Best Science Fiction Books for Teens
Popular Genre
The sci-fi book genre is among the most popular out there and although some teens might prefer the more romantic comedy or vampire reading genre, science fiction still has some of the most exciting stories that you can ever read.
Everything goes in science fiction and there are all sorts of unbelievable stories happening in all sorts of crazy worlds with the coolest characters ever. The books in this best science fiction books for teens review are a few of the top ones in our opinion so make sure to give them a shot.
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
Andrew Wiggin
Andrew WigginThe first book on our list of science fiction books for young adults is a very exciting one by Orson Scott Card that talks about Ender, the video game character name of a boy named Andrew Wiggin. The story follows this young boy as all he does at first is play computer games. He thinks he is just playing another ordinary war game until something super strange happens.
Combat Soldier
He finds out that this game was in fact a virtual test from the army to find the best combat soldier ever alive. Andrew happens to be that soldier and from there on begins his crazy adventure through space as he meets the aliens that they are going to be going up against.
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Main Protagonists
Meg and Charles Wallace have a father who goes on space missions and he has been gone for a long time. One night, they are hanging out with their friend Calvin O’Keefe when a stranger knocks on their door to deliver some very strange news.
Space Mission
Their galaxy is in trouble and there is something about these kids that gives out the slightest hope of it ever being saved. After finding out everything about this space threat, these kids head out on the space mission of a lifetime, to find Meg and Charles’ father and save the lives of so many.
The Girl With All The Gifts by M. R. Carey
Melanie
MelanieHere is a book that has the potential to be perfect science fiction books for middle school and you will find out why as you start reading the book itself.
The story follows a girl called Melanie, often referred to as a little genius. You might not realize this at first, but you will quickly realize that this book is a bit of a horror story as this girl is, well… a zombie.
Not a Normal Child
You get to find out some very strange things about her and realize that Melanie is no normal child, she is taken to school in straps by people who always keep a gun just in case.
Learning this character’s story will be a thrilling experience as there is a lot more to her and to what is about to happen later on and you get to read all about that for yourself.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Katniss Everdeen
An event that forces characters between the age of 12 and 18 to fight to the death for reasons that you will discover for yourself once you begin reading this awesome story
Fascinating Trilogy
The book is actually a part of a fascinating trilogy that you will read once you finish this first book as this story is simply too addicting for anyone who enjoys reading sci-fi and fantasy books.
Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
Oomza University
Oomza UniversityThis thrilling story is about a character named Binti and this is one of the best science fiction books for teens because it talks about this teen character who has been offered a once in a lifetime chance to attend one of the finest institutions of higher learning in the galaxy, the Oomza University.
Travel Through Stars
You will also get to find out that Binti is a very intelligent person who deserves to go to this school but this chance will come with a cost. If she decides to attend school there that means that she will have to leave her family and their travels through the stars. Binti is willing to pay the price and so her exciting journey begins. You soon get to meet a deadly alien race who will threaten her life because of a grudge they have with the Oomza University.
Skyward by Brandon Sanderson
Spensa
SpensaIn this amazing novel by Brandon Sanderson you will read about humans as they have been scattered on a strange planet and almost lead to extinction as the result of the constant attacks coming from alien starfighters. The main character in this adventure is a teenage girl named Spensa, her dream is to be a pilot, and the best one for that matter.
Abandoned Spaceship
This dream of hers might just be a reality soon as she finds an abandoned spaceship, if she can get it to work then her pilot training can finally begin. This unique ship will prove to be a lot more than what it seems as it actually has a soul and you get to discover many more strange things about it that will have a huge impact on the outcome of the story.
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
Tally
TallyYou are going to be reading a very unique story in this book as the plot will have you wanting more of this one. You can also find this book in our selection of biopunk books to learn more about work of Scott Westerfeld.
This is the story of Tally, a teenager who is just about to turn sixteen and in her world, this means that she will finally be able to have the operation that turns her from an “ugly” to a “pretty”. Once someone is turned into a pretty, their job is to simply have fun all the time.
Different Side
At least that’s how everyone is told that it will be until she gets to find out for herself, it turns out that there is a side to this whole thing that isn’t so pretty after all.
Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi
Nailer
NailerThis next book is another perfect example for teenage science fiction books as the main character inside is a teenage boy who is about to experience some real excitement in his life.
This boy’s name is Nailer and he is a scavenger who spends his time at a place where huge oil tankers are broken down for parts so he scrapes the area for copper wiring just to live another day.
Two Choices
His luck is about to change when he discovers something called a clipper chippe ship that would be worth a lot. So this boy is now faced with two choices, break this ship apart and finally have more money than in his entire life, or save the beautiful lone survivor in the ship and see what happens.
The Angel Experiment by James Patterson
No Home, No Family
No Home, No FamilyThis amazing story has what it takes to be one of the best science fiction books for teens as you are about to find out why. This is the story of 6 kids with no homes and no families, 6 kids who are running to find meaning in life, and discover where they come from and what they are meant for.
Max Ride
The main character of these six kids is Max Ride and the special thing about these characters is that they have the ability to fly. They have other powers as well that make them so much different from humans and that’s the reason for the upcoming exciting events.
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Beatrice Prior
Beatrice PriorThe main character in this book is Beatrice Prior, she lives in Chicago but not the one we know it today, her Chicago is in a dystopian world, one in which society is divided into five factions that ultimately control the world.
Choosing a Faction
Beatrice is just turning sixteen and this means that the time to choose a faction of her own has come, and this time is very exciting for everyone as there are very competitive initiation events that follow that. You don’t want to miss it if you enjoy reading sci-fi stories about strong female protagonists.
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
Prentisstown
PrentisstownThis is one of the good science fiction books for young adults, the story inside takes place in a town called Prentisstown and the people inside this town are no ordinary people. Everyone who lives in this town has the ability to hear everyone else’s thoughts, imagine that.
Todd
Then you get to meet the main character of the story, his name is Todd and he is always with his dog Munchee. These two are about to discover a huge secret about their town that never knows silence and this secret will make these two characters run for their lives.
Unwind by Neal Shusterman
Reproductive Rights
Reproductive RightsThis story will have you interested if you like reading about all sorts of events that happen during a war. The war that goes on in this book is because of reproductive rights and you are about to meet the main characters who will guide you through everything that goes on.
Unwound
In this world, everyone who is born is kept safe until the age of 13, after that, they can be “unwound” which means their organs can be transplanted into another body which makes sure that life doesn’t technically end.
Running Away
Conor, Lisa, and Lev are three young kids who must run for their lives and get away from this horror of society, make sure to find out if they can manage to escape and see what happens next.
All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill
Em and Finn
Em and FinnThis book is a time travel story and speaking of good science fiction for young adults, this story talks about two young adults who are currently living in a hell of a world.
These characters are Em and Finn, both of them are locked in cells and there is a character who is referred to as the Doctor, he is doing everything he can to get some answers from these two.
Secret Note
Until this point, we don’t know much about what happened to this world but then, Em finds a secret note from her future self that tells her how to travel back in time and prevent a terrible disaster. Make sure you find out if these two characters have what it takes to prevent what is about to come.
Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
Marcus
Accusation
But then, he and his friends are about to experience a terrible change, they find themselves being accused as terrorists and are taken to a secret prison where they are interrogated for days. This is something these kids have never experienced and it does prove scary for them, but what is about to happen next is even scarier.
Legend by Marie Lu
June
JuneLegend is one of the best science fiction books for teens and this is a story about war again in which the main character is the fifteen-year-old June who is being trained to be one of the best in the military of the Republic.
Day
Another character who will prove highly important in this story is Day, another fifteen-year-old character but this one is the antagonist of the story. The events that happen later follow these two as they don’t even know each other until June’s brother is brutally murdered and all evidence points to Day. Then begins a fierce quest for vengeance that you simply do not want to miss.
Shade’s Children by Garth Nix
Age of 14
Age of 14Behold, this is the perfect science fiction books for 7th graders and up as this story is an exciting one. The main plot here takes place in a futuristic world that resembles a devastated wasteland, one in which the law says that newborn children can only live until the age of 14.
Shade
When someone reaches their 14th birthday, they take place in a harvest game where a creature that is more machine than flesh hunts them down and kills them. Then you get to meet Shade, a mysterious character who has been through all of this, now gathers a few lucky children and manages to offer them freedom. The next few events take them to the Overlord, the one who rules all, in an attempt to destroy him.
Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Last Survivors Series
Last Survivors SeriesLife As We Knew It is the first book of Susan’s sci-fi series called Last Survivors. The story in this book follows a character named Megan Miranda who is about to witness a huge meteor knock the moon closer to Earth.
Deadly Events
This even sets a series of deadly events on Earth in motion such as huge tsunamis, astonishing earthquakes, enormous volcanoes erupting everywhere, and much more. This is a story of survival indeed as Miranda and her family, and most of the world search for safety in a world that turns chaotic in a mere second. Make sure you find out how this story proceeds in the next books of the series if you enjoy the plot.
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
Jenna Fox
Jenna FoxContinuing this list with the young adult science fiction books out there, we have a story about a character named Jenna Fox, as you can guess from the title. She is a seventeen-year-old girl who doesn’t even know her own name due to a car accident that put her in a coma for one year.
Amnesia
She has just woken up and she can’t remember a single thing from before, how it all happened, her family, her friends, nothing. The story takes place in a futuristic America, one that you will explore alongside Jenna Fox as she has no clue what goes on in this world as well.
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
World in Chaos
World in ChaosThis book is one of the most recommended science fiction books for adults and the story inside talks about a world in chaos as the result of creatures that look human but are far from it.
Five Waves
There are five waves in which these creatures present themselves and you get to read about the most difficult one yet, the 5th wave. Cassie is the main character who will be taking you on this scary journey and you get to find out how it all ends, who wins in the end.
What’s Left of Me by Kat Zhang
Addie and Eva
Addie and EvaThis a story in which characters are born with two souls and only one body. This is a completely normal thing in the world that you are going to read about and the main characters who will be introducing you to this fascinating story are Addie and Eva.
Complete Control
They start out just like the rest of the people here but as time passes, something out of the ordinary happens to them. The normal thing is for one character to fade away and the other to take complete control of the body. But this doesn’t happen in their case and so begin the exciting and stressful events that occupy their life.
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
The Glade
Huge Maze
He soon realizes that he is a part of a group that has been put in this incredibly huge maze from which no one has ever come out alive. Don’t miss this story and find out if someone finally makes it out alive.
The Program by Suzanne Young
Suicide Pandemic
Suicide PandemicThis is a story in which you read about an international suicide pandemic that is spreading like crazy, mostly among teens and Sloane is the main character who will be showing you around. She knows that one small outburst could place her in the Program, the only way to treat this case.
Daily Life
The story goes on as you read about Sloane’s daily life and how she tries desperately to avoid the Program. You will find out that it’s super hard to avoid this and that as depression starts kicking in, things will get super thrilling to read about.
The Risen Empire by Scott Westerfeld
Laurent Zai
Laurent ZaiFinally, we have a space story that will be taking you to a lot of different and mysterious places. First, you must meet some of the most important characters in this book, Captain Laurent Zai, the hero who is sent on a mission to rescue the Child Empress.
Rix
She is the sister of the immortal Emperor, one who is worshipped by 80 different human worlds for over 15 centuries. The antagonists of this story are the Rix, humans with machine augmentations who worship AI minds.
The Thought Readers by Dima Zales
Darren
DarrenHave you ever wanted to make time still for whatever reason? Well, this is the story of Darren and this character has that exact ability.
Different Outcome
This allows him to make a crazy amount of money at a hedge fund as he can make everyone around him still and observe every station for as long as he wants. The sci-fi story quickly turns into a love story after Darren meets a girl who completely turns his life around and manages to change the outcome of the story a lot.
Beggars in Spain by Nancy Kress
No Sleep
No SleepThe last book in our article is a story that takes place in a future where some people can live on no sleep at all, imagine how much you can accomplish if you didn’t have to sleep ever.
Leisha Camden
People like Leisha Camden are genetically modified at birth so that their bodies will never be in need of sleep. Those who need no sleep eventually outgrow their presence on Earth so space travel allows them new opportunities for life.
Robert Hazley
Robert is a science fiction and fantasy geek. (He is also the best looking Ereads writer!) Besides reading and writing, he enjoys sports, cosplay, and good food (don't we all?). Currently works as an accountant (would you believe that?)
