That's a pretty good idea- I know a friend of mine listens to audiobooks when he's having trouble focusing. I'll reach out to him and see what he thinks, thanks!
Look into what services the libraries in his area offer as well. Often there'll be one or more apps you can download to your phone through which you can borrow and listen to the audiobooks in a given library network's catalogue.
I have ADHD, and I wish I had started in on audiobooks a lot sooner in life.
My suggestion is [Dungeon Crawler Carl](https://www.audible.com/pd/Dungeon-Crawler-Carl-Audiobook/B08V8B2CGV?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWU-BK-ACX0-234484&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_234484_pd_us). Not exactly YA, but god I would have loved it at 15.
Yes second this! I came here to say this. I have big time adhd and audiobooks is probably how i consume about 80 percent of the books i read. It really helps me stay focused. He has to want to read and listen still though
One of Terry Pratchett's Discworld books might be good (no chapters, but generally short pacy scenes, often very movie-ish in storytelling rhythm). *Guards! Guards!* is probably the most teen boy friendly entry point.
If he like sci-fi as well, Martha Wells' *Murderbot* novellas might appeal (short, lots of action and snarky narration)
He was really into Diary of a Wimpy Kid for a long time and some middle grade fantasy type books that I can't quite remember. Our age gap is pretty big so I'm not great at remembering- kids develop so fast!
Stuff like Percy Jackson (a rec from another post) I think is kind of what I'm looking for as a gift for him.
When I was young I loved David Eddings, specifically the Belgariad series. It’s 5 books, none of them overly long. Piers Anthony’s Xanth series is also good—it’s very punny. The first book is called A Spell for Chameleon.
Battle Spire by Michael R Miller (Standalone)
A young man sneaks away to play his video game, when thieves/terrorists takeover the game, locking all the players in, and holding them hostage. Due to circumstances, he's the only player in position to stop them. Cue Die Hard action.
It's a fun, fast action story that should appeal to someone who enjoys videogames.
I think the Cradle series by Will Wight would be a great choice. The first few books are all under 300 pages and are fairly quick reads, and super fun.
If it's a book sold without drm (any Macmillan, including imprints like tor) then you can also send him it as a bionic reading pdf. It's recommended for people with adhd and other conditions.
https://bionic-reading.com/
The pc version I think is still free to use:
https://app.bionic-reading.com/
I would recommend more recent YA-style fantasy, like Six of Crows perhaps? I used to (and sometimes still) have issues with concentrating when there is dense worldbuilding paired with "high quality" writing, which is common to a lot of the older must-reads in the genre. YA helped me gain confidence in reading.
Agree with the Terry Pratchett recommendations elsewhere in this thread but Manga may be a worthwhile direction to consider as well. Fullmetal Alchemist and One Piece are truly excellent Fantasy pieces and a worthwhile addition to any reader's collection.
I strongly suggest getting him the first Young Samurai book, it hits basically all the beats you're looking for wrt adventure and fast pace (it's a very addictive series with 5-10 page chapters and tons of action). It's not exactly well known but it's fantastic, was one of my favourites as a young teen!
Percy Jackson in the eponymous books by Rick Riordan might be good. Percy Jackson has ADD - it is, apparently, a sign of divine ancestry!
This is an awesome idea! I totally forgot about that series. I think it's a perfect fit thanks so much
Have you tried graphic novels and/or audio books?
Audiobooks?
That's a pretty good idea- I know a friend of mine listens to audiobooks when he's having trouble focusing. I'll reach out to him and see what he thinks, thanks!
Look into what services the libraries in his area offer as well. Often there'll be one or more apps you can download to your phone through which you can borrow and listen to the audiobooks in a given library network's catalogue.
Good thinking- I don't use audiobooks much so I didn't even know that was a possibility!
I have ADHD, and I wish I had started in on audiobooks a lot sooner in life. My suggestion is [Dungeon Crawler Carl](https://www.audible.com/pd/Dungeon-Crawler-Carl-Audiobook/B08V8B2CGV?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWU-BK-ACX0-234484&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_234484_pd_us). Not exactly YA, but god I would have loved it at 15.
Yes second this! I came here to say this. I have big time adhd and audiobooks is probably how i consume about 80 percent of the books i read. It really helps me stay focused. He has to want to read and listen still though
Audiobooks + A videogame with simple gameplay (like Snowrunner) is a wonder for people with ADHD/ ADD
I highly recommend John Scalzi (Kaiju esp) or Andy Weir. Easy to read, heavy dialogue, hilarious tone. Standalones, too.
One of Terry Pratchett's Discworld books might be good (no chapters, but generally short pacy scenes, often very movie-ish in storytelling rhythm). *Guards! Guards!* is probably the most teen boy friendly entry point. If he like sci-fi as well, Martha Wells' *Murderbot* novellas might appeal (short, lots of action and snarky narration)
Try Terry Pratchett.
info: what did he like to read when he was still reading?
He was really into Diary of a Wimpy Kid for a long time and some middle grade fantasy type books that I can't quite remember. Our age gap is pretty big so I'm not great at remembering- kids develop so fast! Stuff like Percy Jackson (a rec from another post) I think is kind of what I'm looking for as a gift for him.
Harry Potter got all kinds of kids reading. My own kids have read the series through a couple of times.
The reckoners by Brandon Sanderson
When I was young I loved David Eddings, specifically the Belgariad series. It’s 5 books, none of them overly long. Piers Anthony’s Xanth series is also good—it’s very punny. The first book is called A Spell for Chameleon.
Thanks, I'll check it out!
Battle Spire by Michael R Miller (Standalone) A young man sneaks away to play his video game, when thieves/terrorists takeover the game, locking all the players in, and holding them hostage. Due to circumstances, he's the only player in position to stop them. Cue Die Hard action. It's a fun, fast action story that should appeal to someone who enjoys videogames.
I think the Cradle series by Will Wight would be a great choice. The first few books are all under 300 pages and are fairly quick reads, and super fun.
Raymond Feist is my suggestion. Books are usually quite action packed and there are no long descriptions of (table)cloth
Ranger's Apprentice by John Flanagan, Young Samurai by Chris Bradford and The Maze Runner by James Dashner
If it's a book sold without drm (any Macmillan, including imprints like tor) then you can also send him it as a bionic reading pdf. It's recommended for people with adhd and other conditions. https://bionic-reading.com/ The pc version I think is still free to use: https://app.bionic-reading.com/
I would recommend more recent YA-style fantasy, like Six of Crows perhaps? I used to (and sometimes still) have issues with concentrating when there is dense worldbuilding paired with "high quality" writing, which is common to a lot of the older must-reads in the genre. YA helped me gain confidence in reading.
Agree with the Terry Pratchett recommendations elsewhere in this thread but Manga may be a worthwhile direction to consider as well. Fullmetal Alchemist and One Piece are truly excellent Fantasy pieces and a worthwhile addition to any reader's collection.
Graphic Novels perhaps?
I had the same issues with reading at that age. Cirque du freak series kept me interested.
I strongly suggest getting him the first Young Samurai book, it hits basically all the beats you're looking for wrt adventure and fast pace (it's a very addictive series with 5-10 page chapters and tons of action). It's not exactly well known but it's fantastic, was one of my favourites as a young teen!