Books like 'When I Was Joe'
Readers who enjoyed When I Was Joe by Keren David also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary mystery action / adventure crime realistic suspense coming-of-age high-school children male-mc
-
The General by Robert Muchamore
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsIn the tenth title in the number one bestselling CHERUB series, James and Lauren are off to America to help train the army--and to get into trouble in Las Vegas... -
The Dealer by Robert Muchamore
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsDrugs, cars and guns!Keith Moore is Europe's biggest cocaine dealer. The police have been trying to get enough evidence to nail him for more than twenty years.Now, four CHERUB agents are joining the hunt... -
Mad Dogs by Robert Muchamore
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsCHERUB agents are highly trained, extremely talented—and all under the age of seventeen. For official purposes, these agents do not exist. They are sent out on missions to spy on terrorists, hack into crucial documents, and gather intel on global threats—all without gadgets or weapons... -
Midnight Reckoning by Rebecca Deel
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHer sister was a world-class jewel thief. But she crossed the wrong person and now Sophie's baby may pay the price. Sophie Valero has spent her life living down her last name. In a family of murderers, thieves, and con artists, she's the black sheep... -
-
Only the Good Spy Young by Ally Carter
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsWhen Cammie Morgan enrolled at the Gallagher Academy, she knew she was preparing for the dangerous life of a spy. What she didn’t know was that the serious, real-life danger would start during her junior year of high school. But that’s exactly what happened two months ago when Cammie faced off against an ancient terrorist organization dead set on kidnapping her...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age crime high-school realistic suspense action-adventure alpha-mc -
City Spies by James Ponti, Loredana Serratore
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsSara Martinez is a hacker. She recently broke into the New York City foster care system to expose her foster parents as cheats and lawbreakers. However, instead of being hailed as a hero, Sara finds herself facing years in a juvenile detention facility and banned from using computers for the same stretch of time... -
Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover by Ally Carter
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 57 ratingsWhen Cammie "The Chameleon" Morgan visits her roommate Macey in Boston, she thinks she's in for an exciting end to her summer break. After all, she's there to watch Macey's father accept the nomination for vice president of the United States. But when you go to the world's best school (for spies), "exciting" and "deadly" are never far apart...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age crime high-school realistic suspense action-adventure alpha-mc -
Nancy Drew: #1-64 by Carolyn Keene
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsNancy Drew has been solving mysteries, and delighting fans, for over 75 years... -
Never Say Die by Anthony Horowitz
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsAlex Rider is back in this brand new, explosive mission in the number one bestselling series. In this brand new, explosive adventure in the number one bestselling series, Alex Rider is trying to get his life back on track after the traumatic events of his last mission. But even Alex can't fight the past . . . especially when it holds a deadly secret... -
The Fall by Robert Muchamore
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsWhen an MI5 mission goes disastrously wrong, James Adams needs all of his skills to get out of Russia alive.Meanwhile, his sister Lauren is on her first solo mission trying to uncover a brutal human trafficking operation.And when James does get home, he finds that his nightmare is just beginning... -
Brigands M.C. by Robert Muchamore
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsA new member of CHERUB gets the chance to avenge the death of his family in the eleventh book of the CHERUB series, which Rick Riordan says has “plenty of action.”CHERUB agents are highly trained, extremely talented—and all under the age of seventeen. For official purposes, these agents do not exist... -
Maximum Security by Robert Muchamore
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsCHERUB agents are all seventeen and under. They wear skate tees and hemp, and look like regular kids. But they're not. They are trained professionals who are sent out on missions to spy on terrorists and international drug dealers. CHERUB agents hack into computers, bug entire houses, and download crucial documents. It is a highly dangerous job. For their safety, these agents DO NOT EXIST... -
Kidnapped by Dee Henderson
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsSomeone snatched his cousin's wife and son. FBI agent Luke Falcon is searching for a kidnapper and sorting out the crime. He's afraid it's the work of a stalker. He's afraid they're already dead. And he'll do anything required to get them back alive . . . but he didn't plan on falling in love with the only witness... -
Christmas Panther Style by Annabella Stone
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTheir world was turned upside down... With booms, kabooms, and bullets flying after a mad dash across continents on a rescue mission in a plane painted like Santa's sleigh. Join some friends old and new as they chase the enemy none of them ever wanted. One of their own... -
-
Heathen: A Dark Enemies to Lovers Romance by Rachel Leigh
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsI’ve done very bad things. I’m not a good man. There’s skeletons in my closet And blood on my hands.I should be reaching for that sliver of light. But deep in the darkness lies the loyalty of my friends. Along with the secrets we’ve buried. It’s become comfortable and safe and all I really know. It’s all that I deserve. Yet, there’s someone who thinks I’m worthy of conviction...Categorized as:
coming-of-age crime high-school suspense action-adventure book contemporary cruel-mc -
Divine Madness by Robert Muchamore
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsWhen religion goes bad...When CHERUB uncovers a link between eco-terrorist group Help Earth and a wealthy religious cult known as The Survivors, James Adams is sent to Australia on an infiltration mission.It's his toughest job so far. The Survivors' outback headquarters are completely isolated and the cult's brainwashing techniques put James under massive pressure to confirm... -
The Sleepwalker by Robert Muchamore
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsIn the ninth breathtaking title in the bestselling CHERUB series, James is getting into trouble on campus, while Lauren has an air crash to investigate... -
The Alcatraz Escape by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSleuthing duo Emily and James tackle their most challenging mystery yet set on the haunting Alcatraz Island in Book 3 of the New York Times bestselling Book Scavenger series!Legendary literary game-maker Garrison Griswold is back in action―this time with “Unlock the Rock...Categorized as:
children crime realistic action-adventure audiobook book children-books contemporary -
Sammy Keyes and the Wild Things by Wendelin Van Draanen
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsThis is not the summer camping trip of Sammy's dreams. She imagined shady glades, meandering streams, a deer or two. What she gets are scrubby shrubs, blazing sun, rattlesnakes, ticks, and scorpions. Her fellow campers are desperate to catch a rare glimpse of an endangered condor. To Sammy, the trip is nothing more than the painful in pursuit of the unspeakably ugly...Categorized as:
children crime realistic action-adventure audiobook book children-books contemporary -
The Recruit by Robert Muchamore
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 44 ratingsCHERUB agents are highly trained, extremely talented--and all under the age of seventeen. For official purposes, these agents do not exist. They are sent out on missions to spy on terrorists, hack into crucial documents, and gather intel on global threats—all without gadgets or weapons...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age crime high-school male-mc realistic suspense action-adventure -
Scorpia Rising by Anthony Horowitz
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsThis gripping final mission brings together Alex Rider’s old enemies to frame the teenage superspy in an unstoppable plot of revenge, from which he can never return. Pursued from Europe to North Africa and Cairo’s city of the dead – this is the twistiest and most deadly plot of any Alex Rider mission yet, and will reveal Smithers’ ultimate gadget and see the shock death of a major character... -
Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 66 ratingsCammie Morgan is back, and it's clear that her life hasn't calmed down since the events of I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You. At first, giddy anticipation is in the air. Gallagher Academy, Cammie's elite spy school, is hosting a visit from a covert training center for boys...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age crime high-school realistic suspense action-adventure alpha-mc -
Shadow Wave by Robert Muchamore
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsA CHERUB agent must choose between the agency and his own beliefs in the twelfth and final book of the CHERUB series, which Rick Riordan says has “plenty of action.”CHERUB agents are highly trained, extremely talented—and all under the age of seventeen. For official purposes, these agents do not exist... -
Vrije val by Robert Muchamore
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsLeon is a small time crook who's ridden his luck for three decades. When he starts splashing big money around, the cops are desperate to know where it came from.James' latest mission looks routine: make friends with Leon's kids, infiltrate his home and dig up some leads.But the plot James begins to unravel isn't what anyone expected... -
-
Man vs. Beast by Robert Muchamore
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsCHERUB agents are all seventeen and under. They wear skate tees and hemp, and look like regular kids. But they're not. They are trained professionals who are sent out on missions to spy on terrorists and international drug dealers. CHERUB agents hack into computers, bug entire houses, and download crucial documents. It is a highly dangerous job. For their safety, these agents DO NOT EXIST... -
Public Enemies by Gordon Korman
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWANTED...Aiden and Meg Falconer have been crossing the country as fugitives in order to prove their parents didn't commit a crime. In a world where criminals are celebrities and news coverage is 24-7, the Falconers are finding it very hard to hide from their unwanted fame. They've been chased from state to state by the FBI... and by a killer they know only as Hairless Joe... -
Ghost in the Machine by Patrick Carman
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe chilling second book in the innovative series from bestselling author Patrick Carman. Strange things are happening in Skeleton Creek...and Ryan and Sarah are trying to find out why. Ryan writes down everything in his journal, and Sarah records everything on her videocam...Categorized as:
children high-school male-mc realistic suspense action-adventure book children-books -
Long Way Home by Katie McGarry
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsSeventeen-year-old Violet has always been expected to sit back and let the boys do all the saving.It’s the code her father, a member of the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, raised her to live by. Yet when her dad is killed carrying out Terror business, Violet knows it’s up to her to do the saving...Categorized as:
coming-of-age crime high-school male-mc realistic suspense action-adventure audiobook -
Scorpia (Alex Rider) by Anthony Horowitz
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 49 ratingsScholastic Inc. Trade Paperback, 2006, with 312 pages. - Alex Rider, teen spy, has always been told he is the spitting image of the father he never knew. But when he learns that his father may have been an assassin for the most lethal and powerful organization in the world, Scorpia, Alex's world shatters. Now Scorpia wants him on their side. Alex learns their newest plot... -
Sinister Secrets by Traci Hunter Abramson, Clair M. Poulson
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsPrepare for heart-pounding danger in Sinister Secrets, featuring short stories of suspense from three of your favorite writers: Traci Hunter Abramson, Paige Edwards, and Clair M. Poulson. With all the thrills and chills you’ve come to expect from these best-selling authors, this must-have compilation will keep you at the edge of your seat until the very last page...Categorized as:
suspense crime coming-of-age mystery fiction anthologies action-adventure law-enforcement -
Canyon Echoes by Jerry B. Jenkins, Chris Fabry
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBryce and Ashley Timberline are normal 13-year-old twins, except for one thing—they discover action-packed mystery wherever they go. Whether it's searching for a missing writer or fearing for their lives at the bottom of a canyon, Bryce and Ashley never lose their taste for adventure. Wanting to get to the bottom of any mystery, these twins find themselves on a nonstop search for the truth...Categorized as:
realistic coming-of-age children mystery christian contemporary young-adult children-books -
Dare You by Jennifer Brown
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIn the second book of the suspenseful Shade Me trilogy, Nikki Kill becomes embroiled in another mystery where only her synesthesia can help her unravel the dark truth.Nikki Kill didn’t realize that trying to find out who killed Peyton Hollis would tangle her in a web of dangerous family secrets that would rock her identity to the core... -
Forbidden by Lisa Clark O'Neill
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSpecial Agent Clay Copeland lives his job. As a behavioral specialist with the FBI’s Investigative Support Unit, his days are spent traveling the country assisting other law enforcement agencies with their most disturbing and difficult cases. Clay excels at his work, maintaining an easygoing affability and sense of humor despite his frequently gruesome job... -
Don't Say a Word by Amber Lynn Natusch
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsKylene Danners’s ex-FBI agent father is in prison for murder and she’s hell-bent on getting him out. But trying to investigate in the small town where a defensive lineman is a hero no matter who he tries to kill and the girl who gets him locked up is public enemy number one is dangerous. Dark secrets are everywhere in Jasperville—the kind Ky can’t walk away from... -
-
Fate Book Two by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMissing: Hot Italian Bodyguard Last Seen Wearing Tux... Dakota Dane's bodyguard is the sort of guy every man fears and every woman dreams of: chiseled abs, face of a male model, and tougher than nails. Except with her, of course. And those glimpses of Paolo's soft side are just as sinfully addictive as the rest of him... -
Callow by Jessica Gadziala
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsCallow, a battle-scarred ex-military turned outlaw biker, knows trouble when he sees it. So when he spots an underage girl about to leave a bar with the wrong crowd, instinct kicks in, and he steps in to stop her, then calls her mom, Sabrina, a fiercely protective single mother struggling to rein in her rebellious daughter, Daphne... -
Crocodile Tears by Anthony Horowitz
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsNew Year's Eve in Scotland and for once Alex Rider is enjoying a normal life. But then he meets Desmond McCain, the dynamic chief of an international charity, First Aid, and what starts as a simple card game rapidly becomes a duel to the death. Suddenly Alex is in more danger than ever before and his life is threatened without his even knowing why...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age crime high-school male-mc realistic suspense action-adventure -
Catherine Coulter - FBI Thriller Series: Books 3-4: The Edge, The Target by Catherine Coulter, Robert Lawrence
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsTHE EDGE Baffled by a seemingly supernatural connection to his critically injured sister, an FBI special agent heads to the Oregon coast in search of a more plausible explanation for his sudden ESP, only to discover more puzzling mysteries. FBI agent Ford MacDougal?"Mac"?is recovering from a terrorist car bombing when his sister appears to purposely drive her Porsche off an Oregon cliff... -
Framed by Gordon Korman, Jonathan Todd Ross
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe sequel to Gordon Korman's ZOOBREAK - Griffin Bing, the Man with a Plan, has been framed!Griffin Bing's new principal doesn't like him. And Griffin doesn't like the boot camp football atmosphere the new principal has brought. Griffin manages to stay out of trouble -- until a Super Bowl ring disappears from the school's display case, with Griffin's retainer left in its place... -
Smitten by Lacey Weatherford
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsLife is good. Cami is away at her dream college with her dream man by her side. She thinks if she can just get through with meeting Hunter’s family that everything will be perfect. Little does she know that life’s about to turn upside down again when Hunter is called to infiltrate a gang whose specialty is chopping and racing cars... -
Found by Harlan Coben
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsMurder. Mystery. High School.A new Mickey Bolitar novel following on from Shelter and Seconds Away.It’s been eight months since Mickey Bolitar witnessed the tragic death of his father.Eight months of lies, dark secrets and unanswered questions.As if that wasn’t bad enough, Mickey’s sophomore year of high school brings on a whole new set of troubles... -
I Am the Mission by Allen Zadoff
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsHe was the perfect assassin. No name. No past. No remorse. Perfect, that is, until he began to ask questions and challenge his orders. Now The Program is worried that their valuable soldier has become a liability. And so Boy Nobody is given a new mission. A test of sorts. A chance to prove his loyalty... -
Snakehead by Anthony Horowitz
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 46 ratingsSplashing down off the coast of Australia, Alex is soon working undercover – this time for ASIS, the Australian Secret Service – on a mission to infiltrate the criminal underworld of South-East Asia: the ruthless world of the Snakehead... -
نقطة شاحبة by Anthony Horowitz
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 53 ratingsAlex Rider, teenage superspy, is back.Fourteen-year-old Alex is back at school trying to adapt to his new double life... and double homework. But MI6 have other plans for him.Armed with a false ID and a new collection of brilliantly disguised gadgets, Alex must infiltrate the mysterious Point Blanc Academy and establish the truth about what is really happening there... -
-
Ark Angle by Anthony Horowitz
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 45 ratingsShot outside the offices of MI6 and left for dead by Scorpia, Alex Rider awakens in a top-secret hospital, glad simply to be alive. But danger has a way of following Alex, and when the boy in the next room is the victim of a kidnapping attempt, it is Alex who saves him; only to be kidnapped himself... -
Eagle Strike by Anthony Horowitz
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 45 ratingsROGUE AGENT!Sir Damian Cray: Millions adore him. He is a philanthropist, peace activist, and the world's most famous vintage pop star. But still it's not enough - not if he is to save the world. Trouble is, only Alex Rider recognizes that it's the world that needs saving from Sir Damian Cray...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age crime high-school male-mc realistic suspense action-adventure -
The Rise by Shari King, Shari Low
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWhen we bury our secrets, they always come back to haunt us...Their rise was meteoric.Only a few years before, they had been three friends from Glasgow, just trying to survive tough lives of danger and dysfunction.But on one Hollywood evening in 1993, they were on the world’s biggest stage, accepting their Oscar in front of the watching world.That night was the beginning of their careers... -
The Fugitive Factor by Gordon Korman
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsNOWHERE TO HIDE.Aiden and Meg Falconer are out to find the evidence that will free their parents from a life sentence in prison. But in order to do that, they have to live undercover. Ever since they broke out of a juvenile detention facility, they've been chased by the FBI... and by a strange killer they've nicknamed Hairless Joe... -
Payback by Kristen Simmons
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe unpredictable truth will be revealed in Payback, the stunning conclusion to Kristen Simmons’ Edgar-nominated thriller series that started with The Deceivers...Brynn Hilder has conned a lot of people. From the spoiled rich kids of Sikawa City to her mom's loser ex-boyfriend, from a motorcycle gang to a senator's son... -
Come, Gentle Night by Stephanie Black
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAfter her entanglement in several homicide investigations, psychologist Natalie Marsh is determined to avoid further trouble. But when her intern needs help monitoring and calming family drama for the duration of a party, Natalie steps up...
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.