"Teens enjoy reading about characters with whom they can identify, characters who are dealing with the same issues that they face— belonging, relationships , finding strengths, and mastering skills. The age of the protagonist is often important to teen readers, with most teens preferring books that feature characters as old or older than their own age. They like interesting plots with fast pacing .Teen fiction encompasses all genres." --Diana Tixier Herald, Teen Genreflecting.

Genres, Subgenres, and Themes in Teen Fiction

Contemporary

• Coming-of-Age
• Romance
• Sports
• Humor

Adventure

• Survival
• Espionage and Terrorism
• Adventure at Sea
• War
• Militias and Cults
• Heroism

Mystery and Suspense

• Suspense
• Contemporary Mysteries
• Historical Mysteries
• Mysteries with a Twist of the Paranormal

Fantasy

• Epic Fantasy
• Faerie
• Mythic Reality
• Myth and Legend
• Fairy Tales
• Humorous Fantasy
• Heroes and Heroines
• Magic
• A Bestiary
• Alternate & Parallel Worlds
• Time Travel
• Psionic Abilities

Science Fiction

• Adventure
• Hard Science Fiction
• Humorous Science Fiction
• Alternate Worlds
• Time Travel
• Psionic Powers
• Aliens
• Utopia/Dystopia
• Post Apocalypse
• Genetic Engineering
• Virtual Reality

Paranormal

• Ghosts
• Monsters, Werefolk, and Other Beasties
• Psionic Powers
• Unexplained Phenomena
• Witches

Historical Novels

American History

• First Peoples (Native Americans)
• Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries (Colonial and Revolutionary Days)
• Nineteenth Centuries
• Twentieth Century

  World History

• Prehistory
• Ancient Civilizations (Greece, Rome, Egypt, Vikings, etc.)
• Western Europe
• Unique Settings

Multicultural

• Multiple Cultures/Culture Clash
• Mixed Heritage
• Multicultural Americans
• Hispanic Americans
• Native Americans/First Nations
• African-Americans
• Asian Americans
• Cultures Around the World

Alternative Formats

• Connected Stories
• Diaries and Journals
  • Historical
  • Contemporary
• Epistolary Novels
• Poetry and Verse Novels

Graphic Novels

• Real Life Themes
• Superheroes
• Fantasy and Science Fiction
• Manga
• Humor

Christian Fiction

• Contemporary Life
• Mystery
• Fantasy
• Science Fiction
• Historical