Teens, like adults, often turn to humor when their lives become chaotic or confusing. Humor helps them navigate adolescence and escape the ups and downs. Reading is just one of the many ways they can relish some good LOLs.
Some of the most talked about books for teens are those infused with laughter. When a book can help your teen overcome a stressful situation or make them giggle uncontrollably after a particularly long or rough day, you know it’s a keeper.
Below are seven incredibly funny books every teen should read. These funny-bone crushing novels feature offbeat characters, hilarious situations, a hefty dose of witty dialogue, and often a humorous tone lined with angst-filled desperation. They’re stories that will stick with your teen long after they’ve closed the pages.
“My Lame Life: Queen of the Misfits” by Jen Mann
Fourteen-year-old Plum Parrish thinks she’s invisible, but not in a good way. Her ability to remain unseen is not a superpower, it’s a curse: the curse of constantly feeling like a loser. At home, she wishes she could stay under the radar. Living with her perfect twin, a journaling-obsessed mother, and a career-driven father who has just accepted a job in Kansas isn’t easy. Plum is often the target of their embarrassing antics. Like she isn’t weird enough already.
Will the move be a chance for Plum to reinvent herself? Or will her lame life march on? “My Lame Life: Queen of the Misfits” from “New York Times” bestselling author Jen Mann is the perfect companion for teens who love Meg Cabot and Rainbow Rowell.
“Grendel's Guide to Love and War” by A.E. Kaplan
Tom Grendel lives the life of an introverted teen misfit who spends his days writing in notebooks, mowing his elderly neighbor’s lawn, and ogling Willow, the girl next door. When Willow’s popular brother Rex starts throwing wild parties – triggering Tom’s father’s PTSD and disrupting the peaceful neighborhood – Tom schemes to put an end to the madness. Called “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” meets “Revenge of the Nerds,” “Grendel’s Guide to Love and War” brings unexpected laughs at the expense of Tom’s heart and the war he has declared on the brother of the girl he loves.
“Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” by Jesse Andrews
High school is melodramatic, yet boring. To make it through the last year, Greg and his off-and-on-again friend Earl make films. They’re not that good, but that’s okay. It kills time and makes senior year slip away. Greg also keeps a low profile so that nothing unexpected creeps into his life, until his mother forces him to befriend a dying girl.
Greg’s wildly self-deprecating sense of humor makes “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” tremendously funny. But the tears won’t be just from laughter, the book is also incredibly sad. Prepare for an emotional rollercoaster as Greg learns that life is so much more than a miserable year.
“An Abundance of Katherines” by John Green
From the bestselling author of “The Fault in Our Stars,” “An Abundance of Katherines” chronicles the life of Colin Singleton – a washed-up child prodigy who has been dumped nineteen times, all by different girls named Katherine. On a road trip with his best friend, Colin is determined to change his life and avenge all those who have been dumped by a Katherine. Love and friendship shine in this laugh-a-minute coming-of-age comic novel.
“Flipped” by Wendelin Van Draanen
Juli fell head over heels the first time she saw Bryce in second grade. He quickly ran away. Now in eighth grade, some things have changed. Bryce is starting to feel the butterflies and Juli is running for the hills. Will their hearts ever come together?
“Bryce and Juli's rants and raves about each other ring so true that teen readers will quickly identify with at least one of these hilarious feuding egos, if not both. A perfect introduction to the adolescent war between the sexes,” says Jennifer Hubert, an Amazon reviewer.
“Notes From the Midnight Driver” by Jordan Sonnenblick
One innocent car crash into his neighbor’s yard ending with the death of a gnome and Alex Gregory’s life is turned upside down. His parents are getting divorced and he’s in love with a girl who thinks he’s a moron. And now he’s some kind of convicted felon, ordered to serve 100 hours visiting Solomon Lewis, the crankiest resident at Egbert P. Johnson Memorial Home for the Aged.
While their initial interactions make Alex cringe, a bond forms between the two, and Alex begins to think of Sol as more than just a sentence. School Library Journal says, “Alex's voice is fresh and funny, but doesn't downplay the serious situations.”
“The Upside of Unrequited” by Becky Albertalli
“Heart-fluttering, honest, and hilarious” are the words most commonly used to describe “The Upside of Unrequited,” which follows the journey of seventeen-year-old Molly Peskin-Suso who knows all about unrequited love. Struggling with her weight, she’s careful not to let her guard down and has built a stone wall around her heart. When her twin sister’s girlfriend shows up with a cute and very single boy, will Molly open up just enough to experience love and her very first kiss? Or has love been there all along in the form of Reid, a Tolkien superfan with a season pass to the Ren Faire?
Is there a book you’d add to this list? Share your pick in the comments!
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