by ThekipriceWhat Are Some Realistic Fiction Books To Get You Hooked?
Fiction is like building a whole new world, page after page. Feeding your imagination with emotions, suspense, thrill, and everything needed to understand a story. Horror, fantasy, and sci-fi are the most common fiction genres. It is a fantastic escapade from the real world where you are the main character, narrator, and witness to whatever goes into the books of four heroes.
Although these stories may not have a chance of happening in real life, fiction can be inspired by reality. Realistic fiction is believable and can happen in real life. It’s a great way to relate your happiness, sorrows, difficulties, and challenges to a book. Just like fiction, reality can also be adventurous and exciting. Realistic fiction books help the reader realize the gift of life and how they can make it fruitful. You can learn a lesson or two from this genre as it tells diverse stories of people like us.
Below is a list of books that do not require magic spells or cyborgs to become interesting. They pique your interest with a strong plot, dynamic characters, and a message to ponder.
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
This book is a must-read for any teen going through a hard time.
It’s the first published work by Rainbow Rowell. The book follows the story of Wren and Cath, two twin sisters with a very busy father and an absent mother. Cath’s life is all about being a Simon Snow fan. She’s an introvert and loves staying in her room, fangirling, and reading books. In contrast, Wren is an extrovert who loves going to parties. Wren is Cath’s only best friend; they do all the fan girl activities together. However, all of this changes when they go to college. Wren tells Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates anymore. Breaking out of her comfort zone, Cath has to deal with a boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor, and a chatty classmate all on her own.
Now that Cath’s sister has grown out from the fandom and their relationship, can Cath survive college alone? Is she ready to move on? Which means she has to close the Simon Snow chapter completely. This book touches life in different ways. From portraying two contrasting personalities in the form of twins and the struggles, they face as teens.
Rowell discusses social awkwardness, peer pressure, and anxiety from different angles in this book. It is a brilliant read with a relatable main character and every teen’s problems.
The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton
This book is a beautiful depiction of belonging and friendship.
It is a coming-of-age novel written over 50 years ago by S. E. Hinton when she was only sixteen. The Outsiders follow a two-week journey of a fourteen-year-old boy named Ponyboy Curtis.
He considers himself an outsider to society and struggles to differentiate between the rights and wrongs of society.
Ponyboy has a simple view of life. He divides the society members into two groups: A soc and a greaser. Soc is a privileged socialite with money connections and an unbothered attitude. In contrast, a greaser is the weaker person who must watch it back constantly.
Ponyboy is a proud greaser who would fight hundreds of Socs for his fellow men. However, his bifurcated world crumbles when he witnesses his friend Johnny kill a soc. This incident teaches him that whether he is a soc or a greaser, the pain feels the same for both of them.
This book revolutionized the way readers viewed the young adult genre. Its portrayal of teen characters was way ahead of what teens were supposed to be. They were brave, selfless, and courageous. They never felt afraid to put others before them.
To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee
This real-life fiction was an instant success for its excellent portrayal of racial prejudice and the consequences of racism.
To kill a Mockingbird is about two siblings, Scout and Gem Set in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama. Scout and Gem are raised by a widowed father who is a lawyer and teaches his children justice and empathy. When Tom Robinson, a black resident of their town, is falsely accused of rape, Atticus agrees to help him despite continuous threats from his community. However, the crisis of conscience kicks in when Tom is murdered in custody. Meanwhile, the children play their version of this prejudice as they get hooked on “Boo.” He is a local legend and a social recluse who makes his presence known much later in the series when he saves Jen and Scott from deadly danger.
Depicted as a “senseless slaughter of the songbirds,” this story is anything but fantasy. You will be able to relate to many situations and incidents happening around you. And also come to terms with how good and evil co-exist in a society.
Wonder by R. J. Palacio
Wonder is one of the books where the reader wants to give a bear hug to every character.
Wonder is a story of a boy named “Auggie”-August Pullman. Auggie’s face is disfigured due to a genetic disorder and requires multiple surgeries and medical care. This book follows his journey to his first mainstream school Beecher Prep as he faces bullies and tries to make friends. Throughout the novel, he makes friends, confronts the bullies, and stands up for them. Beginning from the 5th grade of his first school, he wishes nothing more than to be seen as a normal kid. This book documents Auggie’s journey from being a dependent scrawny child to an independent person.
Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan
It is a moving story about being an outsider and finding triumph amid chaos and grief.
Counting by 7s follows the story of willow chance, a 12-year-old girl who loves nature and likes to count by 7s. She has always been close to her adoptive parents and has lived happily. HU things take a turn for the worse when her parents pass away in a car accident, leaving her all alone to fend for herself. But this does not keep her from finding happiness amidst the chaos.
As much as it sounds like a tragedy, it is not. The beauty of this book lies in Willow’s unbreakable spirit and hope. She looks for happiness even in the darkest moments of life, giving a ray of hope to anyone facing a similar situation in the real world.
Although it may look like another “orphan finds a home” story, the lessons, cast, and lessons make it worthwhile.
Life in a Fishbowl by Len Vlahos
It has some of the funniest laugh-out-loud moments and a story that draws the reader’s undivided attention to the end.
Len Vlahos tells us the story of Jackie Stone, a fifteen-year-old whose life turns upside down when she learns about her father’s brain tumor. Also, since he has auctioned himself on eBay, all hell breaks loose when a reality show executive takes the reins of Jackie’s life. So now she has to fight back and find allies online to protect her privacy. Together, Jackie and her family fight to get their dignified lives back by getting the cameras out of the house.
Life in a fish bowl beautifully breaks the stereotypes of prevalent young adult fiction. Unlike the previous work of Vlaho, this story has perspectives of adult characters relating it to adult literature. However, what pull keeps it in the young adult category is the tone in which the story is described or written.
Realistic Fiction that Leaves You Wanting More
All these books have characters that are likely to exist in real life. From courageous full-of-life children to introverted yet strong-willed teenagers, you’ll find all of them relatable. These books address real-life social, moral, and ethical issues using imaginary characters who relate to the reader to some extent. However, reading some fantasy fiction like Books of Four Heroes to lighten up the mood is never too bad. Grab a copy of K. I. Price’s Chosen to read the heroic journey of Zuri and how he wins the fight of good versus evil.