Looking for an unforgettable collection of YA books about teen runaways? As an award-winning author and veteran blogger, I’ve spent over a decade analyzing and recommending the most impactful novels that explore the dangers facing youth who leave the safety of home.
Grim statistics for teen runaways tell us that as many as 2.8 million children run away from home every year. This decision can lead to homelessness, the end of their education, drug abuse, being taken advantage of by predators, and desperate choices for food.
You’ll find detailed reviews of a dozen novels in the roundup below. I’m confident you’ll find your next great read for National Runaway Prevention Month in the list below.
Forgotten But Never Gone by Khristina Chess
runaway Themes
Mystery & friendship
What it’s about
A girl walks up the road and vanishes from sight, and the town’s apathy proves as terrifying as the darkness that swallowed her.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“I think it was this rebellious quality about her that allowed everyone to write off her disappearance so easily. Kids like Half-pint ran away. This whole generation was full of delinquents. Blah, blah, blah.” – Khristina Chess from Forgotten But Never Gone
If you’re drawn to those cold case shows and unsolved mysteries, those heartbreaking stories of missing girls and unclaimed Jane Does, Forgotten But Never Gone is for you. Set in 1980, this historical YA novel transports readers back to a time before AMBER alerts and 24-hour news cycles, when carefree kids roamed neighborhoods with little supervision and always returned home in time for supper.
Except sometimes they didn’t.
The story begins with the disappearance of fifteen-year-old Rosie Fields, affectionately nicknamed “Half-pint.” One of the last to see her was Bobby, a foster kid whose life Rosie once saved. When the police dismiss her case as just another runaway, Bobby refuses to accept it, and in his relentless search, he follows one lead after another until he makes a shocking discovery.
I highly recommend this layered and unsettling YA mystery, which exposes some of the reasons why more people seemed to vanish without a trace in the 70s and 80s. What makes this book especially powerful is its dual resonance: it’s both a gripping page-turner and a thoughtful exploration of how society failed vulnerable youth in the past. Bobby’s determination reminds us that sometimes the most unlikely person can become the keeper of truth, and that refusing to forget is itself an act of justice.
Fans of historical mysteries, true crime narratives, or YA novels with grit and heart will love Forgotten But Never Gone. The story lingers long after the final page, leaving you haunted not only by Rosie’s fate but by the real-life children who have never been found.
Sadie by Courtney Summers
Runaway Themes
Mystery, sisterhood, & trauma
What it’s about
A girl leaves home and goes on a journey to seek justice against her sister’s killer.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“How do you forgive the people who are supposed to protect you? Sometimes, I don't know what I miss more; everything I've lost or everything I never had.” ― Courtney Summers, quote from Sadie
Sadie knows who killed her younger sister.
She leaves home and goes on a journey to seek justice against her sister’s killer. She has plenty of personal reasons to hate him, and he deserves to die for his crimes.
This novel alternates between young Sadie, who is a missing teen, and a podcast show, where details of her disappearance are told through a series of interviews. I think I would have loved this book even more in audio format than paperback
Still, Sadie is a great read. The pacing increases as the story unfolds and Sadie gets closer and closer to her target. The conclusion to her quest for justice is a surprise. This YA book about teen runaways that will stay with you long after the last page.
Junior Missing by Khristina Chess
Runaway Themes
Twisted romance, survival & danger
What it’s about
A seductive and chilling thriller about a runaway teen, drawn into an intoxicating relationship with an older man who takes her in—and won’t let her go!
Why I Love It - Book Review
“He called me the most willing kidnapping victim in history. I’d invited him to my house, he’d said. I’d climbed into the car. I’d packed a bag. And a parakeet.” ― Khristina Chess, quote from Junior Missing
Wow! Readers who love the intense chemistry and unsettling seduction of a dark romance won’t be able to put Junior Missing down. What makes Junior Missing so special is the slow-boil depiction of how Grace’s forbidden attraction turns into a trap set by an older man who takes her in—and won’t let her go!
The story starts as sixteen-year-old Grace Keegan, darling of the child pageant world with a bright future, is missing. At first, police assume she ran away. But when they find her abandoned phone along the highway, the truth becomes far more terrifying.
No one knows about Quentin Brock—the musician she met online. He’s charming, funny, and perfect.
Until he isn’t. Until she’s trapped in another state with no way out.
She doesn’t even have shoes.
If you’re looking for notable YA books about teen runaways, I recommend this mesmerizing, authentic novel that depicts how someone can so easily be manipulated and hurt in a toxic relationship. Junior Missing will stay with you after the final page. Worth the read!
In fact, Khristina Chess is on my list of Best YA Authors to Binge on Kindle Unlimited because she has so many suspenseful novels.
Wonder When You’ll Miss Me by Amanda Davis
Runaway Themes
Identity & life-altering experiences
What it’s about
After a sexual assault, a girl runs away to join the circus, takes a new name, gets a tattoo, and becomes a handler of elephants.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“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.
Stolen by Lucy Christopher
Runaway Themes
Twisted romance, survival & danger
What it’s about
A slow-boil novel about the abduction of a young girl by a stalker who woos her into caring for him.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“How long will you keep me?" I asked.
You shrugged. "Forever, of course.” ― Lucy Christopher, quote from Stolen
So often, police write off missing teenagers as “runaways,” but that’s not always the case.
What a beautiful, unsettling, thrilling, complex, and emotional novel! I was mesmerized by the characters and the slow-boil situation. The author did an amazing job of making me emotionally invested in the outcome. I could feel the heat and dryness of the desert. The camel was a creature I could see and smell, and I love the way Lucy Christopher draws a parallel between what happens to Gemma and the camel. Wonderful! I have a very vivid impression in my mind of the setting.
I can’t say too much without giving spoilers, so I will only urge you to read it if you’re looking for YA books about teen runaways. I loved it!!!
Missing by Kelly Armstrong
Runaway Themes
Mystery, trust, & survival
What it’s about
A plucky heroine is determined to solve the mystery of missing teens in her town, even at increasingly dangerous personal cost.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“Reeve’s End is the kind of town every kid can’t wait to escape. Each summer, a dozen kids leave and at least a quarter never come back. I don’t blame them—I’ll do the same in another year. We thought it was just something that happened in towns like ours. We were wrong.” ― Kelly Armstrong, quote from Missing
Winter Crane’s sister is missing.
In missing-person cases, police only have so much time to find victims before their chance of returning home safe diminishes, and in this instance, the timeline for how long Winter’s sister has been missing happened to her—and other missing kids—is tied to an invisible clock like a heartbeat. It creates suspense is already unclear. As the mystery quickly unfolds, the urgency to find out what might have and raises the stakes. The tension increases with each turn of the page because we believe the situation is life-or-death. The hero spends a lot of time literally running from one place to another, trying to beat the clock.
I thoroughly enjoyed this YA novel about runaways. The West Virginia setting seemed vibrant and real without being cliched or overdone. The killer was gruesome, creepy, and sinister.
Rules for Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall
Runaway Themes
Survival, family relationships
What it’s about
A teen girl and her friends embark on a journey to find a missing sister, but they encounter supernatural danger on “The Road.”
Why I Love It - Book Review
“I know Becca didn’t run away. That leaves one possibility and one impossibility, and I long for the impossible. Because if she isn’t dead, if she’s only been taken, she can be brought back.” ― Kate Alice Marshall, quote from Rules for Vanishing
Sara’s adopted sister Becca vanished a year ago.
Although everyone has given up the search, Sara is determined to find her because she believes Becca has gone into the woods and is lost on The Road. Sara convinces (tricks) a group of her friends to join her on this terrifying journey.
Not everyone comes home. Because at some point they break the rules:
Don’t leave the road.
Don’t let go.
Don’t follow other roads.
Rules for Vanishing is not a typical YA book about teen runaways. It is dark, mysterious, creepy, and full of scary and supernatural stuff. I loved it and devoured it in a few days. The ending was an unexpected twist, especially because of the connection to Kate Alice Marshall’s other novel, Our Last Echoes, which I’d read first.
Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow
Runaway Themes
Mental health & resilience
What it’s about
A complex and bestselling novel about a girl working through recovery and the setbacks she experiences along the way.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“People should know about us. Girls who write their pain on their bodies.” ― Kathleen Glasgow, quote from Girl in Pieces
This wonderful novel was the kind of story that kept pulling me away to a quiet room to curl up with a cup of tea and a lamp until I finished. I had to know what was going to happen to Charlie. I had to know whether or not she was going to be okay in the end. Because although she seemed to be making progress, this guy in her life wasn't a good choice for her. And then her friend from the hospital shows up, and she doesn't seem to be a good direction either. And if you've ever known addiction or seen someone struggling with recovery from anything, you know that the line is so easy to cross.
For Charlie, crossing the line might have devastating consequences because she has her tender kit, and it's full of glass. It's not tender but slashes and cuts.
So I read and worried and loved this runaway young girl, who was so alone and hungry and living on the edge of the world. I wanted someone to help her. Someone good.
Mosquitoland by David Arnold
Runaway Themes
Mental health & family relationships
What it’s about
A young girl whose parents are recently divorced runs away and encounters many interesting people on her journey.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“I call it Mim’s Theorem of Monkey See Monkey Don’t, and what it boils down to is this: it is my belief that there are some people whose sole purpose of existence is to show the rest of us how not to act.” ― David Arnold, quote from Mosquitoland
I loved this book! I’ve included it in my list of The Best YA Book Recommendations for All Ages (And Why), and one of the reasons is that the lyrical and often lough out loud funny voice of the narrator.
Mosquitoland is the story is about a girl named Mim Malone, whose parents have divorced. She’s living with her dad, who has custody of Mim and has remarried, but Mim runs away and rides a bus to Ohio to return to her mom.
This is a long journey where Mim (a young girl on her own) encounters a cast of diverse characters, dangers, and adventures. If you are looking for an unforgettable YA book about separation and divorce and how that impacts young people, let Mim tell you in her own voice. She has a lot to say.
If you’re looking for notable YA book about teen runaways, this novel belongs in your TBR pile.
Dreamland by Sarah Dessen
Runaway Themes
Twisted romance, survival & danger
What it’s about
A powerful story about a teen girl who falls for possessive and physically violent boyfriend after her sister runs away.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“It's funny how someone's perception of you can be formed without you even knowing it.” ― Sarah Dessen, quote from Dreamland
I've read a couple Sarah Dessen books that were "okay," but wow, this one really, really grabbed me!
It starts when Caitlin's sister, Cass, runs away. I knew the story was about relationship abuse, and I was expecting the runaway sibling, Cass, to be with a bad guy, but no. After she disappears, Caitlin falls for a guy named Rogerson who ends up being the abusive one. Caitlin's downward spiral is emotional, realistic, and heartbreaking. From the first time Rogerson hits her, I kept waiting for someone to intervene or for her to wake up, but it went on and on until the climactic moment when something had to shatter.
I felt really bad for Caitlin. She seemed invisible to everyone who supposedly loved her. She was hiding her pain in front of everyone. And people she loved kept leaving her: first her sister Cass and then her new friend Corinna.
The sibling relationship in this book is that Caitlin lives in the shadow of a “perfect” older sister, and the parents remain focused on Cass, so no one notices that Caitlin is in trouble. If you’re looking for a YA book about siblings with an unexpected plot, check this one out. I couldn’t put it down.
Take Me with You When You Go by Jennifer Niven and David Levithan
Runaway Themes
Mental health & family relationships
What it’s about
A brother and sister exchange letters after the older sister runs away.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“Blood is thicker than water, I suppose. It can also leave a much crueler stain.” ― Jennifer Niven, quote from Take Me with You When You Go
Take Me with You When You Go is a story told through letters—emails to be precise—between a brother and his runaway sister. As their story and relationship unfolds through these exchanges, we learn about their home life and the reasons why Bea ran away.
I wanted to love this book because I love, love, love Jennifer Niven, but perhaps the collaboration with David Levithan is the reason it turned into something that wasn't really my cup of tea. I didn't really like Ezra or Bea. I didn't believe them that their home life was so terrible (maybe they were sort of terrible too? Are they reliable narrators of their own stories?). Ezra set his parents' house on fire without any repercussions, which seemed unrealistic. Bea seemed to be a selfish person rather than just a hurting one. She took from people and then left them. Ezra's "rants" in the emails are tiresome.
Still, I kept reading to the end because I wanted to know how the various story issues were resolved. So, there was decent plotting.
The cover is beautiful.
If you’re looking for YA books about siblings, you should check this one out, but I highly recommend Jennifer Niven’s other work as well. She (and also Jandy Nelson) are on my list of YA Authors to Binge on Kindle Unlimited.
Other YA Books about Teen Runaways
If you are looking other YA books about teen runaways, check out the Runaway Books and Runaways in YA and Middle Grade Fiction lists 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 eating disorders, substance abuse, mental illness, and others.
Author Bio
Khristina Chess is an award-winning author of more than a dozen young adult novels, including The Cutting Edge of Friendship, The Delinquent Hero, and Junior Missing. Her novel about eating disorders, Hollow Beauty, was named a finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards. She tackles tough teen topics and writes binge-worthy books across multiple genres, including contemporary, thriller, mystery, dystopian, and adventure.
In a recent interview from her alma mater, she described how her experience in the creative writing program prepared her for success.
