Recommendations based on Smackby Melvin Burgess

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. Crank

    by Ellen Hopkins
    A teenage girl's descent into addiction and the consequences it has on her life and relationships.

    Crank takes place the summer before and during the protagonist Kristina's junior year of high school. She is a straight-A honor roll student and decides to visit her father for three weeks. Her ... (Wikipedia)

  2. Go Ask Alice

    by Beatrice Sparks
    A teenage girl's diary chronicling her journey into drug addiction and eventual redemption.

    In 1968, a 15-year-old girl begins keeping a diary, in which she records her thoughts and concerns about issues such as crushes, weight loss, sexuality, social acceptance, and relating to her ... (Wikipedia)

  3. Cut

    by Patricia McCormick
    A teenage girl's journey to reclaim her identity after a stay in a mental health facility.

    Fifteen-year-old Callie McPherson of Mississauga isn't speaking to anybody, not even to her therapist at Sea Pines (nicknamed "Sick Minds"), the residential treatment facility where her parents and ... (Wikipedia)

  4. Candy

    by Kevin Brooks
    A teenage girl falls in love with a drug dealer and gets caught up in a dangerous world of addiction and crime.

    The story opens when Joe Beck, a music lover with a knack for curiosity, meets 16-year-old Candy on the streets of London . Joe soon learns that Candy is not only a runaway from her home town, but ... (Wikipedia)

  5. Our House

    by Louise Candlish
    A couple's house is stolen and sold without their knowledge, leading to a web of lies and secrets.

    On a bright January morning in the London suburbs, a family moves into the house they’ve just bought in Trinity Avenue.,, Nothing strange about that. Except it is your house. And you didn’t sell it., ... (Goodreads)

  6. Horde

    by Ann Aguirre
    Deuce and her friends fight to survive in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombie-like creatures.

    The epic conclusion to Ann Aguirre's, USA Today-,bestselling Razorland trilogy. , The horde is coming. Salvation is surrounded, monsters at the gates, and this time, they're not going away. When ... (Barnes & Noble)

  7. Sleepers

    by Lorenzo Carcaterra
    A gripping story about four boys and their horrific experiences in a juvenile detention centre.

    Sleeper (colloq.): 1. out-of-town hit man who spends the night after a local contract is completed. 2. A juvenile sentenced to serve any period longer than nine months in a state-managed facility. ... (Goodreads)

  8. Burned

    by P.C. Cast
    A young girl's struggle to overcome her past and survive in a dangerous supernatural world.

    Stark, Darius and Aphrodite follow the clues in Kramisha 's prophetic poems and take Zoey's body to the Isle of Sgiach to find a way of getting Zoey back. They gain entrance because of Stark's being ... (Wikipedia)

  9. 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)

  10. Glass

    by Ellen Hopkins
    A gripping story about four teens struggling with personal issues, told in verse.

    Kristina thinks that now she has a baby to care for and love, she can quit her addiction . But she finds herself searching for Robyn, her old contact for the "street crank". While at Robyn's house ... (Wikipedia)

  11. Different Seasons

    by Stephen King
    Four novellas exploring the power of morality, justice, and redemption.

    Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption–the most satisfying tale of unjust imprisonment and offbeat escape since The Count of Monte Cristo. Apt Pupil--a golden California schoolboy and an old man ... (Goodreads)

  12. A Million Little Pieces

    by James Frey
    An addict's story of recovery, as he struggles to overcome his demons.

    Intense, unpredictable, and instantly engaging, this is a story of drug and alcohol abuse and rehabilitation as it has never been told before. It is also the introduction of a bold and talented ... (Goodreads)

  13. Rubyfruit Jungle

    by Rita Mae Brown
    A coming-of-age story of a young girl's journey of self-acceptance and finding her place in the world.

    The novel focuses on Molly Bolt, the adopted daughter of a poor family, who possesses remarkable beauty and who is aware of her lesbianism from early childhood. Her relationship with her mother is ... (Wikipedia)

  14. 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)

  15. Tiger Eyes

    by Judy Blume
    A teenage girl's journey of healing and self-discovery in the aftermath of her father's death.

    Davey Wexler, along with her mother, Gwen, and her little brother, Jason, have just attended the funeral of her father, Adam, who was shot to death in a holdup at their 7-Eleven convenience store in ... (Wikipedia)

  16. Untamed

    by P.C. Cast
    Zoey Redbird is back, and she's not the same fledgling she once was. She's now a High Priestess and finds herself struggling with her new powers.

    Zoey is hiding in the stables with her horse, Persephone. After an internal debate she finally decides to talk with her friends. On the way to the cafeteria she feels the presence of Darkness and ... (Wikipedia)

  17. The Crow Road

    by Iain Banks
    A young man's journey of self-discovery and family secrets, set in Scotland.

    This Bildungsroman is set in the fictional Argyll town of Gallanach (by its description, reminiscent of Oban but on the north east shore of Loch Crinan ), the real village of Lochgair , and in ... (Wikipedia)

  18. What Was She Thinking? [Notes on a Scandal]

    by Zoë Heller
    An intriguing tale of a manipulative teacher and a forbidden affair, told through a colleague's perspective.

    Barbara, a veteran history teacher at a comprehensive school in London , is a lonely, unmarried woman in her early sixties, and she is eager to find a close friend. However, she reveals that she has ... (Wikipedia)

  19. White Teeth

    by Zadie Smith
    A multi-generational saga exploring identity, race, and culture in modern-day London.

    On New Year's Day 1975, Archie Jones, a 47-year-old Englishman whose disturbed Italian wife has just walked out on him, is attempting to take his own life by gassing himself in his car when a chance ... (Wikipedia)

  20. Identical

    by Ellen Hopkins
    Identical twins Kaeleigh and Raeanne struggle with their traumatic past and their relationship with their father.

    From the bookjacket Reception for Identical has been positive, with the School Library Journal writing that the book was "Gritty and compelling, this is not a comfortable read, but its keen insights ... (Wikipedia)

  21. This Lullaby

    by Sarah Dessen
    A teenage girl's journey of self-discovery, learning to let go of the past and embrace love.

    Remy is an eighteen-year-old who is about to leave for college. Her father, a musician, wrote his one and only hit song the day she was born. The song, called "This Lullaby," became extremely ... (Wikipedia)

  22. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

    by Hunter S. Thompson
    A wild and hallucinatory journey through the seedy underbelly of Las Vegas.

    The basic synopsis revolves around journalist Raoul Duke ( Hunter S. Thompson ) and his attorney, Dr. Gonzo ( Oscar Zeta Acosta ), as they arrive in Las Vegas in 1971 to report on the Mint 400 ... (Wikipedia)

  23. Darkly Dreaming Dexter

    by Jeff Lindsay
    An introspective serial killer navigates the dark side of morality, guided by his own code of justice.

    The novel's protagonist , Dexter Morgan , works for the Miami-Dade Police Department as a forensic blood spatter analyst . In his spare time, Dexter is a serial killer who kills murderers, rapists, ... (Wikipedia)

  24. 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)

  25. Stargirl

    by Jerry Spinelli
    An uplifting story of a unique girl who challenges her classmates to be their true selves.

    The book begins with a brief introduction to the main character, Leo, at an early age, which is followed by his move from his home state of Pennsylvania to Arizona when he is 12. Before the move, his ... (Wikipedia)

  26. The Wasp Factory

    by Iain Banks
    A disturbed teenage boy discovers startling truths about his family and himself.

    The story is told from the perspective of 16-year-old Frank Cauldhame. Frank lives with his father on a small island in rural Scotland , and he has not seen his mother in many years. There is no ... (Wikipedia)

  27. Then She Was Gone

    by Lisa Jewell
    A mother's desperate search for her missing daughter reveals secrets of a dark family history.

    #1, NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLER From the, New York Times, bestselling author of, Invisible Girl, and, The Truth About Melody Browne, comes a “riveting” (,PopSugar,) and “acutely observed family drama” ... (Barnes & Noble)

  28. Lady Chatterley's Lover

    by D.H. Lawrence
    A working-class man's affair with an aristocratic woman, and their coming to terms with the strictures of society.

    Lawrence's frank portrayal of an extramarital affair and the explicit sexual explorations of its central characters caused this controversial book, now considered a masterpiece, to be banned as ... (Goodreads)

  29. The Truth About Forever

    by Sarah Dessen
    A teenage girl's journey to self-acceptance and the power of friendship.

    Macy is still recovering from the sudden loss of her father. Since he died during one of their habitual morning runs, Macy gives up running and keeps all of her feelings to herself. This results in ... (Wikipedia)

  30. The Beach

    by Alex Garland
    A young backpacker discovers a hidden beach paradise in Thailand, but the utopia is not as perfect as it seems.

    In a cheap hotel on Khao San Road in Bangkok , Richard, a young British backpacker, meets a mentally disturbed Scot going by the alias of Daffy Duck , who gives him a hand-drawn map with directions ... (Wikipedia)