If you’re one of the lucky few who had a good adolescence, you probably didn’t spend those years cultivating a love of books. The dominant narrative of a ‘good adolescence’ is shaped far more by experimentation, discovery, and conflict, rather than by introversion, calm, and concentration.
Even so, during my relatively mild adolescence (2011–2017), books became a nerdy but effective escape —a way to balance the shakier parts of that stage of life. Reading was for me a way to construct a sense of self beyond the limited experiences available in and around my school in the southern suburbs of Athens. And, for better or worse, it was painless for my parents.
A decade after my own adolescence, some teenagers still turn to books as a form of escape. ‘It’s like entering a different world’ says Melina, a ninth-grade student and four-time Greek champion in Taekwondo. She reads at the end of the day, once she’s done with schoolwork and training. ‘Mostly during weekends, though’, she adds.
When asked how many of her friends read, she answers: ‘Only one of my friends reads, and we discuss books together.’ Dikaios Chatziplis, Head of Children’s and Young Adult Books at Patakis Publications, describes a similar picture. ‘I often meet teenagers at publishing-house events for young people and ask them: How many of you have gone to a bookstore in the past month to browse or buy a book? The highest number is 7 out of 50.’
That may not sound like an impressive number. ‘Teachers looking for teen books are interested in small reading volumes,’ he says, because shorter books may be more inviting to read.
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Many teenagers who do read do not discover books by browsing in bookstores. Stavroula Thomopoulou, works at the ‘Politeia’ bookstore and has more than 10 years of experience in children’s and young adult books. She says many teens rely on the social media algorithms to choose what to read.
‘They are now heavily influenced by platforms, mainly TikTok and #Booktok.’ #BookTok is the community of ‘book lovers’ on both international and Greek TikTok, and it’s one of the strongest trends in book promotion. Moreover, fewer parents now choose books for their teenage children. ‘When parents come here, they ask for the books their child has already picked.’
Melina, for instance, chooses her books herself, directly from the bookstore. The genres she prefers are fantasy and classic romance. Her taste overlaps with #BookTok trends and the bestselling titles for her age group.
“Teenagers tend to read a lot of fantasy and romance because those genres are ‘easier’ to read,” says Ms. Thomopoulou.
“Teenagers tend to read a lot of fantasy and romance because those genres are ‘easier’ to read,” says Ms. Thomopoulou. These are often books that have been adapted for film or television, such as Percy Jackson,’ she adds. Of course, when we say ‘teenagers’ we are using the term loosely, since sales data show that most teen readers are girls.
She also points out that teenagers are increasingly choosing to read books in the original English. ‘Kids know English very well now, so many choose them for practice, while others choose them because they’re cheaper.’
She also points out that Greek authors once recommended for this age group (such as Alki Zei and Georges Sari) are now being read by younger children —even eight-year-olds— while teenagers tend to prefer reading graphic novels. Sales of graphic novels are growing rapidly among 12- to 17-year-olds, says Ms. Thomopoulou. ‘They have grown up with images on their phones, so it appeals to them more.’
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“We have not managed to cultivate a reading culture among teenagers. I often hear parents say, ‘But our house is full of books,’” says Mr. Chatziplis. ‘But what example are we setting? When we want to unwind, we rarely pick up a book.’
Because of the rapid technological changes of recent decades, books now have to compete with more tempting options for adults and teens to unwind: television, computers, and now smartphones, which researchers say are designed to be addictive.
‘There is no point in telling a teenager to put down their phone and read a book,’ says Mr. Chatziplis.
‘There is no point telling a teenager to put down their phone and read a book,’ says Mr. Chatziplis. ‘The goal is to help teenagers see that books can give them the calm they need; slow time, away from the screen.’ That is also one reason Melina doesn’t like reading on e-readers or any other screen. ‘It is a break from the phone. And I love the feel of paper, and flipping the pages.’
The education system itself can also play a negative role in teenagers’ relationship with literature. Teachers don’t have the flexibility to suggest books they believe would bring teens closer to reading.
For example, if a parent labels a book ‘inappropriate’ over a single swear word (heaven forbid), the teacher will be in trouble. These situations ‘could be avoided if the state offered support. But there is no coherent public policy to help teachers encourage reading among teenagers’, says Mr. Chatziplis.
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‘They just haven’t read that one book yet —the one that will hook them. Once that happens, they are unlikely to stop,’ Melina says, commenting on the fact that most of her classmates don’t read.
Mr. Chatziplis sees the same pattern in the teenagers he meets at events. ‘While hope is fading, some kids come to book fairs and ask for books —big, hefty volumes. That’s when you realize it all comes down to the right book landing in a child’s hands —the one that will enchant them. From there, looking for similar content, they start reading more and more.’
‘They just haven’t read that one book yet —the one that will hook them. Once that happens, they are unlikely to stop,’ says Melina.
‘It is easy to assume that teenagers no longer read because of smartphones. But as in the past, there are still teenagers who read a lot, and that is encouraging,’ says Ms. Thomopoulou.
She explains, though, that the fact many teenagers do not read is not necessarily a bad thing. Figuring out what you truly enjoy reading is a complicated process, and it often starts later. ‘Still, I think anyone who wants to, will find their way in the world of books’.
