Hands are definitely down! Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson is one of the greatest short novels I had to read in class. It's simply wonderful. I guarantee it will attract young teens since it's filled with romance, confusion with puberty, alienation, love, and all those teenage stuff we faced in our teenage years.
The novel introduces Sara Louise (Wheeze) and her family which contains her dad, her grandmother, and her twin sister, Caroline. Caroline is basically the "all-star" in the family. She's gifted with a beautiful voice, perfect looks, generosity, and intelligence. Her grandmother is the "evil witch" in the family while the dad is typically the "man in the house". While many people believe the antagonist of the story is her family, it's actually Sara Louise herself. Sara Louise has this strong hate about herself without knowing it. She brings herself down and brings everyone down with it.
Did that short summary get you interested? Well, it should! Trust me, this book would make you think twice about your opinions of people. Give it a try, and thank me later~