Books like 'Loving Emily'
Readers who enjoyed Loving Emily by Anne Pfeffer also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance drama realistic high-school male-mc coming-of-age
-
Looking for Alaska / An Abundance of Katherines / Paper Towns / The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFour critically acclaimed, award-winning modern classics from #1 New York Times-bestselling author John GreenThis John Green deluxe box set includes Printz Award–winning Looking for Alaska, Printz Honor book An Abundance of Katherines, Edgar Award–winning Paper Towns, and #1 New York Times–bestselling The Fault in Our Stars... -
This is All: The Pillow Book of Cordelia Kenn by Aidan Chambers
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSubtitled The Pillow Book of Cordelia Kenn this is the story of Cordelia from the time she is 15 until she is 20. She is pregnant and plans to give this account to her daughter on her 16th birthday so that they can share their youth together...Categorized as:
coming-of-age drama high-school realistic bildungsroman book contemporary epistolary -
A Rose for Melinda by Lurlene McDaniel
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsTold in letters, journal entries, e-mails, doctors’ reports, and instant messages, the heartbreaking story of an aspiring ballet dancer battling leukemia. From: Melinda Skye To: Readers Subject: Jesse Hi! I can’t believe it. What a surprise from Jesse... -
Falling to Pieces by Jamie Canosa
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSuffering the bitter tongues of her alcoholic mother and cruel boyfriend, Jade struggles just to look at herself in the mirror. She hates her life, her insecurities, her ineptitudes, but most of all . . . Jade hates herself. She wants nothing more than to disappear, and everyone seems happy to let her. Until Kiernan Parks moves back into town... -
-
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... -
Streiker's Bride by Robin Hardy
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHe had a lot to offer, but his terms were high... -
Love is Blind by Shayna B.
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHailey Baker was a normal teenager- friends, the occasional party and a great boyfriend. But that all changes one night when an accident kills her parents and leaves Hailey with a serious back injury. Seven months after the accident, Hailey has struggled to learn to walk again and is now about to start at a new school after moving in with her uncle...Categorized as:
coming-of-age high-school realistic book contemporary disability fiction womens-fiction -
Ethan Between Us by Anna Myers, Julia Laserna
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEthan is different. He is gorgeous, easy to talk to, and a uniquely gifted pianist. But his musical talent is both a gift and a curse. The doctors label him a schizophrenic, as he claims to have been taught by a long-dead, 19th-century composer... -
Enlightened by J.P. Barnaby
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsLittle Boy Lost is the story of Brian McAllister, the boy next door. Brian goes to school, does his homework, and helps his foster parents around the house. Brian also has a secret: he is in love with his best friend, Jamie. But in Crayford, Alabama, being in love with another boy is the worst kind of sin. Brian and Jamie will discover just how deep their emotional bond runs, and at what cost... -
Collateral Damage by Katie Klein
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsTrue love can blossom in unexpected places. This is Parker pretending not to care. . . . Parker Whalen and Jaden McEntyre are a wrong fit from the start. Jaden is driven and focused, Harvard Med School within reach. Parker has a past—a reputation—and the rumors about his mysterious habits abound...Categorized as:
coming-of-age drama high-school male-mc realistic action-adventure book contemporary -
Float by Kate Marchant
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA heartfelt summer read for fans of Sarah Dessen and Jenny Han about holding on and letting go.Waverly Lyons has been caught in the middle of her parents’ divorce for as long as she can remember. This summer, the battle rages over who she’ll spend her vacation with, and when Waverly’s options are shot down, it’s bye-bye Fairbanks, Alaska and hello Holden, Florida to stay with her aunt...Categorized as:
high-school realistic coming-of-age romance young-adult contemporary fiction season-summer -
Too Young to Die by Lurlene McDaniel
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAt sixteen, Melissa Austin has always worked hard to make things go her way. As the school year begins, her grades are up and she's even landed a coveted spot on the high school Brain Bowl team. She and her best friend, Jory Delaney, are determined to have the best junior year ever.Then suddenly Melissa must face some devastating news about her health... -
One on One by Tabitha King, Stephen King
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA high school basketball star and a defiant outcast discover a profound love that sustains them through a triumphant but painful year... -
My High School Life by angellover254
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMeet Isabella Ace, a 300 pound girl who was voted the 'ugliest girl' at Woodway Prep; a school for the rich. Sick of all the bullies, mostly Thomas Reed, she decided to change. Eight months later she's back, better than ever, and ready for revenge. Throw in a teasing jock, a jealous cheerleader, a goth best friend, a childhood best friend, a hot trainer, and an overprotective brother... -
-
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... -
Surviving High School by M. Doty
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhat's the secret to surviving your freshman year of high school? Emily Kessler thinks she has it all figured out. She eats, sleeps and trains for competitive swimming. All she has to do is keep her grades high and swim times short -- short enough to live up to her sister Sara's. But walking the crowded maze of unfamiliar high school hallways is like diving headfirst into shark-infested waters... -
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 high-school realistic book contemporary fiction friendship womens-fiction -
Toxic by Raquel Valldeperas
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsI didn't mean to let everything get so bad. I never had control over the variables in my life, and that was okay. That's just the way it was. But the drugs were supposed to be my constant, my escape, my refuge. They weren't supposed to pull me under and hold me down, bring me to the brink of death and keep me in that in-between state... -
After Us by Amber Hart
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSometimes secrets kill. Maybe slowly, maybe painfully. Maybe all at once. Melissa smiles. She flirts. She jokes. But she never shows her scars. Eight months after tragedy ripped her from her closest friend, Melissa is broken. Inside her grows a tumor, fed by grief, rage, and the painful memory of a single forbidden kiss... -
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... -
The Art of Insanity by Christine Webb
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHigh schooler Natalie Cordova has just been diagnosed with Bipolar disorder. Her mom insists she keep it secret.Putting up a front and hiding her mental illness from her classmates is going to be the hardest thing high schooler Natalie Cordova has ever done. It’s her senior year, and she’s just been selected to present her artwork at a prestigious show...Categorized as:
realistic high-school coming-of-age drama romance mental-illness young-adult contemporary -
The Stand-In Boyfriend by Christina Benjamin
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSometimes the person you're meant to be with is standing right in front of you.Parker Reed has been in love with Beth Bennett since he was four years old. She grew up next door to him, holding his hand and now his heart. The problem is, Beth has no idea Parker is in love with her. He’s stuck in the friend zone, forced to stand by while Beth dates a parade of losers...Categorized as:
high-school realistic male-mc coming-of-age romance young-adult contemporary fiction -
A Secret Edge by Robin Reardon
Rated: 3.93 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsI love the long distance run, when you feel like you're about to die...and then you reach this place where you feel like there are no boundaries for you anywhere...In many ways, Jason Peele is like any other teenager. He hits the books, hangs with his friends, flirts with girls, and omits the full truth of his life from his Aunt Audrey and Uncle Steve, who have raised him since his parents died... -
Falling From The Sky by Nikki Chartier
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAll stability in sixteen-year-old Ridge McCoy’s life crashed and burned in the plane crash that killed his dad. This summer-long basketball camp is his chance to improve his skills and escape his problems back home... -
-
Call the Shots by Don Calame
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAnd . . . action! As the uproarious trio returns, sensitive Sean takes the spotlight — scripting a low-low-budget film while fielding unexpected female fans. Coop is cooking up another sure-misfire scheme (big surprise), and this time the comedy plays out from Sean’s point of view... -
A Matter of Heart by Amy Fellner Dominy
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratings“Will make your heart pound — anxiously, joyfully, triumphantly.” — New York Times bestselling author Lauren Myracle Readers will happily dive into this emotionally grounded, contemporary young adult novel about the sudden end of one girl’s Olympic swimming dreams and the struggles she endures before realizing there are many things that express who we are... -
Audible Love by Maggie Dallen
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLove is blind? This starlet doesn't believe it. Then again...she's never been starstruck. As a child star turned teenage diva, Avery has played a lot of roles in her lifetime. Not one of them was as difficult as pretending to be an ordinary girl at a normal high school. Well, relatively normal. Trudale is a boarding school for the arts, catering to the elite...Categorized as:
high-school coming-of-age realistic romance young-adult contemporary fiction female-mc -
Revenge of the Geek by Piper Banks
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSome people have to learn the hard way-don't mess with a geek. Miranda Bloom, girl genius, is totally psyched to start her junior year at Geek High. Too bad her boyfriend, lacrosse player Dex McConnell, is off to boarding school in Maine. Miranda thought she could count on her best friends, Finn and Charlie, to cheer her up, but they're caught up in their own issues..Categorized as:
coming-of-age high-school realistic book contemporary female-mc fiction womens-fiction -
The Fifth Rule by Don Aker
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFormer young offender Reef Kennedy is back in Halifax for the funeral of his mentor, Frank Colville. He has no intention of staying long -- memories of Frank compete with memories of Leeza and the terrible way their relationship ended. And then there's the restraining order against him, which Leeza's mother has renewed.... Leeza, in the meantime, id feeling stifled by her mother's "concern... -
The Death of Lila Jane by Teresa Mummert
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFrom New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Teresa Mummert comes a cautionary coming of age tale. Lila Jane is spending her summer vacation preparing for high school. She does everything asked of her, but her parents rarely give her credit for her efforts... -
Kind of Sort of Fine by Spencer Hall
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSenior year changes everything for two teens in this coming-of-age story that looks at what happens when the image everyone has of us no longer matches who we really are.Senior year of high school is full of changes. For Hayley Mills, these changes aren’t exactly welcome...Categorized as:
coming-of-age realistic high-school romance young-adult contemporary mental-illness fiction -
This Beats Perfect by Rebecca Denton, Billie Fulford-Brown
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAmelie Ayres has impeccable taste in music. Bowie. Bush. Bob. So when she finds herself backstage at The Keep’s only UK gig she expects to hate it; after all they are world’s most tragic band. In fact she feels a grudging respect – not (obviously) for their music, but for the work that goes in to making them megastars...Categorized as:
high-school realistic coming-of-age romance contemporary young-adult audiobook fiction -
Never Do a Wrong Thing by Marcus Herzig
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsComing out is hard enough on its own, but if you have a crush on your best buddy, things get really complicated.Best friends since kindergarten, best friends forever. That was the plan. High school sophomores Tim and Tom know everything there is to know about each other … or at least they should, but Tim has a secret that could change everything he doesn’t want to see changed... -
The Sweet, Terrible, Glorious Year I Truly, Completely Lost It by Lisa Shanahan
Rated: 3.86 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIN MY FAMILY, when anyone rides the wave of their emotions, we say they're chucking a birkett. When the emotion drives out all common sense, we say they're chucking a big one. The telltale signs are: flaming cheeks, shortness of breath, bulging eyes, and a prolonged illogical outburst... -
-
The Law of Tall Girls by Joanne Macgregor
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWhen you really stand out, can you ever fit in?Seventeen-year-old Peyton Lane is a tall girl. So tall, it’s the only thing most people notice about her. On impulse, she accepts a bet to prove she can be as attractive and desirable as other girls. Now she just needs to go on four dates (including the prom) with one of the guys on her very short list of very tall boys... -
A Shot at Normal by Marisa Reichardt
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDr. Villapando told me to get a good attorney. He wasn't serious. But I am. I'm going to sue my parents.Juniper Jade's parents are hippies. They didn’t attend the first Woodstock, but they were there for the second one. The Jade family lives an all-organic homeschool lifestyle that means no plastics, no cell phones, and no vaccines... -
Leslie's Journal by Allan Stratton
Rated: 3.80 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLeslie can't seem to avoid trouble, whether it's at school or at home. Just as life seems at its lowest, Jason McCready, the exceedingly cool new guy at school, enters her life. Now Leslie is the envy of all the girls. But Jason's appearance is deceiving--he is determined to control every aspect of Leslie's life and he begins terrorizing her in unimaginable ways... -
Gluttony by Robin Wasserman
Rated: 3.80 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIt's Vegas, baby! Anything can happen. Reed has a (small) chance to win fame and fortune, thanks to his "entourage," Beth. Sick of feeling like a loser, Harper's betting she can win back her life, starting with Miranda -- whose birthday wish just might come true.... Adam's also getting lucky, with a certain ex-girlfriend. Kane, as usual, is playing hard -- and not very nice... -
Rock On by Denise Vega
Rated: 3.80 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsOri Taylor is the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter of the Band To Be Named Later, a garage band he started with his friends. After years of being known only as the kid brother of sports star Del, Ori is looking forward to stepping out of his older brother's shadow, learning to perform in public, and rocking the Battle of the Bands contest... -
Brown Boy Nowhere: A Novel by Sheeryl Lim
Rated: 3.80 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWelcome to Nowhere, kid. Life starts here.What’s the problem? Sixteen-year-old Filipino American Angelo Rivera will tell you flat out. Life sucks. He’s been uprooted from his San Diego home to a boring landlocked town in the middle of nowhere. Behind him, ocean waves, his girlfriend, and the biggest skateboarding competition on the California coast... -
The First Stone by Don Aker
Rated: 3.80 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsREEF IS AN EMBITTERED YOUNG OFFENDER, hardly able to contain his anger at the world over the death of his grandmother, the only person who had shown him any love. Seventeen-year-old Leeza is mourning the death of her older sister. A stone hurled in rage shatters both their lives and throws them together in the most unexpected way―and offers them a chance at healing... -
The Secret to Lying by Todd Mitchell
Rated: 3.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsJames was the guy no one noticed—another fifteen-year-old living in a small town. So when he gets into the American Science and Mathematics Academy (or ASMA), a public boarding school, James decides that it’s time to leave the past behind. In a student body made up of nerds and geeks, being cool is easy. All it takes is a few harmless lies to invent the new James: rebel, punk, street fighter...Categorized as:
coming-of-age high-school male-mc realistic boarding-school book contemporary fiction -
The Perfectly Imperfect Match by Kendra C. Highley
Rated: 3.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsPitcher Dylan Dennings has his future all mapped out: make the minors straight out of high school, work his way up the farm system, and get called up to the majors by the time he's twenty-three. The Plan has been his sole focus for years, and if making his dreams come true means instituting a strict " no girls" policy, so be it... -
Choices by Annie Brewer
Rated: 3.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsGracie had everything planned when it came to her future. She was set to go to California with her scholarship-jock boyfriend, attend college, get a degree, and maybe sometime later when they were older and successful, they would get married and start a family. But all of that was taken away by the passion of one careless night. A night that changed everything... -
-
Audacious by Gabrielle S. Prendergast
Rated: 3.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSixteen year old Raphaelle is that girl who says the wrong thing, who crosses the wrong person, who has the wrong hair, the wrong body, the wrong attitude, the totally wrong clothes. She can’t do anything right, except draw, but she draws the wrong pictures... -
Geek Magnet by Kieran Scott
Rated: 3.81 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsMean Girls meets High School Musical from the author of I Was a Non-Blonde Cheerleader! Everyone loves KJ Miller, especially the geeks. She's pretty, smart, and super nice to everyone, which has made her the geek pied piper of Washington High. If only Cameron, the star of the basketball team, would follow her around and worship her the way her dorky entourage does... -
Play by Javier Ruescas
Rated: 3.81 of 5 stars · 16 ratings¿Qué serías capaz de hacer por amor? ¿Hasta dónde estarías dispuesto a llegar para alcanzar la fama?Nadie diría que Leo y Aarón son hermanos. El primero es presumido y ambicioso; el segundo, tímido y reservado. Pero ambos desean algo... -
Kissing Tennessee: and Other Stories from the Stardust Dance by Kathi Appelt
Rated: 3.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMason and Carrie Marie can't get up the courage to ask each other to dance. Russ's girlfriend has died, and now he's just trying to live without her...Categorized as:
coming-of-age high-school realistic anthologies contemporary fiction humor middle-grade -
Changing My Wardrobe by Deb Hanrahan
Rated: 3.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsChanging My Wardrobe is a tragic high school drama about starting over, fitting in, and discovering the truth about what really matters. It's a story about friendship, first love, and soul-crushing loss. It's a story about a person's choices, good and bad, and the unexpected and far-reaching consequences of those choices. Lindsey’s first day of high school is her big chance to start over... -
Perchance by Lila Felix
Rated: 3.75 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsRemi Harris has a plan. Graduate high school, go to college, become a history teacher, be self-sufficient unlike her mother who is a struggling single mom. And the word ‘boy’ has no place in her plan. Cooper Neal has been sent to his estranged father’s house to spend his Senior year getting to know him. And maybe, just maybe, there will be some cute girls in the small town...
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.