Families who loved The Passage by James Killgore often look for books with a similar feel. These 20 recommendations were selected for their similarity in style, theme, and reading level.
Reach for this book when your teenager is struggling with the weight of peer pressure or the disillusionment that comes when reality fails to meet their expectations of glory. Sam, a fifteen-year-old in 1862, forges his grandfather's signature to join the Confederate Navy, dragging his best friend into the service with him. This gritty, realistic historical novel moves quickly, focusing on the internal toll of guilt and the harsh, unglamorous nature of war. It is an ideal choice for readers who are ready to move past romanticized adventure stories into deeper, more complex explorations of consequence and integrity. While the setting is the Civil War, the emotional core is about the painful transition into adulthood and the realization that some choices cannot be undone.