This review of social problem novels for young adults opens with a brief background of the genre, then lists the dominant themes of social problem fiction and nonfiction novels that have been published in the last two years, such as alcoholism, alienation, death, growing up and self-awarness, drugs, and divorce. Other themes mentioned are runaways, suicide, child abuse, adopted teenagers searching for real parents, teenagers in love with older people, rape, and anorexia nervosa. The paper concludes with the some observations about the novels, including the continued prevalence of established authors and the maturing of the social problem novel in scope and content. Eight criteria for including a novel on a recommended book list are provided. (AEA)