Lockhart has written ten books and a few short stories for teens and teens at heart since 2005, all of which are grounded in the real world and feature memorable characters. If you'd like to dive into Lockhart's works, read on.
If you want a feminist boarding school caper...
Try The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks. Tired of being disrespected by her seemingly perfect boyfriend, Frankie takes matters into her own hands and leads a series of thought-provoking pranks at her private boarding school. Frankie is among the best teen protagonists ever written (according to this librarian, at least!). This book earned Lockhart a Printz Honor for Excellence in Young Adult Literature from the American Library Association and was a finalist for the National Book Award.
If you want a funny, realistic series set in Seattle...
Try The Boyfriend List. This is the first in a four book series about Ruby Oliver, a slightly awkward high school sophomore, who has been seeing a therapist after her life starts spiraling out of control. These books are humorous, full of great characters, and have tons of heart.
If you want an intergenerational family mystery with an unreliable narrator...
Try We Were Liars. Suffering from memory loss after an "incident" two years before, Cadence returns to her family's private island and must confront what actually happened. This is undoubtedly Lockhart's most well-known work—it was a New York Times bestseller and topped many of 2014's best young adult book lists.
If you want a campy story about theater kids...
Try Dramarama. Lockhart draws from her own experience in summer theater programs to bring the joys and heartbreaks of musical theater to life for teen protagonists Sadye and Demi, who can't wait to escape their normal lives for camp.
If you want an high school take on The Metamorphosis...
Try Fly on the Wall. Social outcast Gretchen Yee literally becomes a fly on the wall in the boys' locker room at her arts high school and learns more about herself and the realities of her fellow students' lives in the process.
If you want a twisty thriller where you don't know who to trust...
Try Genuine Fraud. Told mostly in reverse chronological order, Lockhart's newest novel follows the intertwined lives of orphans Jule and Imogen as they hop around the globe on an epic adventure where one of them ends up dead.
If you aren't ready to commit, but want a taste of her contemporary realistic voice...
Try 21 Proms. This anthology collection features a story by Lockhart about a girl adjusting to a new school leading up to prom.
If you'd rather read a children's book...
Lockhart also writes under the name Emily Jenkins for a younger audience. Start with the picture book Toys Go Out, a collaboration with illustrator Paul O. Zelinsky, or Invisible Inkling, an illustrated chapter book.
