Find your new favorite book based on popular TV shows

Darcy Mullane '24

Website Designer

Books can immerse you like no other form of media. Personally, I am always finding a new favorite book, but I am also always obsessing over new Television characters. Television and books follow many of the same tropes or similar story lines. Here are some books similar to popular TV shows that will hopefully tickle your fancy!

Juniors recreating the cover of "Criminal Minds"

So you want to be an FBI agent?

“Criminal Minds” is a show where a fierce group of FBI agents take on a new crime, mostly murder, each episode. They dive into the inner workings of the mind behind the criminal and create a profile based on how they think the unidentified subject, aka “unsub,” would act and look.

Similarly, in a young adult novel, “The Naturals” by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, a group of teenagers are handpicked by the FBI for their special skills at solving murders. Cassie, the 17-year-old protagonist, has a very similar skill set to those of the Behavioral Analysis Unit in “Criminal Minds” meaning by looking at a person and taking in their mannerisms, she can decipher key parts of their personality and if they could be a murderer.

Cassie is sent to live in a house with other members of this group of junior FBI agents.What originally seemed like an opportunity to solve cold cases and put her talents to good use, turned into a dangerous murderer coming after her and everything she holds dear.

So if you love “Criminal Minds,” then “The Naturals” is the book for you!

Coming Of Age

There have been many popular Netflix shows released in the past couple years, including “Ginny and Georgia” which follows a girl, Ginny, and her mom, Georgia, as they navigate their complicated relationship all the while Ginny deals with her first love.

There are many books that tackle confusing mother-daughter relationships, but “Starfish” by Akemi Dawn Bowman is one of the best.

This book follows a teenage girl, Kiko Himura, who faces a narcissistic mother, identity issues, rejection from art school and a dash of romance. The book is written in a beautiful and poetic way that makes people sympathize with all the characters. Bowman writes relationships, specifically mother-daughter relationships, in a realistic way where the book gets almost too real.

“Starfish” is a great read for those who relate to complex relationships like the ones portrayed in “Ginny and Georgia”.

Vampires are the Main Event

A love triangle, crazy supernatural characters and vampire love interests are found in both “The Vampire Diaries” the TV show and “Crave” the book by Tracy Wolf.

“The Vampire Diaries” is about a girl who moves in with her aunt, after her parents die. She moves to a mysterious town named Mystic Falls where she meets a mysterious vampire. One of the main debates over “The Vampire Diaries” is if Elena, the main character, should date Damon Salvatore, the brooding vampire brother, or Stephan Salvatore, the kinder vampire brother.

In “Crave” a girl named Grace goes to a seemingly normal boarding school in Alaska after her parents die in a car crash. As the book goes on, she realizes that this boarding school may not be all she thought it was. In reality, it is home to vampires, dragons and gargoyles, so it is not really a typical school.

“Crave” is a series of seven books where Grace fights evil entities and supernatural creatures, while deciding between Jaxon Vega, the semi-approachable vampire brother, or Hudson Vega, the intimidating, seemingly evil vampire brother.

“Crave” by Tracy Wolff is a great read for lovers of “The Vampire Diaries” and people who just love drama and fantasy.

You have a seasonal Disneyland pass

A modern take on classic Disney movies with a constant interference from Rumplestiltskin is how I would describe “Once upon a time.” There are appearances from characters like Snow White and Cinderella who fight against the classic Disney villains.

If you like the nostalgic feeling of reading about classic Disney characters, while also having a bit of a more mature view on classic stories like “Cinderella”, pick up “The Lunar Chronicles” by Marissa Meyer starting with “Cinder.”

Cinder is a young girl who happens to be a cyborg in a dystopian Earth where cyborgs are outcasts. She lives with her evil step-mom and step-sisters who have always used her as a maid. Cinder is on a quest to cure the disease that has been spreading around Earth and that killed her sister, but will she be able to figure it out before someone stops her? To find out what happens in this terrific twist on classic Disney stories read “Cinder” by Marissa Meyer.

These are some great young adult books for a relaxing day or a day when you just need to escape. Books are amazing and feed the brain, so turn off the tv and open a book!