What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThirteen
Catherine Hardwicke · Film · 2003
If you loved Thirteen, start with 13 Reasons Why (Brian Yorkey, 2017) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Thirteen across media.
If Thirteen hooked you with its unflinching look at the messy, volatile, and painful transition into adulthood, these titles mirror that intensity.
Books on the same thread
Divergent
Veronica Roth · Book · 2013
Explores: Factionalism, Coming of Age, Identity.
Much like the identity crisis found in Thirteen, this story follows a young protagonist struggling to define herself while rebelling against the rigid expectations of her social environment.
The Giver
Lois Lowry · Book · 1993
Explores: Utopia, Loss of Memory, Individuality vs. Conformity.
This narrative mirrors the loss of innocence central to Thirteen, as a young person is forced to confront the harsh, hidden realities behind a seemingly perfect, controlled exterior world.
Ghost World
Daniel Clowes · Book · 2001
Shares a thread with Thirteen: Loss of innocence.
Fans of the complex female friendship dynamics in Thirteen will recognize the same feelings of social alienation and the bittersweet, inevitable drift that happens when growing up together.
The Catcher in the Rye
J. D. Salinger · Book · 1951
Shares 2 threads with Thirteen: Loss of Innocence, Identity Crisis.
Holden’s journey captures the same raw teenage angst and profound loss of innocence that defined Tracy’s trajectory in Thirteen, highlighting the isolation often felt during a turbulent identity crisis.
Series on the same thread
Euphoria
Sam Levinson · Series · 2019
Shares a thread with Thirteen: Teen Drama.
This series captures the same dark, visceral exploration of drug use, trauma, and identity that made Thirteen an iconic, hard-hitting portrayal of the dangers inherent in teenage experimentation.
13 Reasons Why
Brian Yorkey · Series · 2017
Shares a thread with Thirteen: Teen Drama.
Like Thirteen, this show unflinchingly examines the heavy, life-altering consequences of teenage trauma, focusing on the psychological fallout and the often painful social pressures that define young lives.
Sex Education
Laurie Nunn · Series · 2019
Explores: Sexual Awakening, Teenage Angst, Social Awkwardness.
While lighter in tone than Thirteen, this series shares the same focus on the chaotic, often messy process of sexual awakening and the navigation of complicated, high-stakes peer relationships.
The O.C.
Josh Schwartz · Series · 2003
Shares 2 threads with Thirteen: Teen Drama, Coming-of-Age Drama.
This series echoes the social friction found in Thirteen by placing a vulnerable teenager into a world of privilege and new pressures that fundamentally disrupt his sense of self.
Podcasts on the same thread
The Teen Commandments
Podcast
Explores: teenagers, adolescence, parenting teens.
If you appreciated the focus on the turbulent mother-daughter dynamic in Thirteen, this podcast offers a retrospective, conversational look at the chaos and wisdom of surviving those formative years.
Seis de Copas
Podcast
Explores: friendship, female friendship, everyday life.
The candid nature of this podcast reflects the intimacy of female friendship, serving as a grounded companion to the intense, personal bonds depicted throughout the story of Thirteen.