From a literature teacher: 4 books for 17-year olds.

For my classes next year I’d like to let my students choose one of four novels to discuss in a bookclub. I want the novels to be very diverse, with settings in either the 19th or 20th century and still be relevant today. I don’t want to scare them off with needlessly complex language, but get them excited about reading, and learning something about history and society along the way.

So here’s my question: what book would you put on the list and why?