We've got your back. With the Tough-O-Meter, you'll know whether to bring extra layers or Swiss army knives as you summit the literary mountain. (10 = Toughest)
(3) Base Camp
Fangirl requires young readers to imagine what college will be like, and whether they'll be more like Cath or Wren. Both are dysfunctional, but you'll have to decide which one wins the prize for the most mom-related damage. The discussions about literature and why people write can be heady at times, and the length might seem daunting at first, but the characters are so compelling, and the dialogue so funny and realistic, that the story carries you right along. It will be even more compelling for Harry Potter fans, but you don't have to be at all familiar with the books to get it.