Books like 'Bitter Melon'
Readers who enjoyed Bitter Melon by Cara Chow also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance realistic historical-fiction coming-of-age poc-mc family high-school asian-mc teens
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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... -
![Bronxwood by Coe Booth]()
Bronxwood by Coe Booth
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe acclaimed author of TYRELL and KENDRA returns to PUSH to continue Tyrell's astonishing story. Tyrell's father is just out of jail, and Tyrell doesn't know how to deal with that. It's bad enough that his brother Troy is in foster care and that his mother is no help whatsoever. Now there's another thing up in his face, just when he's trying to settle down... -
![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... -
![Today. Tomorrow. Always by Raven St. Pierre]()
Today. Tomorrow. Always by Raven St. Pierre
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEvents and decisions of the past almost cost her everything, but she was given a second chance. He marvels at the beautiful life he almost missed out on, vowing never to let anything come between them again. The memory of being apart lingers with both Sam and AJ, but those days are long gone... -
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![Tell Me How to Be by Neel Patel]()
Tell Me How to Be by Neel Patel
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsRenu Amin always seemed perfect: doting husband, beautiful house, healthy sons. But as the one-year anniversary of her husband's death approaches, Renu is binge-watching soap operas and simmering with old resentments. She can't stop wondering if, thirty-five years ago, she chose the wrong life... -
![Save the Cupcake! by Lisa Papademetriou]()
Save the Cupcake! by Lisa Papademetriou
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThis delicious new series from New York Times bestselling author Lisa Papademetriou is a real treat -- full of humor and heart and cupcakes!Confession: My life is soooo not sprinkles and sunshine . . . Hayley's world is far from perfect: her parents have divorced, her mom has lost her job, and she and her sister Chloe are stuck sharing a bedroom in their grandmother's apartment... -
![The Sister Switch by Jane B. Mason, Sarah Hines Stephens]()
The Sister Switch by Jane B. Mason, Sarah Hines Stephens
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAndie and Caitlin are identical twins who couldn't be less alike. Fed up with being lumped together, the girls can't wait to start junior high. There, they'll finally be able to pave their own way. But it turns out that being mistaken for each other might work in their favor... -
![Shake It Off by Suzanne Nelson]()
Shake It Off by Suzanne Nelson
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBria is used to city life in Chicago, but is headed to her aunt and uncle's Iowa creamery for the summer. Their dairy operation offers a taste of country living to passersby, who can stop in for a milkshake, a wagon ride, and a trip through the corn maze. Bria is definitely out of her element, but her cousin, Wren, loves working on her parents' farm... -
![Breaking Walls by Tracie Puckett]()
Breaking Walls by Tracie Puckett
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIt’s not about the rules anymore. It’s about the sacrifice. She’s already given up too much to lose faith now. Gabe has walked away, and Mandy’s fate with the Raddick Initiative is hanging in the balance. Media attention has the whole town talking. Friends are making wild assumptions, and one of her own teammates has turned on her... -
![Accidentally Friends by Lisa Papademetriou]()
Accidentally Friends by Lisa Papademetriou
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe fourth book in our first Candy Apple mini-series from New York Times-bestselling author Lisa Papademetriou! Seventh grader Amy Flowers is at it again in her fourth fish-out-of-water adventure at super-snooty Allington Academy... -
![To Live Again by Lurlene McDaniel]()
To Live Again by Lurlene McDaniel
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsDawn Rochelle looks like any other seventeen-year-old girt, but looks can be deceiving. At the age of thirteen, Dawn was diagnosed with leukemia. Now almost three years into remission, Dawn is a senior in high school and looking forward to college. But her plans are disrupted when she suffers another medical crisis that causes partial paralysis... -
![Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee]()
Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHeartstopper meets Crazy Rich Asians in this heartfelt, joyful paperback original rom-com that follows an aspiring chef who discovers the recipe for love is more complicated than it seems when he starts fake-dating a handsome new customer... -
![Accidentally Fooled by Lisa Papademetriou]()
Accidentally Fooled by Lisa Papademetriou
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSeventh grader Amy Flowers is finally making her mark at ultra-exclusive Allington Academy, but there's always one thing standing in her way: the League. They rule the school, and their queen is oh-so-mean Fiona, who doesn't exactly appreciate a new girl invading her turf. This time, Amy's stuck working on a service project with Fiona and preppie know-it-all Preston... -
![Last Dance by Lurlene McDaniel]()
Last Dance by Lurlene McDaniel
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsRachel Deering's dream of becoming a professional ballet dancer has to be put on hold when she finds out that she has diabetes, but the lessons she learns in managing her disease help her take control of her life... -
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![The Gossip File by Anna Staniszewski]()
The Gossip File by Anna Staniszewski
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe Gossip File:-Chandra lets little kids pee in the pool.-Melody stole $ from the cafe register.-Ava isn’t who she says she is…Ava is cool. Ava is confident. Ava is really Rachel Lee who is lying her butt off.Rachel is visiting her dad at a resort in sunny Florida and is ready for two weeks of relaxing poolside, trips to Disney World and NOT scrubbing toilets... -
![The Summer I Saved the World . . . in 65 Days by Michele Weber Hurwitz]()
The Summer I Saved the World . . . in 65 Days by Michele Weber Hurwitz
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt's the summer before freshman year in high school and Nina decides to follow what someone said at her middle-school graduation: "Be unnoticed, but be remarkable." Her best friend Jorie is focusing on boys, clothes, and popularity, her lawyer parents are diving into a new case, and this is the first summer without her beloved Grandma, so she's is feeling a little lost... -
![Now I'll Tell You Everything by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor]()
Now I'll Tell You Everything by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt's Alice—for the rest of her life! Yes, the very last Alice book, and it reveals every last bit you'd want to know about Alice, including whether she spends the rest of her life with Patrick! "This is the book where Alice, every girl’s girl, turns into every lady’s lady" (VOYA).Alice McKinley is going to college! And everything, from her room to her classes to her friends, is about to change... -
![The Princess Diaries Collection by Meg Cabot]()
The Princess Diaries Collection by Meg Cabot
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe set of books is noted for containing many popular culture references, which include singers, movies, and fads in modern culture. Many critics have taken unkindly to this form of storytelling. In response, Cabot wrote an English teacher into the book Princess In Training who criticizes Mia's writing, telling her that it relies too much on "slick pop culture references... -
![Somewhere Between Life and Death by Lurlene McDaniel]()
Somewhere Between Life and Death by Lurlene McDaniel
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe celebration isn't supposed to end in tragedy. The night of their high-school drama group's cast party starts out as fun for sisters Amy and Erin. Their lives come crashing down when Amy takes the car to get more food and has a horrible accident. Erin and her family pray for Amy to awaken from her coma... -
![This Place Is Still Beautiful by XiXi Tian]()
This Place Is Still Beautiful by XiXi Tian
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsTwo sisters. A shocking racist incident. The summer that will change both of their lives forever. Despite having had near-identical upbringings, sisters Annalie and Margaret agree on only one thing: that they have nothing in common. Nineteen-year-old Margaret is driven, ambitious, and keenly aware of social justice issues... -
![Kendra by Coe Booth]()
Kendra by Coe Booth
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe acclaimed author of TYRELL returns to PUSH with a striking novel about a mother and daughter who are only fourteen years apart, but need to learn to understand each other before it's too late.Kendra's mom, Renee, had her when she was only 14 years old. Renee and her mom made a deal -- Renee could get an education, and Kendra would live with her grandmother... -
![Scarlett by Cathy Cassidy]()
Scarlett by Cathy Cassidy
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsScarlett's in trouble at school. Again. With black fingernails and dyed ketchup-red hair, she's not your average twelve-year-old Londoner. So her mum sick of trying to get her into "another" school ships Scarlett to her father's cottage in Ireland. Having to learn Gaelic in a one-room schoolhouse and enduring a new stepmum and younger stepsister is just too much... -
![Thirteen by Lauren Myracle]()
Thirteen by Lauren Myracle
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWinnie Perry is a teenager at last! And it s a really big deal. A ginormous deal, which, wouldn t you know it, brings ginormous problems along with it. Winnie s bff #1 is growing up too slowly, while her bff #2 is growing up too fast, leaving Winnie stuck in the middle. Winnie s boyfriend, Lars, is fabulous except when he s not. And as for Winnie s family, well, BIG changes are in the air... -
![Take Two by Julia DeVillers]()
Take Two by Julia DeVillers
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsPayton and Emma left a trail of chaos in their wake when they “traded faces” just for fun. This time they’ll switch places to help each other and their friends out of a ginormous mess! Payton is helping out on the middle school musical while Emma puts her brains to use by tutoring—more like “twotoring”—identical twin boys... -
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![Happenstance 2 by Jamie McGuire]()
Happenstance 2 by Jamie McGuire
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsErin Easter was now Erin Alderman, because Erin Alderman was dead. In the second installment of this USA Today bestselling series, follow protagonist Erin, a high school senior in tiny Blackwell, Oklahoma. After a terrible accident leaves two classmates dead, Erin learns that she was switched at birth... -
![Troubled Waters by AnnaLisa Grant]()
Troubled Waters by AnnaLisa Grant
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsCollege life for Layla Weston isn’t starting the way she’d intended. She’s revisiting the plans she once had to be the reclusive girl she wanted to be at Heyward Prep, and Layla is more than confident in her ability to succeed this time. After all, she’s got a whole new bag of secrets to keep. Still reeling from Will’s disappearance, Layla is doing her best to adjust to life back in Florida... -
![The Dirt Diary by Anna Staniszewski]()
The Dirt Diary by Anna Staniszewski
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWANTED: Maid for the most popular kids in 8th grade. Cleaning up after the in-crowd gets Rachel all the best dirt. Rachel can't believe she has to give up her Saturdays to scrubbing other people's toilets. So. Gross. But she kinda, sorta stole $287.22 from her college fund that she's got to pay back ASAP or her mom will ground her for life... -
![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... -
![It's My Life by Melody Carlson]()
It's My Life by Melody Carlson
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIn this emotional sequel to Diary of a Teenage Girl, Caitlin O'Conner faces new trials as she grows in her faith and strives to maintain the recent commitments she's made to God. As a new believer, Caitlin begins her summer job and makes preparations for a Mexico mission trip with her church youth group... -
![Played by Dana Davidson]()
Played by Dana Davidson
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWhen one of Ian's boys dares him to get plain-faced Kylie Winship to sleep with him in just three weeks, he thinks it'll be a breeze. Tall and fine, with honey-colored skin and eyes, Ian is used to getting what he wants from girls. And if he succeeds in playing Kylie, he'll be down with the most popular crew in his high school... -
![A Year In Europe by Rachel Hawthorne]()
A Year In Europe by Rachel Hawthorne
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMEET THE GIRLS of "A Year in Europe, "a collection of three interconnecting novels about the adventures of traveling abroad. Robin: Her junior year abroad in London takes a surprising turn when she falls for British hottie Kit. Dana: Paris is the City of Love, and Dana's on a mission to find a gorgeous French boyfriend. Carrie: She's crazy about Antonio, her Italian dream guy... -
![Postcards from Summer by Cynthia Platt]()
Postcards from Summer by Cynthia Platt
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe Notebook meets Love & Gelato in this heart-wrenching novel about a teen girl who travels to her late mother’s majestic summertime home to learn of the romance—and the tragedy—that changed her life forever.Seventeen-year-old Lexi has always wanted to know more about the mother who passed away when she was only a child. But her dad will barely talk about her...Categorized as:
historical-fiction realistic family coming-of-age romance young-adult contemporary fiction -
![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... -
![The Knockout by S.A. Patel, Sajni Patel]()
The Knockout by S.A. Patel, Sajni Patel
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA rising star in Muay Thai figures out what (and who) is worth fighting for in this #ownvoices YA debut full of heart.If seventeen-year-old Kareena Thakkar is going to alienate herself from the entire Indian community, she might as well do it gloriously. She’s landed the chance of a lifetime, an invitation to the US Muay Thai Open, which could lead to a spot on the first-ever Olympic team... -
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![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 family high-school romance young-adult middle-grade contemporary -
![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... -
![Rose by Diane Schwemm]()
Rose by Diane Schwemm
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThis is me and my three younger sisters. Being the oldest has never been easy, but it was especially hard the year I turned sixteen. That was the year that the things I thought would always be the same changed forever. After Dad died, Mom needed me to pitch in more--get a job and help take care of my sisters. I was working so hard to care for my family, I forgot to look out for myself... -
![Teenie by Christopher Grant]()
Teenie by Christopher Grant
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHigh school freshman Martine (Teenie for short) is a good student, with a bright future ahead of her. She's desperate to be accepted into a prestigious study abroad program in Spain so that she can see what life is like beyond the streets of Brooklyn. She wouldn't mind escaping from her strict (though lovable) parents for awhile either... -
![Rubi Ramos's Recipe for Success by Jessica Parra]()
Rubi Ramos's Recipe for Success by Jessica Parra
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsGraduation is only a few months away, and so far Rubi Ramos’s recipe for success is on track.*Step 1: Get into the prestigious Alma University.*Step 2: Become incredibly successful lawyer.But when Alma waitlists Rubi’s application, her plan is in jeopardy. Her parents–especially her mom, AKA the boss–have wanted this for her for years... -
![Briarcliff Prep by Brianna Peppins]()
Briarcliff Prep by Brianna Peppins
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSet at a luxe, aspirational boarding school inspired by the author's beloved alma mater Spelman College, this debut is a captivating celebration of the friends we choose, the family we protect, and the love we owe ourselves.It's fourteen-year-old Avielle "Avi" LeBeau's turn to do what everyone in her family has done: leave home to attend Briarcliff Prep―a Historically Black Boarding School (HBBS)... -
![Dessert First by Dean Gloster]()
Dessert First by Dean Gloster
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsUpbeat--that's Kat, the girl in the family who everyone turns to when things get difficult. Especially now, when her beloved younger brother Beep is in his second leukemia relapse, and a bone marrow transplant from Kat may be his only chance...Categorized as:
realistic family high-school coming-of-age romance young-adult middle-grade contemporary -
![Shipped by Meredith Tate]()
Shipped by Meredith Tate
Rated: 3.96 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsCan two IRL enemies find their happily ever after online?Stella Greene and Wesley Clarke are Gene Connolly Memorial High School's biggest rivals. While the two have been battling it out for top student, it's a race to the bottom when it comes to snide comments and pulling the dirtiest prank. For years, Stella and Wes have been the villain in each other's story, and now it's all-out war...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family high-school book contemporary enemies-to-lovers fiction young-adult -
![Fifteen by Beverly Cleary]()
Fifteen by Beverly Cleary
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIt seems too good to be true. A popular boy has asked Jane out -- and she's never even dated before. Stan is tall and good-looking, friendly and hard-working -- everything Jane ever dreamed of. But is she ready for this? Does she have the right clothes? Will he like her?Suppose her parents won't let her go? What if she's nervous and makes a fool of herself? Maybe he'll think she's too young...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family high-school historical-fiction realistic teens 20th-century -
![The Silence Between Us by Alison Gervais]()
The Silence Between Us by Alison Gervais
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsDeaf teen Maya moves across the country and must attend a hearing school for the first time. As if that wasn’t hard enough, she also has to adjust to the hearing culture, which she finds frustrating—and also surprising when some classmates, including Beau Watson, take time to learn ASL... -
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![Angel Cake by Cathy Cassidy]()
Angel Cake by Cathy Cassidy
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAnya used to dream of moving to Britain to start a brand-new life. But as she sits in a school where nobody understands her, she dreams of Polish summer skies and the place where she once belonged.Then Anya meets bad boy Dan. He’s no angel, but she’s sure there’s a sweeter side to him... -
![A Game Worth Watching by Samantha Gudger]()
A Game Worth Watching by Samantha Gudger
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAll her life, people have told 17-year-old tomboy Emma Wrangton that she’s not good enough, smart enough, or strong enough to succeed in life. Somewhere along the way, she started to believe them... -
![American Betiya by Anuradha D. Rajurkar]()
American Betiya by Anuradha D. Rajurkar
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFans of Sandhya Menon, Erika Sanchez and Jandy Nelson will identify with this powerful story of a young artist grappling with first love, family boundaries, and the complications of a cross-cultural relationship.Rani Kelkar has never lied to her parents, until she meets Oliver... -
![Star-Crossed by Mimi McCoy]()
Star-Crossed by Mimi McCoy
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA sweet new addition to the hit Candy Apple line! Will Abby's horoscope make her superstitious, or will she take fate into her own hands?A fabulous new title from Mimi McCoy, author of Candy Apple's debut title!Abby has it all together: she gets straight A's, she's a star on her junior high track team, and she's 7th grade class vice president... -
![The Secret Side of Empty by Maria E. Andreu]()
The Secret Side of Empty by Maria E. Andreu
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA Junior Library Guild Selection, 2014A Junior Library Guild Selection, 2014A School Library Journal Top 10 Latino Books of 2014As a straight-A student with a budding romance and loyal best friend, M.T.’s life seems as apple-pie American as her blondish hair and pale skin. But M.T. hides two facts to the contrary: her full name of Monserrat Thalia and her status as an undocumented immigrant... -
![The Brothers Torres by Coert Voorhees]()
The Brothers Torres by Coert Voorhees
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrankie Towers has always looked up to his older brother, Steve, and with good reason. Steve is a popular senior who always gets what he wants: girls, a soccer scholarship, and--lately--street cred. Frankie, on the other hand, spends his time shooting off fireworks with his best friend Zach, working at his parents' restaurant, and obsessing about his longtime crush, Rebecca Sanchez...
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