10 Best High School Books Illustrating Friendship and Love in Youth
The rollercoaster ride of high school is a potent backdrop to truly remarkable stories. When you blend in friendships that seem destined to last forever, first loves that are painfully intense, and the non-stop pressure to find out who you are, you get narratives that strike a chord with just about every reader. It's a universal reality, brilliantly captured in hundreds of iconic novels and comics.
From the jock and the nerd that improbably become best friends, to the drama queen who falls head over heels for the quiet boy in the corner, these stories come to life in a whirl of unforgettable moments. They present the panorama of high school existence, with its bright highs and dark lows, its laughter and tear-soaked tissues, its shared broad smiles, and secret crushes.
The fabric of these tales weaves together both tender and strong threads, just like the friendships and loves they describe. It is this quintessential blend of raw emotion, resilience and the complex journey of self-discovery that we'd like to guide you through.
Behold, readers, the alluring nexus of youth, high school, friendship, and love - the top ten best books that brilliantly bring these themes to life. Dive in and remember, or plunge in and discover what it means to grow up.
『Better Than the Movies』
Michael, to whom Liz Buxbaum gave her heart long ago, has returned but to get his attention and, perhaps, a prom date she must scheme with her nemesis Wes, her next-door neighbor.
Author | Lynn Painter |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Simon and Schuster |
Release Date | Jul 26, 2022 |
Source | Google Books |
『To All the Boys I've Loved Before』
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is now a major motion picture on Netflix and the inspiration for the spin-off series XO, Kitty—now streaming on Netflix! A Time Best YA Book of All Time (2021) Lara Jean’s love life gets complicated in this New York Times bestselling “lovely, lighthearted romance” (School Library Journal) from the bestselling author of The Summer I Turned Pretty series. What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them…all at once? Sixteen-year-old Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren’t love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she’s written. One for every boy she’s ever loved—five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control.
Author | Jenny Han |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers |
Release Date | Jul 10, 2018 |
Source | Google Books |
『The Perks of Being a Wallflower』
“A timeless story for every young person who needs to understand that they are not alone.” —Judy Blume “Once in a while, a novel comes along that becomes a generational touchstone. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is one of those books.” —R. J. Palacio, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wonder This #1 New York Times bestselling coming-of-age story with millions of copies in print takes a sometimes heartbreaking, often hysterical, and always honest look at high school in all its glory. The critically acclaimed debut novel from Stephen Chbosky follows observant “wallflower” Charlie as he charts a course through the strange world between adolescence and adulthood. First dates, family drama, and new friends. Sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Devastating loss, young love, and life on the fringes. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it, Charlie must learn to navigate those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up. A #1 New York Times bestseller for more than a year, adapted into a major motion picture starring Logan Lerman and Emma Watson (and written and directed by the author), and an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults (2000) and Best Book for Reluctant Readers (2000), this novel for teen readers (or wallflowers of more-advanced age) will make you laugh, cry, and perhaps feel nostalgic for those moments when you, too, tiptoed onto the dance floor of life.
Author | Stephen Chbosky |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | MTV Books |
Release Date | Sep 24, 2019 |
Source | Google Books |
『Heartstopper』
Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. A sweet and charming coming-of-age story that explores friendship, love, and coming out. "Absolutely delightful. Sweet, romantic, kind. Beautifully paced. I loved this book." -- Rainbow Rowell, author of Carry On Shy and softhearted Charlie Spring sits next to rugby player Nick Nelson in class one morning. A warm and intimate friendship follows, and that soon develops into something more for Charlie, who doesn't think he has a chance. But Nick is struggling with feelings of his own, and as the two grow closer and take on the ups and downs of high school, they come to understand the surprising and delightful ways in which love works.
Author | Alice Oseman |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Graphix |
Release Date | Jan 01, 2020 |
Source | Google Books |
『Eleanor & Park』
A stunning debut young adult novel about two misfits falling in love for the first time
Author | Rainbow Rowell |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Macmillan |
Release Date | Feb 26, 2013 |
Source | Google Books |
『The Upside of Falling』
A fun, flirty teen debut from Wattpad phenom Alex Light about a fake relationship and real love. Perfect for Jenny Han fans. It’s been years since seventeen-year-old Becca Hart believed in true love. But when her former best friend teases her for not having had a boyfriend, Becca impulsively pretends she’s been secretly seeing someone. Brett Wells has it all. As captain of the football team and one of the most popular guys in his school, he should have no problem finding someone to date, but he’s always been more focused on his future than who to bring to prom. When he overhears Becca’s lie, Brett decides to step in and be the mystery guy. It’s the perfect solution: he gets people off his back for not having a meaningful relationship and she can keep up the ruse that she’s got a boyfriend. Acting like the perfect couple isn’t easy, though, especially when you barely know the other person. But with Becca still picking up the pieces from when her world was blown apart years ago and Brett just barely holding his together now, they begin to realize they have more in common than they ever could have imagined. When the line between what is pretend and what is real begins to blur, they're forced to answer the question: Is this fake romance the realest thing in either of their lives?
Author | Alex Light |
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Price | $11.99 |
Publisher | HarperCollins |
Release Date | Feb 18, 2020 |
Source | Google Books |
『Tweet Cute』
One of Cosmo's Best YA Novels of All Time A fresh, irresistible rom-com from debut author Emma Lord about the chances we take, the paths life can lead us on, and how love can be found in the opposite place you expected. Meet Pepper, swim team captain, chronic overachiever, and all-around perfectionist. Her family may be falling apart, but their massive fast-food chain is booming — mainly thanks to Pepper, who is barely managing to juggle real life while secretly running Big League Burger’s massive Twitter account. Enter Jack, class clown and constant thorn in Pepper’s side. When he isn’t trying to duck out of his obscenely popular twin’s shadow, he’s busy working in his family’s deli. His relationship with the business that holds his future might be love/hate, but when Big League Burger steals his grandma’s iconic grilled cheese recipe, he’ll do whatever it takes to take them down, one tweet at a time. All’s fair in love and cheese — that is, until Pepper and Jack’s spat turns into a viral Twitter war. Little do they know, while they’re publicly duking it out with snarky memes and retweet battles, they’re also falling for each other in real life — on an anonymous chat app Jack built. As their relationship deepens and their online shenanigans escalate — people on the internet are shipping them?? — their battle gets more and more personal, until even these two rivals can’t ignore they were destined for the most unexpected, awkward, all-the-feels romance that neither of them expected. "A witty rom-com reinvention ... with deeply relatable insights on family pressure and growing up.” - Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka, authors of Always Never Yours and If I’m Being Honest “An adorable debut that updates a classic romantic trope with a buzzy twist." - Jenn Bennett, author of Alex, Approximately and Serious Moonlight
Author | Emma Lord |
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Price | $9.99 |
Publisher | Wednesday Books |
Release Date | Jan 21, 2020 |
Source | Google Books |
『Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute』
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the bestselling author of the Brown Sisters trilogy, comes a laugh-out-loud story about a quirky content creator and a clean-cut athlete testing their abilities to survive the great outdoors—and each other. Bradley Graeme is pretty much perfect. He’s a star football player, manages his OCD well (enough), and comes out on top in all his classes . . . except the ones he shares with his ex-best friend, Celine. Celine Bangura is conspiracy-theory-obsessed. Social media followers eat up her takes on everything from UFOs to holiday overconsumption—yet, she’s still not cool enough for the popular kids’ table. Which is why Brad abandoned her for the in-crowd years ago. (At least, that’s how Celine sees it.) These days, there’s nothing between them other than petty insults and academic rivalry. So when Celine signs up for a survival course in the woods, she’s surprised to find Brad right beside her. Forced to work as a team for the chance to win a grand prize, these two teens must trudge through not just mud and dirt but their messy past. And as this adventure brings them closer together, they begin to remember the good bits of their history. But has too much time passed . . . or just enough to spark a whole new kind of relationship?
Author | Talia Hibbert |
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Price | $8.99 |
Publisher | Joy Revolution |
Release Date | Jan 03, 2023 |
Source | Google Books |
『Hot British Boyfriend』
This enchanting debut teen romance novel, which follows one girl across the Atlantic in a quest to find adventure, love (preferably with a guy with a cute accent), and maybe even herself, is perfect for fans of Kasie West and Stephanie Perkins. After a horrifying public rejection by her crush, Ellie Nichols does what any girl would do: she flees the country. To be more precise, she joins her high school’s study abroad trip to England. While most of her classmates are there to take honors courses and pad their college applications, Ellie is on a quest to rebuild her reputation and self-confidence. And nothing is more of a confidence booster than getting a hot British boyfriend. When Ellie meets Will, a gorgeous and charming Brit, she vows to avoid making the same mistakes she did with the last guy she liked. Which is why she strikes up a bargain with Dev, an overachieving classmate who she’s never clicked with, but who does seem to know a lot about the things Will is interested in: If he helps her win over her crush, then she’ll help him win over his. But even as Ellie embarks on a whirlwind romance, she still needs to figure out if this is actually the answer to all her problems . . . and whether the perfect boyfriend is actually the perfect boy for her. Don't miss this teen romance book, for girls 13-16 and up as well as adult readers who enjoy a well-written and fun teen romance novel.
Author | Kristy Boyce |
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Price | $9.99 |
Publisher | HarperCollins |
Release Date | Feb 09, 2021 |
Source | Google Books |
『The DUFF』
An irreverent and irresistible New York Times bestselling romance between the so-called Designated Ugly Fat Friend and the Hot Jock. Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper may not be the prettiest girl in her high school, but she has a loyal group of friends, a biting wit, and a spot-on BS detector. She's also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush, who calls Bianca the Duff—the Designated Ugly Fat Friend—of her crew. But things aren't so great at home and Bianca, desperate for a distraction, ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him. Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn't such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she's falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.
Author | Kody Keplinger |
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Price | $8.99 |
Publisher | Poppy |
Release Date | Sep 07, 2010 |
Source | Google Books |
In experiencing the roller-coaster ride of adolescence through these books, we're reminded that friendships formed during these years are like no other; they are transformative, heart-wrenching, all-consuming, and often life-long. They model compassion, camaraderie, self-discovery, and sometimes, inevitable heartbreak - the gamut of emotions we've probably all felt while navigating the choppy waters of adolescence. Coming-of-age narratives aren't just stories; they're transformative journeys, roads to self-discovery, and powerful reminders of yesteryears. The stories also do a brilliant job of portraying the unyielding power of young love – the butterflies, the anxiety, the thrill of the first connection – captivating readers through resonating realities of the innocent and tender age of youth. Sometimes these narratives might make you blush remembering your high school crush, at other times they may make you cry. That's the beauty of these books, they're honest, raw, gut-wrenching yet endearing. Thank you for taking this nostalgic journey with me, and I hope these books stir up memories, provoke thought, or simply provide you with a great read. Who knows? You might even pass these along to the younger generation, helping them understand love and friendship during their own journey through high school.
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