Books like 'Untwine'
Readers who enjoyed Untwine by Edwidge Danticat also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary mystery realistic family high-school grief friendship coming-of-age poc-mc sad
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The Library by Bella Osborne
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsTwo different generations. Two unusual people. Thrown together to save their local library.Tom is a teenager and blends into the background of life. After a row with his dad, and facing an unhappy future at the dog food factory, he escapes to the library. Tom unwittingly ends up with a bagful of romance novels and comes under the suspicion of Maggie... -
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... -
Mr. Terupt Falls Again by Rob Buyea
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsThe kids and teacher of Because of Mr. Terupt are back in this warm-hearted sequel.Fifth-grade was full of unforgettable events for Mr. Terupt and his class at Snow Hill School. Seven students were particularly affected by Mr. Terupt... -
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... -
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Looks Over by Rose Christo
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratings"There's nothing wrong with trying to get to know my son's boyfriend." Skylar knows he's lucky to have an open-minded father. It's not just that Skylar and Rafael are both boys. Between their families exists a dark and turbulent past: Rafael's father was the first serial killer in the history of the Nettlebush Indian Reserve, and Skylar's mother was his last victim... -
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... -
Love, Aubrey by Suzanne LaFleur
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA beautifully written and deeply moving middle-grade novel with characters to cherish and a story that deals with tragedy and loss in a fresh way. Aubrey has suffered an unbelievable loss, and goes to live with her grandmother in Vermont in order to heal. There she makes new friends, learns to cope with what has happened, and begins to figure out how to move on... -
The Walk On by John Feinstein
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBestselling sportswriter John Feinstein kicks off a new series for middle grade featuring Alex Myers, a student athlete who tries to take on the sports establishment in his new town. Alex Myers is a quarterback, but from the first day of football practice, it’s clear that that position is very much filled by the coach’s son, Matt... -
Right as Rain by Lindsey Stoddard
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA Kirkus Best Book of 2019! From the critically acclaimed author of Just Like Jackie comes a strikingly tender novel about one family’s heartbreak and the compassion that carries them through, perfect for fans of Sara Pennypacker, Lisa Graff, and Ann M. Martin.It’s been almost a year since Rain’s brother Guthrie died, and her parents still don’t know it was all Rain’s fault... -
The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 41 ratingsWhen confronted by raging fires or deadly accidents, volunteer fireman Taylor McAden feels compelled to take terrifying risks; but there is one leap of faith Taylor can't bring himself to make: He can't fall in love... -
Amelia Unabridged by Ashley Schumacher
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsSparks fly between two teens as they grapple with grief, love, and the future.Eighteen-year-old Amelia Griffin is obsessed with the famous Orman Chronicles, written by the young and reclusive prodigy N. E. Endsley. They’re the books that brought her and her best friend Jenna together after Amelia’s father left and her family imploded... -
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... -
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... -
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... -
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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... -
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... -
Tonight We Rule the World by Zack Smedley
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIncludes an exclusive reader's guide from Zack SmedleyFrom the critically acclaimed author of Deposing Nathan comes an explosive examination of identity, voice, and the indelible ways our stories are rewritten by others.In the beginning, Owen’s story was blank . . . then he was befriended by Lily, the aspiring author who helped him find his voice... -
Tumble by Celia C. Pérez
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrom the award-winning author of The First Rule of Punk and Strange Birds, a dazzling novel about a young girl who collects the missing pieces of her origin story from the family of legendary luchadores she's never met.Twelve-year-old Adela "Addie" Ram�rez has a big decision to make when her stepfather proposes adoption... -
June Bug by Chris Fabry
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFrom the best-selling author of War Room comes a Christy Award finalist, now a Lifetime original movie called Child of Grace."I believed everything my daddy told me until I walked into Wal-Mart and saw my picture on a little poster . . -
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... -
Break Us by Jennifer Brown
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNikki Kill doesn’t see the world in black and white. Her synesthesia shades everything in view, transforming numbers, words, and emotions into colorful clues. Which means she’s a dangerous commodity to anyone with something to hide.Nikki has already taken on the Hollises—one of L.A.’s most powerful families—for murdering her half sister, Peyton... -
Honor's Promise (Silhouette Promo) by Sharon Sala
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDon’t miss the chance to read the novels that launched New York Times bestselling author Sharon Sala’s career. WAS SHE RIGHT TO TRUST THIS STRANGER? For Honor O’Brien, home had always been Charlie’s All-Night Truck Stop, where weary drivers were sure to find the best barbecue in West Texas... -
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... -
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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After Zero by Christina Collins
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratings"Powerful and poetic." —John David Anderson, author of Posted and Ms. Bixby's Last Day Elise carries a notebook full of tallies, each page marking a day spent at her new public school, each stroke of her pencil marking a word spoken. A word that can't be taken back. Five tally marks isn't so bad. Two is pretty good. But zero? Zero is perfect... -
Learning Not to Drown by Anna Shinoda
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFamily secrets cut to the bone in this mesmerizing debut novel about a teen whose drug-addicted brother is the prodigal son one time too many.There is a pecking order to every family. Seventeen-year old Clare is the overprotected baby; Peter is the typical, rebellious middle child; and Luke is the oldest, the can’t-do-wrong favorite. To their mother, they are a normal, happy family... -
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... -
Bird by Crystal Chan
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsEntrenched secrets, mysterious spirits, and an astonishing friendship weave together in this extraordinary and haunting debut that School Library Journal calls “a powerful story about loss and moving on.”Nothing matters. Only Bird matters. And he flew away. Jewel never knew her brother Bird, but all her life she has lived in his shadow... -
Skin Deep by Laura Jarratt
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAn against-the-odds love story at the heart of a book for teens about prejudice, courage, and a dark, compelling mystery—shortlisted for a Romantic Novelists Association AwardUgly people don’t have feelings. They’re not like everyone else. They don’t notice if you stare at them and turn away. And if they did notice, it wouldn’t hurt them. They’re not like real people... -
Picture Us in the Light by Kelly Loy Gilbert
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsDanny Cheng has always known his parents have secrets. But when he discovers a taped-up box in his father's closet filled with old letters and a file on a powerful Silicon Valley family, he realizes there's much more to his family's past than he ever imagined... -
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... -
The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart by Holly Ringland
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsAn enchanting and captivating novel about how our untold stories haunt us — and the stories we tell ourselves in order to survive.After her family suffers a tragedy, nine-year-old Alice Hart is forced to leave her idyllic seaside home... -
If Only I Could Tell You: A Novel by Hannah Beckerman
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsHannah Beckerman pens a life-affirming novel that tells the story of a family divided and the secret that can possibly unite them—a must for fans of This Is Us. “I loved it (even though it made me cry)... -
The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsEmma Saylor doesn’t remember a lot about her mother, who died when she was ten. But she does remember the stories her mom told her about the big lake that went on forever, with cold, clear water and mossy trees at the edges... -
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Small as an Elephant by Jennifer Richard Jacobson
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWhen eleven-year-old Jack Martel crawls out of his pup tent on the first morning of his camping trip with his mom in Acadia National Park, he notices right away that something isn’t right. Where is his mom’s tent, and their rental car? And where is his mom? Any other kid might panic, might even go to the police. But Jack isn’t like other kids. And his mom isn’t like other moms... -
The Survival Kit by Donna Freitas
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWhen Rose’s mom dies, she leaves behind a brown paper bag labeled Rose’s Survival Kit. Inside the bag, Rose finds an iPod, with a to-be-determined playlist; a picture of peonies, for growing; a crystal heart, for loving; a paper star, for making a wish; and a paper kite, for letting go... -
When I'm Gone by Emily Bleeker
Rated: 3.98 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsDear Luke,First let me say—I love you... I didn’t want to leave you... Luke Richardson has returned home after burying Natalie, his beloved wife of sixteen years, ready to face the hard job of raising their three children alone... -
Undone by Brooke Taylor
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen Kori Kitlzer, the “dark angel” of the 8th grade, tells Serena Moore that they are more alike than she thinks, Serena is instantly intrigued. As their friendship solidifies and their lives entwine, Serena tries to become more like the fearless, outspoken, and ambitious Kori. Soon Serena doesn’t know where she begins and Kori ends... -
Diamonds in the Rough by Michelle Madow
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAll-access doesn't mean no problems. The three Diamond sisters survived the summer in style after coming to live with their long-lost billionaire father. But making a place for themselves at their exclusive new Las Vegas private school is throwing them any number of gold-plated curves... -
Boys Against Girls by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAbaguchie mania! Caroline Malloy thrills when Wally Hatford tells her that a strange animal called the abaguchie was spotted in their area. Wally warns Caroline not to search alone, but she is bent on finding the abaguchie. Wally and his brothers try to foil the plan, but Caroline and her sisters plan to outfox them once and for all... -
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... -
Everlasting Nora by Marie Miranda Cruz
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAn uplifting young reader debut about perseverance against all odds, Marie Miranda Cruz's debut Everlasting Nora follows the story of a young girl living in the real-life shantytown inside the Philippines' Manila North Cemetery... -
Unfriended by Katie Finn
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMadison MacDonald is glad things are back to normal!Madison It’s SUMMER at last -- let the good times & pool parties roll!Location: Putnam Beach. Putnam, CT.Madison My friends are all together again, and Nate and I are better than ever. Finally, everything in my life is working out. :)Location: Gofer Ice Cream... -
Drew Leclair Gets a Clue by Katryn Bury
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIn this modern take on Harriet the Spy , twelve-year-old Drew uses her true crime expertise to catch the cyberbully in her school—only to discover that family, friendship, and identity are the hardest mysteries to solve. Drew Leclair knows what it takes to be a great detective. She’s pored over the cases solved by her hero, criminal profiler Lita Miyamoto... -
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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 poc-mc drama friendship contemporary young-adult -
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 67 ratings"How about a story? Spin us a yarn."Instantly, Phoebe Winterbottom came to mind. "I could tell you an extensively strange story," I warned."Oh, good!" Gram said. "Delicious!"And that is how I happened to tell them about Phoebe, her disappearing mother, and the lunatic... -
All This Time by Mikki Daughtry, Rachael Lippincott
Rated: 3.96 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsKyle and Kimberly have been the perfect couple all through high school, but when Kimberly breaks up with him on the night of their graduation party, Kyle’s entire world upends—literally. Their car crashes and when he awakes, he has a brain injury. Kimberly is dead. And no one in his life could possibly understand.Until Marley. Marley is suffering from her own loss, a loss she thinks was her fault... -
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... -
A Soft Place to Land by Janae Marks
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFollow a young girl reshaping her meaning of home.Joy Taylor has always believed home is the house she lived in her entire life. But then her dad lost his job, and suddenly, home becomes a tiny apartment with thin walls, shared bedrooms, and a place for tense arguments between Mom and Dad. Hardest of all, Joy doesn't have her music to escape through anymore... -
Send Me a Sign by Tiffany Schmidt
Rated: 3.93 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsMia is always looking for signs. A sign that she should get serious with her soccer-captain boyfriend. A sign that she’ll get the grades to make it into an Ivy-league school. One sign she didn’t expect to look for was: “Will I survive cancer?” It’s a question her friends would never understand, prompting Mia to keep her illness a secret...
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