Books like 'Brave Enough'
Readers who enjoyed Brave Enough by Kati Gardner also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance sports family realistic coming-of-age friendship grief
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November Blues by Sharon M. Draper
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWhen November Nelson loses her boyfriend, Josh, to a pledge stunt gone horribly wrong, she thinks her life can't possibly get any worse. But Josh left something behind that will change November's life forever, and now she's faced with the biggest decision she could ever imagine. How in the world will she tell her mom? And how will Josh's parents take the news? She's never needed a friend more... -
I Wanted You To Know by Laura Pearson
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsDear Edie, I wanted you to know so many things. I wanted to tell you them in person, as you grew. But it wasn’t to be.Jess never imagined she’d be navigating single motherhood, let alone while facing breast cancer. A life that should be just beginning is interrupted by worried looks, heavy conversations, and the possibility of leaving her daughter to grow up without her... -
Chaos Theory by Nic Stone
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin, delivers a gripping romance about two teens: a certified genius living with bipolar disorder and a politician's son who is running from his own addiction and grief. Don't miss this gut punch of a novel about mental illness, loss, and discovering you are worthy of love.Scars exist to remind us of what we've survived... -
Save the Cupcake! by Lisa Papademetriou
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThis delicious new series from New York Times bestselling author Lisa Papademetriou is a real treat -- full of humor and heart and cupcakes!Confession: My life is soooo not sprinkles and sunshine . . . Hayley's world is far from perfect: her parents have divorced, her mom has lost her job, and she and her sister Chloe are stuck sharing a bedroom in their grandmother's apartment... -
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Reach for Tomorrow by Lurlene McDaniel
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsKatie O'Roark is thrilled to learn that Jenny House is being rebuilt. After the fire last year, Katie thought she could never return to the camp, where she spent the summers with teens like her who faced medical odds stacked against them. But thanks to Richard Holloway's efforts, Katie and her longtime friends Lacey and Chelsea will work as counselors once again... -
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... -
The Game Changer by L.M. Trio
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIt’s hard to believe that it only takes one split second in time to turn your world completely upside down. Everything that ever made you feel safe and secure; can be gone in an instant...” Jesse’s world is shattered in that instant…the rest of her life is mapped out by a split second change that she never dreamed could happen... -
The Year of Chasing Dreams by Lurlene McDaniel
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratings"Readers will swoon over this story of love despite impossible odds."--Romantic TimesFrom the author of Don't Die, My Love comes this young adult novel that intertwines a family saga with a grand love story. This novel stands alone or can be read as the companion to The Year of Luminous Love and Wishes and Dreams. For fans of Sarah Dessen's The Moon and More and Ann Brashares's Forever in Blue... -
Rough Waters by Nikki Chartier
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHaley's future has been waiting on the west coast for the past year, but she isn't the only new face in Crescent Cove this summer. When Colby Taylor's parents locate him and interrupt his surf competition, the surf star spirals out of control, dragging Drenaline Surf's reputation through the mud and into the ground with him... -
Shoot The Gap by Jordan Ford
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe final book in a young adult romance series about a small town football team and the girls who win their hearts. Tyler Schumann has always been known as Nelson High’s goofy clown, the guy with the big mouth... -
The Half Orphan's Handbook by Joan F. Smith
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFor fans of John Green and Emily X.R. Pan, The Half-Orphan's Handbook by Joan F. Smith is a coming-of-age story and an empathetic, authentic exploration of grief with a sharp sense of humor and a big heart.It’s been three months since Lila lost her father to suicide. Since then, she’s learned to protect herself from pain by following two unbreakable rules:1... -
The Art of Holding On and Letting Go by Kristin Bartley Lenz
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA Junior Library Guild Fall 2016 Selection“When every piece falls into place, it’s like a dance, a delicate but powerful balancing act. The art of holding on and letting go at the same time.” Competitive climber Cara Jenkins feels most at home high off the ground, clinging to a rock wall by her fingertips... -
Carter's Unfocused, One-Track Mind by Brent Crawford
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAfter an eventful freshman year and disastrous summer, fifteen-year-old Will Carter returns to Merrian High none the wiser. His sophomore year will present a host of new problems: the return of Scary Terry from juvie, the pregnant presence of Amber Lee, friends-with-benefits negotiations with Abby, prom night expectations, and the ever-constant harassment from his boys... -
How to Convince a Boy to Kiss You by Tara Eglington
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe course of true love never did run smooth. For a girl who shares her name with a princess (a.k.a Aurora from Sleeping Beauty) Aurora Skye’s life seem fathoms away from a fairytale. Sure, she’s landed Hayden Paris, Potential Prince extraordinaire. And she got her wish -- one first kiss with all the knee-trembling, butterfly-inducing gloriousness she’d hoped for... -
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Accidentally Fooled by Lisa Papademetriou
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSeventh grader Amy Flowers is finally making her mark at ultra-exclusive Allington Academy, but there's always one thing standing in her way: the League. They rule the school, and their queen is oh-so-mean Fiona, who doesn't exactly appreciate a new girl invading her turf. This time, Amy's stuck working on a service project with Fiona and preppie know-it-all Preston... -
Making Hay by Veronica Henry
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSuzanna and Barney Blake are swapping city life for the countryside - determined to breathe new life into the Honeycote Arms and a marriage touched by tragedy. Newly seperated Ginny Tait arrives in Honeycote at around the same time - with very nubile twin daughters and an awful lot of baggage... -
The Blue-Haired Boy by Courtney C. Stevens
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSet before the events of Courtney C. Stevens's debut novel, Faking Normal, this digital short story focuses on Bodee Lennox, otherwise known as the Kool-Aid Kid.Bodee Lennox has secrets. About where he got the four-inch scar on his leg. About the bruises on his back. About what it's really like to live in the Lennox household. These are things he doesn't share with anyone . . -
My Favorite Mistake by Georgina Bloomberg, Catherine Hapka
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTommi, Zara, and Kate are all elite riders on the A Circuit. Tommi, the billionaire heiress, is training a young horse to prove she can make horses a real career. But when her new beau, Alex, convinces her to skip a horse show to party in the Hamptons, the results could be disastrous. Zara, the celebutante wild child, is finally taking her riding seriously... -
The Summer I Saved the World . . . in 65 Days by Michele Weber Hurwitz
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt's the summer before freshman year in high school and Nina decides to follow what someone said at her middle-school graduation: "Be unnoticed, but be remarkable." Her best friend Jorie is focusing on boys, clothes, and popularity, her lawyer parents are diving into a new case, and this is the first summer without her beloved Grandma, so she's is feeling a little lost... -
Now I'll Tell You Everything by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt's Alice—for the rest of her life! Yes, the very last Alice book, and it reveals every last bit you'd want to know about Alice, including whether she spends the rest of her life with Patrick! "This is the book where Alice, every girl’s girl, turns into every lady’s lady" (VOYA).Alice McKinley is going to college! And everything, from her room to her classes to her friends, is about to change... -
Forget Me Not by Coleen Murtagh Paratore
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWilla returns in this new stand-alone novel in the WEDDING PLANNER'S DAUGHTER series. Willa returns in this new adventure for the tween set! It is summer on Cape Cod, where Willa Havisham and Joey Kennelly are enjoying their status as most compatible couple... -
Three Things I Know Are True by Betty Culley
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFans of Jandy Nelson and Marieke Nijkamp will love this deeply moving novel in verse about the aftermath of a gun accident. Life changes forever for Liv when her older brother, Jonah, accidentally shoots himself with his best friend Clay’s father’s gun... -
The Falling Leaf Never Hates the Wind by Tere Liye
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsHe is like an angel to our family. He saved me, my brother, and Mother from destitution and misery of street lives. He provided us with food, shelter, helped to pay for school, and promised a better future for us. He truly is like an angel to our family. He loves us, cares for us, and sets an example without expecting anything at all in return... -
Troubled Waters by AnnaLisa Grant
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsCollege life for Layla Weston isn’t starting the way she’d intended. She’s revisiting the plans she once had to be the reclusive girl she wanted to be at Heyward Prep, and Layla is more than confident in her ability to succeed this time. After all, she’s got a whole new bag of secrets to keep. Still reeling from Will’s disappearance, Layla is doing her best to adjust to life back in Florida... -
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Some Mistakes Were Made by Kristin Dwyer, Karissa Vacker
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 16 ratings"Heartbreaking, painfully romantic, and deeply human." --Stephanie Garber, #1 bestselling author of CaravalFrom bestselling authors to booksellers and librarians, early readers are obsessed with this debut YA romance pitched as Sarah Dessen meets Adam Silvera, told in alternate timelines and perfect for fans of messy, complicated relationships...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family friendship realistic book contemporary fiction friends-to-lovers -
Anything But Fine by Tobias Madden
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAll it takes is one missed step for your life to change forever.Luca Mason knows exactly who he is and what he In six months, he’s going to be accepted into the Australian Ballet School, leave his fancy private high school, and live his life as a star of the stage―at least that’s the plan until he falls down a flight of stairs and breaks his foot in a way he can never recover from... -
The Winning Side by CM Doporto
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsLexi’s determined to keep her word and stand by Raven’s side because her love for him is too strong to deny. As Raven learns to deal with the issues that are destined to destroy him and their relationship, their love is taken to a new level. As doors are closed and new ones are opened, Lexi and Raven find themselves in a heavenly bliss, but not without the challenges from Raven’s past... -
Love Me, Love Me Not by S.M. Koz
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSeventeen-year-old Hailey Brown never wanted to be popular or rich or even successful. All she ever wanted was to feel loved by someone, anyone. Eighteen-year-old Brad Campbell doesn't know anything but popularity, wealth, and success thanks to his affluent family and unmatched talent on the football field... -
Intensely Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWouldn't it be great to go back to the time before Pam got pregnant, before Patrick left for the University of Chicago, before anyone was making any big decisions about sex or college or life in general? Wouldn't it be great to get the whole gang together again, just once? What it takes for this to happen will change Alice (and the whole gang) forever. A funeral is not a happy reunion... -
Pulled Under by Michelle Dalton
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA shy teen befriends an attractive beach town tourist in this refreshing summertime romance, in the tradition of Sixteenth Summer and Seventeenth Summer . In the small town of Pearl Beach, Florida, Izzy Lucas needs only her surfboard and the water to be completely happy. She wants nothing to do with parties, popularity contests, or showing her face around the clichéd touristy hangouts... -
Whisper by Chrissie Perry
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsI'm always trying to figure out what's really going on. Always having to fill in the gaps, but never getting all the details. It's like trying to do a jigsaw when I don't even know what the picture is, and I'm missing one of the vital middle pieces... -
Between Two Skies by Joanne O'Sullivan
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsHurricane Katrina sets a teenage girl adrift. But a new life and the promise of love emerges in this rich, highly readable debut.Bayou Perdu, a tiny fishing town way, way down in Louisiana, is home to sixteen-year-old Evangeline Riley. She has her best friends, Kendra and Danielle; her wise, beloved Mamere; and back-to-back titles in the under-sixteen fishing rodeo...Categorized as:
realistic family friendship coming-of-age grief romance young-adult historical-fiction -
Up for Air by Laurie Morrison
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThirteen-year-old Annabelle struggles in school, no matter how hard she tries. But as soon as she dives into the pool, she’s unstoppable. She’s the fastest girl on the middle school swim team, and when she’s asked to join the high school team over the summer, everything changes... -
High School Paradise by Orizuka
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMemang sekolah elite, tapi masih ada satu yang kurang. Athens gak punya ekskul sepak bola. Empat anak paling top di Athens protes ama guru olahraga mereka, Gozali. Berhasil? Ternyata tidak. Hukuman Gozali malah semakin menjadi-jadi. Biar nggak penasaran, baca terus deh ceritanya sampai abis…...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family friendship book contemporary fiction mental-illness young-adult -
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Formerly Shark Girl by Kelly Bingham
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsJane Arrowood, otherwise known as Shark Girl, has been living with just one arm for over a year. Now she’s searching for a new normal. It’s been a year since the shark attack that took Jane’s arm, and with it, everything she used to take for granted. Her dream of becoming an artist is on the line, and everything now seems out of reach, including her gorgeous, kind tutor, Max Shannon... -
The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway by Ashley Schumacher
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratings"Ashley Schumacher's latest novel is a delightful read, with diverse characters and an irresistible setting. The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway proves that there's no better place to find yourself than at a Renaissance Faire... -
Surviving High School by M. Doty
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhat's the secret to surviving your freshman year of high school? Emily Kessler thinks she has it all figured out. She eats, sleeps and trains for competitive swimming. All she has to do is keep her grades high and swim times short -- short enough to live up to her sister Sara's. But walking the crowded maze of unfamiliar high school hallways is like diving headfirst into shark-infested waters... -
Don't Forget Me by Victoria Stevens
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSeventeen-year-old Hazel Clarke is no stranger to heartbreaks, and being sent to live with a father she’s never met is the latest in a string of them. Even the beauty of eastern Australia isn’t enough to take her mind off her mother and the life she had to leave behind in England... -
Off Course by Georgina Bloomberg, Catherine Hapka
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsEquestrians Tommi, Kate, and Zara are expected to perform at every horse show big or small. So with the biggest show of the season just weeks away, they should be in prep mode. But that's easier said than done. Kate and Zara are both dealing with boy drama. And a road trip steals Tommi's focus... -
Access Denied: And Other Eighth Grade Error Messages by Denise Vega
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsComputer whiz Erin Swift is ready to start eighth grade. The Year of Humiliating Events (aka, seventh grade) is behind her and she's ready to rule the school. But eight grade comes with its own set of problems for Erin to navigate, including her first boyfriend, her first break-up, and the fact that her mom has been treating her more like an eight year old than an eighth grader...Categorized as:
realistic coming-of-age friendship family romance young-adult middle-grade contemporary -
Wipeout by Jordan Ford
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsShe’s a soft-spoken loner. He’s a wild-eyed rebel. Can two virtual strangers find a way to click?Lettie keeps her nose in a book and her thoughts to herself. After her best friend dumped her on the first day of their freshman year, the only person she can still confide in is her mysterious email buddy... -
Crushing It by Erin Becker
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOn the soccer field, Magic Mel is in her element. She's ready to lead her team to victory at the city championship in her new role as captain. Off the field, however, is a totally different story. Mel can't get a handle on her class presentation, her friend group has completely dissolved, and her ex-friend-current-teammate, Tory, is being the worst... -
Paintbrush by Hannah Bucchin
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMitchell Morrison and Josie Sedgwick have spent their whole lives at the Indian Paintbrush Community Village, a commune full of colorful characters tucked in the mountains of North Carolina, and they aren't particularly close--at least, not anymore...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family friendship book contemporary fiction friends-to-lovers young-adult -
Rose by Diane Schwemm
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThis is me and my three younger sisters. Being the oldest has never been easy, but it was especially hard the year I turned sixteen. That was the year that the things I thought would always be the same changed forever. After Dad died, Mom needed me to pitch in more--get a job and help take care of my sisters. I was working so hard to care for my family, I forgot to look out for myself... -
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The Edge of Juniper by Lora Richardson
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“You’re off-limits, so why can’t I stop thinking about you?” Fay Whitaker, sixteen years old and yearning for adventure, is excited to spend the summer with her fearless cousin Celia in small-town Juniper, Indiana. But Fay soon discovers that her summer home is not what she expected. She is alarmed by her uncle’s temper, and learns of the grudge he holds against the Dearing family... -
That’s What Friends Do by Cathleen Barnhart
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA heartfelt and powerful debut novel for fans of Erin Entrada Kelly and John David Anderson, That’s What Friends Do is a book for anyone learning how to have the hard conversations about feelings, boundaries, and what it means to be a true friend. Samantha Goldstein and David Fisher have been friends ever since they met on their town’s Little League baseball team... -
Just for You by Jennifer Ann Shore
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsPenn Westbrook thinks he’s the one for me. It’s not that I’m entirely opposed to the idea, but I’ve got a lot going on. Aside from school obligations and my own extracurricular interests, I’ve got a crazy family life... -
Angel Cake by Cathy Cassidy
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAnya used to dream of moving to Britain to start a brand-new life. But as she sits in a school where nobody understands her, she dreams of Polish summer skies and the place where she once belonged.Then Anya meets bad boy Dan. He’s no angel, but she’s sure there’s a sweeter side to him... -
The Bridge from Me to You by Lisa Schroeder
Rated: 3.93 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsLauren has a secret. Colby has a problem. But when they find each other, everything falls into place. Lauren is the new girl in town with a dark secret. Colby is the football hero with a dream of something more. In alternating chapters, they come together, fall apart, and build something stronger than either of them thought possible--something to truly believe in... -
The Girl Death Left Behind by Lurlene McDaniel
Rated: 3.93 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsReaders will be touched and inspired by this latest novel from bestselling author Lurlene McDaniel: Beth's world has been torn apart. She cannot figure out how to go on when a car accident claims the lives of her entire family, and she is the only survivor. Things seem to get even worse when she moves in with her aunt and her spoiled cousin, Terri...
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