8 Amazing Realistic Fiction Books of All-Time - Hooked To Books

Realistic Fiction Books for Kids and Teens: A Beginner's Guide

The narrative revolves around Ponyboy Curtis, an underprivileged youth from Oklahoma, and his gang of friends known as the 'greasers'. Their rivals are affluent teenagers from the West Side, known as the 'Socs'. One day, Ponyboy is assaulted by the Socs but is saved by his brother Sodapop, his other brother Darry and his friends Johnny, Dally, Steve, and Two-Bit. The relations between the two groups become increasingly tense, culminating in an altercation where Johnny kills a Soc to save Ponyboy from being drowned.

In the aftermath of this violent incident, Ponyboy and Johnny seek help from Dally, who provides them with money and a gun and directs them to a hideout in an abandoned church. During their stay, they alter their appearances and engage in literature and poetry. The situation escalates further when Dally informs them of increased tensions between the Socs and greasers, leading to an arranged fight. During their return, Ponyboy and Johnny rescue children from a burning building, resulting in Johnny's critical injury. Following these events, Johnny is charged with manslaughter and both boys are threatened with the possibility of being sent to a juvenile center.

As the story reaches its climax, Ponyboy and Two-Bit encounter Randy, a Soc who expresses his exhaustion with the ongoing conflict. Johnny's condition worsens, and during a visit, Dally seems more robust than Johnny. After the arranged fight, during which the Greasers win, they learn of Johnny's impending death. In a fit of despair, Dally commits robbery and is shot by the police. Following a period of turmoil and tension at home, Ponyboy eventually reconciles with his family and is acquitted of any responsibility for the Soc's death in the court. The narrative ends with Ponyboy sharing the story of their lives in a term paper, which becomes the novel's narrative itself.


The Outsiders

Los Marginados

Blogthis seasons biggest realistic fiction for teens

Since You've Been Gone

Desde que te fuiste


18 Realistic Fiction Titles to Recommend to Your High School Students - The Literary Maven


Living a mundane life as a 19-year-old taxi driver, Ed Kennedy, becomes an unsought hero after spontaneously apprehending a bumbling bank thief, catapulting him into local fame. After the death of his alcoholic father, he and his siblings move forward with their lives, with Ed sharing his abode with his faithful dog Doorman. Ed's life feels unfulfilled: his old flame Audrey keeps him at arm's length, his mother Bev dismisses him, and his future prospects are bleak. His only reprieve is playing a card game, Annoyance, with his three friends.

Unexpectedly, Ed's life takes a turn when he starts receiving unmarked envelopes enclosing playing cards filled with cryptic messages. Intrigued, he decodes these puzzling hints and starts intervening in people's lives - stopping an abusive husband, impersonating the deceased husband of an elderly woman, inspiring a young athlete, and even revitalizing a priest's dwindling congregation. The mysterious aces' tasks become increasingly personal, challenging his perspectives on his family, friends, and his feelings for Audrey. He risks his friendships to catalyze change in their lives, confronting their shortcomings and helping them face their own truths.

As he goes through these events, he encounters people who guide him, push him past his hesitations, and chastise his errors. He realizes these individuals too have received cards - they are all part of a network of messengers. He shuns the idea of being a saint, acknowledging his human limitations, but continues to effect good in his community. Just as he thinks he has completed his test, he receives a joker card with his address, sending him into isolation due to fear of the choices he might have to make. When the sender of the cards finally reveals himself, claiming to have orchestrated key events in Ed's life, it challenges Ed's perception of reality. However, in the end, Ed chooses to believe in the positive transformations he has brought about in his community and within himself, dismissing the sender's assertions as less real than his own experiences.

I Am the Messenger

Soy el Mensajero

3 Best Realistic Fiction Books of All Time

The Outsiders

Since You've Been Gone

I Am the Messenger

Sources

What To Read Next

3 Best Realistic Fiction Books of All Time

The Outsiders

Since You've Been Gone

I Am the Messenger

Sources

What To Read Next

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