-expression and liberation in the punk rock music scene.
The guitarist for seminal female punk group The Slits recounts playing with Sid Vicious, touring with the Clash, dating Mick Jones, inspiring “Train in Vain,” and releasing her solo debut in 2012 Viv ... (Goodreads)
Four: A Divergent Story Collection
by Veronica Roth
Four tales of the Divergent trilogy, exploring the brave and dangerous new world.
Celebrate the 10th anniversary of, Divergent, with a special edition of, Four, a collection in the #1, New York Times, bestselling series that captured the hearts of millions of readers and inspired ... (Goodreads)
Hear the Wind Sing
by Haruki Murakami
A young man's journey of self-discovery and exploration of life's possibilities.
Feeling writing as a terribly painful task, the narrator re-tells the story of his 1970 summer. He was a student at a university in Tokyo then, and returned to his seaside hometown in Niigata for ... (Wikipedia)
The Picture of Dorian Gray: A Graphic Novel
by Ian Edginton
An adaptation of the classic novel, exploring themes of beauty, morality and consequence.
“ Youth! Youth! There is absolutely nothing in the world worth having but youth! ” The Picture of Dorian Gray is a graphic adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s classic work, stunningly re-imagined by writer ... (Goodreads)
Bonjour Tristesse
by Françoise Sagan
Coming of age tale of a young girl learning to navigate the complexities of love and relationships.
17-year-old Cécile spends her summer in a villa on the French Riviera with her father Raymond and his current mistress, the young, superficial, fashionable Elsa, who gets on well with Cécile. Raymond ... (Wikipedia)
The Short Stories
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
A collection of short stories exploring the highs and lows of life in the Jazz Age.
Today, F. Scott Fitzgerald is known for his novels, but in his lifetime, his fame stemmed from his prolific achievement as one of America's most gifted (and best-paid) writers of stories and ... (Goodreads)
Ouran High School Host Club, Vol. 7
by Bisco Hatori
The Host Club goes on a beach vacation, where Haruhi gets lost and the boys search for her.
The uproarious comedy about a girl enlisted to work in a lavish host club! In this screwball romantic comedy, Haruhi, a poor girl at a rich kids' school, is forced to repay an $80,000 debt by working ... (Barnes & Noble)
Runaways: The Complete Collection, Vol. 1
by Brian K. Vaughan
Six runaway teens discover their superpowers and must face off against their villainous parents.
In Pride & Joy, six young friends discover their parents are all secretly super-powered villains Finding strength in one another, the shocked teens run away from home and straight into the adventure ... (Goodreads)
Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters & Seymour: An Introduction
by J.D. Salinger
Examination of family relationships, growing pains, and human connections.
The author writes: The two long pieces in this book originally came out in The New Yorker ? RAISE HIGH THE ROOF BEAM, CARPENTERS in 1955, SEYMOUR ? An Introduction in 1959. Whatever their differences ... (Goodreads)
Lullabies for Little Criminals
by Heather O'Neill
A young girl's struggles to survive and find a place in a broken world.
The novel revolves around the twelve-year-old protagonist named Baby and follows her for two years. Baby lives with her father Jules, who has a worsening heroin addiction. The two move frequently, to ... (Wikipedia)
Going Bovine
by Libba Bray
A teen's surreal journey of self-discovery, spurred by a diagnosis of a terminal illness.
Cameron Smith is a high school slacker from Texas who is on “a slow but uncontrollable skid to nowhere” , living a somewhat aimless life. His father is a college physics professor; his mother is a ... (Wikipedia)
Starter for Ten
by David Nicholls
Brian, a working-class student, navigates university life, love, and a quiz bowl competition in 1980s England.
The story, told in first-person narrative , is set in 1985 and chronicles the misadventures of student Brian Jackson in his first year at an unnamed university . A somewhat obsessive collector of ... (Wikipedia)
On the Bright Side, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God
by Louise Rennison
A teenage girl's humorous journey of growing up, navigating her newfound relationship with a Sex God.
In the previous novel, Georgia has finally landed the "Sex God", her longtime crush Robbie Jennings, for a boyfriend. Georgia's dad has gone to New Zealand for a few months. While he is gone, her ... (Wikipedia)
Nana, Vol. 1
by Ai Yazawa
A young woman's rise to fame and her struggles to find balance between her career and personal life.
A chance meeting on a train to Tokyo sends two girls named Nana on a collision course with destiny! Nana "Hachi" Komatsu hopes that moving to Tokyo will help her make a clean start and leave her ... (Goodreads)
Runaways, Vol. 1: Pride and Joy
by Brian K. Vaughan
Six young superheroes fight to save their world while uncovering secrets of their mysterious pasts.
Meet Alex, Karolina, Gert, Chase, Molly and Nico - a group of teens whose lives are about to take an unexpected turn... Runaways vol. 1 #1-6, ... (Goodreads)
Cider with Rosie
by Laurie Lee
A poetic account of an idyllic childhood in the English countryside.
At all times wonderfully evocative and poignant, Cider With Rosie is a charming memoir of Laurie Lee's childhood in a remote Cotswold village, a world that is tangibly real and yet reminiscent of a ... (Goodreads)
English, August: An Indian Story
by Upamanyu Chatterjee
A young civil servant is posted to a small town in India, where he navigates the complexities of bureaucracy, culture shock, and self-discovery.
The posting starts off as a tremendous culture shock for Agatsya, a city boy. However, it eventually becomes one long philosophical journey and a process of self discovery . Written by a civil ... (Wikipedia)
First Love
by Ivan Turgenev
A young man's exploration of romantic love and the emotional struggles that come with it.
This vivid, sensitive tale of adolescent love follows a 16-year-old boy who falls in love with a beautiful, older woman and experiences a whirlwind of changing emotions, from exaltation and jealousy ... (Goodreads)
The Lover
by Marguerite Duras
A young French girl's exploration of passion, love, and relationships in French Indochina.
Set against the backdrop of French Indochina , The Lover reveals the intimacies and intricacies of a clandestine romance between a pubescent girl from a financially strapped French family and an ... (Wikipedia)
Orange: The Complete Collection, Volume 1
by Ichigo Takano
A coming of age story that follows a group of friends as they grow and develop alongside one another.
EISNER-NOMINATED SERIES A Plea From the Future On the day that Naho begins 11th grade, she recieves a letter from herself ten years in the future. At first, she writes it off as a prank, but as the ... (Barnes & Noble)
Toda Mafalda
by Quino
Este libro contiene de la primera a la última tira + Mafalda inédita + Al fin solos + Y digo yo + ¿A dónde vamos a parar? + Mafaldas (casi) privadas + Mafaldas públicas + Mafaldas ineditísimas = ... (Goodreads)
Taipei
by Tao Lin
A detached narrative of a young writer's life in New York City and Taipei, exploring themes of loneliness, drug use, and disconnection.
"At some point, maybe twenty minutes after he'd begun refreshing Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Gmail in a continuous cycle - with an ongoing, affectless, humorless realisation that his day 'was over' - ... (Goodreads)
Something Under the Bed is Drooling
by Bill Watterson
A collection of cartoons featuring the adventures of Calvin and Hobbes, exploring the world of childhood imagination.
"Be good to yourself: Buy a copy of this, Calvin and Hobbes, cartoon book. If you don't laugh out loud at every third strip, check your pulse. You may be dead." —Phil Musick,, Pittsburgh Press, ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Land of Five Towers
by Ahmad Fuadi
A story of friendship, loyalty and courage, told through the eyes of a group of young boys.
Alif lahir di pinggir Danau Maninjau dan tidak pernah menginjak tanah di luar ranah Minangkabau. Masa kecilnya adalah berburu durian runtuh di rimba Bukit Barisan, bermain bola di sawah berlumpur dan ... (Goodreads)
Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist
by Rachel Cohn
Two teens in New York City embark on an unforgettable night of music and adventure.
It all starts when Nick asks Norah to be his girlfriend for five minutes. He only needs five minutes to avoid his ex-girlfriend, who's just walked in to his band's show. With a new guy. And then, ... (Goodreads)
The Rachel Papers
by Martin Amis
A coming-of-age story of Charles Highway, a precocious teenager, and his obsession with Rachel, an older woman.
The Rachel Papers tells the story of Charles Highway, a bright, egotistical teenager (a portrait Amis acknowledges as autobiographical) , and his relationship with his girlfriend in the year before ... (Wikipedia)
The Spectacular Now
by Tim Tharp
A high school senior lives in the moment, but his life changes when he falls for a girl who wants more.
This National Book Award Finalist is now a major motion picture – one of the most buzzed-about films at Sundance 2013, starring Shailene Woodley and Miles Teller. SUTTER KEELY. HE’S the guy you want ... (Goodreads)
Punk 57
by Penelope Douglas
Two pen pals, Misha and Ryen, finally meet in high school, but their true identities and secrets threaten to tear them apart.
From New York Times Bestselling Author, Penelope Douglas, comes the latest standalone love-hate romance..."We were perfect together. Until we met." MishaI can't help but smile at the lyrics in her ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Last Seven Months of Anne Frank
by Willy Lindwer
Documentary film of the last seven months of Anne Frank's life in the Secret Annex.
The "unwritten" final chapter of "Anne Frank: Diary Of A Young Girl" tells the story of the time between Anne Frank's arrest and her death through the testimony of six Jewish women who survived the ... (Goodreads)
How to Talk to Girls at Parties
by Neil Gaiman
Two teenage boys crash a party and meet some very unusual girls. A coming-of-age story with a sci-fi twist.
Enn is a fifteen-year-old boy who just doesn't understand girls, while his friend Vic seems to have them all figured out. Both teenagers are in for the shock of their young lives, however, when they ... (Goodreads)
Tomorrow, When the War Began
by John Marsden
A group of friends fight for survival in a hostile, war-torn world.
Ellie Linton goes out camping in the bush for a week with her friends Homer Yannos, Lee Takkam, Kevin Holmes, Corrie Mackenzie, Robyn Mathers, and Fiona Maxwell. They find a way into a large, ... (Wikipedia)
Graffiti Moon
by Cath Crowley
A group of friends search for a mysterious graffiti artist in the streets of Melbourne, Australia, while navigating their own personal struggles.
Lucy is in love with Shadow, a mysterious graffiti artist. Ed thought he was in love with Lucy, until she broke his nose. Dylan loves Daisy, but throwing eggs at her probably wasn't the best way to ... (Goodreads)
Paradise Kiss, Vol. 2
by Ai Yazawa
High school student Yukari is drawn into the world of fashion design by a group of eccentric designers.
Yukari has got big problems. She used to be a normal school girl with classes and homework just like everyone else. But, ever since she met the fashion-forward posse known as Paradise Kiss, her life ... (Goodreads)
Funny Girl
by Nick Hornby
A young woman's comedic journey to success, navigating the pitfalls of fame.
Make them laugh, and they're yours forever . . . Barbara Parker is Miss Blackpool of 1964, but she doesn't want to be a beauty queen. She wants to make people laugh. So she leaves her hometown ... (Goodreads)
Tales from a Not-So-Talented Pop Star
by Rachel Renée Russell
Nikki Maxwell navigates the ups and downs of middle school while pursuing her dream of becoming a pop star.
It’s , ,, Diary of a Wimpy Kid , ,, for girls in this hilarious novel!,, Nikki’s Road to Stardom Checklist:,[Tick] Diva showdown,[Tick] BFF feud,[Tick] Talented entourage to back up VIP (Very ... (Goodreads)
Tre metri sopra il cielo
by Federico Moccia
Una grande storia d'amore. Un microcosmo di giovani vite arrabbiate che cerca di staccarsi da terra, di camminare "tre metri sopra il cielo". Le ragazze vestono Onyx, o qualunque sia l'ultima griffe ... (Goodreads)
ttyl
by Lauren Myracle
Three teenage girls navigate high school, relationships, and drama through instant messaging conversations.
Three friends, Angela Silver (SnowAngel), Zoe Barrett (zoegirl), and Madigan "Maddie" Kinnick (mad maddie) are just starting tenth grade of high school. At the beginning of the book, the trio, who ... (Wikipedia)
Almost Transparent Blue
by Ryū Murakami
A group of young people in 1970s Japan indulge in drugs, sex, and violence, leading to a downward spiral of self-destruction.
Narrated by the main character Ryū, the novel focuses on his small group of young friends in the mid-1970s. Living in a Japanese town with an American air force base , their lives revolve around sex ... (Wikipedia)
You Know You Love Me
by Cecily von Ziegesar
Gossip Girl continues to stir up drama in the lives of Manhattan's elite teenagers. Secrets, scandals, and romance abound.
In, You Know You Love Me, , the sequel to Gossip Girl, it's brunette vixen Blair Waldorf's seventeenth birthday, and she knows exactly what she wants— Nate, her studly troubles boyfriend of three ... (Goodreads)
Ouran High School Host Club, Vol. 18
by Bisco Hatori
Tamaki wants to ask Haruhi out, but he's quickly overwhelmed trying to plan the best first date in the universe. The members of the Host Club volunteer to assist Tamaki in his endeavor, but can they ... (Goodreads)
Slam
by Nick Hornby
A teenage boy navigates life, love, and basketball while dealing with the consequences of unexpected fatherhood.
Bestselling author Nick Hornby delivers his first novel for young adults. For 16-year-old Sam, life is about to get extremely complicated. He and his girlfriend—make that ex-girlfriend— Alicia have ... (Goodreads)
Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You
by Peter Cameron
A coming-of-age story of a teenage boy struggling to cope with change and life's struggles.
James Sveck, 18, is an isolated young adult caught in the summer before he is to begin college at Brown University . The only person in his life with whom he is able to successfully relate is his ... (Wikipedia)
Ouran High School Host Club, Vol. 4
by Bisco Hatori
The Host Club is back with more shenanigans as they try to help a girl overcome her fear of men.
The uproarious comedy about a girl enlisted to work in a lavish host club! In this screwball romantic comedy, Haruhi, a poor girl at a rich kids' school, is forced to repay an $80,000 debt by working ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Carrie Diaries
by Candace Bushnell
A teenage girl navigates high school, first love, and the fashion industry in 1980s New York City.
The Carrie Diaries focuses on Carrie Bradshaw, a high-school student who lives in Castleberry, Connecticut . Carrie is followed through high-school starting her junior year, continuing through the ... (Wikipedia)
Rock Chick Revolution
by Kristen Ashley
The final installment of the Rock Chick series, where the Rock Chicks and Hot Bunch fight to save Denver from a dangerous criminal organization.
Ally Nightingale has secrets. Secrets she doesn't even share with the Rock Chicks. But two men know what she's up to. One has her back. The other has her heart, but he doesn't know it.As Ally rewinds ... (Barnes & Noble)
Shampoo Planet
by Douglas Coupland
Tyler, a young man, navigates through the consumerist culture of America, searching for meaning and connection in a world of excess.
Tyler Johnson is a 20-year-old MTV child. Once a baby raised in a hippie commune, he is now an ambitious Reagan youth dreaming of a career with the corporation whose offices his mother once ... (Goodreads)
SuperMutant Magic Academy
by Jillian Tamaki
A graphic novel about a school for mutants with magical powers, exploring teenage angst and identity in a humorous and satirical way.
Unrequited love, underage drinking, and teen angst rule at a high school for mutants and witches. The New York Times and New Yorker illustrator Jillian Tamaki is best known for co-creating the ... (Goodreads)
Stop in the Name of Pants!
by Louise Rennison
Georgia Nicolson's hilarious adventures continue as she navigates teenage life, love, and friendship.
Time to gird the loins and pucker up. Blimey O'Reilly's trousers! Three maybe-boyfriends is a lot for any girl to handle–red-bottomed or not. What with Robbie the Sex God back from Kiwi-a-gogo land ... (Goodreads)
Crash
by Nicole Williams
A forbidden romance between a high school student and her new stepbrother. They must navigate their feelings while keeping their relationship a secret.
Southpointe High is the last place Lucy wanted to wind up her senior year of school. Right up until she stumbles into Jude Ryder, a guy whose name has become its own verb, and synonymous with ... (Goodreads)
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