1. All in Pieces by Suzanne Young (Stand-alone book, short length)

Warning: A lot of sadness, a lot of hope. Honestly, one of the most moving pieces I’ve read. Her home life is a mess, but her little brother is the light that keeps her going. When social services threaten to take him away, only a new love will help her heal and keep fighting. The prose had me all in pieces.

 

2. Any Katie McGarry book!

Warning: Seriously, any. If you're looking for danger, incredible romantic chemistry, and complex characters these books are the ones for you!

 

3. Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta (Stand-alone, short length)

Warning: Set in Australia at a boarding school, protagonist Taylor learns the value of friendship, mental health, and first love. I hung on Taylor's every word, praying she would find the answers she needs. Just read it, please.

 

4. The Impossibility of Us by Katy Upperman (Stand-alone, medium length)

Warning: Elise moves to a new town and is immediately struck by kind writer Mati. But as they learn more about each other, obstacles keep cropping up. Elise’s brother was killed in Afghanistan, and Mati recently moved from Afghanistan. The couple faces prejudice and hatred from people around the town, but the beauty of their love cannot be denied. With a sweetness that creeps up on you, Upperman creates a love that spans cultures and countries.

 

5. More Than We Can Tell by Brigid Kemmerer (Stand-alone, but one other book with related characters, medium length)

Warning: Rev has been adopted by a loving family, but still hides the scars his abusive father left him. Emma’s parents are getting a divorce and don’t pay any attention to each other. When the pair take solace in each other it feels wonderful, healing, but also raw. An honest book about moving on and accepting love.

 

6. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (Can be Stand-alone, but two other related books with some of the same characters, short length)

Warning: A light and happy romance with realistic and hilarious main characters. If you're looking for something to brighten your day, read a Stephanie Perkins original! It's even set in France!

 

7. Lines We Cross by Randa Abdel-Fattah (Stand-Alone Book, medium length)

Warning: Newly immigrated Muslim girl meets boy raised by parents who run an organization to promote Islamophobia. They fall in love and take a stand. You do the math.

 

8. A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi (Stand-alone, short length)

Warning: Shirin’s whole life has been shaped by her Muslim identity, mostly because American society can only see that one side of her. It’s 2001, right after 9/11, and the abuse she experiences is intense. It takes a strangely honest, kind boy named Ocean to break her out of her shell and realize that there are still people who see her. Mafi is a longtime favorite of mine and her beautiful honesty makes this book so important. 

 

9. You Were Here by Cori McCarthy (Stand-alone, medium length)

Warning: Told from four different perspectives with comics and art woven throughout, we receive a touching story of friendship and love having the power to heal past wounds. One character is struggling with the death of her brother, one with perfectionism and guilt, one with a broken heart, one with selective mutism and forging a new identity, and one with a broken home and a disgust for growing up. It’s a journey you won’t want to miss, and just too big to explain.

 

10. Far from the Tree by Robin Benway (Stand-alone, medium length)

Warning: Three children are given up by their birth mother and experience very different lives. They come back together and help each other with their romantic relationships and mental health. A truly beautiful story. I felt my heart beating every page.

 

11. Summer of Supernovas by Darcy Woods (Stand-alone, short length)

Warning: A girl’s obsession with the zodiac may lead her down the wrong path romantically, but she only follows it because she promised her deceased mother. Can she fix the mistakes she’s made and choose the perfect guy? Will she finally understand what her mother wanted for her? It was sweet and funny and touched on important themes. A perfect summer read.

 

12. Just Listen by Sarah Dessen (Stand-alone, medium length)

Warning: She’s pressured constantly to be perfect by her mother. He only feels alive when he’s deep into his music. When they find each other will they finally heal? Dessen has a lot of poignant works, but this one was always my favorite. Each page feels like the characters are slowly able to breathe. Together maybe they can survive.

 

13. A Semi-Definitive List of Worst Fears by Krystal Sutherland (Stand-alone, medium length)

Warning: Funny and touching, this book follows a family who believes they’re cursed to have one debilitating, terrible fear. Our protagonist tries to avoid the curse by staying away from potential fears. But when she meets a brash boy with his own family problems, they try to conquer her list of fears and change their fates.

 

14. When My Heart Joins the Thousand by A.J. Steiger (Stand-alone, medium length)

Warning: A girl with Asperger’s syndrome falls for a boy with a bone-weakening disorder. They learn to navigate the world together. It was so much harder than it should have been for them, but I learned so much and I watched the beauty of their relationship bloom.

 

15. Frat Girl by Kiley Roache (Stand-alone, medium length)

Warning: Cassandra Davis is getting out of her small town and attending a very prestigious, very expensive college. To help pay for her tuition, she submits a project proposal that wins her a scholarship. As a gender and women's studies major, she has decided to try to pledge a fraternity and see just how sexist they are to her and other women. But, trying not to get sucked in to the party-hard lifestyle proves difficult and Cassie begins to wonder what she's really investigating. With an interesting take on frats, feminism, and the college lifestyle, Frat Girl was engaging from start to finish!

 

16. Diplomatic Immunity by Brodi Ashton (Stand-alone, medium length)

Warning: Piper has always wanted to be a journalist, blowing up all the corruption in Washington D.C. But when she receives a scholarship to a prestigious private school where many international ambassadors’ children go, she realizes that she may be in over her head. Especially when the Spanish ambassador’s son Rafael gets involved. Will she choose the story or the guy? Or will she carve her own path? If you like a little more action and intrigue included with your romance, this book has plenty. It read like a YA political thriller.

 

17. Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes (Stand-alone, medium length)

Warning: Maguire has always believed she was the cause of horrible things. The car crash that killed her brother is one of those things. Aspiring tennis-star Jordy wants to show her that sometimes the universe is out of your control, but that doesn’t mean you should stop living. Sweet, honest, and touching.

 

18. North of Beautiful by Justina Chen (Stand-alone, medium length)

Warning: Terra Cooper hides her deformed faced behind layers of make-up and a shy disposition. Oppressed by her father and her boyfriend, it takes a journey away from home and an open-minded, honest boy to shake her up and remind her who she is. Something about this book just hit me hard, life is too short to hide yourself, but it can be so hard to open up. Once you find those right people, hold on tight.

 

19. Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles (3 books, medium length)

Warning: Following a group of brothers from the proclaimed "wrong part of town", these books weave opposite-attracts romance with the dangers of gang life. Elkeles books are always dangerous and dangerously romantic.

 

20. Simon V.S. the Homo-Sapien Agenda by Becky Albertalli (Stand-alone, short length)

Warning: Simon, a not-so-openly-gay sixteen-year-old, prefers to keep his drama to the theatre. But when his personal emails are spread around school he must do everything he can to maintain his identity, not isolate his friends, and hang onto a budding romance with a mystery guy. Sweet, funny, and exactly the kind of story we need more of!

 

21. The Harper Effect by Taryn Bashford (Stand-alone, medium length)

Warning: Harper has always tried to balance her feelings for her sister’s boyfriend, her tennis fame, and her yearning for a regular life. But, after her sister’s relationship implodes and Harper’s tennis career plummets, she must figure out what she truly wants for her life. The boy who she loved all her life, or Colt, her new doubles partner trying to resurrect from an incredibly dark past? The love triangle can be hard to swallow, but Colt and Harper nearly had me in tears. A delicious look at love and sport.

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22. The Music of What Happens by Bill Konigsberg (Stand-alone, medium length)

Warning: Max and Jordan are opposites. Max is a baseball player who loves hanging out with his boys; Jordan is a poet who spends most days with his girls. But a battered, beloved food truck and past traumas bring them together, as well as some undeniable chemistry. The love story that follows is utterly perfect, both heartbreaking and heart-healing, all within the span of a couple hundred pages. We need more stories like this one.

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23. Roam by C.H. Armstrong (Stand-alone, medium length)

Warning: After Abby's family goes through a scandal in their hometown of Omaha, they are forced to relocate. Her parents promised they would find work soon, but the opportunities are scarce. Abby must balance her school-life and new, sweet boyfriend Zach with her family's secret of being homeless. It's an honest portrayal of big issues and I cherished every page.

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24. The Truth About Leaving by Natalie Blitt (Stand-alone, short length)

Warning: Lucy is trying to keep her family from falling apart. She strategically puts all her own dreams aside to help her little brothers and keep her parents together. It takes the new boy, Dov, who recently moved from Israel, to shake her up and remind her to find her own path. Their relationship is complex and full of obstacles, but their passion and support for each other is unparalleled. It felt true, but hopeful.

 

25. When the Truth Unravels by Ruthanne Snow (Stand-alone, medium length)

Warning: There were romances featured in this novel, but the more important relationship was between four girlfriends who despite having their differences are trying to really be there for each other. It’s been months since one of the foursome, Ellen, attempted to commit suicide. They are trying to move on and cope as best as they can, but each girl has their own demons to confront and their only hope is to truly be honest with each other about who they are and what they want. It’s strong, it’s important, and it allows for an unfiltered look at depression and the recovery process.

 

26. Night Music by Jenn Marie Thorne (Stand-alone, long length)

Warning: Ruby has always been the youngest, least talented daughter of one of the nation’s most important composers. Her lack of musical talent is difficult for her or her family to swallow. In comes Oscar, a genius composer trying to reconcile his place in classical music, where an African-American boy such as himself could easily be manipulated to be the token diversity. When their paths cross they both become a little braver and bolder, challenging the good and bad in their industry, and of course, creating some beautiful music.

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27. The Art of Feeling by Laura Tim (Stand-alone, medium length)

Warning: Sam has been in pain for a while now, both from a shattered femur and the death of her mother in the car accident they were both involved in. Everything seems unbearable and she wishes for something to numb the pain. Then she meets Eliot, a boy with self-destructive tendencies, a wicked smile, and a condition that means he doesn’t feel any pain. Working together, the two of them try to figure out what happened the day Sam’s mother died and how they can both move on and be stronger. This book was honest in its depiction of pain, grief, and the way we lean on each other.

 

28. There’s Something about Sweetie by Sandhya Menon (Stand-alone (within world of some of her other works), medium length)

Warning: Sweetie is trying to change her mother’s mindset about the word “fat”. Sweetie knows that she is a track star and awesome person, but her mother tries everything she can to shield her daughter and her daughter’s weight from “potential embarrassment”. Ashish has just had his heart broken by his ex and is struggling to get his mojo back. When his parents suggest setting him up, he is hesitant and unsure if he wants to embrace his Indian-American culture until he meets beautiful, confident, wise Sweetie. Despite her parents’ protests, Sweetie goes behind their back to date Ashish. This book had amazing romantic chemistry, lots of hilarity, and complex familial and friend relationships. Love, love, love!

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29. Running with Lions by Julian Winters (Stand-alone, short length)

Warning: Sebastian Hughes is the star goalie of his soccer team and the highlight of his summer is when he and his team go to soccer camp together. His coach decided years ago that the team would be inclusive and diverse, meaning that Sebastian’s bisexuality is fully accepted as well as other LGBTQ+ identities on the team. Sebastian’s excitement quickly turns to wariness when he sees his ex-best friend Emir is trying out for the team this year. Despite a tension-filled history, sparks fly between them and Sebastian has to figure out what he wants for his life. Filled with a loveable cast, awesome sports moments, and a heady romance, I loved Winters’ book!

 

30. Radius of Us by Marie Marquardt (Stand-alone, short length)

Warning: Phoenix and Gretchen are each trying to deal with past traumas. Phoenix is newly arrived in the U.S. after escaping a dangerous situation in El Salvador with his brother in tow. They are separated at the border and Phoenix is awaiting news if he can stay in the U.S., something this is unlikely considering his nationality and adult age of eighteen. Gretchen has not been the same since she was attacked leaving work one night and is struggling to redefine herself. The two meet and soon fall in love. There is some messiness, as there always is with healing, but it’s a compassionate and important journey. Complex issues like immigration and trauma were portrayed beautifully here.

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31. American Panda by Gloria Chao (Stand-alone, short length)

Warning: Mei has always struggled to juggle the expectations of her traditional Taiwanese parents and her own cross-cultural identity. Things begin to come to a head when she leaves for college at MIT. Her parents want her to be a doctor; she’s always dreamed of opening a dance studio. Her parents are keen on choosing a Taiwanese-American boy for her to marry; she’s infatuated with Japanese-American Darren. Mei loves her parents dearly, but she soon begins to wonder how much she can sacrifice to their expectations. Her brother has already been disowned for dating the wrong woman. Mei’s journey is honest, funny, and highlights the complexity of familial relationships.

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32. Drowning is Inevitable by Shalanda Stanley (Stand-alone, medium length)

Warning: Olivia has always lived in the shadow of her mother, a pregnant teen who gave birth and then drowned herself in a river. The only thing that has kept Olivia afloat is her strong friendship with next-door-neighbor Jordan, a tumultuous love story with hot-head Max, and her bond with singer and artist Maggie. Olivia has known Jordan the longest, and they've always looked after each other, even through terrifying family struggles. When a misunderstanding occurs that lands Jordan in hot water, the foursome go on the run, each searching for escape and answers. If you're looking for your next tearjerker, this is it. It punches you through the heart, but its pages also hold such beauty. A moving portrayal of loyalty, love, and grief. 

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33. Break the Fall by Jennifer Iancoppi (Stand-alone, medium length)

Warning: Audrey Lee has achieved the goal she always wanted—she’s going to the Olympics! As a gymnast, she’s always been fiercely focused on her goal and trained several hours a day with the best coaches in the world. Her whole world is shaken when one of the coaches is revealed to have sexually assaulted several of her teammates. The U.S. gymnastics team is suddenly under a microscrope and her teammates grow divided, some supporting their coach and others supporting the survivors of his abuse. Audrey Lee grows up overnight, trying to balance her dream with the justice she knows is needed. Iancoppi tackles a difficult issue with incredible grace, realism, and hope. Break the Fall is a powerful read for fans of empowerment, sports, romance, and female friendship.

 

34. Check, please! by Ngozi Ukazu (2 Book Series, short length)
Warning: In this graphic novel, Eric Bittle is heading off to college to play hockey. As one of the only gay members of his team he worries about how he will be perceived. But Bittle’s unflagging enthusiasm, passion for both baking and hockey, and kind heart makes him many friends. This includes team captain, the very dreamy Jack. With incredible illustration, a delightful romance, and a hilarious look at college sports, this book was fun from start to finish!

 

35. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (Stand-alone, medium length)

Warning: I cannot recommend this book enough. Starr feels like she is a part of two separate communities: her home, her family, her neighborhood, and the incredibly preppy private school she goes to. At school she has a popular, white boyfriend and dresses in uniform. At home, she loves on her family and is most comfortable wearing her Jordans. After a party, Starr drives home with a childhood friend. A white police officer stops them and shoots Starr’s friend unprovoked. Her whole world is turned upside down as she learns to use her voice to find justice and change. Starr’s story is poignant, important, and emotional, highlighting the systemic racism present in our country. A must, must, must read.

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