Books like 'Optimists Die First'
Readers who enjoyed Optimists Die First by Susin Nielsen also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance psychological realistic family friendship high-school grief coming-of-age humor
-
When It Rains: The bittersweet romance you won't want to miss by Brooke Harris
Rated: 4.79 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe bittersweet romance you won't want to miss. Perfect for fans of Me before You and The Notebook. I'm dying. I'm not afraid. It's my time. I see so much of me in my granddaughter. I know she will help our family once I'm gone. I just hope she can help herself before it's too late. My grandmother is dying. I'm afraid that it's time. She has given me a gift. A book... -
![Family Secrets at Hedgehog Hollow by Jessica Redland]()
Family Secrets at Hedgehog Hollow by Jessica Redland
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsEvery family has its secrets, and at Hedgehog Hollow there is no exception...It was always Samantha's dream to run her beautiful rescue centre, Hedgehog Hollow, full-time. But just as her wish comes true, she becomes a victim of her own kindness when she finds herself with a house full of guests - all with their own problems and secrets - looking to her for support... -
![Tainted: Lance and Mary by Tess Thompson]()
Tainted: Lance and Mary by Tess Thompson
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsOne career-ending mistake sends Lance Mullen home to Cliffside Bay in search of a fresh start. And in no time at all, home begins to feel like the place he was always meant to be. With his beautiful new beach house, his friends and family close by, and a profitable business to grow, life really is good. That is until his heart tries to wreck everything... again... -
![New Arrivals at Hedgehog Hollow by Jessica Redland, Emma Swan]()
New Arrivals at Hedgehog Hollow by Jessica Redland, Emma Swan
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsBRAND NEW FROM THE TOP 10 BEST-SELLING AUTHOR OF 'NEW BEGINNINGS AT SEASIDE BLOOMS' AND 'FINDING LOVE AT HEDGEHOG HOLLOW.'With new arrivals comes new responsibilities. . . .The sun is shining, wild flowers are blooming and Hedgehog Hollow is officially open for business.For Samantha, the proud owner of this beautiful rescue centre, life has never been busier... -
-
![Impulse by Ellen Hopkins]()
Impulse by Ellen Hopkins
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsSometimes you don't wake up. But if you happen to, you know things will never be the same.Three lives, three different paths to the same destination: Aspen Springs, a psychiatric hospital for those who have attempted the ultimate act—suicide.Vanessa is beautiful and smart, but her secrets keep her answering the call of the blade... -
![Jaded: Zane and Honor by Tess Thompson]()
Jaded: Zane and Honor by Tess Thompson
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsZane Shaw isn't the type to cower in a corner, until he meets Honor Sullivan. She's the most phenomenal woman he's ever met, but he's been burned before and so he's doomed to fall for her from a distance. If only his past hadn't left him so weary, perhaps he could be the man he was raised to be. Honor Sullivan has too much at stake to get distracted by a man. But Zane Shaw isn't just any man... -
![Smoke by Ellen Hopkins]()
Smoke by Ellen Hopkins
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsPattyn’s father is dead. Now she’s on the run in this riveting companion to New York Times bestseller Burned, which Kirkus Reviews calls “a strong, painful, and tender piece about wresting hope from the depths of despair.”Pattyn Von Stratten’s father is dead, and Pattyn is on the run... -
![Pack Up the Moon by Kristan Higgins]()
Pack Up the Moon by Kristan Higgins
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThey used to joke about it. Like many brilliant scientists, Josh sometimes had trouble remembering things that needed doing in the "real" world--like buying groceries, eating regular meals, and talking to people. But he was happy to have his beloved wife, Lauren, remind him with her "honey do" lists. He just never realized how much he would need one when she was gone... -
![The Words We Keep by Erin Stewart]()
The Words We Keep by Erin Stewart
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIt's been three months since The Night on the Bathroom Floor--when Lily found her older sister Alice hurting herself. Ever since then, Lily has been desperately trying to keep things together, for herself and for her family. But now Alice is coming home from her treatment program and it is becoming harder for Lily to ignore all of the feelings she's been trying to outrun... -
![Night Road by Kristin Hannah]()
Night Road by Kristin Hannah
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 41 ratingsJude Farraday is a happily married, stay-at-home mom who puts everyone’s needs above her own. Her twins, Mia and Zach, are bright and happy teenagers. When Lexi Baill enters their lives, no one is more supportive than Jude. A former foster child with a dark past, Lexi quickly becomes Mia’s best friend. Then Zach falls in love with Lexi and the three become inseparable... -
![Sabtu Bersama Bapak by Adhitya Mulya]()
Sabtu Bersama Bapak by Adhitya Mulya
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratings“Hai, Satya! Hai, Cakra!” Sang Bapak melambaikan tangan. “Ini Bapak. Iya, benar kok, ini Bapak. Bapak cuma pindah ke tempat lain. Gak sakit. Alhamdulillah, berkat doa Satya dan Cakra. … Mungkin Bapak tidak dapat duduk dan bermain di samping kalian. Tapi, Bapak tetap ingin kalian tumbuh dengan Bapak di samping kalian. Ingin tetap dapat bercerita kepada kalian... -
![Am I Normal Yet? by Holly Bourne]()
Am I Normal Yet? by Holly Bourne
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsAll Evie wants is to be normal. She’s almost off her meds and at a new college where no one knows her as the girl-who-went-crazy. She’s even going to parties and making friends. There’s only one thing left to tick off her list…But relationships are messy – especially relationships with teenage guys. They can make any girl feel like they’re going mad... -
![After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick, Nick Podehl]()
After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick, Nick Podehl
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsEven though the cancer should be far behind him, Jeffrey still worries that it will return. He's got normal teen stuff to deal with, too - friends, parents, girls, school.Normally, he'd ask his older brother, Steven, for advice. But Steven, always the trusty, responsible one, is finally rebelling and has taken off to Africa to join a drumming circle and 'find himself.'Jeffrey feels abandoned... -
![Finding Me by Judith Keim]()
Finding Me by Judith Keim
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSheena Sullivan Morelli and her sisters, Darcy and Regan, receive the unexpected news that their Uncle Gavin Sullivan, the black sheep of the family, has left them a hotel on the Gulf coast of Florida. The gift comes with a twist. They must live together for one year at the hotel and prepare the hotel to receive guests within a year... -
-
![The Only Alien on the Planet by Kristen D. Randle]()
The Only Alien on the Planet by Kristen D. Randle
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsNew town, new school, new friends. It was difficult for Ginny at first, but her senior year is finally starting to feel kind of normal. That is, until she sees him—the beautiful mystery in her English class. He has never spoken a word to anyone. He moves through each day at school without making eye contact. His name is Smitty Tibbs, but everyone calls him the Alien... -
![Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman]()
Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsA William C. Morris Award Finalist A New York Public Library Best Book for Teens of 2017 A Junior Library Guild Selection “An empowering novel that will speak to many mixed-race teens.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Dazzling.” —Bustle “One of the most compelling reads of the year.” —Paste Magazine “This book is a gem... -
![Sunrise over Strawberry Hill Farm by Alison Sherlock]()
Sunrise over Strawberry Hill Farm by Alison Sherlock
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsPre-order the BRAND NEW romance from Alison Sherlock She drives a tractor. He arrives in a red Ferrari. What could possibly go wrong? Flora Barton is desperate to save her family home Strawberry Hill Farm. She only needs one thing - a great business idea to keep the farm afloat!So, when Nico Rossi arrives from Italy with a crazy plan to save the farm, Flora should be overjoyed... -
![Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow]()
Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsCharlotte Davis is in pieces. At seventeen she’s already lost more than most people lose in a lifetime. But she’s learned how to forget. The thick glass of a mason jar cuts deep, and the pain washes away the sorrow until there is nothing but calm. You don’t have to think about your father and the river. Your best friend, who is gone forever. Or your mother, who has nothing left to give you... -
![If He Had Been with Me by Laura Nowlin]()
If He Had Been with Me by Laura Nowlin
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsIf he had been with me everything would have been different...I wasn't with Finn on that August night. But I should've been. It was raining, of course. And he and Sylvie were arguing as he drove down the slick road. No one ever says what they were arguing about. Other people think it's not important. They do not know there is another story. The story that lurks between the facts... -
![A Place to Call Home by Carole Matthews]()
A Place to Call Home by Carole Matthews
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAyesha knows that she must escape from her marriage for the sake of her daughter, Sabina. Slipping away in the dead of the night, they head for London to start a new life. Hayden, a reclusive pop star, hides himself away in the mansion which he shares with two more damaged souls - Crystal, a professional dancer with a kind heart and Joy, an ill-tempered retiree... -
![The Weight of Zero by Karen Fortunati]()
The Weight of Zero by Karen Fortunati
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSeventeen-year-old Catherine Pulaski knows Zero is coming for her. Zero, the devastating depression born of Catherine’s bipolar disorder, almost triumphed once; that was her first suicide attempt.Being bipolar is forever. It never goes away. The med du jour might work right now, but Zero will be back for her. It’s only a matter of time... -
![How to Disappear by Sharon Huss Roat]()
How to Disappear by Sharon Huss Roat
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsVicky Decker has perfected the art of hiding in plain sight, quietly navigating the halls of her high school undetected except by her best (and only) friend, Jenna. But when Jenna moves away, Vicky’s isolation becomes unbearable.So she decides to invent a social life by Photoshopping herself into other people’s pictures, posting them on Instagram under the screen name Vicurious... -
![It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini]()
It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsLike many ambitious New York City teenagers, Craig Gilner sees entry into Manhattan's Executive Pre-Professional High School as the ticket to his future. Determined to succeed at life--which means getting into the right high school to get into the right college to get the right job--Craig studies night and day to ace the entrance exam, and does. That's when things start to get crazy... -
![At the Edge of the Universe by Shaun David Hutchinson]()
At the Edge of the Universe by Shaun David Hutchinson
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFrom the author of We Are the Ants comes “another winner” (Booklist, starred review) about a boy who believes the universe is slowly shrinking as the things he remembers are being erased from others’ memories.Tommy and Ozzie have been best friends since the second grade, and boyfriends since eighth. They spent countless days dreaming of escaping their small town—and then Tommy vanished... -
-
![Change of Heart by Judith Keim]()
Change of Heart by Judith Keim
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsEmerson “Em” Jordan always wanted a Valentine’s Day wedding. But after being dumped by her boyfriend, she spends the holiday at Seashell Cottage on the Gulf Coast of Florida with Devin Gerard, a family friend who has no interest in her or any other woman and is instead concentrating on his pediatric medical practice and continuing medical missions in Costa Rica... -
![Come Rain or Shine by Sarah Bennett]()
Come Rain or Shine by Sarah Bennett
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThere are worse fates than growing up knowing that you will one day inherit a vast and magnificent Cotswolds country estate, but for Rhys Travers it has always felt like a huge responsibility.Juniper Meadows is home to much of his extended family, not to mention the many local businesses that operate on the estate, so there’s no time to sit back and enjoy the view... -
![All Our Broken Pieces by L.D. Crichton]()
All Our Broken Pieces by L.D. Crichton
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratings"You can’t keep two people who are meant to be together apart for long...”Lennon Davis doesn’t believe in much, but she does believe in the security of the number five. If she flicks the bedroom light switch five times, maybe her new L.A. school won’t suck. But that doesn’t feel right, so she flicks the switch again. And again... -
![Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes]()
Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsMaguire is bad luck.No matter how many charms she buys off the internet or good luck rituals she performs each morning, horrible things happen when Maguire is around. Like that time the roller coaster jumped off its tracks. Or the time the house next door caught on fire. Or that time her brother, father, and uncle were all killed in a car crash—and Maguire walked away with barely a scratch... -
![Letting Ana Go by Anonymous]()
Letting Ana Go by Anonymous
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsIn the tradition of Go Ask Alice and Lucy in the Sky, a harrowing account of anorexia and addiction.She was a good girl from a good family, with everything she could want or need. But below the surface, she felt like she could never be good enough. Like she could never live up to the expectations that surrounded her. Like she couldn’t do anything to make a change... -
![If There's No Tomorrow by Jennifer L. Armentrout]()
If There's No Tomorrow by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsLena Wise is always looking forward to tomorrow, especially at the start of her senior year. She's ready to pack in as much friend time as possible, to finish college applications and to maybe let her childhood best friend Sebastian know how she really feels about him. For Lena, the upcoming year is going to be epic—one of opportunities and chances... -
![Words on Bathroom Walls by Julia Walton]()
Words on Bathroom Walls by Julia Walton
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsAdam is a pretty regular teen, except he's navigating high school life while living with paranoid schizophrenia. His hallucinations include a cast of characters that range from the good (beautiful Rebecca) to the bad (angry Mob Boss) to the just plain weird (polite naked guy). An experimental drug promises to help him hide his illness from the world... -
![The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand]()
The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsThere's death all around us.We just don't pay attention.Until we do.The last time Lex was happy, it was before. When she had a family that was whole. A boyfriend she loved. Friends who didn't look at her like she might break down at any moment.Now she's just the girl whose brother killed himself. And it feels like that's all she'll ever be... -
![How to Fall in Love by Cecelia Ahern]()
How to Fall in Love by Cecelia Ahern
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsShe has just two weeks. Two weeks to teach him how to fall in love – with his own life. Adam Basil and Christine Rose are thrown together late one night, when Christine is crossing the Halfpenny Bridge in Dublin. Adam is there, poised, threatening to jump. Adam is desperate – but Christine makes a crazy deal with him... -
![The Things We Do for Love by Kristin Hannah]()
The Things We Do for Love by Kristin Hannah
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsThe youngest of three daughters, Angela DeSaria Malone was always “the princess” of the family, a girl who thought she knew how her life would unfold. High School. College. Marriage. Motherhood. That was how it had gone for her sisters, her cousins, her friends. But it didn’t work out that way for Angie... -
-
![The Rise by Shari King, Shari Low]()
The Rise by Shari King, Shari Low
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWhen we bury our secrets, they always come back to haunt us...Their rise was meteoric.Only a few years before, they had been three friends from Glasgow, just trying to survive tough lives of danger and dysfunction.But on one Hollywood evening in 1993, they were on the world’s biggest stage, accepting their Oscar in front of the watching world.That night was the beginning of their careers... -
![A Bend in the Road by Nicholas Sparks]()
A Bend in the Road by Nicholas Sparks
Rated: 4.03 of 5 stars · 41 ratingsMiles Ryan's life seemed to end the day his wife was killed in a hit-and-run accident two years ago. Missy had been his first love, and Miles fervently believes she will be his last. As a deputy in the North Carolina town of New Bern, Miles Ryan not only grieves for Missy, but also longs to bring the unknown driver to justice. Then Miles meets Sarah Andrews... -
![I Will Save You by Matt de la Peña]()
I Will Save You by Matt de la Peña
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsKidd is running from his past and his future. No mom, no dad, and there’s nothing for him at the group home but therapy. He doesn’t belong at the beach where he works either, unless he finds a reason to stay. Olivia is blond hair, blue eyes, rich dad. The prettiest girl in Cardiff... -
![A Cottage by the Sea by Carole Matthews]()
A Cottage by the Sea by Carole Matthews
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsGrace has been best friends with Ella and Flick since university. The late-night chats, shared heartaches and good times have created a bond that has stood the test of time... -
![What I Lost by Alexandra Ballard]()
What I Lost by Alexandra Ballard
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsA searing yet ultimately uplifting young adult novel about a teenage girl's recovery from anorexia.Sixteen-year-old Elizabeth has honed a dangerous skill: starving herself. Even when her parents send her to a treatment center, she can't stop. Then she begins receiving packages from someone she doesn't know... -
![Goodnight, Beautiful by Dorothy Koomson]()
Goodnight, Beautiful by Dorothy Koomson
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsFrom the author of the internationally bestselling novels My Best Friend’s Girl and Marshmallows for Breakfast comes an incredibly moving, powerfully written new novel about motherhood, love, loss, and new beginnings. Nova will do anything for her closest friend, Mal, whom she has known since childhood... -
![Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall]()
Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsNorah has agoraphobia and OCD. When groceries are left on the porch, she can't step out to get them. Struggling to snag the bags with a stick, she meets Luke. He's sweet and funny, and he just caught her fishing for groceries. Because of course he did. Norah can't leave the house, but can she let someone in? As their friendship grows deeper, Norah realizes Luke deserves a normal girl... -
![Made You Up by Francesca Zappia]()
Made You Up by Francesca Zappia
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsReality, it turns out, is often not what you perceive it to be—sometimes, there really is someone out to get you. Made You Up tells the story of Alex, a high school senior unable to tell the difference between real life and delusion. Alex fights a daily battle to figure out the difference between reality and delusion... -
![Bad Romance by Heather Demetrios]()
Bad Romance by Heather Demetrios
Rated: 4.03 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA heart-wrenching novel about a sixteen-year-old girl trapped in an abusive relationship—and the path she takes to freedom and happiness, from award-winning author Heather Demetrios.“Like Speak, it is one of those rare books that can have a real, lasting impact on readers, and can start important conversations.” —Adi Alsaid, author of Let’s Get Lost and Never Always SometimesGrace wants out... -
![Hold Still by Nina LaCour, Nina Schindler]()
Hold Still by Nina LaCour, Nina Schindler
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsAn arresting story about starting over after a friend’s suicide, from a breakthrough new voice in YA fiction.dear caitlin, there are so many things that i want so badly to tell you but i just can’t.Devastating, hopeful, hopeless, playful . . . in words and illustrations, Ingrid left behind a painful farewell in her journal for Caitlin... -
-
![Collision Course by S.C. Stephens]()
Collision Course by S.C. Stephens
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsLucas had it all—popularity, a devoted girlfriend, a brotherly best friend, and a loving mother who would do anything for him. His life was right on course to be successful and fulfilling…until the crash changed everything.Late at night, during a sudden downpour, three young lives are lost and Lucas, the lone survivor, is left to face the consequences... -
![Lucy in the Sky by Anonymous]()
Lucy in the Sky by Anonymous
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsA riveting first-person tale of addiction, in the tradition of Go Ask Alice and Jay’s Journal.The author of this diary began journaling on her sixteenth birthday. She lived in an upper middle class neighborhood in Santa Monica with her mom, dad, and Berkeley-bound older brother. She was a good girl, living a good life...but one party changed everything... -
![The Pause by John Larkin]()
The Pause by John Larkin
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDeclan seems to have it all: a family that loves him, friends he’s known for years, a beautiful girlfriend he would go to the ends of the earth for. But there’s something in Declan’s past that just won’t go away, that pokes and scratches at his thoughts when he’s at his most vulnerable. Declan feels as if nothing will take away that pain that he has buried deep inside for so long... -
![The Red Sheet by Mia Kerick, C. Kennedy]()
The Red Sheet by Mia Kerick, C. Kennedy
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsOne October morning, high school junior Bryan Dennison wakes up a different person helpful, generous, and chivalrous a person whose new admirable qualities he doesn't recognize. Stranger still is the urge to tie a red sheet around his neck like a cape.Bryan soon realizes this compulsion to wear a red cape is accompanied by more unusual behavior... -
![A Sliver of Hope by Karla J. Nellenbach]()
A Sliver of Hope by Karla J. Nellenbach
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMy twin sister was the only person in the world I thought I’d known inside and out. Apparently, I was wrong. Twin sisters share a unique bond, one that can't be broken by miles, time, or even death. Hannah and Hope Morton are no exception. When Hope takes her own life, Hannah loses a sister and a best friend, a catastrophe she isn't sure she'll survive herself... -
![The Art of Insanity by Christine Webb]()
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
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.
