I can’t resist a personality test. Zodiac, Myers-Briggs, Hogwarts house—I’ve thought about them way too much, and I have long answers about where I fit in each one and why. But one test stands out from the others: the Enneagram. There are a few reasons for this.
- Yes, you can take a test, but ultimately you choose which type best describes you.
- It’s expansive! There are nine types, three subtypes for each, and two possible wings for each.
- It can be genuinely helpful in understanding where other people are coming from.
Hey, I’m a Six. I find good systems to be very comforting.
If you know your Enneagram type, read on to find a book rec perfectly tailored to you! If you’re still mystified by all these numbers, these books will help you find your best fit.
What Books Your Enneagram Type is Telling You to Read Next
To figure out your Enneagram type you can find more info here or click here to take the test.
1. Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott
Type 1: The Reformer
Ones are total perfectionists with a strong sense of right and wrong. But they can be rigid in their views, and their drive for perfection can overwhelm them.
Stella from Five Feet Apart craves control. Her cystic fibrosis means that there’s a huge part of her life that she can’t control at all, but she’s determined to try anyway. She meticulously organizes her pills and follows the doctors’ instructions to the letter. Will, the handsome CF patient down the hall, doesn’t have this same drive, and Stella can’t stand the fact that he isn’t taking care of himself as well as he should. She intervenes, and their connection is more than she bargained for.
2. The Boy and Girl Who Broke the World by Amy Reed
Type 2: The Helper
Twos are generous, compassionate souls who feel driven to take care of everyone around them, but when they go too far, they can forget to take care of themselves or start to feel that they are owed for their kindness.
Billy Sloat in The Boy and Girl Who Broke the World is an incredibly sensitive, caring person who feels the need to look after all of the dysfunctional people in his life, because they sure aren’t going to do it for themselves. He rubs the feet of his neglectful aunt, brings endless supplies to his rock star uncle hiding out in the attic, and pulls off a life-changing anonymous act of kindness for his new—and only—friend. As much as we love Billy’s sweetness, we cheer for those moments when he draws boundaries with people who would take advantage of him.
3. The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson
Type 3: The Achiever
Threes are high-achievers with tons of ambition, and their charisma means that they have no shortage of friends and admirers. But they can get too caught up in their work and their image and forget to take time to smell the roses.
Andie from The Unexpected Everything is the daughter of a politician, so her whole life has been lived in the spotlight. Over the summer, she’s planning to attend a prestigious youth program at Johns Hopkins University, because she already knows she wants to be pre-med in college. Although she has had a string of short-term boyfriends, she’s reserving her heart for someone with equally high ambitions. But when her summer plans fall through, Andie is suddenly staring down a lot of quality time with her dad and a gig as a dog-walker. It’s quite the challenge for a Three, but it might be exactly what Andie needs to find balance.
4. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Type 4: The Individualist
Fours are sensitive, expressive, and creative, and they perceive themselves to be different from most people. While this means that they are very in touch with their own emotions, however dark, it also means that they have to avoid becoming self-absorbed and/or developing a victim mindset.
Jace Wayland from Cassandra Clare’s Shadowhunters series thinks of himself as the best Shadowhunter who ever lived, yet also experiences a profound self-doubt. Dramatic and passionate, he’s a soul in constant torment, and this is the epitome of the Four profile.
5. SLAY by Brittney Morris
Type 5: The Investigator
Fives are insightful, curious, and highly capable. As collectors of knowledge, they often have one or more areas of deep expertise. Their ideas can be bold, visionary, and even revolutionary. Others might perceive them as a little eccentric, and they run the risk of detaching from reality and retreating to their fascinating inner worlds.
Kiera from SLAY is intensely passionate and knowledgeable about Black culture. She designs an immersive video game world that is Black Panther meets World of Warcraft, in which Black gamers can have meaningful interactions with each other. Even more impressive, Kiera runs the game out of her bedroom in her spare time. Externalizing her detailed inner world and sharing it with others who validate her vision from afar is very rewarding for a Five.
6. Scythe by Neal Shusterman
Type 6: The Loyalist
Sixes are loyal to people, communities, and ideas that give their lives structure and purpose. That purpose can be traditional, revolutionary, or somewhere in between. They crave security and support, and they are great at bringing people together. While their tendency to question everything allows them to spot problems before they arise, they can also spin an issue around in their minds until it leads to insecurity and undue suspicion.
Citra from the Arc of a Scythe trilogy get wrapped up in an extreme social structure when she is recruited to become a scythe. In a world without natural death, it will be her responsibility to kill a certain number of people each year. When the system makes sense to her, Citra follows it. But when a cadre of sinister scythes rise to power, Citra is quick to speak out against them and gather a force to oppose them.
7. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
Type 7: The Enthusiast
Sevens are spontaneous, fun-loving, optimistic, and always enthusiastic about something new. They are a joy to be around, and they attract plenty of admirers. But they can overextend themselves and become scattered if they don’t remember to take a moment every now and then to sit still, which does not come naturally to a playful and impulsive Seven.
Peter Kavinsky from the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy is always confident, a big jokester, and likes to do fun things at the spur of a moment. He’s open-minded and likes to try new things—even movies that Lara Jean picks that he wouldn’t have considered himself.
8. The Nowhere Girls by Amy Reed
Type 8: The Challenger
Eights are assertive, confident, and protective of those they care about. They carry themselves with strength and authority, and they make natural and decisive leaders. In times of stress, they can struggle with anger issues, and they hate feeling disempowered.
Rosa from The Nowhere Girls papers the walls of her bedroom with posters of snarling, swaggering punk women whom she idolizes. She dreams of moving out of her small town and fronting a punk band of her own. But when her classmate is sexually assaulted, then shamed into moving away, Rosa is enraged by the injustice. She teams up with two similarly fed up classmates to change their school’s toxic culture.
9. Save the Date by Morgan Matson
Type 9: The Peacemaker
Nines are peaceful, accepting, and easygoing. They often find themselves playing the diplomat, helping to find common ground and avoid confrontations. However, their deep-seated discomfort with conflict leads them to numb themselves to negative feelings, and if held in too long, they can burst out all at once.
Charlie from Save the Date is preparing to be a bridesmaid in her sister’s wedding. She’s gotten into a prestigious college program, but instead she thinks she might enroll in the local college where her dad teaches. The wedding means that all of her siblings will reunite for the first time in a while, and her heart fills with joy at the thought of them spending time together. When the family receives news of a last-minute change of plans, Charlie doesn’t freak out. She just grabs another donut and assures everyone that it’ll be fine.