Books To Read After Watching Adolescence 

These books explore radicalisation, misogyny, trauma, and teen psyche—perfect for Adolescence fans needing deeper context. 

A gripping faux-true-crime novel that shows how teenage games and groupthink spiral into irreversible violence. 

Penance by Eliza Clark 

Two families meet to “talk”—but it’s not small talk. It’s about their sons... and a crime. 

The Dinner by Herman Koch 

Every microaggression, every dismissal—it builds. This book connects global misogyny to everyday experiences with sobering clarity. 

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-joo 

Short stories that peel back the internet’s mask—incels, disillusionment, and desperate masculinity laid terrifyingly bare. 

Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte 

Kevin commits mass violence. Was it nurture? Nature? This novel forces you to question everything about blame. 

We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver 

A brutal, necessary nonfiction dive into online radicalisation, incel forums, and how boys are lured into hate. 

Men Who Hate Women by Laura Bates 

A haunting short story about power, guilt, and the excuses men make for past sexual violence. 

Girl on the Plane by Mary Gaitskill