6 YA Books To Help Your Filipino Teen Figure Out The Tricky Stage Of Adolescence

Adolescence is that weird in-between world of still being a kid but also technically-but-not-really being an adult. Literature has that awesome power to teach lessons not learned in the classroom. Growing up, we had books like the Harry Potter series and The Baby-sitters Club to help get us through this difficult time.

It kind of sucks that we never really got to read about the trials and tribulations of a Filipino teenager when we needed it most. Thankfully, our teenagers do not have to go through the same thing. Our library and bookstore shelves are now filled with local books that are made specifically for them. Here are six Filipino young adult books your teens will love.

The Detective Boys Of Masangkay Series by Bernalyn H. Sastrillo

Who would have guessed that three young boys with the same first name will also have the same penchant for solving mysteries? Best friends Uno, Junior, and Thirdy are the ones to call when things go awry in Barangay Masangkay. In this series of novels in Tagalog, the dynamic of this inseparable trio is tested by the arrival of a new girl named Me-ann, a feisty young woman who can all give them a run for their money.

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The Janus Silang Series by Edgar Calabria Samar

Online gamer Janus Silang gets sucked into a mystical world of Philippine mythology he thought existed only on computer screens. Again, and again. Si Janus Sílang at Ang Hiwagang may Dalawang Mukha is already the fourth installment of this highly popular young adult series in Filipino.

The Engkantasia Series by KM Levis

Turning the big 1-6 is an important milestone for any teenager. For ordinary girl Karina, it’s the age she becomes eligible for the throne to Engkantasia — a magical realm she didn’t even know existed. With the release of the series’ third installment last year, author K.M. Levis expanded this world even further with the introduction of Anna Waldorf-Ocampo, an all-new heroine to root for in the age of social media.

The Flicker Series by #RomanceClass

Arnis players, film interns, and comic book lovers all fall in love in the three short but sweet stories that make up this series. Flicker is #romanceclass’s official young adult anthology. Expect meet-cutes, kilig moments, and happy endings when you pick up either Angeli Dumatol’s Heartstruck, Danica Mae P. Sison’s Flipping the Script, or Catherine Dellosa’s Raya and Grayson’s Guide to Saving the World.

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Bola-Bola by Anna Geronga

What are numbers, anyway? 220-pound 17-year-old Thea Balderama does not let her weight nor age define her. Hers is a story of standing your ground amidst friends that are changing, family members that don’t want to, and boys that are not as mature as they seem as told through the eyes of an unapologetic foodie.

Ang Larong Nagwakas Sa Atin by Fe Esperanza Trampe

High school happens in the blink of an eye. For Dennis and Esther, four years passed by as quickly as a thirty-minute game of chess. This young adult novel written entirely in Filipino tells the story of two high school chess players figuring out their feelings for one another while also battling each other out for a college scholarship.

Whatever the age of your teenager may be, they are sure to learn a lot from this cast of colorful Filipino characters. They are just like them, after all — a little lost, a little confused, but oh-so full of life.

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