Books like 'We Are Totally Normal'
Readers who enjoyed We Are Totally Normal by Rahul Kanakia also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance north-america usa california lgbtq mlm realistic poc-mc high-school
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A Surplus of Light by Chase Connor
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratings"He's a psycho." That's what Mike is told when he asks who the kid is with the dark swoop of hair and eyes that look like icebergs floating in milk. From that moment, it becomes Mike's mission to find out everything about this kid. The kid who can fight better than anyone, but doesn't want to. The kid who is the greatest artist Mike's ever met... -
Just Another Hero by Sharon M. Draper
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThis group of friends has been through so much after a deadly hazing ritual left friendships broken, hearts aching, and November pregnant with Josh’s baby. But senior year is going well, and when the fire alarm goes off, everyone assumes that crazy Jack is trying to get out of a quiz or a test... -
Gay Club! by Simon James Green
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA landmark comedic novel about a group of queer teens at their worst - and ultimately their best - from one of the UK's leading writers of LGBTQ+ teen fiction. Barney's a shoo-in for his school's LGBTQ+ Society President at the club's next election. But when the vote is opened up to the entire student body, the whole school starts paying attention... -
The Long Run by James Acker
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsTwo track and field athletes find an unexpected but powerful love in this unapologetically blunt and unforgettably real YA debut. Sebastian Villeda is over it. Over his rep. Over his bros. Over being "Bash the Flash," fastest sprinter in South Jersey. His dad is gone, his mom is dead, and his stepfather is clueless. Bash has no idea what he wants out of life. Until he meets Sandro... -
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The Sky Blues by Robbie Couch
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsSky’s small town turns absolutely claustrophobic when his secret promposal plans get leaked to the entire school in this witty, “earnest, heartfelt” (Becky Albertalli, New York Times bestselling author), and ultimately hopeful debut novel for fans of What if it’s Us? and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before... -
Sheets by Sareyen
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratings[BxB] Waking up next to someone after having a little too much to drink was no new, riveting story in this day and age. Waking up next to another boy, when you were also a boy, was a little more interesting, but still nothing to write home about. But waking up in Nico Beckett's sheets?To Wesley, it was a nightmare come to life... -
Hollywood High by Ni-Ni Simone, Amir Abrams
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThey’re the daughters of celebrities—the kind all the teen mags gossip about! But the It Girls of Hollywood High are about to discover that fame has a price. And no friendship—or romance—is safe…. London Phillips will diet as her mother demands. She’ll even date the billionaire her mother has chosen for her. But she won’t give up her secret hottie, Justice Banks... -
Chasing Fate by Mia Monroe
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHooking up with your friend is a totally acceptable way to pass the time until your soulmate shows up. Right?I’m on a mission - happily ever after or bust. I just know my handsome, successful, bearded prince is out there waiting for me to find him. I’ve had my cards read a million times. This is my destiny... -
Henry Hamlet's Heart by Rhiannon Wilde
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA sparkling queer YA romance set in Brisbane, Henry Hamlet’s Heart follows one guy and his sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking journey to love.Henry Hamlet doesn’t know what he wants after school ends. It’s his last semester of year twelve and all he’s sure of is his uncanny ability to make situations awkward. Luckily, he can always hide behind his enigmatic best friend, Len...Categorized as:
lgbtq mlm friends-to-lovers coming-of-age high-school friendship romance young-adult -
Forever Man by A.J. DeWall
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA bond forged in Catholic school, an unspoken attraction that outlasts years of separation and other relationships. Ren and Cole never acted on that thing that always bubbled beneath the surface of their friendship, not until a chance encounter in a Santa Fe bar and a song that would tip the scales forced them to confront their feelings... -
Afterglow by Phil Stamper
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAfter a summer of life-changing, these four friends are finally ready for senior year.Gabriel is thrilled to create his school's first LGBTQ+ advocacy group, but his long-distance relationship is fading from summer love to something else... Heath feels secure for the first time in years, but with his future riding on a baseball scholarship, each pitch triggers his anxiety.. -
Theoretically Straight by Alexander C. Eberhart, Amy Bailey
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTheo Briggs is a rule follower. A decent student in his junior year, an appeasing son, and a lifelong Christian, just trying to make it through high school unscathed… and maybe create a viral video in the process.Caleb Raynard is a romantic... -
Idol Minds by K.T. Salvo
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn this sizzling gay K-pop romance debut from KT Salvo, movie star Jason Park was a Hollywood golden boy. The youngest ever Best Actor award winner for his role in The Moon Shines Madly, the former teen idol was ready to make the jump from teen comedies to dramatic leading roles. But his famously well-documented on-set blow-up cost him his part and drove him from the limelight... -
Heartmates by Marcus Herzig
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAs childhood friends, Lars and Connor were inseparable. Now, in the social gauntlet of high school, neither boy can even muster a single word to the other. When Connor enters a romantic relationship with Jaden-Dominic Choi, the hottest social influencer in school, a barely healed wound is torn wide open again... -
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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... -
Leaning Into Always by Lane Hayes
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLife is good for Eric Schuster. He owns a highly successful tech company, has a great group of buddies, and he’s about to marry the man of his dreams. Eric is pleasantly surprised to find the transition from friends to lovers has been easier than he thought... -
End of the Beginning by John Goode
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsNot too long ago, Brad Greymark outed himself to his high school and the rest of the town of Foster, Texas, with a fairly obvious public display of affection... -
Enlightened by J.P. Barnaby
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsLittle Boy Lost is the story of Brian McAllister, the boy next door. Brian goes to school, does his homework, and helps his foster parents around the house. Brian also has a secret: he is in love with his best friend, Jamie. But in Crayford, Alabama, being in love with another boy is the worst kind of sin. Brian and Jamie will discover just how deep their emotional bond runs, and at what cost... -
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... -
Be Dazzled by Ryan La Sala
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsRaffy has a passion for bedazzling. Not just bedazzling, but sewing, stitching, draping, pattern making—for creation. He's always chosen his art over everything—and everyone—else and is determined to make his mark at this year's biggest cosplay competition. If he can wow there, it could lead to sponsorship, then art school, and finally earning real respect for his work... -
Desert Sons by Mark Kendrick
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA coming-of-age novel for gay males ages 15-30. Scott Faraday is 16, gregarious, talented, never been in a relationship, and is out to only a select few. Ryan St. Charles is 17, hot-tempered, has already has been in a long relationship, yet is barely out to himself. Behind Ryan's carefully fashioned façade is emotional scarring from a past he's never been able to reconcile... -
Operation Meet Cute by K.M. Neuhold
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsHarlow is on a single-minded mission: meet the man of his dreams by any meet-cute necessary.All my life, I’ve dreamed of one thing: the perfect movie moment. I want a man and his boombox outside my window; I want kissing in the rain; I want a romantic hero who will take my breath away.Switching mail with my cute neighbor didn’t work... -
Take a Bow, Noah Mitchell by Tobias Madden
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThere Are No Cheat Codes for ShowmanceSeventeen-year-old gaymer Noah Mitchell only has one friend the wonderful, funny, strictly online-only MagePants69. After years playing RPGs together, they know everything about each other, except anything that would give away their real life identities. And Noah is certain that if they could just meet in person, they would be soulmates... -
Riding with Brighton by Haven Francis
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn the small town of Spring Valley, molds weren’t made to be broken, and high school senior Jay Hall’s been living comfortably in his popular jock one since adolescence. If it weren’t for the colorful, outspoken artistic anomaly Brighton Bello-Adler, he might have been willing to remain there... -
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The Evolution of Ethan Poe by Robin Reardon
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIn the space of a few months, sixteen-year-old Ethan Poe's life has become a complicated mix of facts, theories, and hypotheses. Things he knows beyond doubt: his parents are divorcing, his older brother Kyle is exhibiting alarming behavior, and his best friend is turning into a spiritual fanatic... -
Exiled to Iowa. Send Help. And Couture by Chris O'Guinn
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThis is the story of me, Collin Murray, a bright, witty and charming L.A. teen who is cruelly transported to a small town in Iowa by parents who delight in my suffering. It tells the tale of my struggles against such obstacles as flannel, packs of bullies, lack of car, hoodies, crazy English teachers and vengeful former friends. It is an epic tale of survival in a savage denim wilderness... -
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... -
Ollie Fitzgerald's Heartbreak Anthems by Charlie Arrigo
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOllie Fitzgerald is finally ready to move on.After spending his entire life crafting the perfect plan for every situation, he wasn't expecting his best friend's brother, Nash, to kiss him on the first day of summer. Something else he wasn't expecting? Nash ghosting him a week later when he left for lacrosse camp...Categorized as:
lgbtq mlm friends-to-lovers high-school coming-of-age romance young-adult contemporary -
Rainbow Road by Alex Sanchez
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsJason Carrillo came out to his basketball team senior year and lost his university scholarship. Now, with graduation behind him and summer ending, he's asked to speak at the opening of a gay and lesbian high school across the country... -
A Secret Edge by Robin Reardon
Rated: 3.93 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsI love the long distance run, when you feel like you're about to die...and then you reach this place where you feel like there are no boundaries for you anywhere...In many ways, Jason Peele is like any other teenager. He hits the books, hangs with his friends, flirts with girls, and omits the full truth of his life from his Aunt Audrey and Uncle Steve, who have raised him since his parents died... -
Kamikaze Boys by Jay Bell
Rated: 3.93 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA gay coming-of-age story from the author of Something Like Summer and Straight Boy...Everyone at school thinks that Connor Williams is a dangerous psychopath, but when he rescues David Henry from the clutches of a bully, the two outsiders form an alliance of the heart. The world isn't done messing with them though... -
Lock & West by Alexander C. Eberhart
Rated: 3.93 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsNote To Self: Just Don’t Be Weird Lock is awkward. He can’t make eye contact, counts when he’s nervous and has to remind himself several times a day how ‘normal’ teens behave. Homeschooled most of his life, he’s resigned himself to a friendless existence at his new Atlanta high school. Until he meets West. List Of Reasons Why My Life Is A Mess: How Much Time Do You Have? West has everything... -
A Touch of Irish by Rhys Ford
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA very short piece about love, anniversaries and Con & Forest... -
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... -
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Things I'll Never Say by M.J. O'Shea
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsRyan needed to get out. Another year of loving his best friend in silence was going to kill him. Sam needed Ryan to stay. He just couldn't put a finger on why his leaving hurt so bad... until it was too late.They're miserable apart and want nothing more than each other... -
If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales, Cale Dietrich
Rated: 3.93 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsEighteen-year-olds Ruben Montez and Zach Knight are two members of the boy-band Saturday, one of the biggest acts in America. Along with their bandmates, Angel Phan and Jon Braxton, the four are teen heartbreakers in front of the cameras and best friends backstage... -
Falling From The Sky by Nikki Chartier
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAll stability in sixteen-year-old Ridge McCoy’s life crashed and burned in the plane crash that killed his dad. This summer-long basketball camp is his chance to improve his skills and escape his problems back home... -
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... -
For Better or Worse by R. Cooper
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTo the other firefighters in Montgomery, Javier is a quietly heroic figure with a reputation for staying calm and doing what needs to be done. To the small town gossips, he’s some kind of mysterious ladies’ man, despite how he hasn’t dated anyone in years. Truth is, Javier’s demisexual—it takes him a while to feel desire for someone, and most people don’t want to wait for that to happen... -
When You Don't See Me by Timothy James Beck
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBeing Invisible Is Nick Dunill's M.O. For nineteen years, he's been "the one who disappears" to his disapproving, Midwestern family. And now in New York City, a metropolis of anonymity built on not making eye contact, he feels right at home... -
Prince of the Palisades by Julian Winters
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsYoung Royals meets Red, White, and Royal Blue in this heart-pumping romance by award-winning author Julian Winters!When roguish Prince Jadon of Îles de la Rêverie is left in America to clean up his image after a horribly public break-up gone viral, romance is not on the table. Carefully planned photo ops with puppies? Yes. Scheduled appearances with the Santa Monica elite Absolutely... -
I'll Always Miss You by Raine O'Tierney
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIsa Zaman might forgive his parents for taking in a friend’s son if only he wasn't the most boring teenager in the universe. Macklin “Mackie” Cormack’s only interests are reading and the outdoors. Yeah, right. Isa's convinced Mackie is either a pyro or a klepto. Plus, as a white kid, Mackie looks ridiculous in the Zamans' Arab American household... -
Finding Home by Leighton Rose
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFor Dillon Turner, home was never a place that meant anything to him. It was simply where he lived until he was old enough to leave. The day he turns eighteen, he boards a Greyhound bus and leaves Chicago behind for what he hopes will be something better. Upon arrival in Omaha, an unexpected streak of good luck leads him to Banks Motel where he meets sexy tattoo artist Adam Banks... -
Tinder by Tory Temple
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsChris Matthews is a firefighter with Oceanside Fire. He loves his job and doesn't even mind the forty five hours of coursework a year he needs to do in order to stay current. That is until Morgan Daniels walks into the station to teach the firefighters a course on sexual harassment... -
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Twice in a Lifetime by Shawn Lane
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFive years ago, British transplant, Jude, left San Francisco after the tragic murder of his lover, Martin. Heartbroken, he settled in Sutter's Bay and opened a small flower shop, hoping that surrounding himself with bright colors and pretty things—living things—would somehow lessen the anguish he felt over his loss. Jude never expects to find a love like he shared with Martin ever again... -
Outshine the Stars by Nash Summers
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsJustin is hell on legs. He’s a self-proclaimed brat, a manipulator, and has a bit of a flare for the dramatic. While Justin might look like the picture of innocence, he leaves a path of terror wherever he goes. His senior year starts off like all the others, him and his best friend sticking their noses up at everyone else while they bask in their own glory... -
Breaking Out by Garry M. Tuckwell
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsJustin Reed is sixteen and has problems. His mum died during the summer holidays, his older brother, the only person he feels he can talk to, is away at university, and he lives with a father who simply can’t deal with anything emotional...Categorized as:
mlm coming-of-age lgbtq high-school friends-to-lovers romance young-adult contemporary -
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... -
Future Fake Husband by Kate Hawthorne, E.M. Denning
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsCole Mallory is on the brink of losing everything. For the past seven years, Cole has dedicated himself to managing Mallory Vineyard, the winery his family owns. It’s not that he hasn’t had time for a relationship so much as he’s never found anyone he wanted to devote time to beyond the initial getting to know you stage...
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