So I’m only sixteen so it would probably best to be recommended books that a young adult can comprehend, but anyways I think I’m kind of selfish and umempathetic (I’m autistic which may have something to do with it) but my parents are always commenting on it so I wanna get better, any recommendations?
by Academic_Reason_7804
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**The Catcher In the Rye** by J.D. Salinger
– Follows the experiences of 16-year-old Holden Caulfield after he is expelled from his prep school. Narrated from a sanatorium, the story details his few days in New York City as he grapples with teenage angst, alienation, and a strong aversion to the “phoniness” of the adult world. The novel is a coming-of-age story that explores themes of innocence, identity, and loss.
**Lord of the Flies** by William Golding
– Through a group dynamic, the book explores the dark capacity within teenage boys for cruelty and bullying when freed from societal rules. Characters like Jack quickly embrace their worst impulses.
**The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time** by Mark Haddon
– Follows Christopher Boone, a 15-year-old boy with autism, as he investigates the murder of his neighbor’s dog. Told from Christopher’s unique, logical perspective, the story uses his investigation as a catalyst for him to uncover hidden truths about his own family.
I Am the Messenger by Marcus Zusak
I’m not sure I agree with your parents’ assessment, but The Awesome Autistic Go-To Guide by Yenn Purkis and Tanya Masterman can help with anxiety and managing sensory stuff.
If you’re into horror/fantasy, The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White.
Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly. This is one of my favorite books that I first read when I was 13. I reread it again recently as a 27-year-old and even though I found some lines cringey now (it was her first novel lol her later books are more brilliantly written), it is still such a powerful story. The protagonist, Andi, is severely depressed following a tragedy in the family and this is basically the story of how she overcomes it with music and the diary of a girl who was alive during the French Revolution. It has a bit of a historical fiction aspect to it because of the diary and so it also gets dark at times. Andi’s depression also pushes her to be horrible to the people she loves. Not sure if this will help with learning empathy but stories at least give us a view into emotions previously inaccessible to us for whatever reason.
Big trigger warning for suicide attempt. Maybe not the book to read if you are currently going through something
Another rec is something more lighthearted and grapples with how hard it is for young girls to find a place in STEM. My Mechanical Romance by Alexene Farrol Fulmoth. It is a bit of a love story in the way of first love, but it’s really more about the protagonist’s journey into the world of robotics and proving to the world that she has a place in it. That she’s allowed to take up space.
In both books, the protagonists are 17.
A Confederacy of Dunces