Judge These Books by their Titles: Ten Intriguing Teen Book Titles

Were you ever so intrigued by a book's title that you just had to read it?   Here's my top ten list of intriguing book titles.

1.  "The Forest of Hands and Teeth" by Carrie Ryan

When I first read this title, I imagined a forest straight out of a fairytale, one where wolves lurked and witches lived.  I simply had to read it based on the title alone.

Once I started reading the book, I learned what really lurked in the forest (it's doubtful I would have read the book if it had been called "The Forest of Zombies", much to my loss), but the title is still the most lyrical one I've ever read.

2.  "Anna Dressed in Blood" by Kendare Blake

I encountered this title recently on someone's top ten list of favourite young adult books for 2011.  I have no idea what the book is about (although for some reason I keep having flashbacks of the prom scene in "Carrie"), but I've put a hold on it at my local library.

Who is Anna?  Why is she dressed in blood?  I can't wait to find out.

3.  "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs


The cover photo of this book initially drew me in, but it was the "peculiar children" in the title that made this a must-read.   The title reminds me a bit of "The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place", another great title.

4.  "Imaginary Girls" by Nova Ren Suma

I saw this book at a store and the title stayed with me long after I left.  Was it referring to imaginary friends of real teenage girls, who become real somehow?   Maybe it was about two girls who lived in an imaginary world they created?  Neither of these theories were exactly right, but I was surprisingly close with just a title and book cover to go by.

5.  "The Dead-Tossed Waves" by Carrie Ryan

This is the sequel to "The Forest of Hands and Teeth" and the second I read it, I imagined myself standing on the beach, and the waves washing up corpses like they were nothing more than pieces of driftwood.   

The third book "The Dark and Hollow Places" deserves special mention.  Even though it is the most poetic of the three titles (and poignant once you've read the book), it didn't draw me in like the others.    

6.  What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell

What did she see?  Why did she have to lie about it?  This is a very bare-bones title, but it definitely works for this teen historical thriller.  And the book did not disappoint.

7.  "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher

This title immediately made me curious.  Why thirteen reasons?  What are the thirteen reasons about?  They turned out to be about something very serious, and this is one of the most moving books I've ever read.

8.  "Daughter of Smoke and Bone" by Laini Taylor

This is on my "to read" list mostly because the title caught my attention.  The name is suggestive of witchcraft, although based on the plot summaries I've read, it may be referring to something even more sinister.

9.  "The Knife of Never Letting Go" by Patrick Ness

I have no idea what this book is about, but I keep meaning to read it because I just can't let go of this title. The title of the second book, "The Ask and the Answer", is almost as intriguing.

10. "A Great and Terrible Beauty" by Libba Bray

This is another book I want to read based on the title.  I've already read Libba Bray's "Going Bovine" and "Beauty Queens" and the titles played a major part in my wanting to read these books too ("Going Bovine" has to be one of the strangest titles ever).

What books drew you in by their titles?  Did they live up to their titles?