Seek Ye Out of the Best Books

My older son is required to read some hundreds of pages each semester for his English class this year.  He as asked me for help in finding books that he might enjoy.  He is a bit of a "reluctant" reader, so it's going to take more than just a little thought.

Of course, I turned to the source of all Internet knowledge:  Google!  After a short search, I found something that seemed promising:  The Young Adult Library Services Association "2010 Best Books for Young Adults" list.  At least, it seemed promising until I started reading the descriptions of some of these books:

• Lia is haunted by her best friend's death from bulimia, as she struggles with her own eating disorder.
• In an attempt to distance himself from the rest of the students in the school's therapy group known as the Madman Underground, Karl launches his senior year with “Operation Be <expletive> Normal.”
• Anke watches her siblings and mother suffer at the hands of her abusive father until she finds enough strength, through involvement in volleyball, to demonstrate her needs.
• Essie, 16, sews all day for pennies at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory to help feed her fatherless family and now to forget her little sister's death. Then the fire happens.
• Soccer star Devon never admitted to herself that she was pregnant. Now she’s in detention, facing charges of attempted murder after delivering a baby and dumping it in the trash.
• After her estranged mother dies, Shawna Gallagher refuses to accept her dysfunctional home life and attempts to make peace with her mother’s lesbian lover.
• Ellie is pregnant after looking for love in the wrong places with one too many boys. Corrine, Caleb and Josh all deal with the emotions, consequences and difficult decisions ahead.

Really???

No wonder I'm having a hard time finding decent reading material for my son.  I understand that writers are trying to find current topics that teens are dealing with, but I usually read a work of fiction to escape some of the crap that real life throws at me.  Sometimes, it's fun to just read something that is fun or scary or just different.  When a book starts to moralize or preach at me, regardless of whether or not I agree with the message, I stop reading.  There's too much good writing out there to waste time with crap.

If you have any suggestions of good books or good authors for a 16-year-old young man, let me know!