Books like 'This is How it Happened'
Readers who enjoyed This is How it Happened by Paula Stokes also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance mystery realistic amnesia sad grief bullying high-school friendship
-
More Than We Can Tell by Brigid Kemmerer
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsRev Fletcher is battling the demons of his past. But with loving adoptive parents by his side, he’s managed to keep them at bay...until he gets a letter from his abusive father and the trauma of his childhood comes hurtling back.Emma Blue spends her time perfecting the computer game she built from scratch, rather than facing her parents’ crumbling marriage... -
![F.A.I.T.H. by Jo P.R.]()
F.A.I.T.H. by Jo P.R.
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratings"I was broken. Nothing, no one could fix me. Until you came into my life again. I wish I had gone with you that day instead of him. Because, now I can't imagine how I spent the previous years of my life without you by my side. You are my savior. You showed me that its okay to be broken and you showed me that I wasn't alone. You were with me. i love you for that. But I hate that I love you... -
![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... -
![Life and Other Inconveniences by Kristan Higgins]()
Life and Other Inconveniences by Kristan Higgins
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFrom the New York Times bestselling author of Good Luck with That comes a new novel about a blue-blood grandmother and her black-sheep granddaughter who discover they are truly two sides of the same coin. Emma London never thought she had anything in common with her grandmother Genevieve London... -
-
![I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson]()
I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 45 ratingsAt first, Jude and her twin brother Noah, are inseparable. Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude wears red-red lipstick, cliff-dives, and does all the talking for both of them. Years later, they are barely speaking. Something has happened to change the twins in different yet equally devastating ways.. -
![Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe by Preston Norton]()
Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe by Preston Norton
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsCliff Hubbard is a huge loser. Literally. His nickname at Happy Valley High School is Neanderthal because he's so enormous — 6'6" and 250 pounds to be exact. He has no one at school and life in his trailer park home has gone from bad to worse ever since his older brother's suicide.There's no one Cliff hates more than the nauseatingly cool quarterback, Aaron Zimmerman... -
![Bayward Street by Addison Jane]()
Bayward Street by Addison Jane
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe law called me a runaway. A criminal. But after a lifetime in hell, being abused and tortured by my father, I found my real family on the streets. A group of kids like me who society failed to protect. Together we survived day by day. And for me, that was enough. Until Heath showed up. Every wall I put up—he tore down. Every single touch had me searching for another... -
![The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks]()
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]()
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... -
![Raveling You by Jessica Sorensen]()
Raveling You by Jessica Sorensen
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAyden Gregory may want to keep running from his nightmares, but he no longer has a choice. His past is catching up with him. And fast. He relies on one person to keep him from crumbling. His best friend Lyric Scott. Lyric feels helpless watching her best friend’s world turn upside down. But she does her best to remain positive and upbeat... -
![The Disappearance of Sloane Sullivan by Gia Cribbs]()
The Disappearance of Sloane Sullivan by Gia Cribbs
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsNo one wants me to tell you about the disappearance of Sloane Sullivan.Not the lawyers or the cops. Not her friends or family. Not even the boy who loved her more than anyone. And most certainly not the United States Marshals Service... -
![Undone by Cat Clarke]()
Undone by Cat Clarke
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsJem Halliday is in love with her best friend. It doesn't matter that Kai is gay, or that he'll never look at her the way she looks at him. Jem is okay with that. But when Kai is outed online by one of their classmates, he does the unthinkable and commits suicide. Jem is left to pick up the pieces of her broken life... -
![Awakening You by Jessica Sorensen]()
Awakening You by Jessica Sorensen
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsLately, life has been going well for Ayden. His relationship with Lyric is starting to heat up and his career in music is taking off. But the disappearance of his sister still weighs heavily on his mind. Desperate to find out where his sister is, Ayden decides to take drastic measures... -
![This Adventure Ends by Emma Mills]()
This Adventure Ends by Emma Mills
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsSloane isn't expecting to fall in with a group of friends when she moves from New York to Florida—especially not a group of friends so intense, so in love, so all-consuming. Yet that's exactly what happens. Sloane becomes closest to Vera, a social-media star who lights up any room, and Gabe, Vera's twin brother and the most serious person Sloane's ever met... -
-
![Unraveling You by Jessica Sorensen]()
Unraveling You by Jessica Sorensen
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsLyric Scott has always had a good life. Outgoing, spunky, and musically talented, she’s constantly surrounded by family and friends, yet she still feels there’s something missing. Then she meets her new next-door neighbor Ayden Gregory. Mysterious, sweet, and sad, Ayden is the exact opposite of Lyric and exactly what she needs to fill the void in her life... -
![Backlash by Sarah Darer Littman]()
Backlash by Sarah Darer Littman
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsHe says: You're an awful person. He says: What makes you think I would ever ask you out? He says: The world would be a better place without you in it. Lara just got told off on Facebook. She thought that Christian liked her, that he was finally going to ask her to his school's homecoming dance... -
![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... -
![Ali's Pretty Little Lies by Sara Shepard]()
Ali's Pretty Little Lies by Sara Shepard
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsPerfect for fans of the #1 New York Times bestselling series and the hit ABC Family TV show, this Pretty Little Liars prequel novel reveals Ali's secrets from before she was murdered.Rewind a few years to seventh grade: Alison DiLaurentis and her friends are the It girls of Rosewood Day. Boys want to date them. Girls want to be them... -
![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... -
![Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry]()
Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 44 ratings"I won't tell anyone, Echo. I promise." Noah tucked a curl behind my ear. It had been so long since someone touched me like he did. Why did it have to be Noah Hutchins? His dark brown eyes shifted to my covered arms. "You didn't do that-did you? It was done to you?" No one ever asked that question. They stared. They whispered. They laughed. But they never asked.So wrong for each other.. -
![The Program by Suzanne Young]()
The Program by Suzanne Young
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsIn Sloane’s world, true feelings are forbidden, teen suicide is an epidemic, and the only solution is The Program.Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive... -
![Invisible by Jeff Erno]()
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... -
![Perfect Mistake: A Privilege Novel by Kate Brian]()
Perfect Mistake: A Privilege Novel by Kate Brian
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFor use in schools and libraries only. Ariana Osgood has everything she's ever wanted. A place at elite Atherton-Pryce boarding school. Fabulous friends. A new crush. And most importantly, a new identity. Now that she's officially become Briana Leigh Covington, Ariana's troubled past is dead and buried... -
![Storm and Stone by Joss Stirling]()
Storm and Stone by Joss Stirling
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsBehind the ivy-clad walls of an exclusive boarding school, lurks a sinister web of corruption, scandal, and conspiracy. American student Raven Stone has noticed something is horribly wrong. First there were the unexplained disappearances. Then there were the teachers' lies. And now the death threats ..Categorized as:
bullying friendship high-school realistic action-adventure boarding-school book contemporary -
-
![Skin Deep by Laura Jarratt]()
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... -
![Paradise Lost by Kate Brian]()
Paradise Lost by Kate Brian
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsParadise awaits.... Now that Cheyenne's murderer has been revealed and Reed knows the truth about who's been stalking her, she's ready to leave the heartache and turmoil of last semester behind. And what better way to recover than a five-star Caribbean vacation? Reed is reunited with former Billings Girls Kiran and Taylor, and she and her friends take over the exclusive island...Categorized as:
friendship high-school realistic boarding-school book coming-of-age contemporary drama -
![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... -
![Hate List by Jennifer Brown]()
Hate List by Jennifer Brown
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsFive months ago, Valerie Leftman's boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on their school cafeteria. Shot trying to stop him, Valerie inadvertently saved the life of a classmate, but was implicated in the shootings because of the list she helped create. A list of people and things she and Nick hated. The list he used to pick his targets... -
![What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum]()
What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsTwo struggling teenagers find an unexpected connection just when they need it most.Sometimes a new perspective is all that is needed to make sense of the world.KIT: I don’t know why I decide not to sit with Annie and Violet at lunch. It feels like no one here gets what I’m going through. How could they? I don’t even understand... -
![Call It What You Want by Brigid Kemmerer, Christopher Ragland]()
Call It What You Want by Brigid Kemmerer, Christopher Ragland
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsWhen his dad is caught embezzling funds from half the town, Rob goes from popular lacrosse player to social pariah. Even worse, his father’s failed suicide attempt leaves Rob and his mother responsible for his care.Everyone thinks of Maegan as a typical overachiever, but she has a secret of her own after the pressure got to her last year... -
![Rules for Being a Girl by Candace Bushnell, Katie Cotugno]()
Rules for Being a Girl by Candace Bushnell, Katie Cotugno
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIt starts before you can even remember: You learn the rules for being a girl. . . .Marin has always been good at navigating these unspoken guidelines. A star student and editor of the school paper, she dreams of getting into Brown University. Marin’s future seems bright―and her young, charismatic English teacher, Mr. Beckett, is always quick to admire her writing and talk books with her... -
![The Survival Kit by Donna Freitas]()
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... -
![Every Single Lie by Rachel Vincent]()
Every Single Lie by Rachel Vincent
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIn this gripping YA novel about social media bullying and half-truths, one girl's discovery of a dead baby in her high school locker room rocks an entire community. Nobody in Beckett's life seems to be telling the whole story. Her boyfriend Jake keeps hiding texts and might be cheating on her. Her father lied about losing his job before his shocking death... -
![The Ivy: Rivals by Lauren Kunze, Rina Onur]()
The Ivy: Rivals by Lauren Kunze, Rina Onur
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsDecisions, decisions . . . You've survived your first semester and captured the interest of not one but two of the hottest guys on campus... -
-
![Sugar Town Queens by Malla Nunn]()
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... -
![Unfriended by Katie Finn]()
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... -
![I Know Lucy by Melissa Pearl]()
I Know Lucy by Melissa Pearl
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLucy Tate is on the run. After witnessing the brutal murder of her parents, she's spent five years in hiding -- taking on different personas and faking her way through life. The authorities can't be trusted, so she remains in the shadows, always one beat ahead of the man who is forever hunting her... -
![All This Time by Mikki Daughtry, Rachael Lippincott]()
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... -
![Speechless by Hannah Harrington]()
Speechless by Hannah Harrington
Rated: 3.96 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsEveryone knows that Chelsea Knot can't keep a secretUntil now. Because the last secret she shared turned her into a social outcast—and nearly got someone killed.Now Chelsea has taken a vow of silence—to learn to keep her mouth shut, and to stop hurting anyone else. And if she thinks keeping secrets is hard, not speaking up when she's ignored, ridiculed and even attacked is worse... -
![Between by Jessica Warman]()
Between by Jessica Warman
Rated: 3.95 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsElizabeth Valchar-pretty, popular, and perfect-wakes up the morning after her eighteenth birthday party on her family's yacht, where she'd been celebrating with her six closest friends. A persistent thumping noise has roused her. When she goes to investigate, what she finds will change everything she thought she knew about her life, her friends, and everything in between... -
![Suspicion by Kate Brian]()
Suspicion by Kate Brian
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsForbidden fruit... Reed, Noelle, and former Billings Girls Kiran and Taylor have been living it up on St. Barths over winter break. The tropical sun has melted away all the tensions of last semester, and for the first time in months, Reed is happy. She's got her best friends by her side, she has a palatial suite with an ocean view, and she's landed Upton, the most sought-after guy on the island...Categorized as:
friendship high-school realistic boarding-school book coming-of-age contemporary drama -
![What Happens Next by Colleen Clayton]()
What Happens Next by Colleen Clayton
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsHow can you talk about something you can’t remember?Before the ski trip, sixteen-year-old Cassidy “Sid” Murphy was a cheerleader (at the bottom of the pyramid, but still...), a straight-A student, and a member of a solid trio of best friends... -
![Twisted by Amity Hope]()
Twisted by Amity Hope
Rated: 3.93 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsMaya Anderson has faced more than her share of tragedy and heartbreak. For the past six years she’s constantly been on the move with her mom. When another disaster strikes, she finds herself back in her childhood hometown of Beaumont, living with her older sister for her senior year.A chance meeting reacquaints her with Ben McCaffey, a long-forgotten classmate from her past... -
![Send Me a Sign by Tiffany Schmidt]()
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... -
-
![The Protected by Claire Zorn]()
The Protected by Claire Zorn
Rated: 3.93 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsI have three months left to call Katie my older sister. Then the gap will close and I will pass her. I will get older. But Katie will always be fifteen, eleven months and twenty-one days old.Hannah's world is in pieces and she doesn't need the school counsellor to tell her she has deep-seated psychological issues... -
![Kiss in the Dark by Lauren Henderson]()
Kiss in the Dark by Lauren Henderson
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWith Dan McAndrews's murder finally behind her, Scarlett has high hopes for a fresh start at Wakefield Hall Collegiate, the elite English boarding school her grandmother runs. Unfortunately, those hopes are dashed when her nemesis, the infamous Plum Saybourne, is transferred to the school. Plum wastes no time turning Scarlett s impressionable classmates against her... -
![Just a Little Embrace by Tracie Puckett]()
Just a Little Embrace by Tracie Puckett
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsGone are the days of police patrol. With ten hours to go before completing her job shadowing project, seventeen-year-old Julie Little’s assignment has switched gears, and now she’s required to start living the lifestyle of every man (and woman) in uniform. Under Luke’s command, Julie is obligated to complete her remaining hours through early morning exercise training... -
![All the Broken Pieces by Cindi Madsen]()
All the Broken Pieces by Cindi Madsen
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratings"All the Broken Pieces kept me guessing and frantically flipping the pages. It's a unique story with layered characters I couldn't help but fall in love with." -Nyrae Dawn, author of CharadeWhat if your life wasn’t your own?Liv comes out of a coma with no memory of her past and two distinct, warring voices inside her head. Nothing, not even her reflection, seems familiar... -
![Kiss of Death by Lauren Henderson]()
Kiss of Death by Lauren Henderson
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsScarlett thought Dan McAndrew's murder was long behind her, but when she and her classmates arrive in Edinburgh for a weeklong field trip, she's startled to be joined by her old St. Tabby's cohorts--and enemies--who are visiting the area on a field trip as well... -
![Imperfect Spiral by Debbie Levy]()
Imperfect Spiral by Debbie Levy
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDanielle Snyder's summer job as a babysitter takes a tragic turn when Humphrey, the five-year-old boy she's watching, runs in front of oncoming traffic to chase down his football...
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.
