Books like 'A Certain October'
Readers who enjoyed A Certain October by Angela Johnson also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary realistic high-school grief poc-mc friendship family coming-of-age lgbtq
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Crank Trilogy by Ellen Hopkins
Rated: 4.64 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe heart-wrenching bestselling Crank trilogy shows that addiction is never just one person’s problem. Crank Kristina is the perfect daughter: gifted high school junior, quiet, never any trouble. Then she meets the monster: crank. And what begins as a wild ride turns into a struggle for her mind, her soul—her life. Glass Crank. Glass. Ice. Crystal... -
![I Love My Hair! by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley]()
I Love My Hair! by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA modern classic, this whimsical story has been celebrating the beauty of African-American hair for 20 years!In this imaginative, evocative story, a girl named Keyana discovers the beauty and magic of her special hair, encouraging black children to be proud of their heritage and enhancing self-confidence... -
![Jamie by L.D. Lapinski]()
Jamie by L.D. Lapinski
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA beautiful and uplifting story from L.D. Lapinski, author of The Strangeworlds Travel Agency, about how to make your own place when the world doesn't think you fit anywhere. For fans of Me, My Dad and The End of The Rainbow.Jamie Rambeau is a happy 11-year-old non-binary kid who likes nothing better than hanging out with their two best friends Daisy and Ash... -
![Dear Evan Hansen by Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek]()
Dear Evan Hansen by Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAn original musical that explores the poignant desire for human connection in the tumultuous life of one young man. Evan is shy, lonely, and bullied for it―teeming with the irrepressible emotions all too familiar with anyone who's ever been a teenager... -
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![November Blues by Sharon M. Draper]()
November Blues by Sharon M. Draper
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWhen November Nelson loses her boyfriend, Josh, to a pledge stunt gone horribly wrong, she thinks her life can't possibly get any worse. But Josh left something behind that will change November's life forever, and now she's faced with the biggest decision she could ever imagine. How in the world will she tell her mom? And how will Josh's parents take the news? She's never needed a friend more... -
![Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle]()
Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsHitch meets The Sun Is Also a Star in this novel about a self-professed teen love doctor with a popular radio segment who believes he can get a girl who hates all things romance to fall in love with him in only three dates.Prince Jones is the guy with all the answers—or so it seems... -
![Pieces of You by Tablo]()
Pieces of You by Tablo
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsEpik High leader Tablo's short stories weave together the secrets and anxieties of youth, whispering words of solace to a lost generation... -
![My Lame Life: Queen of the Misfits by Jen Mann]()
My Lame Life: Queen of the Misfits by Jen Mann
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNew York Times bestselling author Jen Mann has written a hilarious and heartwarming story for fans of Meg Cabot and Rainbow Rowell. My name is Plum Parrish, I'm fourteen, and I'm pretty sure I'm invisible. Not like super power invisible, more like loser invisible. There's a big difference... -
![Shrink to Fit by Dona Sarkar]()
Shrink to Fit by Dona Sarkar
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLosing weight is the solution to all basketball-star Leah Mandeville's problems, or so she thinks. Getting superthin a) help her jump shotb) make her look like America's Next Top Modelc) get the attention of the high school hottie who ignores any girl with a little junk in the trunkAnd it's working, isn't it? Her boo is now crushing on her. Everyone says how good she looks... -
![We, The Wildflowers by L.B. Simmons]()
We, The Wildflowers by L.B. Simmons
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratings“Their strength and ferocity stem from below the surface where their roots are forever tangled, interwoven in such a way that for the remainder of time they bloom together …”GenesisAdamChloeLukasNo one loves them, no one cares about them, no one even sees them until they end up in Mary Rodriguez’s home, an outpost for Sacred Heart’s troubled youth program... -
![My Maddy by Gayle E. Pitman]()
My Maddy by Gayle E. Pitman
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA child celebrates her Maddy, who is neither mommy nor daddy but a little bit of both, like so many things in nature. Includes note to parents... -
![Tonight We Rule the World by Zack Smedley]()
Tonight We Rule the World by Zack Smedley
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIncludes an exclusive reader's guide from Zack SmedleyFrom the critically acclaimed author of Deposing Nathan comes an explosive examination of identity, voice, and the indelible ways our stories are rewritten by others.In the beginning, Owen’s story was blank . . . then he was befriended by Lily, the aspiring author who helped him find his voice...Categorized as:
lgbtq realistic coming-of-age family high-school friendship young-adult contemporary -
![My Mistletoe Mix-Up by Judy Corry]()
My Mistletoe Mix-Up by Judy Corry
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsShe was supposed to kiss her crush under the mistletoe. She didn't expect to kiss his bad-boy twin.When Raven Rodgers finds out her longtime crush is back in town, she's convinced her bad luck with guys has finally changed. That is until she mistakenly kisses her crush's twin brother, Logan Carmichael, who has been her sworn enemy since childhood...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family friendship high-school book contemporary fiction womens-fiction -
![Henry Hamlet's Heart by Rhiannon Wilde]()
Henry Hamlet's Heart by Rhiannon Wilde
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA sparkling queer YA romance set in Brisbane, Henry Hamlet’s Heart follows one guy and his sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking journey to love.Henry Hamlet doesn’t know what he wants after school ends. It’s his last semester of year twelve and all he’s sure of is his uncanny ability to make situations awkward. Luckily, he can always hide behind his enigmatic best friend, Len... -
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![On Herring Cove Road: Mr. Rosen and His 43Lb Anxiety by Michael Kroft]()
On Herring Cove Road: Mr. Rosen and His 43Lb Anxiety by Michael Kroft
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsOnce an amusing extrovert with a reputation as a prankster, Mr. Rosen is entering his retirement years as a stoic thirty-year converted introvert who has no interest in people, despises change, and is more than content to have his wife navigate his life... -
![Caitlin's Lucky Charm by Lisa Schroeder]()
Caitlin's Lucky Charm by Lisa Schroeder
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFour best friends, one lucky bracelet, and an utterly charming new middle-grade series!Caitlin would stay at summer camp forever if she could. Her new best friends in the world, Hannah, Mia, and Libby are there... -
![Ana María Reyes Does Not Live in a Castle by Hilda Eunice Burgos]()
Ana María Reyes Does Not Live in a Castle by Hilda Eunice Burgos
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHer last name may mean "kings," but Ana Maria Reyes REALLY does not live in a castle. Rather, she's stuck in a tiny apartment with two parents (way too lovey-dovey), three sisters (way too dramatic), everyone's friends (way too often), and a piano (which she never gets to practice). And when her parents announce a new baby is coming, that means they'll have even less time for Ana Maria...Categorized as:
realistic family coming-of-age poc-mc friendship middle-grade contemporary children-books -
![Your Corner Dark by Desmond Hall]()
Your Corner Dark by Desmond Hall
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAmerican Street meets Long Way Down in this searing and gritty debut novel that takes an unflinching look at the harsh realities of gang life in Jamaica and how far a teen is willing to go for family.Things can change in a second:The second Frankie Green gets that scholarship letter, he has his ticket out of Jamaica.The second his longtime crush, Leah, asks him on a date, he’s in trouble... -
![As You Walk On By by Julian Winters]()
As You Walk On By by Julian Winters
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe Breakfast Club meets Can't Hardly Wait with an unforgettable ensemble cast in another swoony YA contemporary from award-winning author Julian Winters! Seventeen-year-old Theo Wright has it all figured out... -
![You Don't Even Know by Sue Lawson]()
You Don't Even Know by Sue Lawson
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAlex Hudson is a good guy. He plays water polo. He has a part-time job. He’s doing okay at school.Then the thing that anchors Alex is ripped away and his life seems pointless... -
![The Impossibility of Us by Katy Upperman]()
The Impossibility of Us by Katy Upperman
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe last thing Elise wants is to start her senior year in a new town. But after her brother’s death in Afghanistan, she and her mother move from San Francisco to a sleepy coastal village.When Elise meets Mati, they quickly discover how much they have in common. Mati is new to town too, visiting the U.S. with his family... -
![The Blue-Haired Boy by Courtney C. Stevens]()
The Blue-Haired Boy by Courtney C. Stevens
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSet before the events of Courtney C. Stevens's debut novel, Faking Normal, this digital short story focuses on Bodee Lennox, otherwise known as the Kool-Aid Kid.Bodee Lennox has secrets. About where he got the four-inch scar on his leg. About the bruises on his back. About what it's really like to live in the Lennox household. These are things he doesn't share with anyone . . -
![Jumped In by Patrick Flores-Scott]()
Jumped In by Patrick Flores-Scott
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSam has the rules of slackerhood down: Don't be late to class. Don't ever look the teacher in the eye. Develop your blank stare. Since his mom left, he has become an expert in the art of slacking, especially since no one at his new school gets his intense passion for the music of the Pacific Northwest—Nirvana, Hole, Sleater-Kinney...Categorized as:
realistic high-school friendship coming-of-age poc-mc family young-adult contemporary -
![Emako Blue by Brenda Woods]()
Emako Blue by Brenda Woods
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEmako Blue was supposed to be a star. She was beautiful and good-hearted. She was Monterey's best friend. She was the only girl Jamal cared about, the one who saw through his player act. She was the one who understood the burden of Eddie's family. She was the best singer anyone had ever heard, with a voice like vanilla incense, smoky and sweet... -
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![The Mission by Jason Myers]()
The Mission by Jason Myers
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWake up and do something! Kaden Norris's life is shattered when his older brother -- his best friend and hero -- is killed in Iraq. All Kaden has left of Kenny is a letter, urging him to break away from his sheltered life and to go to San Francisco to visit his cousin, James. Kaden is blown away, as James introduces him to a life filled with drugs, sex, and apathy...Categorized as:
realistic coming-of-age high-school grief young-adult fiction contemporary substance-abuse -
![The Truth Project by Dante Medema]()
The Truth Project by Dante Medema
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSeventeen-year-old Cordelia Koenig was sure of many things going into her last year of high school. For one, she wasn’t going to stress over the senior project all her peers were dreading—she’d just use the same find-your-roots genealogy idea that her older sister used for hers... -
![Three Things I Know Are True by Betty Culley]()
Three Things I Know Are True by Betty Culley
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFans of Jandy Nelson and Marieke Nijkamp will love this deeply moving novel in verse about the aftermath of a gun accident. Life changes forever for Liv when her older brother, Jonah, accidentally shoots himself with his best friend Clay’s father’s gun... -
![Twenty-Four Seconds from Now...A Love Story by Jason Reynolds]()
Twenty-Four Seconds from Now...A Love Story by Jason Reynolds
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsJason Reynolds tackles it—you know…it—from the guy’s perspective in this stream of consciousness story of a teen boy about to experience a huge first.Twenty-four months ago: Neon gets chased by a dog all around the parking lot of a church. Not his finest moment. And definitely one he would have loved to forget if it weren’t for the dog’s owner: Aria... -
![Tiffany Sly Lives Here Now by Dana L. Davis]()
Tiffany Sly Lives Here Now by Dana L. Davis
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsI’ve got seven days to come clean to my new dad. Seven days to tell the truth…For sixteen-year-old Tiffany Sly, life hasn’t been safe or normal for a while. Losing her mom to cancer has her a little bit traumatized and now she has to leave her hometown of Chicago to live with the biological dad she’s never known... -
![Donuts and Other Proclamations of Love by Jared Reck]()
Donuts and Other Proclamations of Love by Jared Reck
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe future is anything but certain in this alternately funny and heartbreaking contemporary story about food trucks, festivals, and first loves.It's easy to look at high school senior Oscar Olsson and think: lost. He hates school, struggles to read, and wants nothing to do with college. But Oscar is anything but lost---he knows exactly what he wants and exactly how to get it... -
![How to Be Remy Cameron by Julian Winters]()
How to Be Remy Cameron by Julian Winters
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsEveryone on campus knows Remy Cameron. He's the out-and-proud, super-likable guy who friends, faculty, and fellow students alike admire for his cheerful confidence. The only person who isn't entirely sure about Remy Cameron is Remy himself... -
![Skyscraping by Cordelia Jensen]()
Skyscraping by Cordelia Jensen
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA heartrending, bold novel in verse about family, identity, and forgiveness Mira is just beginning her senior year of high school when she discovers her father with his male lover. Her world–and everything she thought she knew about her family–is shattered instantly... -
![Perfectly Parvin by Olivia Abtahi]()
Perfectly Parvin by Olivia Abtahi
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFourteen-year-old Iranian-American Parvin Mohammadi sets out to win the ultimate date to homecoming in this heartfelt and outright hilarious debut.Parvin Mohammadi has just been dumped--only days after receiving official girlfriend status. Not only is she heartbroken, she's humiliated. Enter high school heartthrob Matty Fumero, who just might be the smoking-hot cure to all her boy problems... -
![The Victoria in My Head by Janelle Milanes]()
The Victoria in My Head by Janelle Milanes
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA shy, rule-following teen joins a local rock band and finds herself caught between staying on the path she’s always known and straying off-course to find love, adventure, and danger in this novel that’s perfect for fans of Rainbow Rowell.Victoria Cruz inhabits two worlds: In one, she is a rock star, thrashing the stage with her husky voice and purple-streaked hair... -
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![Leila in Saffron by Rukhsanna Guidroz]()
Leila in Saffron by Rukhsanna Guidroz
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA colorful journey of self-discovery and identity, this sweet, vibrant picture book follows young Leila as she visits her grandmother’s house for their weekly family dinner, and finds parts of herself and her heritage in the family, friends, and art around her... -
![Don't Forget Me by Victoria Stevens]()
Don't Forget Me by Victoria Stevens
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSeventeen-year-old Hazel Clarke is no stranger to heartbreaks, and being sent to live with a father she’s never met is the latest in a string of them. Even the beauty of eastern Australia isn’t enough to take her mind off her mother and the life she had to leave behind in England... -
![Small World by Ishta Mercurio]()
Small World by Ishta Mercurio
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen Nanda is born, the whole of her world is the circle of her mother’s arms. But as she grows, the world grows too. It expands outward—from her family, to her friends, to the city, to the countryside. And as it expands, so does Nanda’s wonder in the underlying shapes and structures patterning it: cogs and wheels, fractals in snowflakes... -
![Access Denied: And Other Eighth Grade Error Messages by Denise Vega]()
Access Denied: And Other Eighth Grade Error Messages by Denise Vega
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsComputer whiz Erin Swift is ready to start eighth grade. The Year of Humiliating Events (aka, seventh grade) is behind her and she's ready to rule the school. But eight grade comes with its own set of problems for Erin to navigate, including her first boyfriend, her first break-up, and the fact that her mom has been treating her more like an eight year old than an eighth grader...Categorized as:
realistic coming-of-age friendship family high-school romance young-adult middle-grade -
![Also Known as Elvis by James Howe]()
Also Known as Elvis by James Howe
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSkeezie Tookis navigates a pivotal summer of first crushes and tough choices in this conclusion to the bestselling and acclaimed quartet that began with The Misfits.Skeezie Tookis, also known as Elvis, isn’t looking forward to this summer in Paintbrush Falls...Categorized as:
coming-of-age friendship lgbtq realistic children children-books contemporary fiction -
![The Comeback by Marlene Perez]()
The Comeback by Marlene Perez
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA novel about ruling high school, being exiled, and fighting your way back to your rightful throne.Sophie Donnelly is one half of the most popular and powerful couple in school, until new girl Angie Vogel shows up and compromises everything. Angie steals Sophie's starring role in the school play, and, worse, her super-popular boyfriend...Categorized as:
coming-of-age friendship high-school realistic book contemporary fiction womens-fiction -
![Outrunning The Darkness by Anne Schraff]()
Outrunning The Darkness by Anne Schraff
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThemes: Hi-Lo, High school, neighborhoods, family, loyalty, friendship, urban teen fiction, self esteem, teen relationships, unrequited love. Written for young adults, the Urban Underground series confronts issues that are of great importance to teens, such as friendship, loyalty, drugs, gangs, abuse, urban blight, bullies, and self-esteem to name a few... -
![16 & Pregnant by LaLa Thomas]()
16 & Pregnant by LaLa Thomas
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe bond between two best friends is put to the test when one of them gets pregnant in this contemporary teen novel inspired by MTV’s iconic reality show.Erykah was looking forward to junior year at East Prep High. She has a cute boyfriend, gets good grades, and has the best bestie. Money is tight, though that’s nothing new in her world. But everything changes when she gets pregnant...Categorized as:
realistic high-school friendship family poc-mc coming-of-age young-adult contemporary -
![The Way The Light Bends by Cordelia Jensen]()
The Way The Light Bends by Cordelia Jensen
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsVirtual twins Linc and Holly were once extremely close. But while artistic, creative Linc is her parents' daughter biologically, it's smart, popular Holly, adopted from Ghana as a baby, who exemplifies the family's high-achieving model of academic success...Categorized as:
family realistic high-school coming-of-age poc-mc friendship young-adult contemporary -
![Noah Goes Nuclear by Simon James Green]()
Noah Goes Nuclear by Simon James Green
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNoah Grimes is back, in a new, original short story!Noah is v excited: his class have been shipped off to a hotel in the Lake District to study a nearby Nuclear Power Station! On arrival, all Noah wants to do is settle in to his crisp hotel sheets and get proper rest, but his conniving secret half-brother Eric Smith has other plans... -
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![Unscripted by Nicole Kronzer]()
Unscripted by Nicole Kronzer
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA funny and timely debut YA about the toxic masculinity at a famous improv comedy campSeventeen-year-old Zelda Bailey-Cho has her future all planned out: improv camp, then Second City, and finally Saturday Night Live... -
![Jumpstart the World by Catherine Ryan Hyde]()
Jumpstart the World by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Rated: 3.93 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsElle is a loner. She doesn’t need people. Which is a good thing, because she’s on her own: she had to move into her own apartment so her mother’s boyfriend won’t have to deal with her. Then she meets Frank, the guy who lives next door. He’s older and has a girlfriend, but Elle can’t stop thinking about him. Frank isn’t like anyone Elle has ever met. He listens to her. He’s gentle... -
![Love in English by Maria E. Andreu]()
Love in English by Maria E. Andreu
Rated: 3.93 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSixteen-year-old Ana has just moved to New Jersey from Argentina for her Junior year of high school. She’s a poet and a lover of language—except that now, she can barely understand what’s going on around her, let alone find the words to express how she feels in the language she’s expected to speak... -
![Just Breathe by Cammie McGovern]()
Just Breathe by Cammie McGovern
Rated: 3.93 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFrom the critically acclaimed author of Say What You Will and A Step Toward Falling comes a deeply emotional new novel, perfect for fans of Five Feet Apart and The Fault in Our Stars . David Scheinman is the popular president of his senior class, battling cystic fibrosis. Jamie Turner is a quiet sophomore, struggling with depression... -
![Living with Jackie Chan by Jo Knowles]()
Living with Jackie Chan by Jo Knowles
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAfter fathering a baby, a teenager moves in with his karate-loving uncle and tries to come to terms with his guilt — and find a way to forgive. This isn’t how Josh expected to spend senior year. He thought he’d be hanging out with his best friends, Dave and Caleb, driving around, partying, just like always... -
![Vinyl Moon by Mahogany L. Browne]()
Vinyl Moon by Mahogany L. Browne
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA teen girl hiding the scars of a past relationship finds home and healing in the words of strong Black writers. A great companion for readers of Nic Stone, Amy Fellner Dominy, and Ren�e Watson. When Darius told Angel he loved her, she believed him. But five weeks after the incident, Angel finds herself in Brooklyn, far from her family, Darius, and the California life she has known...
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