Books like 'How It Went Down'
Readers who enjoyed How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary mystery realistic social-commentary crime family friendship poc-mc grief high-school
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Have You Seen Luis Velez? by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsRaymond Jaffe feels like he doesn't belong. Not with his mother's new family. Not as a weekend guest with his father and his father's wife. Not at school, where he's an outcast... -
![This Is My America by Kim Johnson, Bahni Turpin]()
This Is My America by Kim Johnson, Bahni Turpin
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAn unflinching yet uplifting first novel that explores the racist injustices in the American justice system.Every week, seventeen-year-old Tracy Beaumont writes letters to Innocence X, asking the organization to help her father, an innocent Black man on death row. After seven years, Tracy is running out of time--her dad has only 267 days left. Then the unthinkable happens... -
![Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt]()
Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsWhen Jack meets his new foster brother, he already knows three things about him:Joseph almost killed a teacher.He was incarcerated at a place called Stone Mountain.He has a daughter. Her name is Jupiter. And he has never seen her.What Jack doesn’t know, at first, is how desperate Joseph is to find his baby girl.Or how urgently he, Jack, will want to help.But the past can’t be shaken off... -
![Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds]()
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 62 ratingsA cannon. A strap. A piece. A biscuit. A burner. A heater. A chopper. A gat. A hammer A tool for RULEOr, you can call it a gun. That’s what fifteen-year-old Will has shoved in the back waistband of his jeans. See, his brother Shawn was just murdered. And Will knows the rules. No crying. No snitching. Revenge... -
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![The Nowhere Girls by Amy Reed]()
The Nowhere Girls by Amy Reed
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThree misfits come together to avenge the rape of a fellow classmate and in the process trigger a change in the misogynist culture at their high school transforming the lives of everyone around them in this searing and timely story.Who are the Nowhere Girls?They’re everygirl... -
![Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson, Imani Parks]()
Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson, Imani Parks
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsMonday Charles is missing, and only Claudia seems to notice. Claudia and Monday have always been inseparable—more sisters than friends. So when Monday doesn’t turn up for the first day of school, Claudia’s worried. When she doesn’t show for the second day, or second week, Claudia knows that something is wrong. Monday wouldn’t just leave her to endure tests and bullies alone... -
![All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook by Leslie Connor]()
All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook by Leslie Connor
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsJunior Library Guild Selection * Kids’ Indie Next List PickFrom Leslie Connor, award-winning author of Waiting for Normal and Crunch, comes a soaring and heartfelt story about love, forgiveness, and how innocence makes us all rise up. All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook is a powerful story, perfect for fans of Wonder and When You Reach Me... -
![Brave Girl, Quiet Girl by Catherine Ryan Hyde]()
Brave Girl, Quiet Girl by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsAn Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestseller.From New York Times bestselling author Catherine Ryan Hyde comes a gripping and emotional novel about friendship, motherhood, and the journey toward finding a place to call home.Brooke is a divorced single mom, financially strapped, living with her mother, and holding tight to the one thing that matters most: her two-year-old daughter, Etta... -
![Maizy Chen's Last Chance by Lisa Yee]()
Maizy Chen's Last Chance by Lisa Yee
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWelcome to The Golden Palace!Maizy has never been to Last Chance, Minnesota. . . until now. Her Mom’s plan is just to stay for a couple weeks, until her grandfather gets better...Categorized as:
historical-fiction realistic family children friendship poc-mc bullying social-commentary -
![Slay by Brittney Morris]()
Slay by Brittney Morris
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 25 ratings'We are different ages, genders and traditions ... but tonight we all SLAY' Black Panther meets Ready Player One. A fierce teen game developer battles a real-life troll intent on ruining the Black Panther-inspired video game she created and the safe community it represents for black gamers... -
![Angelica And Francesca by Kenneth Jarrett Singleton]()
Angelica And Francesca by Kenneth Jarrett Singleton
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAngelica and Francesca are the identical twin daughters of Pellrue, Duke of Doretay. Doretay is a state within a kingdom called Vidien, which Angelica's and Francesca's great uncle, King Oscar, rules. Pellrue attempts to keep control of his wicked, evil daughters as they keep entering his city and raising havoc by torturing and murdering the common citizens within...Categorized as:
crime drama historical-fiction literary-fiction tragedy anthologies contemporary fiction -
![The How & the Why by Cynthia Hand]()
The How & the Why by Cynthia Hand
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA poignant exploration of family and the ties that bind, perfect for fans of Far From the Tree, from New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Hand.Today Melly had us writing letters to our babies…Cassandra McMurtrey has the best parents a girl could ask for. They’ve given Cass a life she wouldn’t trade for the world. She has everything she needs—except maybe the one thing she wants...Categorized as:
coming-of-age drama family friendship high-school historical-fiction literary-fiction multi-pov -
![Girls & Boys by Dennis Kelly]()
Girls & Boys by Dennis Kelly
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAn unexpected meeting at an airport leads to an intense, passionate, head-over-heels relationship. Before long they begin to settle down, buy a house, juggle careers, have kids – theirs is an ordinary family.But then their world starts to unravel and things take a disturbing turn.A tragic, violent look at parenthood and trauma... -
![Let Me Hear a Rhyme by Tiffany D. Jackson]()
Let Me Hear a Rhyme by Tiffany D. Jackson
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIn this striking new novel by the critically acclaimed author of Allegedly and Monday’s Not Coming, Tiffany D. Jackson tells the story of three Brooklyn teens who plot to turn their murdered friend into a major rap star by pretending he's still alive. Brooklyn, 1998. Biggie Smalls was right: Things done changed...Categorized as:
coming-of-age drama family friendship grief high-school historical-fiction multi-pov -
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![Lost and Found by Anne Schraff]()
Lost and Found by Anne Schraff
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWelcome to Bluford High. This widely acclaimed teen series set in an urban high school features engaging, accessible writing and appealing, contemporary storylines.Darcy Wills is in big trouble. And she does not know where to turn for help. First there was the mysterious stranger who started following her. Then there was the threatening note left on her desk at Bluford High School... -
![Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner]()
Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsWhat if you could spend one last day with someone you lost?One day Carver Briggs had it all—three best friends, a supportive family, and a reputation as a talented writer at his high school, Nashville Academy for the Arts.The next day he lost it all when he sent a simple text to his friend Mars, right before Mars, Eli, and Blake were killed in a car crash... -
![The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb]()
The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsGrowing up in rural NC, Ray McMillan’s life is already mapped out. If he’s lucky, he’ll get a job at the hospital cafeteria. Extra lucky, he’ll earn more than the minimum wage. But Roy has a gift-he’s determined to become a world class professional violinist, and nothing will stand in his way...Categorized as:
coming-of-age crime drama family historical-fiction literary-fiction poc-mc realistic -
![What They Don't Know by Nicole Maggi]()
What They Don't Know by Nicole Maggi
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThree secrets. One decision. A friendship that will change everything.Mellie has always been the reliable friend, the good student, the doting daughter. But when an unspeakable act leads her to withdraw from everyone she loves, she is faced with a life-altering choice―a choice she must face alone.Lise stands up―and speaks out―for what she believes in... -
![The Son-in-Law by Charity Norman]()
The Son-in-Law by Charity Norman
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsOn a sharp winter's morning, a man turns his back on prison. Joseph Scott has served his term. He's lost almost everything: his career as a teacher, his wife, the future he'd envisaged. All he has left are his three children but he is not allowed anywhere near them.This is the story of Joseph, who killed his wife, Zoe. Of their three children who witnessed the event... -
![Reservoir Dogs by Quentin Tarantino]()
Reservoir Dogs by Quentin Tarantino
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsQuentin Tarantino's films have single-handedly revived and redefined American noir, bringing to Hollywood a new energy, irony, and cool. Tarantino has won awards and accolades around the world, earned a devoted following among critics, actors, and audiences, and paved the way for a new generation of young filmmakers... -
![Stone Girl by Eleni Hale]()
Stone Girl by Eleni Hale
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsI’m at the police station. There’s blood splattered across my face and clothes. In this tiny room with walls the colour of winter sky I hug a black backpack full of treasures. Only one thing is certain . . . no one can ever forgive me for what I’ve done.An unspeakable event changes everything. No more Mum, school or bed of her own... -
![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... -
![Playing With Fire by Emily Blake]()
Playing With Fire by Emily Blake
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsOne family. Two sides. A whole town caught in between. In this soap-opera series, the twists keep coming--and no secrets are safe.Hidden Pasts. Unexpected Betrayals.Twisted Friendships.Sweet Revenge. Her mother's in jail. Her best friend betrayed her. Who can Alison trust? Backstabber Kelly has the world at her feet... -
![Freeze Frame by Heidi Ayarbe]()
Freeze Frame by Heidi Ayarbe
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsNo matter how many times Kyle rewrites the scene, he can't get it right. He tries it in the style of Hitchcock, Tarantino, Eastwood, all of his favorite directors—but regardless of the style, he can't remember what happened that day in the shed. The day Jason died... -
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![Dime by E.R. Frank]()
Dime by E.R. Frank
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe startling realities of teen prostitution are revealed in this eye-opening, heartbreaking story from the author of "America," which "Booklist "called a piercing, unforgettable novel and "Kirkus Reviews "deemed a work of sublime humanity. As a teen girl in Newark, New Jersey, lost in the foster care system, Dime just wants someone to care about her, to love her. A family... -
![If I Grow Up by Todd Strasser]()
If I Grow Up by Todd Strasser
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratings"WHEN YOU GREW UP IN THE PROJECTS, THERE WERE NO CHOICES. NO GOOD ONES, AT LEAST." In the Frederick Douglass Project where DeShawn lives, daily life is ruled by drugs and gang violence. Many teenagers drop out of school and join gangs, and every kid knows someone who died. Gunshots ring out on a regular basis... -
![Aftermath by Kelley Armstrong]()
Aftermath by Kelley Armstrong
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThree years after losing her brother Luka in a school shooting, Skye Gilchrist is moving home. But there's no sympathy for Skye and her family because Luka wasn't a victim; he was a shooter. Jesse Mandal knows all too well that the scars of the past don't heal easily. The shooting cost Jesse his brother and his best friend--Skye... -
![Breakout by Kate Messner]()
Breakout by Kate Messner
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsNora Tucker is looking forward to summer vacation in Wolf Creek--two months of swimming, popsicles, and brushing up on her journalism skills for the school paper. But when two inmates break out of the town's maximum security prison, everything changes. Doors are locked, helicopters fly over the woods, and police patrol the school grounds... -
![We Were Here by Matt de la Peña]()
We Were Here by Matt de la Peña
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe story of one boy and his journey to find himself.When it happened, Miguel was sent to Juvi. The judge gave him a year in a group home—said he had to write in a journal so some counselor could try to figure out how he thinks. The judge had no idea that he actually did Miguel a favor. Ever since it happened, his mom can’t even look at him in the face... -
![The Lying Woods by Ashley Elston]()
The Lying Woods by Ashley Elston
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsOwen Foster has never wanted for anything. Then his mother shows up at his elite New Orleans boarding school cradling a bombshell: his privileged life has been funded by stolen money... -
![I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak]()
I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 67 ratingsprotect the diamondssurvive the clubsdig deep through the spadesfeel the heartsEd Kennedy is an underage cabdriver without much of a future. He's pathetic at playing cards, hopelessly in love with his best friend, Audrey, and utterly devoted to his coffee-drinking dog, the Doorman. His life is one of peaceful routine and incompetence until he inadvertently stops a bank robbery... -
![Q & A by Vikas Swarup]()
Q & A by Vikas Swarup
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsVikas Swarup's spectacular debut novel opens in a jail cell in Mumbai, India, where Ram Mohammad Thomas is being held after correctly answering all twelve questions on India's biggest quiz show, Who Will Win a Billion? It is hard to believe that a poor orphan who has never read a newspaper or gone to school could win such a contest... -
![What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum]()
What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsTwo struggling teenagers find an unexpected connection just when they need it most.Sometimes a new perspective is all that is needed to make sense of the world.KIT: I don’t know why I decide not to sit with Annie and Violet at lunch. It feels like no one here gets what I’m going through. How could they? I don’t even understand... -
![Asking For It by Louise O'Neill]()
Asking For It by Louise O'Neill
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsIn a small town, where everyone knows everyone, Emma O'Donovan is different. She is the special one - beautiful, popular, powerful. And she works hard to keep it that way.Until that night...Now, she's an embarrassment. Now, she is a slut. Now, she is nothing.And those pictures - those pictures that everyone has seen - mean she can never forget... -
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![The Secret Daughter by Kelly Rimmer]()
The Secret Daughter by Kelly Rimmer
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsAs I saw my new-born baby’s face for the first time I tried desperately to capture her face in my mind—to stamp it onto my eyelids. As she was taken from me I knew I might never see my daughter again. 38 years later… ‘You were adopted’. Three short words and Sabina’s life fractures. There would forever be a Before those words, and an After... -
![Violent Ends by Beth Revis, Blythe Woolston]()
Violent Ends by Beth Revis, Blythe Woolston
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIn a one-of-a-kind collaboration, seventeen of the most recognizable YA writers—including Shaun David Hutchinson, Neal and Brendan Shusterman, and Beth Revis—come together to share the viewpoints of a group of students affected by a school shooting... -
![Jackpot by Nic Stone]()
Jackpot by Nic Stone
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFrom the author of the New York Times bestseller Dear Martin --which Angie Thomas, the bestselling author of The Hate U Give, called "a must read"--comes a pitch-perfect romance that examines class, privilege, and how a stroke of good luck can change an entire life...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family friendship high-school poc-mc poverty realistic social-commentary -
![Tell the Truth, Shame the Devil by Melina Marchetta]()
Tell the Truth, Shame the Devil by Melina Marchetta
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWhen Bish Ortley, a suspended cop, receives word that a bus carrying his daughter has been bombed, he rushes to her side. A suspect has already been singled out: a 17-year-old girl who has since disappeared from the scene.The press has now revealed that she is the youngest member of one of London's most notorious families... -
![What Happened to Lani Garver by Carol Plum-Ucci]()
What Happened to Lani Garver by Carol Plum-Ucci
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe close-knit residents of Hackett Island have never seen anyone quite like Lani Garver. Everything about this new kid is a mystery: Where does Lani come from? How old is Lani? And most disturbing of all, is Lani a boy or a girl?Claire McKenzie isn't up to tormenting Lani with the rest of the high school elite. Instead, she befriends the intriguing outcast... -
![The Night Bus Hero by Onjali Q. Raúf]()
The Night Bus Hero by Onjali Q. Raúf
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFrom Onjali Q. Rauf, the award-winning and best-selling author of The Boy at the Back of the Class , comes another incredible story, told with humour and heart.'The boy's an absolute menace.''He's a bully. A lost cause!''Why can't he be more like his sister?'I've been getting into trouble for as long I can remember... -
![When I Found You by Catherine Ryan Hyde]()
When I Found You by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Rated: 3.98 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsWhile duck hunting one morning, childless, middle-aged Nathan McCann finds a newborn abandoned in the woods. To his shock, the child—wrapped in a sweater and wearing a tiny knitted hat—is still alive. To his wife’s shock, Nathan wants to adopt the boy…but the child’s grandmother steps in...Categorized as:
coming-of-age drama family friendship historical-fiction literary-fiction realistic audiobook -
![Sugar Town Queens by Malla Nunn]()
Sugar Town Queens by Malla Nunn
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrom LA Times Book Prize Award Winner and Edgar Award Nominee Malla Nunn comes a stunning portrait of a family divided and the bonds that knit our communities.When Amandla wakes up on her fifteenth birthday she knows it's going to be one of her mother's difficult days. Her mother has had another vision... -
![Rape Girl by Alina Klein]()
Rape Girl by Alina Klein
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsValerie always wanted to be the smart girl. The pretty girl. The popular girl.But not the rape girl.That’s who she is now. Rape Girl. Because everyone seems to think they know the truth about what happened with Adam that day, and they don’t think Valerie’s telling it.Before, she had a best friend, a crush, and a close-knit family... -
![Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson]()
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Rated: 3.99 of 5 stars · 83 ratingsMelinda Sordino busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops. Now her old friends won't talk to her, and people she doesn't even know hate her from a distance. The safest place to be is alone, inside her own head. But even that's not safe... -
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![The Black Girls Left Standing by Juliana Goodman]()
The Black Girls Left Standing by Juliana Goodman
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSixteen-year-old Beau Willet has dreams of being an artist and one day leaving the Chicago projects she's grown up in. But after her older sister, Katia, is killed by an off-duty police officer, Beau knows she has to clear her sister's name by finding the only witness to the murder; Katia's no-good boyfriend, Jordan, who has gone missing... -
![This Town is on Fire by Pamela N. Harris]()
This Town is on Fire by Pamela N. Harris
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFrom the critically acclaimed author of When You Look Like Us comes a page-turning YA contemporary novel about what happens when the latest “Becky” on the internet is your best friend. A lot is up in the air in Naomi Henry’s her spot as a varsity cheer flier, her classmates’ reaction to the debut of her natural hair, and her crush on the guy who’s always been like a brother to her...Categorized as:
realistic high-school coming-of-age social-commentary poc-mc drama friendship contemporary -
![The Orphans of Race Point: A Novel by Patry Francis]()
The Orphans of Race Point: A Novel by Patry Francis
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsSet on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, a suspenseful page-turning saga of love, murder, and the true meaning of faith from the author of the acclaimed The Liar’s Diary...Categorized as:
coming-of-age crime drama family grief historical-fiction literary-fiction realistic -
![True to Form by Elizabeth Berg]()
True to Form by Elizabeth Berg
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIn her 10th novel, True to Form, Elizabeth Berg finds her way into the year 1961 and into the head of 13-year-old Katie Nash at the start of her summer vacation. Katie's world is smooth and easy with endless possibilities and sunshine...Categorized as:
coming-of-age drama family friendship historical-fiction literary-fiction realistic audiobook -
![The Secrets Mothers Keep by Jacquie Underdown]()
The Secrets Mothers Keep by Jacquie Underdown
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIn the enchanting landscapes of Tasmania, "The Secrets Mothers Keep" unravels a captivating tale of three generations bound by a shared purpose—to restore the family manor into a charming bed and breakfast. But beneath the surface lies a lifetime of concealed truths that threaten to tear them apart... -
![Scar Island by Dan Gemeinhart]()
Scar Island by Dan Gemeinhart
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsJonathan Grisby is the newest arrival at the Slabhenge Reformatory School for Troubled Boys -- an ancient, crumbling fortress of gray stone rising up from the ocean. It is dark, damp, and dismal. And it is just the place Jonathan figures he deserves.Because Jonathan has done something terrible. And he's willing to accept whatever punishment he has coming...
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