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Quick answer: If you liked Be More Chill, read Ned Vizzini's It's Kind of a Funny Story, then try The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Paper Towns, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda and Ready Player One. All offer funny, honest teen narrators who feel awkward and out of place.
Ned Vizzini's novel follows Jeremy Heere, a nerdy teen who swallows a supercomputer pill called a Squip to become cool. It is funny, fast and surprisingly tender. The books below share that blend of humor, social anxiety and growing up. Most are young adult, and all are real, in-print books.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| It's Kind of a Funny Story | Ned Vizzini | Teen | more Vizzini |
| The Perks of Being a Wallflower | Stephen Chbosky | Teen | shy narrators |
| Looking for Alaska | John Green | Teen | first love and loss |
| Paper Towns | John Green | Teen | mystery and friendship |
| Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda | Becky Albertalli | Teen | sweet and funny |
| Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist | Rachel Cohn and David Levithan | Teen | one-night stories |
| The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian | Sherman Alexie | Teen | humor and heart |
| Eleanor & Park | Rainbow Rowell | Teen | slow-burn romance |
| Ready Player One | Ernest Cline | Teen and adult | technology and culture |
| The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy | Douglas Adams | Teen and adult | absurd comedy |
| Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life | Bryan Lee O'Malley | Teen and adult | graphic novel fans |
| The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks | E. Lockhart | Teen | clever heroines |
| Fat Kid Rules the World | K.L. Going | Teen | music and friendship |
| Dumplin' | Julie Murphy | Teen | confidence boosters |
| The Spectacular Now | Tim Tharp | Teen | honest realism |
1. It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini
A stressed-out teen checks himself into a psychiatric ward and meets a group of unforgettable people. Vizzini's other major novel, funny and honest about anxiety and depression.
Best for: more Vizzini.
2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Charlie writes letters about his first year of high school, his new friends and his hidden past. Tender, awkward and widely loved by teens who feel like outsiders.
Best for: shy narrators.
3. Looking for Alaska by John Green
A boy at boarding school falls for a wild, clever girl and then faces a loss that changes him. Funny in the first half, painful in the second.
Best for: first love and loss.
4. Paper Towns by John Green
Quentin follows clues left by his neighbor, a girl who vanishes. A road trip, a mystery and a lesson about seeing people as they are.
Best for: mystery and friendship.
5. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
Simon is outed by a classmate while falling for an anonymous email pen pal. Warm, funny and full of real stakes.
Best for: sweet and funny.
6. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Two teens meet in a New York club and spend one long night chasing a band. Fast, witty and music-driven.
Best for: one-night stories.
7. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Junior leaves his reservation school for an all-white one. Cartoons, humor and pain shape this honest coming-of-age story.
Best for: humor and heart.
8. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Two misfits fall in love on a school bus in 1986. Sweet, sad and perfectly pitched for readers who felt invisible.
Best for: slow-burn romance.
9. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
A teen hunts for a hidden prize inside a vast virtual world. Packed with 1980s culture and technology that feels uncomfortably close to Squip.
Best for: technology and culture.
10. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Arthur Dent escapes Earth's destruction with an alien friend. Absurd, quotable and a good match for the humor in Be More Chill.
Best for: absurd comedy.
11. Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life by Bryan Lee O'Malley
A slacker bassist must defeat his new girlfriend's seven evil exes. A graphic novel with video-game energy and indie charm.
Best for: graphic novel fans.
12. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
A smart girl infiltrates an all-male secret society at her boarding school. Sharp, funny and about being underestimated.
Best for: clever heroines.
13. Fat Kid Rules the World by K.L. Going
A heavy teen who nearly jumps in front of a train is rescued by a punk guitarist and joins his band. Raw and funny.
Best for: music and friendship.
14. Dumplin' by Julie Murphy
A plus-size Texas girl enters a beauty pageant to prove a point. Warm, funny and body-positive.
Best for: confidence boosters.
15. The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp
A charming party boy faces the truth about his drinking and future. Funny at first, then very honest.
Best for: honest realism.
How to Choose
For more Vizzini, read It's Kind of a Funny Story. For heartfelt outsider stories, choose The Perks of Being a Wallflower or Eleanor & Park. For technology and satire, Ready Player One. For laughs, The Hitchhiker's Guide or Scott Pilgrim. Some titles touch on mental health, so choose with that in mind.
Related: How to Read More With a Full-Time Job · Codependent No More by Melody Beattie: Summary and Key Takeaways
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Be More Chill about?
Jeremy takes a pill that installs a voice in his head, the Squip, which coaches him to be popular, but the help comes at a cost.
Is Be More Chill a musical too?
Yes. The book was adapted into a Broadway musical in 2019.
What age is it for?
Most readers are 14 and up, because of language and some mature themes.
Who was Ned Vizzini?
An American author of YA novels who died in 2013. His books are known for humor and honesty about mental health.
Is Be More Chill a funny book?
Yes, though it also deals with anxiety, friendship and peer pressure.