New Teen Fiction by Chicago Authors

One of the best things about writing is that you can do it from anywhere! A cabin in Alaska, a coffee shop in New York City, or—as some of the best writers of teen fiction in the country have proven—right here in Chicago. Check out these new teen books by Chicago-area writers.

Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All by Laura Ruby is the story of two girls, one dead and one alive, set at a real-life orphanage in Rogers Park in the 1940s. A National Book Award Finalist, Thirteen Doorways is fascinating, funny and heartbreaking all at the same time. If you're looking for books about family and friendship and resilience in the face of hardship, look no further than this gem. 

Internment by Samira Ahmed is set in a horrifying near-future United States where Layla Amin and her parents are forced into an internment camp for Muslim American citizens. Timely and fast paced, this novel will leave you thinking long after you close the cover. 

Our Wayward Fate by Gloria Chao follows Ali Chu, the only Asian person in her rural school until suddenly... she isn't. After Chase Yu moves to town, the two bond over shared language and interests. But when Ali's mother disapproves of their budding relationship, Ali starts looking for a reason and might uncover something she didn't want to know.

When Pup Flanagan's brother died in Sorry for your Loss by Jessie Ann Foley, everything fell apart. When he discovers a talent for photography, it starts to come back into focus. This novel, about family and grief and loss and healing, is for all the teens who live with an emergency inside them.