TL;DR: The line between "Young Adult" (YA) and "Adult" fiction has officially vanished, thanks largely to BookTok. If your teen is reading books with chili pepper emojis on the cover or "spice" ratings in the reviews, they are likely consuming "New Adult" content—which often includes explicit sexual scenes and heavy themes. To navigate this, you need to understand the "Spice Scale," look for trigger warnings, and distinguish between traditional YA like The Hunger Games and modern "Romantasy" hits like A Court of Thorns and Roses.
Check out our guide on the "Spice Scale" for books
If you grew up reading The Outsiders or Sweet Valley High, the current state of the "Teen" section at your local Barnes & Noble might come as a shock. Over the last five years, a massive shift has occurred, driven almost entirely by TikTok (specifically the "BookTok" community).
We’ve moved past the "dystopian era" of the 2010s and into the era of "Romantasy" and "New Adult" (NA). While YA was traditionally written for ages 12-18, New Adult targets the 18-25 demographic. The problem? Publishers often shelf them right next to each other, and BookTok influencers rarely make the distinction.
When kids talk about "Spice," they are using a community-driven rating system for sexual content:
- 0-1 Peppers: "Clean" or "Sweet" (Think To All the Boys I've Loved Before).
- 2-3 Peppers: "Steam" or "Open Door" (Sexual tension, maybe one or two descriptive scenes).
- 4-5 Peppers: Explicit content (Essentially erotica wrapped in a fantasy or contemporary plot).
It’s easy to write this off as "brain rot" for readers, but there’s a reason these books are flying off the shelves. These stories offer high-stakes emotional drama, escapism, and a sense of community. Being a "Swiftie" for a book series is a major social currency right now. If everyone in the 10th grade is talking about the latest Sarah J. Maas release, your teen wants to be in on the conversation.
Furthermore, these books often tackle "Big Life Stuff"—identity, trauma, and toxic relationships—in a way that feels more "real" to teens than the sanitized books of previous generations.
You can't just look at the cover anymore. A book with a pretty floral design or a cartoonish illustration might be a dark psychological thriller or a graphic romance. Here’s a breakdown of the heavy hitters.
Known as "ACOTAR," this is the gateway drug for modern teen readers. While the first book starts relatively "YA," the series quickly transitions into "New Adult."
- The Verdict: It’s high-fantasy erotica. The plot is actually quite compelling, which is why it’s so popular, but the sexual descriptions are graphic and frequent in the later books.
- Age Recommendation: 17+
This is the "Dragon Book" you see everywhere. It’s essentially Top Gun meets Game of Thrones.
- The Verdict: It’s fast-paced and fun, but it contains "4-pepper" spice levels. It’s not a "kids' book about dragons." It’s an adult romance novel that happens to have dragons.
- Age Recommendation: 18+
Colleen Hoover is the undisputed queen of BookTok. This book is frequently found in the hands of 13-year-olds.
- The Verdict: This is a heavy, emotional story about domestic violence. While it’s an important topic, the "romance" framing can be confusing for younger teens who may not have the emotional maturity to process the cycle of abuse.
- Age Recommendation: 16+ (with parental discussion)
Parents often lump this in with ACOTAR, but it’s actually a great example of "True YA."
- The Verdict: Plenty of angst, political intrigue, and "enemies-to-lovers" vibes, but it stays firmly in the "1-2 pepper" range. It’s dark and moody without being explicit.
- Age Recommendation: 14+
Ask our chatbot for a list of "low-spice" fantasy books for 14-year-olds
In the modern book world, "Trigger Warnings" (TW) or "Content Warnings" (CW) are your best friend. Authors and the community are very good at listing these on sites like Goodreads or The StoryGraph.
Common warnings to look for:
- Dub-Con: "Dubious Consent." This is a major red flag for parents, as it often romanticizes situations where consent is blurry.
- Dark Romance: This sub-genre often features kidnapping, stalking, or "alpha" male behavior that borders on (or crosses into) abuse.
- SA: Sexual Assault.
- ED: Eating Disorders.
If you see these tags on a book your 14-year-old is holding, it’s time for a conversation.
How do you handle this without becoming the "Book Police"?
- Check the Publisher's Imprint: If a book is published by "Bloom Books" or "Red Tower Books," it’s almost certainly "New Adult" (18+). If it’s "Penguin Teen" or "HarperTeen," it’s more likely to be age-appropriate for high schoolers.
- Use The StoryGraph: This is a fantastic alternative to Goodreads. It has a specific "Content Warnings" section for almost every book, crowdsourced by readers. It will tell you if a book has graphic violence, sexual content, or self-harm without spoiling the plot.
- The "First 50 Pages" Rule: If you’re unsure, read the first 50 pages or skip to the middle. In Romantasy, the "spice" usually hits around the 40% mark. A quick skim will tell you everything you need to know.
Learn more about how to use StoryGraph for parental reviews
Banning books rarely works—it just makes them "forbidden fruit." Instead, try these "informed parent" moves:
- Don't Yuck Their Yum: If they love a certain trope (like "Enemies to Lovers"), acknowledge it! "I get why you like the tension between these characters, but I’ve heard this author gets pretty graphic. Let’s check the content warnings together."
- Talk About "The Blur": Explain the difference between "New Adult" and "Young Adult." Help them understand that just because a book is popular on TikTok doesn't mean it was written for their age group.
- Media Literacy is Key: Use "spicy" books as a jumping-off point to talk about healthy relationships vs. "book boyfriends." Most "book boyfriends" in dark romance would be a restraining order in real life. Talk about that distinction!
Reading is great, but "reading" isn't a monolith. We often give kids a pass because "at least they aren't on their phones," but consuming 500 pages of toxic relationship dynamics or explicit content is still a digital-wellness issue when that content is discovered and hyped through social media algorithms.
You don't need to read every page, but you do need to know the vocabulary. If your teen is talking about "Chili Peppers" or "Sarah J. Maas," it’s time to lean in.
Next Steps:
- Check your teen's Goodreads "Want to Read" list.
- Look up those titles on The StoryGraph to see the content warnings.
- If you find something concerning, don't panic. Read a few reviews, understand the "spice level," and have a "no-BS" conversation with your teen about why that book might be better saved for college.