Life at Sixteen Books in Order

Life at Sixteen is another shared young adult series, this time focused on that tight, uncertain year when you are old enough to see adult problems clearly but still young enough to feel powerless. Cheryl Lanham's entries follow different sixteen year olds as a single event upends the life they thought they were living.

In Good Intentions, Chloe Marlowe wakes from a coma remembering only fragments of the cruel, selfish girl she used to be. Her diary of recovery is really a record of atonement, as she tries to undo damage done to her best friend, her father's new marriage and a stepbrother she once tormented.

In No Guarantees, Courtney starts the school year with everything going her way, money, status and a spot on the cheerleading squad. When her father loses his job and the family suddenly faces real financial strain, she has to swap shopping trips for a paycheck and learn what kind of friend she is without her privileges.

In Second Best, adopted teenager Tessa finally meets her birth mother and discovers she has an identical twin who grew up in a very different world. The glamorous sister drinks too much and pushes limits, and Tessa is left to question which life was really easier and how far blood ties should excuse bad behaviour.

The books share a grounded, contemporary setting, often in Californian suburbs where grades, sports and cars matter as much as family drama. Lanham keeps the focus on feelings rather than grand gestures, letting readers sit with jealousy, shame, pride and forgiveness as the characters make new choices.

Like Dear Diary, the Life at Sixteen novels can be read alone. Together they sketch out a picture of how varied sixteen can be, from hospital rooms to school gyms, and they offer reassurance that even when plans collapse there is room to grow into a better version of yourself.