Find your next great read for National Substance Abuse Prediction Month by exploring my reviews of these YA books featuring characters dealing with substance abuse.
Since the COVID pandemic, existing problems with alcohol and prescription drug abuse have only multiplied, and with the sharp rise of fentanyl use, record numbers of people are dying from drug-involved overdose deaths. Yet despite the tragic toll of the opioid crisis on young people, few YA novels exist that actually feature characters dealing with substance abuse and recovery.
Why?
Reading books about heroine and pain pill abuse can help save lives by illuminating what the symptoms and behaviors of narcotics abuse looks like. Through the dramatic power of story, someone may recognize that something is wrong in their own life or in the lives of one of their friends or loved ones.
Reading stories through the character’s viewpoint may also grant an additional level of compassion for someone wrestling with addiction and drug abuse. In the best scenario, holding up a fictional mirror leads someone to seek help.
Reading these stories gives important insight into understanding how addiction can take hold of friends, siblings, children, or other loved ones and forever change life for everyone. We need these stories.
Here are some important YA books featuring characters dealing with substance abuse that are worth reading.
Swallow the Rainbow Khristina Chess
“That’s the thing about addiction. Now that I’m hooked, nothing else matters. Nothing. Not my mom, not Mr. Purrty, not the power outage, not my lack of clean clothes or showering, not the disaster surrounding us, not these kind people taking care of me, not my friends, nothing but the addiction”― Khristina Chess, quote from Swallow the Rainbow
The worst part about the tornado isn’t the car on Savannah Young’s roof.
It’s not her missing mom. Not the cat she can’t find. Not the ten-day power outage.
It’s the fact that she’s out of pain pills—with no way to get more.
Withdrawal is coming. And she knows it’s going to get very, very bad.
As neighbors come together to survive the historic storm’s aftermath, Savannah fights a different battle—opioid addiction, survivor’s guilt, and a past that refuses to let go. She made it through the car crash that killed her brother. She made it through the tornado. But this time, surviving opioid addiction might be the hardest thing of all.
Wow—this book is unforgettable. Swallow the Rainbow grabs you from the first page and never lets go. Savannah’s sharp, darkly unique perspective makes this more than just another teen addiction story—it’s raw, emotional, and beautifully crafted.
If you’re looking for YA books featuring characters dealing with substance abuse, this must-read belongs in your TBR pile.
You’d Be Home Now by Kathleen Glasgow
“Someone I used to know said that’s the problem with adults. They just see kids as they want them to be, what they aren’t, and not as they are. I think about that all the time. Like, how much time and pain and suffering could be eliminated if you just accepted the kid in front of you and stopped trying to fix them. Maybe there is no “fixing.” Maybe there is just heartbreak and love and trying to help them stay alive, whatever it takes.” ― Kathleen Glasgow, quote from You’d Be Home Now
Kathleen Glasgow knows how to make me cry.
You’d Be Home Now is a YA story about substance abuse, siblings, unrequited love, bullying, finding one’s voice, friendship, hope, and so much more. I couldn’t put it down.
Emory’s older brother Joey is struggling to recover from opioid addiction. Her overbearing mother assigns her the task of monitoring his progress, and when he stumbles, Emory tries to cover for him. Meanwhile, Emory is hooking up with the baseball star next door, and things have gone too far. She finds herself in a storm where everything—everything—is wrong!
I loved this book. I love all Kathleen Glasgow’s book. If you’re looking for a great read about siblings and substance abuse, this one’s for you. In fact, Kathleen Glasgow is such a great author that she’s on my list of Best YA Authors to Binge on Kindle Unlimited because she’s all-around amazing!
Heroine by Mindy McGinnis
“When I wake up, all my friends are dead. I don’t know when they stopped breathing, or how long I slept while they dropped off one by one.” ― Mindy McGinnis, quote from Heroine
Those are the opening words of Heroine, the compelling novel about the slow slide of Mickey from Catalan from her position as a star student athlete to heroin addict. It begins with a terrible car accident and pain. Determine to make it back on the field, she uses the prescription painkillers to accelerate her recovery.
But then she’s out of pills and needs more.
What’s so compelling about Heroine is Mickey’s slow slide into addiction and her denial about her situation. She justifies every step of the way. The means justifies the ends, every time.
I did not watch my friends die.
I did not leave their bodies cooling in a basement.
I am not an addict.
Heroine is one of the best YA books featuring characters dealing with substance abuse that I’ve ever read. It’s real and raw, and I couldn’t look away. I really rooted for her to find a way to health.
The First True Thing by Claire Needell
“People sometimes go with their instincts. They have sympathy. They care about people. I think Martin learned something when he messed up. Like now he really knows he wants to be here. Like he actually knows why he’s here and what this Group is really for.” ― Claire Needell, quote from The First True Thing
The First True Thing is both a mystery and a book about a teen working through the hard parts of recovery.
The mystery is that Marcelle’s friend Hannah is missing, and Marcelle was the last person to hear from her. What happened? What should she do? And if she tells the truth, the whole truth, what does that mean for her friends?
Working through this dilemma is part of her recovery because lying, hiding, hanging out with people who aren't good for her are all behaviors associated with her drinking.
Books about people in recovery can be hard to read. Addiction and drug abuse makes people choose the wrong thing, and Marcelle does that before she chooses the right thing. Therapy and group can seem dull or even frustrating. However, the ending of her story was satisfying to me because she grew and made the positive steps she needed to make. I felt she was on a good track by the end.
If you’re looking for YA books featuring characters dealing with substance abuse issues, The First True Thing is definitely worth a look.
Opioid, Indiana by Brian Allen Carr
After reading Heroin by Mindy McGinnis, I wanted to find more YA novels about drug use, but this book isn't about that. Despite the title, this book really isn't about drug use at all.
Seventeen-year-old Riggle is living with his uncle and uncle's girlfriend in Indiana because both of his parents are dead. Riggle is definitely dealing with lingering grief and trauma resulting from the ways each of his parents died, and now his uncle--his only remaining relative--is also missing.
Riggle has a great voice and viewpoint. His story is short and tragic, but it ended leaving me with the feeling that something was missing. I wish the book had a different title, or I'd come to it with different expectations.
Other YA Books Featuring Characters Dealing with Substance Abuse
In addition to these recommendations about YA books featuring characters dealing with substance abuse, you can also find YA Drug & Substance Abuse Novels on Goodreads, but those lists are broad and do not necessarily focus only on viewpoint characters wrestling with addiction. 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 eating disorders, substance abuse, mental illness, and others.
Do you have any good suggestions to add to my list? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
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.