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All Our Broken Pieces by L. D. CrichtonMusically gifted Kyler and his new neighbor, Lennon, who struggles with OCD, discover that the strength to survive, live, and love can be found in unexpected places. TEEN REALISTIC CRICHTON L.D. |
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Aniana del Mar Jumps In by Jasminne MendezAniana must keep her love of swimming a secret from her mother, who still grieves the loss of a loved one to the water years ago. When Ani’s chronic illness prevents her from swimming, she must reimagine the person she is to become. TEEN REALISTIC MENDEZ JASMINNE |
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Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker BradleyDella has always had her sister, Suki; when their mom went to prison, when their mom’s boyfriend took them in, and when that same boyfriend did something so awful they had to run fast. Suki is Della’s protector--but who has been protecting Suki? TEEN REALISTIC BRADLEY KIMBERLY |
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Focused by Alyson Gerber Diagnosed with ADHD after years of struggling through school with a mind that has difficulty focusing, Clea uses her love of chess to develop better concentration skills and block out challenging symptoms and distractions. TEEN REALISTIC GERBER ALYSON
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The Golden Hour by Niki SmithAfter witnessing a harrowing instance of gun violence, Manuel uses photography to cope with anxiety. A group project leads to new friends, first love, and ultimately, healing. TEEN GRAPHIC REALISTIC SMITH NIKI |
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Good Different by Meg Eden KuyattSelah always tries to keep her anger in check--until one day, when she hits a classmate, and must come to understand and learn to celebrate her difference. TEEN REALISTIC KUYATT MEG |
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Lily and Dunkin by Donna Gephart When Dunkin, who struggles with bipolar disorder and a painful secret, befriends Lily, who is transgender, their lives are forever changed for the better. TEEN REALISTIC GEPHART DONNA
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Mirror to Mirror by Rajani LaRoccaMaya, overwhelmed by anxiety, struggles to connect with her outgoing twin sister, Chaya. When the twins make a bet to switch places at summer camp, they learn to step into each other’s shoes. TEEN REALISTIC LAROCCA RAJANI |
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No Fixed Address by Susin Nielsen-FernlundFelix is sworn to secrecy by his mom, who struggles with mental health, when eviction forces them to live in a van. When Felix gets the chance to audition for his favorite trivia show, which offers a big cash prize, things don’t turn out the way he expects. TEEN REALISTIC NIELSEN SUSIN |
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Sidetracked by Diana Harmon Asher Joseph, who has ADD and phobias of everything from hard-boiled eggs to gargoyles, is typically found in the Resource Room avoiding bullies. When Joseph reluctantly joins the track team, he finally leaves the sidelines and discovers new friendships. TEEN REALISTIC ASHER DIANA
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Some Kind of Happiness by Claire Legrand In the midst of her parents’ marriage troubles, Finley escapes her anxious and sad days with her writings--which mysteriously come to life in the magical woods behind her grandparent’s house. TEEN REALISTIC LEGRAND CLAIRE
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The Year I Didn't Eat by Samuel Pollen Max’s therapist-prescribed journal chronicles his efforts to control his anorexia, his parents’ difficult relationship, and his feelings for a new girl at school. TEEN REALISTIC POLLEN SAMUEL
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American Road Trip by Patrick Flores-ScottWhen Teodoro's brother, Manny, returns from a tour in Iraq with PTSD, the brothers take a road trip, explore the challenges faced by their family, and help T. win the heart of Wendy Martinez. TEEN REALISTIC FLORES-SCOTT PATRICK |
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Anger is a Gift by Mark Oshiro Moss sometimes wishes he could be someone else--someone without panic attacks, whose father is still alive, who isn’t a rallying point for a community because of one awful night. When the students at his school are treated more like criminals, Moss organizes a protest. TEEN REALISTIC OSHIRO MARK
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The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X. R. Pan Grief-stricken Leigh travels to Taiwan to meet her maternal grandparents for the first time and searches for her mother’s spirit, uncovering tragic family secrets and reconciling the truth of her mother’s suicide. TEEN REALISTIC PAN EMILY
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Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman A brilliant student struggling with schizophrenia, Caden believes he’s on a journey to reach the bottom of the deepest place on Earth as the ship’s artist in residence. Pretending to join the school track team, Caden walks for miles, absorbed by the thoughts in his head. TEEN REALISTIC SHUSTERMAN NEAL
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Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram Darius doesn’t fit in at home in America, and he knows Iran will be the same--he speaks Klingon better than Farsi, and his depression doesn’t exactly help matters. Everything changes when he meets Sohrab, a friend who makes him feel so much better than okay. TEEN REALISTIC KHORRAM ADIB
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Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia With millions of webcomic fans throughout the world, Eliza can’t imagine enjoying the real world as much as she loves her digital community. When a new boy at school tempts her to live offline, she must find the courage to be herself. TEEN ROMANCE ZAPPIA FRANCESCA
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Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone Samantha hides her OCD and looks just like the other popular girls. When she’s introduced to a group of poetry club misfits, Samantha must learn to be herself while questioning her sanity and all she holds dear. TEEN REALISTIC STONE TAMARA
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Girl Made of Stars by Ashley Herring Blake Mara, torn between loyalties when her friend accuses her beloved twin brother of sexual assault, is forced to confront feelings about her family, her sense of right and wrong, past trauma, and the future with her girlfriend. TEEN REALISTIC BLAKE ASHLEY
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How it Feels to Float by Helena Fox Biz sees her father every day, though he died when she was seven. When he suddenly disappears, she must learn to navigate grief and inter-generational mental illness while also finding hope. TEEN REALISTIC FOX HELENA
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How to Make Friends with the Dark by Kathleen GlasgowWhen Tiger’s mother dies, darkness descends on her otherwise average life--her world is packed into a suitcase and moved to a foster home (and another, and another). Suddenly, hope surfaces in the shape of a sister. TEEN REALISTIC GLASGOW KATHLEEN |
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After meeting at Aspen Springs Mental Hospital following each of their suicide attempts, three teens connect with each other in a way that they never have with their parents or anyone else in their lives. TEEN REALISTIC HOPKINS ELLEN |
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Kat and Meg Conquer the World by Anna Priemaza Kat’s anxiety makes it hard for her to talk to people. Meg hates being alone, but her ADHD keeps pushing people away. When the two are paired for a year-long science project, they discover one thing in common: an obsession with an online gaming star. TEEN REALISTIC PRIEMAZA ANNA
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Letting Go of Gravity by Meg LederParker struggles to reconnect with her fearless twin brother, who survived cancer, as her anxiety skyrockets over her prestigious medical internship at Harvard. When Parker meets a mysterious graffiti artist, she learns to confront the truth she’s been hiding from. TEEN REALISTIC LEDER MEG |
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Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert When Suzette returns home to Los Angeles from boarding school, she grapples with her bisexuality as she and her brother, Lionel--recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder--fall in love with the same girl. TEEN REALISTIC COLBERT BRANDY
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Made You Up by Francesca Zappia Alex wages a war against her schizophrenia, determined to get into college. She’s pretty optimistic about her chances until she runs into Miles. Didn’t she imagine him? As Alex makes friends, parties, and falls in love, she wonders if she’s ready for normal teenage life. TEEN REALISTIC ZAPPIA FRANCESCA
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The Memory of Light by Francisco X Stork After Vicky wakes in a psychiatric hospital after a suicide attempt, she befriends Mona, the live wire; Gabriel, the saint; and E.M., always angry; under the guidance of the compassionate Dr. Desai, who helps her through the first steps towards self-acceptance. TEEN REALISTIC STORK FRANCISCO
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Starfish by Akemi Dawn BowmanKiko grapples with social anxiety and yearns to escape the toxic relationship with her mother. While touring West Coast art schools after a crushing rejection from her dream school, Kiko learns life-changing truths about herself and her past along the way. TEEN REALISTIC BOWMAN AKEMI |
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The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling by Wai ChimAnna works almost constantly at her father’s restaurant while caring for her siblings. When she begins dating a delivery boy, her mother’s progressing mental illness upends everything she understood about her family. TEEN REALISTIC CHIM WAI |
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This is My Brain in Love by I. W. GregorioJocelyn, a teen filmmaker, and Will, an aspiring school paper editor, form a rocky partnership to save Jocelyn’s family’s restaurant. As the two navigate depression and anxiety, their connection blossoms into something more. TEEN ROMANCE GREGORIO I.W. |
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Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall While trying to get the groceries from her front porch, Noah, a girl struggling with OCD and agoraphobia, meets her sweet and funny neighbor, Luke. In order to let Luke into her world, Noah must learn to accept herself. TEEN REALISTIC GORNALL LOUISE
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We Are All So Good at Smiling by Amber McBrideWhen hospitalized for depression, Whimsy forms a magical connection with Faerry. Together, they brave the Forest, a place of monsters, fairy tales, and pain they have both been running from for 11 years. TEEN REALISTIC MCBRIDE AMBER |
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The Weight of Our Sky by Hanna AlkafMelati is a typical movie-going, Beatles-obsessed teen--but her OCD threatens her mother’s death unless she adheres to rituals of counting and tapping. When the 1969 Chinese-Malay conflict separates her from her mother, Melati must fight to find her again. TEEN HISTORICAL ALKAF HANNA |
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Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson Lia and Cassie are best friends and competitors in a deadly contest to see who can be the thinnest. But when Cassie loses her life, Lia is left on a painful path to recovery, desperately trying to hold onto the most important thing of all: hope. TEEN REALISTIC ANDERSON LAURIE
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Words on Bathroom Walls by Julia WaltonAdam, diagnosed with schizophrenia, hallucinates a cast of characters ranging from good to bad to just plain weird. While taking an experimental drug to help hide his illness, he falls in love with Maya--how long can he keep this secret from the girl of his dreams? TEEN REALISTIC WALTON JULIA |
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Yolk by Mary H. K. ChoiJayne, a college student living in New York City, struggles with emotional problems and disordered eating. She’s estranged from her accomplished older sister, June--until June gets cancer, and Jayne becomes the only person who can help her. TEEN REALISTIC CHOI MARY |
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Local Mental Health Resources |
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National Mental Health Resources for Teens |
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