Books like 'A Step Toward Falling'
Readers who enjoyed A Step Toward Falling by Cammie McGovern also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance realistic friendship bullying high-school lgbtq drama coming-of-age crime
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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... -
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... -
Snitch by Allison van Diepen
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIn a school run by gangs, staying out was harder than joining. We knew who our friends were, and were careful what we said. If people thought we were haters, it would only be a matter of time....Lines are clearly marked at South Bay High School. It's mixed territory for the Crips and the Bloods, which means the drama never stops. Julia DiVino wants none of it... -
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... -
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The Kings of Nowhere by C.G. Drews
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAvery Lou has given up stealing houses — now he’s meant to build them. Forced to stay with the De Lainey family until Sam’s return from juvie, Avery feels like he’s drowning. He hates that Sam chose the De Laineys instead of running away with him. And he hates working in their construction company while Vin, the thief who hurt Sam, still walks free. Avery wants revenge... -
Heartstrings by Heather Gunter
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEveryone thinks of me as this happy and upbeat person. What they don't know is that I carry a deep, dark secret. Something horrible happened to me a year ago, and I have kept it quiet all this time. I was fine for a while, but somehow it’s chosen this time to come back, and it's eating at me--like a cancer. I need to tell someone about it, I just don't know how... -
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... -
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... -
Invisible by Jeff Erno
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsChase Devereaux is a fifteen year old boy under a great deal of stress. He has to give a speech today for his Oral Communications class, and he's terrified of public speaking. Worse yet, he's being bullied by one of the most popular kids at school. He just has to make it through his third-hour gym class and then give his speech, and everything will be all right... -
Mannen som elsket Yngve by Tore Renberg
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsRomanen handler om et stort dilemma for bokas hovedperson - en tenåring som går i andreklassen i Stavanger. Sammen med kompisen Helge og kjæresten Katrine utgjør Jarle Klepp den tøffeste gjengen på skolen. De forfekter kompromissløse standpunkt til livets basale spørsmål: Verdensordningen, musikken, hårsveisen og hvem holder mål og hvem som ikke gjør det... -
Beach Blondes: June Dreams, July's Promise, August Magic by Katherine Applegate
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThree months. Three guys. One amazing summer. Summer Smith is in for the best summer of her life. Between the cold weather and her boyfriendless existence in Minnesota, Summer is ready for sun, sand, and boys in the Florida Keys. And by the end of the first day, she has more than enough to keep her busy: Adam , the senator's son, has looks, power, and all the money in the world... -
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... -
Rainbow High by Alex Sanchez
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsJason Carrillo, the best-looking athlete in school, has had his eyes on the prize from day one: a scholarship for college. But then his eyes turn to love -- and Kyle. Kyle Meeks, swim team star and all-around good guy, is finally in the relationship he wanted. Being in love feels so good, in fact, that he can't imagine giving it up to go to Princeton... -
True Letters from a Fictional Life by Kenneth Logan
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsIf you asked anyone in his small Vermont town, they'd tell you the facts: James Liddell, star athlete, decent student and sort-of boyfriend to cute, peppy Theresa, is a happy, funny, carefree guy.But whenever James sits down at his desk to write, he tells a different story... -
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Sorrow Woods by Beckie Stevenson
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“How did you even get here?”I blink at him, confused by his question. “We live here.”“You live here, in these woods?” When Kaiden stumbles across Serena Scott whilst hunting in Sorrow Woods he thinks all of his birthdays have come at once. Finally, the girl that’s haunted and intrigued him and his parents for the last fourteen years is standing in front of him. And she’s alive... -
Safer Outside by Kristina Renee
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhen Liz moves to a new high school, she hopes for a fresh start. School is her escape from the violence at home and her only hope at breaking the cycle of poverty she was born into. Trying to shield her siblings from her stepfather's fury gets harder each day so when she meets Logan, she thinks it will be a harmless distraction from the fear. She's Wrong... -
Sing Me to Sleep by Angela Morrison
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsTHE TRANSFORMATION Beth has always been "The Beast", that's what everyone at school calls her because of her awkward height, facial scars, and thick glasses. Beth's only friend is geeky, golden-haired Scott. That is, until she's selected to be her choir's soprano soloist, and receives the makeover that will change her life forever... -
A Tale of Two Pretties by Lisi Harrison
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsMassie Block has long led the Pretty Committee through boy drama, clique mutinies, and jealous wannabe attacks while always in ah-dorable outfits. Over the past thirteen novels, avid fans of Massie, Alicia, Dylan, Kristen, and Claire, have made The Clique one of the premier bestselling series in the world. After the myriad of juicy escapades, the Clique is finally ready for their curtain call... -
Classic by Cecily von Ziegesar
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIt's almost Valentine's Day at Waverly Academy, and love is in the air...and in everyone's inboxes. Each year, The Waverly Computer Society runs Perfect Match, an online personality survey that pairs up Waverly Owls with their supposed soul mates. Now the campus is overrun with peculiar pairings, odd couples, and mischief makers hoping to play Cupid for a day... -
With or Without You by Brian Farrey
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsEighteen-year-old Evan and his best friend, Davis, get beaten up for being loners. For being gay. For just being themselves. But as rough as things often seem, at least Evan can take comfort in his sweet, sexy boyfriend Erik - whom he’s kept secret from everyone for almost a year. Then Evan and Davis are recruited to join the Chasers, a fringe crowd that promises them protection and status... -
Fall From Love by Heather London
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsStruggling to put her life back together after a tragic mountaineering accident kills her college sweetheart, twenty-one-year-old Holly Treadwell is trying to set aside her grief, forge ahead in school, and find herself again.When Carter Hansen, a guy who brings back horrible memories from the night of the accident, finds his way back into her life, Holly’s unsure if she should let him in... -
Head Games by Keri Mikulski
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTaylor Thomas is a total all-star on the court. Off-court, not so much. She may be model-tall, gorgeous and quite a catch, but try telling her that. With a showcase game and playoffs fast approaching, Taylor’s basketball career is totally on the line... -
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... -
Finding Freia Lockhart by Aimee Said
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFreia Lockhart just wants to fit in at school but her best friend Kate is determined to get in with the popular Bs: Belinda, Bethanee and Brianna. Even Freia knows when she hangs out with the Bs she fits in like a turkey in a flock of flamingos. Kate convinces Freia to audition for the school play so they can 'all hang out together' and meet all the cute guys... -
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Adored by Cecily von Ziegesar
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsBrett Messerschmidt is organizing Waverly Academy's annual holiday ball and secret gift exchange. But when some enterprising students decide that playing Secret Satan is infinitely more fun, the entire school starts acting naughty. All Brett wants is a successful party-and a goodnight kiss from unexpected crush Sebastian Valenti... -
Lemonade Mouth by Mark Peter Hughes
Rated: 3.87 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsPoets. Geniuses. Revolutionaries.The members of the legendary band Lemonade Mouth have been called all of these things. But until now, nobody's known the inside story of how this powerhouse band came to be. How five outcasts in Opoquonsett High School's freshman class found each other, found the music, and went on to change both rock and roll and high school as we know it... -
Mean Girls by Micol Ostow
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsYou know the story--or do you? Cady Heron grew up home-schooled in Africa with scientist parents as her teachers, monkeys as her classmates and the African plains as her playground. But when her family moves to the suburbs of Illinois, she finds herself a stranger in a strange land: high school. With no prior research to guide her, Cady's forced to figure out North Shore High all on her own... -
Daybreak by Belva Plain
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe doctor's office is cool, white, sterile. But the doctor's words are searing: blood tests prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Margaret and Arthur Crawfield's beloved, dying son is not their child. Now they must face Peter's death and the shock of having a son they have never met. Grieving, yet compelled, they begin a search that will tear two families apart... -
The Grass Is Always Greener by Jen Calonita
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsHow many secrets can one family keep? Amid preparations for Emerald Cove's extravagant Founders Day celebration and their own shared sweet sixteen, Isabelle Scott and Mirabelle Monroe are longing to break free from the tight constraints that come with being the daughters of a prominent public figure... -
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... -
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... -
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... -
The Crushes by Pamela Wells
Rated: 3.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe girls from The Heartbreakers are back, and this time, they're looking to fall in love. Raven behaves as if it's okay for her to be applying the code to just anyone, but (not surprisingly), she finds it works best when directed at her kinda-sorta actual boyfriend, whether she's ready to commit to him or not... -
My Little Phony by Lisi Harrison
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsSugar, spice, and everything lice.Massie Block: The holidays are just around the corner, and the only thing Massie doesn't want for Christmas is a lip-kiss from her ninth-grade crush, Landon. Not that she'd ever admit it, but she's nervous! To distract herself, Massie focuses on getting revenge on Claire for ditching the Pretty Committee... -
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Boys, Girls and Other Hazardous Materials by Rosalind Wiseman
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsLooking for a new beginning after a terrible mean girl past, Charlie Healey realizes there's no escaping high school drama... Charlie Healey thinks Harmony Falls is the beginning of a whole new life. Middle school was brutal. But high school is Charlie's big chance to start over and stay out of drama, except that on her first day she runs into Will, her ex-best friend, who had moved away... -
The Boyfriend Game by Stephie Davis
Rated: 3.81 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsI rested the ball on my hip and walked back toward the equipment shed. In the dark.Alone. With a boy.I would be completely freaking out over varsity soccer tryouts if it weren't for the new student, Graham, who's helping me practice. He has the most amazing green eyes, curly brown hair, and perfect legs... -
American Beauty by Zoey Dean
Rated: 3.81 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIt's graduation time for the A-List crew. That means lavish yacht parties, designer caps and gowns, and saying bye-bye to high school for good. Despite the festivities, Anna isn't in a partying mood. Ben's been acting distant and she is worried... -
Freak Show by James St. James
Rated: 3.81 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsBilly Bloom is gay, but it's mostly theoretical, as he hasn't had much experience. When he has to move to Florida, he can't believe his bad luck. His new school is a mix of bible belles, amberzombies, and football heroes -- none of which are exactly his type. Billy's efforts to fit in and stand out at the same time are both hilarious and heart warming... -
Next Summer by Hailey Abbott
Rated: 3.81 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThings are heating up again. Can you handle it?The SUMMER BOYS girls are back for another dose of sizzling drama... -
Welcome, Caller, This Is Chloe by Shelley Coriell
Rated: 3.81 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsBig-hearted Chloe Camden is the queen of her universe until her best friend shreds her reputation and her school counselor axes her junior independent study project. Chloe is forced to take on a meaningful project in order to pass, and so she joins her school’s struggling radio station, where the other students don’t find her too queenly... -
Art Boss by Kayla Cagan
Rated: 3.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsArtist Piper Perish has moved from her hometown of Houston, Texas, to New York City. Her days are spent exploring; her nights are filled with painting. It's her lifelong dream come true . . . . Except life in the city isn't as glamorous as it looks from afar. Piper's high-pressure work as an assistant to a famous modern artist takes away time from her own art...Categorized as:
coming-of-age realistic friendship lgbtq high-school romance young-adult contemporary -
After Summer by Hailey Abbott
Rated: 3.79 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe weather may be cooler, but things are hotter than ever in this yummy third installment of the New York Times bestselling Summer Boys series! As the leaves turn golden, everyone's favorite beach girls are dealing with romantic dramas in their respective hometowns. Tomboy Beth is worried that her true love, George, is changing—and not for the best... -
Beautiful Stranger by Zoey Dean
Rated: 3.79 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAnna decides to take an end-of-summer getaway-to get away from her drama-filled LA life. So she packs her Louis Vuitton, grabs her close friend Sam, and heads to the Big Apple. Between trips to the Met and shopping at Bendel's, the girls are living the A-List life on Anna's home turf. But their trip isn't exactly a vacation. Sam is here to spy on Eduardo and decode his recent strange behavior... -
Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress by Tina Ferraro
Rated: 3.79 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSophomore year, Nicolette Antonovich was dumped two days before prom by the hottest guy at school. As a result, she became the proud owner of one unworn, perfectly magical pink vintage dress. But Nic is determined to put that night behind her for good. She's a junior now— older, wiser, and completely overwhelmed by a new set of problems: (1) The bank's ready to foreclose on her childhood home... -
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For Keeps by Natasha Friend
Rated: 3.79 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsJosie's never met her dad, and that's fine with her. To Josie, Paul Tucci is just a guy who got her mom pregnant and then moved away. It all happened sixteen years ago, when Josie's mom was still a teenager herself... -
Tessa Masterson Will Go to Prom by Emily Franklin, Brendan Halpin
Rated: 3.79 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsLucas and Tessa have always had a close friendship. So it's no surprise when Lucas finally realizes his true feeling for Tessa and he asks her to Prom. What no one expected, especially Lucas, was for Tessa to come out as a lesbian-or for Tessa's decision to wear a tuxedo and escort her female crush to Prom, to spark a firestorm of controversy... -
Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin
Rated: 3.77 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsKelsey Finkelstein is fourteen and FRUSTRATED. Every time she tries to live up to her awesome potential, her plans are foiled – by her impossible parents, her annoying little sister, and life in general. But with her first day of high school coming up, Kelsey is positive that things are going to change... -
The Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker
Rated: 3.75 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFourteen-year-old Kentucky girl Ricki Jo Winstead, who would prefer to be called Ericka, thank you very much , is eager to shed her farmer's daughter roots and become part of the popular crowd at her small town high school. She trades her Bible for Seventeen magazine, buys new "sophisticated" clothes and somehow manages to secure a tenuous spot at the cool kids table... -
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... -
The Rivals by Daisy Whitney
Rated: 3.70 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen Alex Patrick was assaulted by another student last year, her elite boarding school wouldn't do anything about it. This year Alex is head of the Mockingbirds, a secret society of students who police and protect the student body. While she desperately wants to live up to the legacy that's been given to her, she's now dealing with a case unlike any the Mockingbirds have seen before...
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