YA Reading List: Cliques, Crowds and Dangerous Behaviors

Losing perspective, following the crowd, fighting too hard for a freedom you don't understand...such things result in stories of teens behaving in ways even they, perhaps, never imagined or intended. Here are a few sharply written, insightful cautionary tales, some light and some terribly dark.

LUCKY FEW by Kathryn Ormsbee

“A beautifully written story of loss and acceptance, of humor and tragedy, of finding yourself by losing yourself.” 

-- Marci Lyn Curtis, author of The One Thing

WHAT WE SAW by Aaron Hartzler

"A powerful tale of betrayal and a vital primer on rape culture." 

-- Kirkus (starred review)

IT'S NOT EASY BEING MEAN by Lisi Harrison

One can't talk high school cliques without including one Lisi Harrison title featuring the "Pretty Committee" and the "Losers Beyond Repair."

THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS by Marieke Nijkamp

"A compelling, brutal story of an unfortunately all-too familiar situation: a school shooting. Nijkamp portrays the events thoughtfully, recounting fifty-four intense minutes of bravery, love, and loss." - BookRiot