Celeste Ng's novel is a propulsive, incredibly smart look at what happens when the neat facade of suburban life collides with complicated, messy human reality. Set in Shaker Heights, Ohio, the story sets up a clash between an ultra-orderly suburban mother and a free-spirited itinerant artist, then uses a controversial adoption case to blow up everyone's assumptions.

This isn't a young adult novel, but older teens tend to love it because it treats youth choices with gravity and shows adults failing in deeply realistic ways. The writing is accessible without ever talking down to the reader, making it one of the rare literary fiction crossovers that teens will actually finish in two sittings.

If you have a high schooler who enjoys moral grey areas, character studies, or family drama, hand them this book. Just be ready to talk through heavy topics like abortion, maternal rights, and systemic privilege afterward.