Discovering Worlds: 10 Young Adult Books for the Filipino Teenager

The writing young adult fiction authors have written stories that according to them best portray the life of teens in the Philippines and their dreams. With this in mind, we present a captivating top-ten list of young adult books specially designed for Filipino youth to engage themselves in an interesting exploratory reading experience dense with several layers describing deeper levels of the protagonist's experiences.

1. Para sa Broken Hearted by Marcelo Santos III

In his book “Para sa Broken Hearted,” by Marcelo Santos III, the author writes about teenage heartbroken romance. Mariel unleashes poignant tales on love and gives a significant message to youthful Filipinos this dance is endless for whom it remains complex enough.

2. Tabi Po by Mervin Malonzo

An engaging graphic novel that takes the reader into the wonderful world of Filipino mythology. This tale is presented against the backdrop of 19th-century Philippines under Spanish colonial rule, chronicling Elias and his desire for rehabilitation after all. Elias’s journey through the world of mythical beings weaves a narrative that effortlessly combines horror, fantasy, and literature as he addresses themes related to morality in this graphic novel. The rich evocative storytelling of Malonzo becomes more graphic with visual arts that make “Tabi Po” a culturally significant modern take on age-old Filipino myths.

3. Dead Stars by Paz Márquez-Benítez

As one of the classics in Filipino literature, Paz Márquez-Benítez’s “Dead Stars” is associated with lapsed themes for love and social arrangements besides self-investigation. This short story was about the early part of the twentieth century and is still a horror account of issues that young Filipino faces in their day-to-day life.

4. Ang mga Kaibigan ni Mama Susan by Bob Ong.

In “Ang mga Kaibigan ni Mama Susan,” by Bob Ong, we have a horror and mystery story that should appeal to a wide reader. First, Ong uses diary entries to show that the demarcation between reality and the supernatural can be murky; thus, Ang mga Kaibigan ni Mama Susan was an excellent read for Filipino teens seeking something with just enough creepiness.

5. She’s Dating a Gangster by Bianca Bernardino

A bestseller Filipino romance novel for young adults that highlights the importance of love, comedy, and relationship dynamics. The plot of the story centers on Athena Dizon and Kenji Delos Reyes, two individuals with very different personalities who manage to fall in love as a result are set against some harrowing backgrounds: that being academia side by side with one infamous world – gangs.

6. Gimo Jr. and the Aswang Clan by Andrew Jalbuena Pasaporte

A brief but interesting read for the middle-grade reader setting them in some mythical realm of Phillippine folklore. I outline the life of Gimo Jr., a swashbuckling innocent youth who threatens the feral Aswang Clan, shape-changing characters from Filipino mythology. Pasaporte creates an incredible story letting old folklore coexist with modern elements, revealing such fun interaction for the new youth. This novel gets readers carried away by an exciting journey into a world where fantasy and reality are merged.

7. The Mango Bride by Marivi Soliven Blanco

An engaging book that leaves a lot of unsolved questions about two seemingly unrelated Filipino women whose destiny is tightly knitted together unusually. The main characters are Amparo Guerrero and Beverly Obejas—two women with very different backgrounds, who emigrate to the United States. Amparo is an upperclassman escaping a marriage of convenience, while Beverly is seeking something bigger.

8. Alamat Ng Gubat by Bob Ong

Bob Ong’s “Alamat ng Gubat” is an allegory that humorously portrays social woes, using humanized animals as the key players. The reason is that this novel provides a glimpse into Filipino adolescent minds with thoughts bearing deep into power, corruption, and true leadership.

9. Stupid is Forever by Miriam Defensor Santiago.

The book title by the late Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago “Stupid is Forever” enumerates witty essays and anecdotes. It tells about real events in the life of Santiago and her sharp perceptions make this book enjoyable reading for Filipino teens, who want to be amused as well as a little stimulated mentally.

10. Smaller and Smaller Circles by F.H Batacan

An exciting and pathbreaking crime thriller welcoming readers to the intriguing world of forensic investigation in the Philippines. The setting of the story is on a sprawling city known as Manila, which tracks two Jesuit priests Gus Saenz and Jerome Lucero who are also Christians but forensic investigators. When a string of horrible murders involving little boys are committed, the two priests harness their knowledge in science to get into the naughty underworld and unravel this mystery.

These novels for young adults are especially popular among Filipino teenagers because all of them can express themselves in these stories regarding their attitudes and feelings. This book creates a literature landscape that outlines what can teens see and discover their identity in it while also comforting them as they imaginatively travel into worlds unseen. The process of reading these novels guides youth to embark on a journey; reflecting upon themselves as they become engaged in an immersive world that speaks deeply into them through powerful stories.