Find your next great read for Alcohol Awareness Month or National Substance Abuse Prediction Month by exploring my reviews of these atypical YA books about alcohol and drug abuse.

After COVID, existing problems with alcohol and prescription drug abuse have only multiplied. Yet despite the tragic toll of the opioid crisis and isolation on young people, few YA novels exist that actually feature characters dealing with substance abuse and recovery.

Reading stories where characters are wrestling with addiction can help you recognize something amiss in the behavior of your friends or family—or even yourself. There is something powerful about connecting inside the head of a protagonist who shares your deepest thoughts and feelings. Someone who really knows.

Reading books about alcohol and drug abuse can even spark life-saving discussions that lead to treatment and recovery. Stories can take you out of your own head and hold up a mirror about drinking or other substance abuse in your own life.

So which YA books about alcohol and drug abuse should you read?

Here are my top personal recommendations of writers who’ve tackled the topic of teen drinking and drug abuse in YA novels but don’t show up on the usual lists. You will find a mixture of both subjects here.

Swallow the Rainbow by Khristina Chess

“That’s the thing about addiction. Now that I’m hooked, nothing else matters. Nothing. Not my mom, not Mr. Purrty, not the power outage, not my lack of clean clothes or showering, not the disaster surrounding us, not these kind people taking care of me, not my friends, nothing but the addiction”― Khristina Chess, quote from Swallow the Rainbow

The worst part about the tornado isn’t the car on Savannah Young’s roof. It’s not her missing mom or her missing cat. It’s not the news that the power might not be restored for ten days or the fact that she’s stranded with the neighbors.

She’s out of pain pills. And she doesn’t have any way to reach Toby to get more.

And when withdrawal sets in, she’s going to get very, very sick.

As residents in Savannah’s subdivision come together in the aftermath of this historic severe weather event, Savannah wrestles with her opioid addiction, her grief for surviving the car crash that killed her brother, and her guilt for being The One Who Survived—twice.

Wow! Swallow the Rainbow hooked me from the first page and never let me go. What I love most about this book is Savannah’s voice and unique way of looking at the world, especially in the aftermath of the tornadoes. I love the tree stuff! And the romance with the neighbor boy. And the cat. This isn’t the usual stereotypical teen addiction story.

You won’t want to miss this powerful YA book about drug abuse. Fans of Heroine will enjoy this one.

Drive to June by Khristina Chess

“You do realize that a car is a mobile make-out location, right?” ― Khristina Chess, quote from Drive to June.

Eighteen-year-old Adriana refuses to text anymore.

She doesn’t drive.

And she’s secretly guzzling her dead mother’s wine collection.

With her father traveling so much and her older sister away in college, no one knows about Adriana’s drinking. She drinks to forget something awful that she did; she drinks to go numb. To avoid her grief. And now she can't seem to stop. Since moving to this new school, she doesn't have close friends or teachers, so there's nothing to stop her free-fall.

But then one night, Ian spots her on the roof and makes an offer she can’t refuse. He comes into her life, and everything begins to change.

Wow, what a ride! Drive to June took off from the start and accelerated all the way to the finish. I had to find out Adriana’s secret. What makes this book so special is the sweet relationship that develops between Adriana and Ian as he teaches her how to drive and helps her get her driver’s license. Although it starts as a story about alcohol abuse, this is a dreamy and hopeful YA novel with heart.

You won’t want to miss this this surprisingly romantic YA book about teen alcohol abuse and grief. Fans of The Astonishing Color of After will love this one. In fact, Khristina Chess is such a great author that she’s on my list of Best YA Authors to Binge on Kindle Unlimited because she’s all-around amazing!

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

“The last laugh, the last cup of coffee, the last sunset, the last time you jump through a sprinkler, or eat an ice-cream cone, or stick your tongue out to catch a snowflake. You just don’t know.” ― Lauren Oliver, quote from Before I Fall

Samantha Kingston is dead.

In this YA-version of Groundhog Day, a “mean girl” gets a chance to relive her last day and the party she attended with her friends before the fatal car crash. She has an opportunity to make the same choices over and over, until she makes different ones.

This beautiful novel is a mystery about redemption. Samantha’s character arc really blew me away, and although I disliked her in the beginning, I was cheering for her by the end, and I love the way Lauren Oliver wrote the ending.

If you’re looking for an atypical book about teen alcohol abuse and its consequences, Before I Fall is worth a look.

The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith

“No, can’t cry. Because there’s nothing to cry about. Because it was just a dream. A bad dream. A nightmare. Not real. Not real. Not real. That’s what I keep thinking: NotRealNotRealNotReal. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Like a mantra. Like a prayer.” ― Amber Smith, quote from The Way I Used to Be

Fourteen-year-old Eden was raped by her brother’s best friend. In her own room. In her own bed.

Instead of telling anyone, she internalizes the trauma and begins a multi-year downward spiral of acting out, drinking, taking drugs, losing friends, and sleeping around. She’s no longer the “good girl” she used to be.

This book shows how a young girl can stay silent about rape for years, why it can be so hard to tell someone, and what it’s like to try to survive in silence.

The Way I Used to Be is a poignant YA book about alcohol abuse and sexual assault that can be hard to read because Eden’s pain makes her an unlikeable character at times, but this story is worthwhile.

Heroine by Mindy McGinnis

“When I wake up, all my friends are dead. I don’t know when they stopped breathing, or how long I slept while they dropped off one by one.” ― Mindy McGinnis, quote from Heroine

Those are the opening words of Heroine, the compelling novel about the slow slide of Mickey from Catalan from her position as a star student athlete to heroin addict. It begins with a terrible car accident and pain. Determine to make it back on the field, she uses the prescription painkillers to accelerate her recovery.

But then she’s out of pills and needs more.

What’s so compelling about Heroine is Mickey’s slow slide into addiction and her denial about her situation. She justifies every step of the way. The means justifies the ends, every time.

I did not watch my friends die.
I did not leave their bodies cooling in a basement.
I am not an addict.

Heroine is one of the best YA books featuring characters dealing with substance abuse that I’ve ever read. It’s real and raw, and I couldn’t look away. I really rooted for her to find a way to health.

You’re Be Home by Now by Kathleen Glasgow

“Someone I used to know said that’s the problem with adults. They just see kids as they want them to be, what they aren’t, and not as they are. I think about that all the time. Like, how much time and pain and suffering could be eliminated if you just accepted the kid in front of you and stopped trying to fix them. Maybe there is no “fixing.” Maybe there is just heartbreak and love and trying to help them stay alive, whatever it takes.” ― Kathleen Glasgow, quote from You’d Be Home Now

Kathleen Glasgow knows how to make me cry.

You’d Be Home Now is a YA story about substance abuse, siblings, unrequited love, bullying, finding one’s voice, friendship, hope, and so much more. I couldn’t put it down.

Emory’s older brother Joey is struggling to recover from opioid addiction. Her overbearing mother assigns her the task of monitoring his progress, and when he stumbles, Emory tries to cover for him. Meanwhile, Emory is hooking up with the baseball star next door, and things have gone too far. She finds herself in a storm where everything—everything—is wrong!

I loved this book. I love all Kathleen Glasgow’s book. If you’re looking for a great read about siblings and substance abuse, this one’s for you.

Looking for Alaska by John Green

“There comes a time when we realize that our parents cannot save themselves or save us, that everyone who wades through time eventually gets dragged out to sea by the undertow-that, in short, we are all going.” ― John Green, quote from Looking for Alaska

A quiet boy at boarding school meets a charismatic girl, then loses her.

Miles Halter goes away to boarding school, where he makes new friends, takes up drinking and smoking, breaks some rules, and meets a hot girl named Alaska Young. She’s the ringleader of the merry group’s adventures. She’s the one who can get alcohol and cigarettes.

She’s a bit wild.

Then one night while they’re all partying, she receives a phone call and takes off in her car. She never returns.

For a cautionary tale about alcohol and drug abuse, this award-winning story is a must-read.

Car Heroin Train by Virginia Austin

This slim novel is a fast and unexpected read. The main story is about Evan, who leaves graduation in Chicago and travels to Buffalo to find a girl who survived the car crash that killed his father. He's looking for some closure. Instead, he meets a beautiful young woman who is a heroine addict and also a child. The child is an unexpected subplot, equally important, and a bit odd.

Although the viewpoint character is a recent college graduate (and therefore technically knocks this one outside the genre category), you should add this one to your list of YA books about drug abuse. It’s great.

The First True Thing by Claire Needell

“People sometimes go with their instincts. They have sympathy. They care about people. I think Martin learned something when he messed up. Like now he really knows he wants to be here. Like he actually knows why he’s here and what this Group is really for.” ― Claire Needell, quote from The First True Thing

The First True Thing is both a mystery and a book about a teen working through the hard parts of recovery.

The mystery is that Marcelle’s friend Hannah is missing, and Marcelle was the last person to hear from her. What happened? What should she do? And if she tells the truth, the whole truth, what does that mean for her friends?

Working through this dilemma is part of her recovery because lying, hiding, hanging out with people who aren't good for her are all behaviors associated with her drinking.

Books about people in recovery can be hard to read. Addiction and drug abuse makes people choose the wrong thing, and Marcelle does that before she chooses the right thing. Therapy and group can seem dull or even frustrating. However, the ending of her story was satisfying to me because she grew and made the positive steps she needed to make. I felt she was on a good track by the end.

If you’re looking for atypical YA books about alcohol and drug abuse, The First True Thing is definitely worth a look.

Other YA Books about Alcohol and Drug Abuse

In all of my recommendations, alcohol and substance abuse plays a role in the story, but it is not the primary plot element. There’s so much more going on. For more atypical YA books about alcohol and drug abuse, you will find some great lists on Goodreads (links): YA Drug & Substance Abuse Novels (59 Books) and Substance Abuse & Addiction (627 Books). You might also be interested in my post, Other Good Reads, which lists other reviews of YA contemporary books about tough topics for teens.

I’d love to hear from you in the comments below. Do you have any other YA books about teen drinking, addiction, or other substance abuse topics to add to my list?

Khristina Chess is the award-winning author of several YA novels about troubled teens turning corners. You can find her on Amazon, Goodreads, and Twitter as an active daily contributor in the #5amwritersclub.