Are you looking for clean YA books for teens? Us, too.
There is a particular conversation that keeps cropping up between Stacy and me (the editors of this website…who both happen to be moms of teens) and many of our readers: the face of YA is changing. There is no doubt about it. Young Adult books are becoming more and more mature, and the trend will probably continue. Parents and readers alike are looking for clean teen books.
According to our conversations with several librarians, we are losing readers as they hit the tween and early teen years. This is a time when they are not yet comfortable with YA books but feel too old for middle-grade books. Did you read that? We’re losing them as readers…many, perhaps, for the rest of their lives.
Our goal with this section of our website is to find clean teen books that are great for tweens, teens, or anyone looking for exciting books without sexual content and without excessive language. We have found that violence is usually not the main concern, but we will always make note if we think the violence is excessive (even if there is no sex or language).
If you like, you can go straight to our favorites list on our CLEAN READS BOOKSTORE!
(paid link – Yes, this is an affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. We don’t make much money on these, but we do make enough to pay for the hosting on this growing website. Thank you!)
Please join our mailing list for readers who are looking for clean teen books:
Join the thousands of other teens, parents, and educators who have signed up to receive book suggestions from us! We never share email addresses. You can expect three to four emails a year from our clean teen list. We’ll let you know when we find more great clean YA books for teens.
Don’t forget to check out these clean book lists:
☀️ Clean Teen Summer Romance Books (on evaaustin.com)
Clean books for teen and tween boys
Reader-recommended clean books for teens
Clean romance books for adults
Clean Fantasy Romance Books for Teens
Clean Contemporary Romance Books for Teens
Clean Contemporary Romance for adults – Clean Romcom books
Clean YA books by Christian authors
Sweet Christmas Romance Books – Holiday Romcom
OUR CLEAN READS BOOKSTORE – our favs from this list!
Authors, submit your clean books!
Here are some of our favorite clean teen books we’ve come across in recent years. If you see only one book listed in a series, that probably just means we haven’t read the others in the series.
(**Yes, these are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. We don’t make much money on these, but we do make enough to pay for the hosting on this growing website. Thank you!**)
**Didn’t find these books at your library? Request them! It’s easy!**
Clean YA books for teens or anyone:
This Dreamer
Evie is ripped from her mundane immortal life and handed an impossible task. Can she summon the will to do what is necessary, or will she risk all to save a human boy?
“This YA adventure is an enthralling mix of fantasy and mystery with a touch of romance…”
“★★★★★This is a great, clean YA fantasy book…thankful for a book I can feel good about letting my kids read!”– Amazon Reviewer
Add on Goodreads | Find at: Walmart, Amazon
My Favorite Color is your Something Blue
A fun and light-hearted clean teen romance about a bad first impression, an unwanted setup, and a surprisingly perfect, terrible weekend.
“★★★★★…a happy, hopeful romance with a perfect ending.” – Amazon Reviewer
Add on Goodreads | Find at: Walmart, Amazon, ebook FREE on author’s website
The Lunar Chronicles
Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.
“A mash up of fairy tales and science fiction . . . a cross between Cinderella,Terminator, andStar Wars.”
Add on Goodreads | Find on Amazon
Heartless
Long before she was the terror of Wonderland―the infamous Queen of Hearts―she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love.
“Marissa Meyer rocks the fractured fairy tale genre.”
Vivid
“Innocent romance…and the hint of a battle to come will hook readers for the next installment.”
Revenge of the Nerd Goddess
“A sweet, teen romantic comedy that will have you laughing, rooting for the heroine, and wondering if you should have taken more computer classes in high school.”
Stealing Embers
“Filled with action, danger, romantic tension, and intrigue…”
The Hybred Series
“With the harnessed power of gene-editing, the ability to create a super-human race has transformed the world and offered the opportunity of a genetically enhanced life. But only to those who can afford it.”
The Crown’s Game
“The Night Circus meets Cinderella in an alternate Russia.”
P.S. I Like You
“Kasie West books are our kind of comfort food — romantic, light and cute!”
Click the image for a synopsis:
The God Heist: An Oceans of Sand Novella
**Note: as some parents in the comments have pointed out, the Selection Series has a fair amount of kissing/making out. FYI
The Inheritance Cycle series by Christopher Paolini
The Storyteller’s Daughter: A Retelling of Arabian Nights
Clean YA books for teens with Elevated Violence only:
As we mentioned above, from what we have heard, most readers and parents are concerned with sexual content over mild language and violence. Let us know what your main concerns around in the comments. Here are a few clean ya books for teens that come with a strong violence warning:
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Wolf Soldier (*violence warning*)
Ender’s Game (*violence warning*)
Partials Sequence (*violence warning*)
The Hunger Games (*violence warning*)
Maze Runner (*violence warning*)
Mortal Engines (*violence warning*)
Romanov (*violence warning*)
Clean YA Books for Tweens:
If you have a tween or a young teen, then this category is for you! Even if the books mentioned above are clean, your young reader might not be ready to read about older characters or the issues facing them. These are the clean books we’ve found which have a younger feel to them.
*As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel Series
Kingdom Keepers: The Return Series
How can you help? Send us your clean young adult book suggestions!
We are constantly looking for more clean YA books for teens, so we need your help. Please add your own suggestions for clean YA books to the comments. Kids today want to read current literature, so while we will add some classics, we would love to have suggestions for books that have recently been published. This would be a great place to promote a new author you’ve discovered who writes clean YA fiction. Stacy and I are passionate about this subject, and we want to help these authors find their place in the publishing world. We need more authors that fit this category!
We only have so many hours in the day and cannot read all suggestions. If someone else makes a suggestion that you think should not be on our clean teen book list, please let us know and be sure to include why you feel this way. We want to partner with you and are excited to work with our readers on this project!
Check back on this page for updates to our lists of books and websites. We’ll recap our most recent additions in our Clean Teen Newsletter. Don’t forget to leave your suggestions in the comments and scroll up to join our clean teen mailing list. We’d love to hear from you and find more clean reads and authors in the bookish world! 🙂
*Looking for more ideas? Visit our Reader-Recommended Clean Teen Book List!
We created a new page for all of your wonderful suggestions! Take a look at our reader-recommended clean teen page and check back often. We’ll periodically update the page as new suggestions emerge in the comments of this page. Happy reading!
If you like, you can view our favorites list on our CLEAN READS BOOKSTORE!
(paid link – Yes, this is an affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. We don’t make much money on these, but we do make enough to pay for the hosting on this growing website. Thank you!)
