Books like 'The Fifth Rule'
Readers who enjoyed The Fifth Rule by Don Aker also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance realistic high-school coming-of-age
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Remember Me by Cheryl Lanham
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA new teen tearjerker in the heartwrenching Dear Diary series for young adults. Leeanne never thought she'd love working at the hospice so much, or that it would be so hard. Her new friend Gabriel isn't like other boys. He is dying. But in his final days, he has one last lesson to teach her... -
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 high-school realistic bildungsroman book contemporary drama 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... -
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Saving Elliot by NorthByNorth
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratings“I keep trying to think of ways to make myself hate you.” “Kind of hard to do when you're in love with me, isn't it?” He said. * * * Meet Elliot Jensen; she’s stubborn, intelligent, sarcastic, short-tempered and ambitious. Meet Elliot Fintry, he’s impulsive, rude, cold, devious, and reckless...Categorized as:
coming-of-age high-school realistic book contemporary enemies-to-lovers fiction forced-proximity -
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... -
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... -
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... -
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... -
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... -
Between Perfect and Real by Ray Stoeve
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA moving YA debut about a trans boy finding his voice—and himselfDean Foster knows he’s a trans guy. He’s watched enough YouTube videos and done enough questioning to be sure. But everyone at his high school thinks he’s a lesbian—including his girlfriend, Zoe, and his theater director, who just cast him as a “nontraditional” Romeo... -
Almost Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIs it possible to be too good a friend -- too understanding, too always there, too much like a doormat? Alice has always been a good friend to Pamela and Liz, a best friend to Pamela and Liz...Categorized as:
coming-of-age high-school realistic book contemporary female-author fiction friendship -
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Pulled Under by Michelle Dalton
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA shy teen befriends an attractive beach town tourist in this refreshing summertime romance, in the tradition of Sixteenth Summer and Seventeenth Summer . In the small town of Pearl Beach, Florida, Izzy Lucas needs only her surfboard and the water to be completely happy. She wants nothing to do with parties, popularity contests, or showing her face around the clichéd touristy hangouts... -
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... -
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 high-school romance young-adult middle-grade contemporary humor -
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 -
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... -
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 high-school coming-of-age romance young-adult middle-grade family contemporary -
What I Want You to See by Catherine Linka
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWinning a scholarship to California’s most prestigious art school seems like a fairy tale ending to Sabine Reye’s awful senior year. After losing both her mother and her home, Sabine longs for a place where she belongs.But the cutthroat world of visual arts is nothing like what Sabine had imagined...Categorized as:
realistic coming-of-age high-school romance young-adult contemporary mystery 21st-century -
Letters to Nowhere by Julie Cross
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFrom the International Bestselling Author of the Tempest Series... Set in the tough world of Elite Gymnastics... I've gotten used to the dead parents face. I've gotten used to living with my gymnastics coach. I've even adjusted to sharing a bathroom with his way-too-hot son. Dealing with boys is not something that's made it onto my list of experiences as of yet. But here I am, doing it... -
Out of Left Field by Kris Hui Lee
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThere’s no playing it safe in love or baseball in this sparkling debut, perfect for fans of Morgan Matson and Kasie West.Marnie has never had a hard time fitting in with the guys. It would take a lot more than their goofy antics to keep her from joining them at the neighborhood sandlot to do what she loves best: play ball...Categorized as:
realistic high-school coming-of-age romance young-adult sports contemporary friends-to-lovers -
A Really Nice Prom Mess by Brian Sloan
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWell, in summary, your fake date's in the bathroom with a hangover and a crispy hairdo, while my fake date is out wandering the Willard, searching for his heterosexuality or something. High school senior Cameron Hayes gets coerced into going to the prom with a girl, even though he'd rather be with his boyfriend... -
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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... -
11 Paper Hearts by Kelsey Hartwell
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA YA contemporary rom com about a girl who follows a trail of paper hearts from her mystery admirer--and it's a paperback original perfect for fans of To All the Boys I've Loved Before and the Kissing Booth. Ella's life was picture perfect. She had a circle of close friends, a jam-packed social life, and an amazing boyfriend...Categorized as:
high-school realistic coming-of-age romance young-adult contemporary mystery fiction -
Just Our Luck by Julia Walton
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom the author of Words on Bathroom Walls— now a major motion picture—comes a romance in the spirit of Dear Evan Hansen about overcoming anxiety—and about finding love and friendship in unlikely places.★ "A masterpiece" —Kirkus, starred review"Bad luck follows lies." That was the first rule for life that Leo's Greek grandmother, Yia Yia, gave him before she died...Categorized as:
realistic coming-of-age high-school romance young-adult contemporary fiction mental-illness -
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 -
I'll Tell You Mine by Pip Harry
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsKate Elliot isn't trying to fit in – that's the whole point of being a goth, isn't it?Everything about her – from her hair to her clothes – screams different and the girls at her school give her a wide berth. How can Kate be herself, really herself, when she's hiding her big secret? The one that landed her in boarding school in the first place...Categorized as:
coming-of-age high-school realistic boarding-school book contemporary fiction friendship -
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 -
Pwned by Shannen Crane Camp
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsReagan West has a perfect life. She’s at the top of the high school food chain as co-captain of the cheerleading squad and she’s best friends with the most evil girl in Albany, Tawny Perez, which means she’s never on the receiving end of her wrath... -
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 -
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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 Elephant of Surprise by Brent Hartinger
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsBook 4 in the Lambda Award-winning Russel Middlebrook Series!People aren't always what they seem to be. Sometimes we even surprise ourselves... -
Incredibly Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsGet ready to start your own incredible, amazing life…right? Alice McKinley is standing on the edge of something new—and half afraid she might fall off. Graduation is a big deal—that gauntlet of growing up that requires everyone she’s known since forever to make huge decisions that will fling them here and there and far from home... -
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... -
In Your Room by Jordanna Fraiberg
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMolly and Charlie have fallen head over heels in love, although they've never met. Molly is a fashion-conscious city girl in L.A., and Charlie is an earthy, mountain-biking dude from Boulder, Colorado... -
After Hello by Lisa Mangum
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWhat if the first day of your relationship was the only day you had? Seventeen-year-old Sara is a seeker. She’s always on the lookout for the perfect moment to capture with her ever-present, point-and-shoot camera, especially on her first trip to New York City. Sam is a finder...Categorized as:
coming-of-age high-school realistic action-adventure book contemporary fiction multi-pov -
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... -
Just for Clicks by Kara McDowell
Rated: 3.80 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMommy blogs are great . . . unless the blog happens to belong to your mom.Twin sisters Claire & Poppy are accidental social media stars thanks to Mom going viral when they were babies. Now, as teens, they're expected to contribute by building their own brand. Attending a NY fashion week and receiving fan mail is a blast. Fending off internet trolls and would-be kidnappers? Not so much... -
What Can (t) Wait by Ashley Hope Pérez
Rated: 3.80 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMarissa has smarts and plenty of promise, but she's marooned in a broken-down Houston neighborhood--and in a Mexican immigrant family where making ends meet matters much more than making it to college. When her home life becomes unbearable, Marissa seeks comfort elsewhere--and suddenly neither her best friend or boyfriend can get through to her... -
Knee Deep by Jolene Perry
Rated: 3.80 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsShawn is the guy Ronnie Bird promised her life to at the age of fourteen. He's her soul mate. He's more uptight every day, but it's not his fault. His family life is stressful, and she's adding to it. She just needs to be more understanding, and he'll start to be the boy she fell in love with. She won’t give up on someone she’s loved for so long...Categorized as:
coming-of-age high-school realistic abuse book contemporary fiction friends-to-lovers -
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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... -
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... -
Hollywood Hills by Aimee Friedman
Rated: 3.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsGet your drama on as the girls from New York Times bestseller SOUTH BEACH and its sexy sequel, FRENCH KISS, strut back into the limelight in another sizzling tale of romance, friendship, and crushes.Celebrity sightings. Sizzling nightlife. Endless shopping.Hollywood, here they come...Alexa: She's stopped believing in love at first sight... -
Kissing the Bee by Kathe Koja
Rated: 3.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSenior year is flying by, the prom is approaching, and Dana, her best friend, Avra, and Avra's boyfriend, Emil, are about to encounter the pains and pleasures of that intricate beehive called adult life. While Dana plans on college, Avra plots escape once school is over—and plans to take Emil along for the ride. What does Emil want? He's not saying... -
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... -
Georgetown Academy: Book One by Jessica Koosed Etting, Alyssa Embree Schwartz
Rated: 3.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIt’s the beginning of a new political administration. That might not mean much at most high schools, but at Georgetown Academy, Washington D.C.’s most elite prep school, January 20th means new alliances, new flings, and new places to party. While freshmen—nicknamed “interns” for their willingness to jump into bed with anyone higher on the D.C...
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