John Green is the king of the angst ridden YA novel, and he’s quite a good writer. However, he’s not the only one in town who writes about the angst ridden high school experience. It’s been a topic of YA novels for quite some time. Here are some angsty novels written by writers who are not John Green, that encompass the angst of being a young person.
Be More Chill by Ned Vizzini
The late Ned Vizzini wrote some real angsty novels, with highlights including “It’s Kind Of A Funny Story” and a book literally titled “Teen Angst? Naah…” but his most classic is his novel “Be More Chill”. “Be More Chill” follows a teen boy named Jeremy, who is a nerd. He suspects girls give him weird looks everytime there’s a glance at him. Though, he doesn’t have a ton of proof of this. One day, he comes across a supercomputer called a “Squid”, which he can put into his brian, which will give him instructions on how to be cool. Throughout the novel, he has to decide to be “cool” or be himself, and he learns lessons along the way. He also wonders if the “Squid” is really worth keeping in his mind. This book still is popular today, as it was made into a musical and is being developed as a motion picture.
The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chobsky
One of the most emo novels ever written, and I mean that in a good way, “The Perks of Being A Wallflower” is full of sayings made to be profound to the teen set like “we get the love we think we deserve” and “I feel infinite”. It’s a well written book, and was the only book by Stephen Chobsky for a very long time, until he came out with “Imaginary Friend” in 2019. “Perks” was written in 1999, so that gives you an idea of how long it took for Chosbky to write a second one. “Perks” however is a very sad and thoughtful book, and a short one at 256 pages. Its narrator is simply named Charlie, and we aren’t even sure that’s his real name, because he is writing letters to the reader through the book, and hints he is protecting his true identity. It’s sure to be a favorite of an angsty teen.
Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
Two outcasty 10th graders, Eleanor and Park, begin a first relationship with each other. Park is interested in alternative music and comics. Eleanor is abused by her step dad, who is often drunk, and ignored by her mother. She’s also overweight, which plays a role in her being unpopular with the other students at her new school. When they meet, they find each other, and become united in their outcast status. Rainbow Rowell is a very good writer, and uses her trademark humor and romance to tell the story of the two outcasted high school students. It’s worth a read, and will speak to the unpopular everywhere.
Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger
We arrive at the most iconic of outcast YA novels, before YA novels were really a thing. J.D. Salinger’s novel tells the story of Holden Caulfield, a depressed and angry teen, who goes around New York City, bemoaning everything. Some modern critics have dismissed this novel as the story of a spoiled brat, but anyone who does so has forgotten what it’s like being a teenager who is constantly angry at the world. Talking to a therapist, he bemoans his older brother who sold out to Hollywood, talks about his interactions with everyone from an old teacher to a prostitute, and talks of how he wants to save the children from “falling off the rye”, which can mean many things depending how you look at it. It’s a must read right of passage for every angst ridden teenager.
These are some angst ridden teen novels worth giving to your teenager, or your inner teenager if you are feeling angsty yourself. John Green is a great writer, but like a horror reader who only reads Stephen King, genres offer a lot more than one iconic writer. I think Green, who often suggests a ton of other writers on his YouTube channel, would agree.
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