Books like Payback by Paul Langan

Annabeth, daughter of Athena, must overcome her fears and protect her Greek friends from the Roman camp during the quest to find the Mark of Athena.

A coming‑of‑age epistolary novel that follows introverted teen Charlie through his freshman year in a 1990s Pittsburgh suburb as he navigates high school, friendship and the challenges of adolescence.

High school junior Kristina’s life spirals when an illicit drug called crank enters her world, forcing her to confront addiction, family turmoil, and the threat of pregnancy in a harsh teenage reality.

Steve Harmon, a sixteen‑year‑old charged as an accomplice to murder, records his prison and courtroom experiences as a film script while confronting his self‑perception and fate.

A 16‑year‑old learns he has a warrior lineage and wields magic, then joins a training program to confront enemy wizards.

Armpit, a young man with cerebral palsy, struggles to rebuild his life in Austin after leaving Camp Green Lake, finding hope in a friendship with a disabled boy named Ginny while confronting the past that lingers.

High school sophomore Darcy Wills faces a stalker, a threatening note, and the sudden disappearance of her sister, forcing her to uncover hidden dangers while protecting her fragile family.

A true‑story chronicle of the race to build the atomic bomb, following scientists, spies and commando raids across three continents in the years leading to World War II.

Jericho learns the true cost of popularity when a pledge drive for the elite Warriors of Distinction turns into a battle of peer pressure, hazing, and life‑threatening challenges.

In a private New York school, fifteen‑year‑old black Jeremiah meets white Ellie. Amid family turmoil, the two fall in love and navigate classmates’ reactions and their own growing feelings.

A Boy Called Twister: A story about a young African American boy who transfers to a high school and struggles to fit in while discovering his true potential on the track team.

When Hakeem’s father falls ill, the family must relocate to Detroit and share a room with his moody cousin Savon, forcing Hakeem to confront friendship, family struggles, and the challenges of change.

A playful story about two friends who discover how a book is made, learning that what matters most is the joy of sharing stories and the friendships they build along the way.

High‑school senior Darcy Wills grapples with a strained friendship, a family medical crisis and looming future choices when unexpected news forces her to reconsider life beyond Bluford High.

Twelve‑year‑old Chuck Bell spends a summer in 1988 with his grandparents in Washington, D.C., where he discovers the rhythms of jazz and the thrill of basketball while uncovering his family’s hidden history.

If your vision asked you to risk your life to save others, would you have the courage?When Samantha McGregor tells her friend Detective Ebony Hamilton of her disturbing visions of a brutal murder at a high school, Ebony asks her to go undercover to help identify the shooter before it's too late. The stakes are raised when Ebony discovers that the potential crime may be connected to a larger terrorism threat! Meanwhile, Samantha realizes that her mother's new boyfriend is a little too good to be true. Her unsettling visions, combined with Ebony's investigation of Steven's past, reveal him to be more interested in her mother's money than her heart. To make matters worse, Samantha has been having visions of an unknown boy who is mercilessly being bullied by his peers. Who is this teen? Can she help him? This fourth and final installment in The Secret Life of Samantha McGregor series brings Samantha her biggest challenges yet, as she works against the clock to stop a mass murder, help a troubled youth, and save her mother from making a terrible mistake!From the Trade Paperback edition.

In Harlem, writer Darius and runner Twig forge an unlikely friendship as they confront bullying, family hardship, and their own dreams of a brighter future.

A high‑school junior grapples with doubts as the mysterious disappearance of a class outcast forces him to confront his own emotional struggles and peer pressure.

In Wahida Clark’s urban tale, Brianna’s lavish lifestyle and high‑stakes hustling collide with her friendship with Shan, a prison worker, when a risky scheme goes wrong, threatening their lives and loyalty.

Akilah and Victoria, raised in Queens, New York, are inseparable best friends—until Victoria returns from a Nigerian summer, where she participates in a coming‑of‑age ceremony. Now she behaves differently, raising questions about identity and change.

A lively children’s tale where truck drivers and pushcart peddlers clash in New York, spurring the city and the world to reconsider traffic congestion.

Jesse presses a sketchbook to the quiet beats of Harlem, using comic strips to process his brother’s death and a friendship lost to gang life.