• Home
  • About/Contact
  • Hire Me
  • Disclosure
  • Book Lovers Club
  • Libraries IRL
  • Lit Lovers Link Party

8 Books for Teen Girls That Aren’t All About Romance or Vampires

December 7, 2010 by Meet Brenda 6 Comments

no romance no vampires teen girls

A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly

This book is a historical novel about a 16 year old girl growing up in the early 1900s. She works at a hotel to help pay for college where she hopes to study writing. However, social conventions and her love for her family make her hesitate to pursue that dream. This story is not your typically romantic view of the early 1900s and it shows some of the more gruesome aspects of early 20th century living, including repression, racism and cruelty.

sisterhood of the traveling pants seriesThe Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

This story centers around four girls who grew up together. In the story, they are 15 years old and facing their first summer apart. They send the pants to each other to encourage and remind the other girls of their strong friendship, even while apart. Subsequent Sisterhood books expand the relationship and shed some light on the difficult process of growing up.

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

This story gives a modern twist to the classic fairy tale of Cinderella. It explores the difficulties of marrying someone at sixteen whom you hardly know at all. This is a fun a quirky story that fans of princess tales will love. Levine has also written several other stories based on other classic fairy tales that are also enjoyable.

The Princess Diaries Series by Meg Cabotprincess diaries book cover

This series follows the high school career of Mia Thermopolis as she discovers that not only is she one of the most awkward girls in her school, but she also is a princess. If a girl has only seen the movie, she will be pleasantly surprised at the depth and realism present in the books that was deleted from the movie. The book series is no fairytale. Other books by Meg Cabot are also enjoyable and fun.

Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

If your middle schooler or junior high student neglected to read Harry Potter, it is also an entertaining read as a high school student. The fantasy may not appeal to all girls, but the writing is good enough to keep most older readers entertained.

pride and prejudice book coverPride and Prejudice by Jane Austin

This is the classic story of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. They start out hating one another, but then the feelings change to love. The story can drag, but it is a classic that many teen girls (and fully grown women) fall in love with. My favorite part is how she mocks the entire system of her then-modern society throughout the book.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

This story follows another classic romance of Katherine and Heathcliff. The tale is heartbreaking and somewhat tragic, and is also an interesting social picture into the minds of people that lived in the early 1800s. I love how downright creepy the story is in parts. Wuthering Heights is a classic Gothic novel for a reason.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

This story is my favorite classic novel. Jane is a governess for Mr. Rochester’s French daughter. Jane is headstrong, independent and funny. She does not put up with misbehavior and does not allow men to control her life. Considering the time the story was written, it was somewhat revolutionary. I love how she sticks to what she believes in no matter what.

There aren’t that many books marketed to teen girls that don’t have romance as a heavy part of the book. Can you think of any? 

Filed Under: Book Lists Tagged With: books for girls, books for girls who do not like vampires, classic books for teen girls, high school books, non-romance books for teen girls, non-vampire books for girls, teen books, teen YA books without romance, the best books for teen girls, YA reads that are not paranormal

Meet Brenda
Meet Brenda
Writer, Editor, Blogger, Book Nerd
I'm Brenda. I'm a writer and a reader.
Daily Mayo is all about having fun while reading, without rules! If you love books as much as I do, join the DM Book Lover's Club to keep up with the latest in the book world and get the DM Book Club Reading List.
Come get to know me and let's talk books!
Love Game of Thrones? Don't miss these incredibly creative presentations of Game of Thrones wall art! Perfect for the Game of Thrones fans in your life! Waiting for that next Game of Thrones book? These books like Game of Thrones offer all of the epic fantasy with none of the wait.

Copyright © 2019 · Lifestyle Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in