Looking for an unforgettable collection of thought-provoking YA books about class difference? As an award-winning author and longtime blogger about issue-driven YA fiction, I know how stories can open conversations about tough themes like race, socioeconomic, and class differences.
You’ll find detailed reviews of more than a dozen great novels in the roundup below. I’m confident you’ll find something new to read in the list below.
Property of Nobody by Khristina Chess
Class Themes
Modern slavery
What it’s about
An unaccompanied teen boy from Honduras flees murdering coyotes, only to become ensnared by human traffickers.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“No one is coming for you. No one is missing you. And no one will mourn you if you’re killed.” ― Khristina Chess, quote from Property of Nobody
Hands down, this is the best YA novel about class difference that you’ll read this year!
In a genre where male voices are rare, young Teódulo stands out—a gripping, unforgettable protagonist trapped in the insidious web of debt bondage after the murder of his father. His descent is slow, suffocating, inevitable. I worried for him. I clung to every choice he made, knowing escape might never come.
This novel doesn’t just tell a story; it challenges readers to look at the dark underbelly of immigration, human trafficking, organized crime, and the vulnerable children who are swallowed by it.
It’s haunting. It’s brutal. It’s harrowing.
With its riveting storytelling and powerful themes, Property of Nobody has sparked conversations across book clubs and reader communities. This is more than fiction; it’s a window into the lives of children we’re too afraid to see.
If you’re searching for a YA novel about class difference, Property of Nobody is an absolute must-read. I promise that this one will move you and stay with you long after the last page.
Freedom is not free.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Class Themes
Poverty & resilience
What it’s about
A hypnotic coming-of-age mystery about an abandoned child and a murdered boy.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“Unworthy boys make a lot of noise.” ― Delia Owens from Where the Crawdads Sing
This novel is beautiful, thrilling, sad, surprising, and engrossing. Kya Clark is a resilient child who is abandoned by her mother at six. Her alcoholic father is barely a parent, and he soon leaves her as well. Somehow, she finds a way to survive on her own, even thrive, despite an aching loneliness.
But a beautiful young girl who lives in solitude in the woods is destined for danger. And heartbreak.
The mystery surrounding the death of Chase Andrews is the inciting incident of the novel, and it's soon clear that he was not such a swell guy. Foul play is suspected. Is Kya a murder? Or someone else?
There's plenty to love here, and the pages definitely turned quickly for me. Kya’s character and voice is compelling.
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Class Themes
Racial inequality
What it’s about
A young girl witnesses the police shooting of her friend, and she must find the courage to speak out.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“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 thought-provoking YA books about class difference. 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!
Before Women Had Wings by Connie May Fowler
Class Themes
Poverty & socioeconomic differences
What it’s about
A beautiful coming-of-age story of a resilient young girl who lives in poverty, abuse, and grief.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“I didn't want to be all she had. I didn't even want to be her daughter. My blood, poisoned with our family sins, turned hot, scorched my veins. Breathing was getting difficult.” ― Connie May Fowler, quote from Before Women Had Wings
I read this book years ago when it released and was a hot title on Oprah's Book Club. I picked it up again, remembering that I enjoyed it and wanting a good read. I didn't remember what it was about.
Bird is a young girl in a terrible situation. After her father commits suicide, her alcoholic and abusive mother relocates Bird and her sister to Tampa, FL, where they live in a motel in poverty. As things worsen at home, Bird finds a safe haven in spending time with Zora, a strange woman who also lives on the motel property.
The book is a fast read, and I couldn't help cheering for Bird and hoping for her to have a happy ending. Or at least a path to a happy ending.
Be sure to also check out this out-of-print and overlooked YA book about emotions and feelings about generational abuse. And how to stop it.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Class Themes
Racial inequality & poverty
What it’s about
A funny and inspiring coming-of-age story about a courageous boy who dares to leave the reservation, his school, and his best friend to seek a different life.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“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 about class difference, this award-winning novel shines.
Against the Pack by Khristina Chess
Class Themes
Poverty & socioeconomic differences
What it’s about
After a brutal dog attack leaves them stranded in a remote ravine in rural Appalachia, a teenage girl must claw her way toward rescue to save her wounded mother before time runs out.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“And once you decided you were going in the wrong direction, how did you find your way back? What happened when you couldn’t go back?” ― Khristina Chess, quote from Against the Pack
What if survival meant leaving the one person you love the most behind?
Ignore the cover. Trust the story. Against the Pack is a pulse-pounding, emotionally charged YA novel that dives into deep themes of love, culture, and resilience.
It starts with a bang. 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. 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 abandon her critically injured mom, but if she doesn’t find help soon, neither of them will make it.
Melender is gritty, determined, and unforgettable. What makes Against the Pack so special is that her fight isn’t just physical—it’s psychological and deeply personal. As the hours stretch into days, the novel doesn’t just test her endurance but also unravels complicated truths about her relationship with her mother.
The Problem with Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Class Themes
Foster children
What it’s about
An adopted girl reunites with the boy who saved her in foster year so many years ago—and sparks fly!
Why I Love It - Book Review
“Goodness, I was already a dork most of the times. I didn’t need to be a drunk or high dork.” ― Jennifer L. Armentrout, quote from The Problem with Forever
After four years of home schooling and therapy, Mallory Dodge takes the gigantic step of going to a public high school for her senior year. She’s ready. She’s pretty sure. But on the first day, she collides with her past as she comes face-to-face with the person who meant everything to her: Rider Stark.
The boy who saved her.
Everything about this book is wonderful. I couldn’t put it down. I loved the characters, and I loved the strong relationship between Mallory “Mouse” and Rider. I loved the way their characters grew and changed as the story unfolded. They were so encouraging with each other, and Mallory’s best friend Ainsley is such a great friend.
The themes in the novel are well developed: childhood trauma, class difference, foster care, adoption, the impact of good teachers (Mr. Santos, the speech teacher), good parenting.
This is simply an amazing book!
If you’re looking for thought-provoking YA books about class differences, check out The Problem with Forever. You won’t regret it.
Trafficked by Kim Purcell
Class Themes
Modern slavery
What it’s about
A young girl from Moldova is tricked into coming to the U.S. for a job, only to find herself in debt bondage to terrible people who imprison her in their home.
Why I Love It - Book Review
Trafficked an absorbing YA novel that shows how an orphaned teenager from Moldova easily becomes a victim in human trafficking. Hannah was easily duped into leaving her home for the promise of a better life in the United States, a salary, and a chance to study English. Instead, she became a slave, forced into being an unpaid nanny and a maid, fighting off sexual advances of the husband of the house and his male associates, and being beaten and verbally abused by the wife. She is young, slow to realize her situation, and not great with English.
The plotting of Trafficked was thrilling. There were plenty of twists to keep me invested. For example, there is a backstory about how Hannah was "chosen" by this family that is revealed little by little.
I was rooting for Hannah to find a way out and take charge of her life. I worried about her because I knew the odds were not in her favor.
I’ve included Hannah’s heartbreaking and thought-provoking story in this YA books about class difference list because human trafficking is a real, modern problem across the world. You won’t want to miss Hannah’s story. She begins the novel in a state of naïve innocence in her home country, and by the end, she has become mature and wise to the adult world. It’s a realistic and sad tragedy.
A Long Stretch of Bad Days by Mindy McGinnis
Class Themes
Poverty
What it’s about
An unlikely team pairs up to create a local podcast and solve an old murder.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“Good people can do terrible things, Lydia. The longer you live, the more you see it.” ― Mindy McGinnis, quote from A Long Stretch of Bad Days
Mindy McGinnis is one of my favorite YA authors, so I couldn’t wait to dive into this new book. The setup and beginning starts off slow, but once Lydia and Bristal begin chasing a murder mystery in their small town, the plotting was great. The ending was a surprise to me, but I’m an easily fooled reader.
I especially enjoyed the friendship that developed between the girls, despite the fact that they come from very different socioeconomic backgrounds. Lydia is right. Bristal comes from the poor part of town and has a family reputation. People think of her as disposable. She’s not. She sharp-witted and funny, and she helps Lydia to see things very differently.
If you’re looking for an offbeat mystery with interesting characters, be sure to check out A Long Stretch of Days!
Forgotten But Never Gone by Khristina Chess
Class Themes
Fosters
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 binge-worthy YA novels with grit and heart will love Forgotten But Bever 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.
Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
Class Themes
Racial inequality
What it’s about
Set in New England around the time of the American Revolution young girl fights for freedom after the death of her owner.
Why I Love It - Book Review
I have read several of Laurie Halse Anderson's books, and I found this one to be ambitious, compelling, and heartfelt. I learned things about slavery during the American revolutionary war that were new since most literature I've consumed has been during the later period of the civil war. The author’s research into the book made it rich and come alive.
You will want to add this historical YA book about class difference, race, and slavery in early American history to your reading list.
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
Class Themes
White privilege
What it’s about
A hypnotic, disorienting story about wealthy lifelong friends and a secret that threatens all of them.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“Life feels beautiful that day. The four of us Liars, we have always been. We always will be. No matter what happens as we go to college, grow old, build lives for ourselves; no matter if Gat and I are together or not. No matter where we go, we will always be able to line up on the roof of Cuddledown and gaze at the sea. This island is ours. Here, in some way, we are young forever.” ― E. Lockhart, quote from We Were Liars
What an unexpected and beautiful story about summertime, friendship, coming of age, and sorrow!
I wasn’t sure I’d like this book, but I fell in love with this unexpected story. By the end it made me cry. We Were Liars is about a group of privileged young friends and their lies, family secrets, grief, and love. It’s a mystery. Its private island setting evokes all kinds of summer images: the beach, the heat, the sun. The beautiful and disorienting plot will leave you reader breathless until the very end.
It’s a classic, but if you haven’t picked this one up yet, do yourself a favor and add it to your list of thought-provoking YA books about class differences. I include this book here because wealth and privilege is such a huge component of the plot and also because of the character of Gat.
And when you finish, read the prequel, Family of Liars, which is equally wonderful.
The Initial Insult / The Last Laugh by Mindy McGinnis
Class Themes
Poverty & social status
What it’s about
A young girl becomes marginalized in a small community, where she lives with her grandfather at the "White Trash Zoo."
Why I Love It - Book Review
“You can’t get people to like you, but you can get revenge.” ― Mindy McGinnis, quote from The Last Laugh
In this thrilling duology (which I read back-to-back), you will find socioeconomic and class difference at the center or a mystery. The first book, The Initial Insult, introduces the conflict. Tress and Felicity were best friends as children, but something went wrong. Now, in the present, Tress has Felicity chained in the basement of an old house that will soon be torn down, and she is laying down a wall, brick by brick, as she tries to get Felicity to tell her what happened the night that her parents disappeared.
The story, told in alternating points of view between the girls, alternates between present and past, increasing in tension as the wall rises, as the party raging upstairs gets more wild, and the situation goes out of control.
I love Mindy McGinnis. Her books are tight-paced and unexpected, and this one is more of the same. If I had any complaint about this one, it would be the small-town genealogy complexity, which is apparently central to the mystery, was hard for me to follow and keep track of.
In The Last Laugh, the pace picks up a lot. The POV character changes, and in this novel, everyone is looking for Felicity, who went missing after the party in book one. Tress is suffering from an infection following her encounter with the panther, and there are so many twists and turns in the plot. I loved this book better than the first one, but they definitely go together.
Don’t miss this page-turning pair of YA books about class difference, family, friendship and mystery.
Bonus Round: The Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton
Class Themes
Poverty & resilience
What it’s about
A coming-of-age story of a poor young girl with a tragic ending.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“I feel like I don't have all the ingredients a person is supposed to have.” ― Jane Hamilton from The Book of Ruth
I first read this novel when it became an Oprah's Book Club pick (a long time ago), and because I remember loving it, I decided to choose it for re-reading. It's funny how a person's taste in books changes over time. This time, I wasn't sure I liked it at all, but by the end, I saw why this book meant so much to me.
Ruth tells the story. From the beginning, she lets the reader know that she's trying to clarify something that happened, and to do that, she goes for a long time on tangents that don't seem to matter that much. It felt slow, but I kept going on the journey with her. A few times, I even went back to re-read that opening paragraph, where Ruth assures me that there's a point to all of this.
Ruth is poor. She lives with a mother who is poor and bitter about her life. Ruth meets and marries Ruby, who is "off", but who Ruth understands and appreciates. There are several other characters in the story who support and love Ruth: her aunt Sid, her boss at the dry cleaning store, her friend Daisy. Ruth shows us a world that is hard but not without beauty. She shows us the good that exists in all people, even in small portions, as well as the bad that's also there in all of us.
I stayed up late finishing the book. Readers who enjoy hard-luck stories about salt-of-earth people will enjoy Ruth's story.
Other Thought-Provoking YA Books about Class Difference
If you are looking for other thought-provoking YA books about class difference, check out the YA Class Differences Books list Goodreads. You might also be interested in my post, Other Good Reads, which has a comprehensive list of reviews of YA books.
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.
