Find your next great read by exploring my reviews of this eclectic collection of YA books about self esteem and self reliance.
Reading books about confident protagonists or characters who overcome challenges to achieve great things can be very motivational. Who doesn’t love a hero? Don’t we all cheer for survivors and winners? Those words apply to ordinary people, not just Marvels.
Here are my personal recommendations for YA books about self esteem and self reliance. What the stories have in common is one or more characters who struggle and grow. This is what it means to be human.
Coywood Creek by Khristina Chess
“With an unremarkable click, like a period at the end of a sentence, the world ended.” ― Khristina Chess, quote from Coywood Creek
With that chilling opening, Coywood Creek takes off—an addictive dystopian novel that’s equal parts humor, heart, and survival.
At first, Zoey brushes off the blackout, the dead cell service, and the eerie northern lights. But as reality sets in, she knows one thing: she can’t stay in her parents’ condo alone. She sets out for Coywood Creek, hoping to find safety with her uncle and grandmother. Instead, she finds something else entirely.
Holy macaroni—this book is a page-turner! Zoey is sharp, relatable, and hilarious, navigating the collapse of civilization with her signature sarcasm (and a bag of OREO cookies). Her banter with Kent made me laugh out loud, even as the novel’s deeper themes—resilience, uncertainty, and survival—kept me hooked. But more than anything, Coywood Creek forces you to ask: How fragile are we without our technology?
Readers looking for fun, fast-paced YA books about self-esteem and self-reliance should pick up this new release by Khristina Chess.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
“But it is the nature of stars to cross, and never was Shakespeare more wrong than when he has Cassius note, ‘The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars / But in ourselves.” ― John Green, quote from The Fault in Our Stars
The Fault in Our Stars is the ultimate YA book about self esteem and reliance. Augustus Waters and Hazel Grace are two teens with cancer, and they fall in love during a sweet time of remission. They talk about literature and philosophy, and they go on a wonderful journey to meet the author of Hazel’s favorite novel. This person is not at all what she expected—a huge disappointment, as a matter of fact—but then, life happens that way.
When the inevitable plot turn comes and twists the knife in your heart, it doesn’t matter that you’re expecting it. Augustus and Hazel are supposed to be together, so every bittersweet moment of their parting is a gasp. Every breath counts. Every syllable.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
This series has everything: a relatable and flawed heroine in Katniss, a love triangle, life-and-death adventure, good and evil, self reliance, a stark world of intense poverty contrasted against ridiculous gluttony, and deeper themes about society at large.
This series is amazing. I could read it multiple times and still find new things to love. I have seen the movies multiple times, but there are things in the books that are just wonderful.
Don’t miss these lovely books if you’re looking for YA books about self esteem and self reliance.
Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis
“There's different ways of doing things wrong, Lynn, and not all of it is choosing to hurt others. Sometimes it's the things you don't do that make you feel the worst.” ― Mindy McGinnis, quote from Not a Drop to Drink
Set in an apocalyptic future where drinking water is scarce and people fight for survival in a wild frontier, Lynn is a young woman in rural Ohio defending a pond and her homestead. Her mother raised her to distrust, to fight, and to live, and that's what she intends to do.
I enjoyed watching Lynn's fierce character evolve into a person who was willing to allow others into her life, to trust and even love. Despite her hardness, she had a kind heart. There were some interesting scenes in interactions with other people, like the stranger on the road, that tested her humanity.
Not a Drop to Drink was also a fast, thrilling YA book about dystopian survival, and its sequel, In a Handful of Dust, follows Lynn and her adopted daughter Lucy into the unknown after a mysterious plague drives them away from their home and community and into the wilderness.
If you’re looking for compelling YA books about self esteem and self reliance, give these two a try. In fact, Mindy McGinnis is so awesome she’s on my list of Best YA Authors to Binge on Kindle Unlimited.
Against the Pack by Khristina Chess
“All I knew with absolute confidence was that I could move and she couldn’t. If I stayed, we might both die waiting. If I left, we might both die alone. If I left, she might die alone, but I might find help and live. Or I might find help in time, lead them to the shelter, and we might both live.” ― Khristina Chess, quote from Against the Pack
While walking on a rural road, Melender and her mom are attacked by a pack of dogs—forced over a near-vertical hillside into a ravine. Now they’re trapped. Wounded. Stranded on a narrow ledge with no food, no water, no shelter. No phone. No way out.
No one knows where they are. No one even knows they’re missing.
The only thing Melender has is her will to survive.
She doesn’t want to leave her critically injured mom behind, but if she doesn’t find help soon, neither of them will make it.
OH MY GOSH—this book is impossible to put down! Against the Pack is a pulse-pounding survival thriller that grips you from the first page and never lets go. Melender is gritty, determined, and unforgettable, and her journey is as emotional as it is harrowing. As the hours stretch into days, the novel doesn’t just test her endurance—it unravels the complicated, raw truths of her relationship with her mother.
If you love high-stakes stories that test a character’s self-reliance, Against the Pack is an action-packed, emotionally intense YA thriller that will keep you on edge until the very last page. Melender’s fight to survive isn’t just physical—it’s psychological, raw, and deeply personal. You won’t be able to put this one down!
Wonder When You’ll Miss Me by Amanda Davis
“I'd lost forty-eight pounds and my skin had mostly cleared up. I'd missed a whole semester of school and disappeared for seven months. It seemed like no one had even noticed I was gone.” ― Amanda Davis, quote from Wonder When You’ll Miss Me
In Wonder When You’ll Miss Me, sixteen-year-old Faith Duckle still talks to The Fat Girl. She sees her too. Usually The Fat Girl is eating something and offering snarky commentary or advice. Sometimes Faith tells her to go away. Sometimes she listens to her.
Faith was sexually assaulted by a group of boys who made sport of her as the fat girl, and then she tried to kill herself. Then she ended up in a hospital, where she lost the weight but not The Fat Girl. She’s still hanging around.
This is the beginning of the story.
The real story is Faith’s journey when she runs away to join the circus, takes a new name, gets a tattoo, and becomes a handler of elephants. The real story is how Faith and The Fat Girl found healing after such a terrible event.
I loved this book when I read it twenty years ago, and I love it still. Amanda Davis was a gifted author, and you don’t want to miss this YA book about a girl with low self esteem who finds a path through trauma to redemption. Sadly, this author died in a small plane crash at the age of 32, and Wonder When You’ll Miss Me was her only novel.
Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven
“I know what you’re thinking- if you hate it so much and it’s such a burden, just lose the weight, and then that job will go away. But I’m comfortable where I am. I may lose more weight. I may not. But why should what I weigh affect other people? I mean unless I’m sitting on them, who cares?” ― Jennifer Niven, quote from Holding Up the Universe
I loved this book. Told in alternating viewpoints, this is the story of Libby and Jack. Libby, who weighed 653 pounds at her heaviest, was once labeled “America’s Fattest Teen” and had to be cut out of her own house. After losing a great deal of weight, she returns to school, where she meets Jack through a rather bumpy beginning.
Their relationship struggles are painful but authentic, and the message of the book is that “seeing someone” can happen in many ways. This theme comes through in Jack’s rare condition, Prosopagnosia, which means he can’t recognize people’s faces. He can see but can’t.
As events unfold, Jack and Libby learn about forgiveness and self-acceptance, as well as the transformational power of kindness.
If you’re looking for one of the the sweetest YA books about self esteem and self reliance that give all the good feels, pick up this classic from Jennifer Niven. I hope you like it as much as I did.
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
“What’s the point of having a voice if you’re gonna be silent in those moments you shouldn’t be?” ― Angie Thomas, quote from The Hate U Give
I saw this book everywhere and picked it up, wondering what all the fuss is about. Wow. I couldn't put it down. Starr is an amazing character in a perfectly-crafted situation that screams with tension, suspense, and emotion. Her emotions are raw and authentic. You can feel her little-girl timidity in the grand jury testimony and her grief and rage in the scene with Hailey. Her world is vivid and real. The pain of her dual life and the conflict it causes her is palatable. I loved this book. I love this girl. I want to see her again, doing more, making a difference. She's made me believe in her.
The Hate You Give should be at the top of your must-read list of eclectic YA books about self esteem and self reliance. In fact, after reading this one, I wanted to read everything Angie Thomas has written and also added her to my list of Best YA Authors to Binge on Kindle Unlimited because she’s so amazing!
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
“We all have to find our own ways to say good-bye.” ― Sherman Alexie, quote from The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Junior Spirit is a courageous boy who dares to leave the reservation, his school, and his best friend to seek a different life. His story is funny, heartbreaking, inspiring, and brave. I loved his quirky voice, his cartoons, and I cheered so hard for him in his basketball game.
This novel highlights the contrast between extreme poverty and wealth, as well as racial differences. These themes are handled with humor and sensitivity.
In a list of thought-provoking YA books self esteem books, this one really shines!
We Walked the Sky by Lisa Fiedler
“The show must go on, even when it's not the show you expected to be in.” ― Lisa Felder, quote from We Walked the Sky
Fiedler's multi-generational novel really captured and held my interest. Two parallel stories are running: the grandmother, Victoria, is a 16-year-old who runs away and joins the circus in 1965, and her granddaughter, Callie, is a teen who has followed in her circus footsteps, but now finds herself in a new place.
There are mysteries to unravel and friendships to develop. I loved all the circus lore and animals and characters. Really, it was an enchanting story. I want to read more by this author.
When compiling the list of eclectic YA books about self esteem and self reliance, to read next, be sure to add this one near the top.
Other YA Books about Self Esteem and Self Reliance
If you are looking other YA books about self esteem and self reliance, check out the YA Self Esteem Books list on Goodreads. You might also be interested in my post, Other Good Reads, which has a comprehensive list of reviews of YA books by type of tough topic, including substance abuse, mental illness, and others.
Do you have any personal favorites to recommend to me? I’m always looking for another great read in this category.
Khristina Chess is the award-winning author of several YA novels about troubled teens turning corners. You can find her on Amazon, Goodreads, and Twitter as an active daily contributor in the #5amwritersclub.