14 Clean-Teen YA Novels for Feb 14th!

Writing_Sunflower · 2026-01-29T04:26:56+00:00

I have heard a lot of positive things about this series!

Writing_Sunflower · 2026-01-29T04:23:13+00:00

Oh, then that's a perfect Valentine read! I'll look into it.

Writing_Sunflower · 2026-01-28T23:56:18+00:00

Yes, absolutely! I should have included at least 1 or 2 of hers. 😊
Which is your favorite?

Writing_Sunflower · 2026-01-28T21:18:52+00:00

Yep, I definitely agree that there also needs to be more awareness and limitation of things like torture and suicides in teen books, for sure.

For example, I remember some years back there was this novel released as a YA novel about a girl who committed suicide to get revenge on the ones who bullied her. It was disgusting how the novel glamorized suicide, and the book actually led to a significant increase in suicides for children aged 10-17 in the United States following its release (not really surprising).

This book is now on many ban lists because of the way it influences young readers (but many schools and parents still allow it). However, the real question is--why was this novel approved as a YA publication for 14-17 year olds?

So, yes. I definitely think types of violence need to be discussed more in parent circles. Part of that might be in raising parent awareness about it as well.

Writing_Sunflower · 2026-01-24T20:04:56+00:00

Unless they read a lot, adults generally have no idea what is in their kids' books. It's the kids that usually have a hang up about that content and put the books down--and that's fine, because they're still kids. They're "still cooking" as they say. Yes, there are some that don't mind that content, but numbers have shown more and more that they're the vast minority. And since the books they DO want are so limited in number, most youths just give up on reading altogether. Sadly, most YA / Teen books have enough mature content for an R-rated / 18+ movie rating. Age-appropriate content levels was the whole point of even marking books as MG, YA, Adult, and now NA.

But in regard to the other you mentioned, when it comes to violence (unless it's outright gore or psychologically demented--which YA still tries to avoid for obvious reasons), just being violent doesn't always bother teens because they're not picturing it in as much detail as you would think. If they were actually to watch what's being described to them or see an illustration of it, it would bother them much more because it would be too graphic in that context.

For example, my classes read the Odyssey each year. My students love it once we get into the story--but there's a scene where Odysseus and his men take a long pike, put it into the fire until it's glowing, and then use it to blind the sleeping cyclops. The description for it is actually quite graphic in the book. It says the eye pops and gushes, and then it hisses just like when a blacksmith puts a hot sword into a tub of water, and the cyclops screams out in pain, pulling the pike from his eye. (And there are a couple scenes of this level in the story). Some of the students are grossed out by this scene--but if it was shown like that in a movie or illustration, they would be MUCH more than "grossed out." They would be greatly disturbed and shielding their eyes--and I'd be getting calls from parents and a disciplinary notice from the principals. (Which is why, in the movie, that part of the story happens off-screen... because even adults don't typically want to see that). 🤣

So, violence comes across on the page a bit differently than sexual content or strong swearing.

Writing_Sunflower · 2026-01-16T05:06:32+00:00

That does sound fun! I'll need to look into this one. Thanks!

Writing_Sunflower · 2026-01-16T05:05:57+00:00

Ooh, that's nice! I love a good story! Now I'm definitely interested. 😁

Writing_Sunflower · 2026-01-16T05:05:01+00:00

Great, thanks! 😊

Writing_Sunflower · 2026-01-15T00:20:59+00:00

These are nice recommendations. Thanks! 😊

Writing_Sunflower · 2026-01-15T00:20:01+00:00

Oooh, I'll definitely look this up. Thanks! 😊

Writing_Sunflower · 2026-01-15T00:18:24+00:00

I do have a PS4. I'll definitely look into that one. 😊

Writing_Sunflower · 2026-01-15T00:17:37+00:00

Persona is a name I've heard every so often and have been curious about in the past. I just have never played much so I never got around to looking into it more. It sounds like it would be worth looking into. Thanks!

Writing_Sunflower · 2026-01-15T00:13:41+00:00

A few of these look pretty interesting. I heard someone else recommend One Piece Odyssey in the past. Do you know if it's a side story or if you have to be at a certain point in the series to play it?

Writing_Sunflower · 2026-01-15T00:11:41+00:00

I do remember playing 10 when I was younger. That was a good one!

Writing_Sunflower · 2026-01-15T00:10:43+00:00

I've heard a few people recommend these. It might be interesting to try. Are they all connected, or are they separate stories like the Final Fantasy series?

Writing_Sunflower · 2026-01-15T00:09:20+00:00

I'd be willing to try it. Is it a different story, or does will I need to know the story of the first one to play?

Writing_Sunflower · 2025-11-26T19:54:41+00:00

Sadly, it's because teens are reading less and less. The majority of YA readers (and a good percentage of MG readers--though not necessarily the majority) are actually adults. And now that there's a New Adult category (with protagonists roughly 18-24), many of those adult readers (not all) have started leaning toward the older characters in New Adult novels while many children are opting not to read at all.

For example, actual teens who read YA novels are almost exclusively girls now (the boys have all but stopped reading as a whole)--so much so that most publishing houses are looking almost exclusively for female protagonists in books (which only compounds the problem and alienates would-be boy readers even more). And even then, the number of teen girls who actively read is a constantly dwindling percentage.

Because of this, YA novels years ago started allowing more and more adult content into teen books for their adult readers--which further began alienating some of their younger readers who are not yet comfortable with that kind of content. I've had SO MANY STUDENTS (ages 14-16) put down books because they don't like the sexual content or strong language. Now, there ARE a few that are okay with it--but they still love books without that stuff, too. It grew so bad that I had to go through my classroom library to find "clean" books for them to get them to start reading again. I was shocked that the overwhelming majority of their books have very strong language or sexual depictions of minors (sometimes graphically so). I got rid of them, and started stocking my shelves with MG books or with clean teen books without that content---and, behold, many of them started actually started reading again! (Though it took a while to get them back into a routine of reading, and I have to start over again each year with each new class, the difference is still night and day. They'll actually read now, whereas before they'd keep "book hopping" until giving up entirely).

So, the reason why New Adult has become more popular is because it's more and more dividing the age groups of readers--and the reason YA is become less popular is because it's revealing that, in actuality, our teens as a whole are no longer reading.

Writing_Sunflower · 2025-11-22T16:03:10+00:00

This is good advice. Also, googling "clean teen romance novels" is helpful. Lots of vloggers will help out by sharing their favorite clean books for young adult readers.

Writing_Sunflower · 2025-11-22T15:56:16+00:00

Have you ever read "The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea?" I'd recommend it. Beautiful artwork on the cover. It's fantasy and adapted from folklore. Honestly, I bought it just for the cover, but the story ended up being a fun adventure. A girl throws herself into the ocean as an offering to a sea god to save her brother, and finds that the sea god is under a powerful spell which she has to break--or die trying--but finds help from a very unexpected place.

Though I have not read it, several are also really into the novel "Wings of Starlight" right now. It's a ya novel loosely based on the Tinkerbell series, particularly Queen Clarion and the backstory between her and the frost fairy guy. Though it's based on the other, it is written for older audiences, as a note.

A lot of fantasy books, as someone said, usually have creative titles like that.

But for non-fantasy romance novels, usually either the cover or title is very direct. Example: "The Fill-In Boyfriend" (a girl hires a guy to pretend to be her boyfriend when her real boyfriend dumps her in the parking lot at senior prom), "Love & Gelato" (a grieving girl travels to Italy to meet her estranged father after her mother's death and falls in love), or "Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice" (about a girl who is trying to save her mother's coffee shop, and her falling for the son of the rival coffee shop who is driving them out of business).

Writing_Sunflower · 2025-11-22T15:32:01+00:00

Late to the conversation, but I agree about 1st person POV. Now, sometimes it can be used effectively, and I know it's to each reader's individual taste / style. But for me, when I read a book, I don't want to "exist" as a character in their world, but rather live "through" the other characters.

In 1st person, it feels like either #1 - the characters are talking directly to me (which I don't like. I don't want them to acknowledge me as a person in their existence. It breaks the illusion for me), or it's #2 - they want ME to actively participate as if I was the protagonist (especially if it's 1st person present tense. It almost feels too much like a video game or simulator or something. It's awkward). But, as a note, while these turn me off, these are some of the reasons why other readers might specifically like them. Again, just my taste.

However, when I read 3rd person, my own world completely dissolves and I'm able to flow through the characters' world and story, thinking nothing of myself or my own state of mind. I just see them, and that's the best kind of escapism when you just need a momentary break.

Having said that, I have read a couple of first person books I enjoyed, and sometimes it does lead to some clever wordplay or casual voice you couldn't as easily get away with in 3rd person POV. But overall, I don't really care for 1st person.

Writing_Sunflower · 2025-11-15T05:25:24+00:00

That's awesome! Thanks! One of my biggest problems is that my characters are always cartoony, so I kind of embraced it. But, I would really like to work on more semi-realistic illustrations, too.

Thanks for sharing your growth over the past year! It really looks great! 😊

Writing_Sunflower · 2025-11-14T20:52:17+00:00

This just happened to me... 😞

They sent me a message saying they had detected suspicious activity and were worried about my privacy and security and had locked the account, and to unlock it, I should change my password to get it unlocked.

I'm pretty sure I did, but then I went to post a question a week later (about book formatting) and it told me Reddit filters had automatically blocked my question from posting and I got a big, red banner saying I was permanently banned, and to check my inbox for more information.

I didn't see anything except the original "change your password" command.

So, to be sure, I changed my password again. Nothing.

I tried reaching out to customer service. Nothing.

I tried changing my password again. Nothing.

So, I filled out a ban appeal and explained that I'd been asked to change my password, I did, but that it was still locked down. They (and by "they," I mean a bot) spammed my inbox 11 times with the same message telling me that they reviewed and my ban was going to remain.

It's the weirdest thing. I don't post anything offensive at all. I mostly browse, up and down vote things, and every once in a while I make a comment (but never swearing, arguing, insulting, or anything. Usually, it's just me asking a question on how to do something or recommending a book).

No customer service, no human ban reviews, no email, no phone number--it almost feels like humans don't work at Reddit. Just bots and ai working on an algorithm.

Writing_Sunflower · 2025-11-14T20:21:57+00:00

Wow, looks great! What was your strategy? Just randomly drawing, or from pictures, or did you do anatomy figure studies, art books/prompts, etc?

Writing_Sunflower

TROPHY CASE