John Green is excellent at helping young adult readers experience powerful emotions in a safe, constructive way.
The American author has been credited with changing the entire YA market with his humorous tone and knack for creating likable, relatable characters. A few of his books have also been adapted into cinematic features, giving us another excuse to weep openly in public (as if we needed one). Yes, Green’s books can be very sad. Still, all that crying is cathartic, we swear!
With more than 50 million copies of his books in print around the world, it’s impossible not to stumble upon a John Green novel at some point. All of his books are enjoyable in their own ways, but there are a few that truly resonate with audiences and inspire ardent fan bases. Below you’ll find all of Green’s works to date, ranked from our seventh favorite to our number one.
An Abundance of Katherines (2006)
An Abundance of Katherines was Green’s second novel. It’s about a child prodigy named Colin Singleton searching for meaning in his life. He has somehow managed to date only girls named Katherine, 19 of them, in fact, all of whom have dumped him. His life finally picks up when his best friend convinces him to take a road trip and he meets a girl (who is not named Katherine!) and finally starts to figure out what really matters.
The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet (2021)
Green’s first non-fiction offering is based on his popular podcast, The Anthropocene Reviewed (2018 – 2021). The book, like the podcast, allows Green to examine everything about our planet that is intrinsically human, and then review them. As his website states, “In this remarkable symphony of essays adapted and expanded from his groundbreaking podcast, John Green reviews different facets of the human-centered planet—from the QWERTY keyboard and Staphylococcus aureus to the Taco Bell breakfast menu—on a five-star scale.”
Will Grayson, Will Grayson (2010)
Green co-wrote this dual-narrative novel with fellow YA author David Levithan. Both authors wrote one version of two characters with the same name. Green writes for Will Grayson (Capitalized), while Levithan writes as will grayson (lowercase). They swap chapters to tell individual stories that ultimately intertwine in a powerful way. Will Grayson, Will Grayson was the first LBGTQ-themed young adult novel to ever debut on The New York Times children’s best-seller list.
Paper Towns (2008)
Paper Towns tells the tale of Quentin “Q” Jacobsen, a teenager who has carried a torch for his beautiful neighbor, Margo Roth Spiegelman, since he was just a kid. He finally gets to know her and discovers there’s a lot more going on with her than anyone realizes. It’s a coming-of-age and star-crossed lover story all in one.
This novel earned the 2009 Edgar Award for best young adult novel. A film adaptation starring Cara Delevingne and Nat Wolff premiered in 2015.
Turtles All the Way Down (2017)
In an interview, Green told Penguin UK, “This is my first attempt to write directly about the kind of mental illness that has affected my life since childhood, so while the story is fictional, it is also quite personal.”
Protagonist Aza Holmes is a 16-year-old high school student with severe OCD and anxiety. Her father recently died, and she’s still grieving when the billionaire father of her childhood crush goes missing. She begins obsessively searching for him, growing closer to her crush while coping with her mental issues. A film adaptation also called Turtles All The Way Down starring Isabela Merced as Aza Holmes will premiere on Max on May 2, 2024.
Looking for Alaska (2005)
Green’s debut novel is one of our favorites! It’s the coming-of-age story about Miles Halter, cruelly nicknamed “Pudge,” who goes to boarding school and gets bullied. Green based this novel on his own time as a boarding school student in Alabama, lending it a credulity that makes the characters leap from the pages fully formed. In 2006, Looking for Alaska was granted the Michael L. Printz Award. After winning that award, Green could finally afford to quit his job as an editorial assistant and become a full-time author.
The Fault in Our Stars (2012)
This is the book that truly put Green on the map. The Fault In Our Stars, the story of two Indiana teenagers who fall in love even though they both have cancer, debuted at number one on the New York Times Best Seller list for children’s chapter books and stayed there for 43 total weeks. For the next two years, it remained in the top ten.
Green was inspired to write this book by his time spent as a student chaplain in a children’s hospital. The book was later adapted into a hugely successful film of the same name starring Ansel Elgort and Shailene Woodley. The Fault In Our Stars premiered on June 6, 2014 and grossed $307 million worldwide.
Green has made so many wonderful contributions to the young adult genre, and we’re grateful to him for teaching generations of teens about empathy, friendship, and true love.
(featured image: 20th Century Studios)
