Books like 'I'd Rather Burn Than Bloom'
Readers who enjoyed I'd Rather Burn Than Bloom by Shannon C.F. Rogers also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary coming-of-age realistic grief poc-mc lgbtq asian-mc
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Crank Trilogy by Ellen Hopkins
Rated: 4.64 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe heart-wrenching bestselling Crank trilogy shows that addiction is never just one person’s problem. Crank Kristina is the perfect daughter: gifted high school junior, quiet, never any trouble. Then she meets the monster: crank. And what begins as a wild ride turns into a struggle for her mind, her soul—her life. Glass Crank. Glass. Ice. Crystal... -
![When Aidan Became A Brother by Kyle Lukoff]()
When Aidan Became A Brother by Kyle Lukoff
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsWhen Aidan was born, everyone thought he was a girl. His parents gave him a pretty name, his room looked like a girl's room, and he wore clothes that other girls liked wearing. After he realized he was a trans boy, Aidan and his parents fixed the parts of life that didn't fit anymore, and he settled happily into his new life... -
![Obie Is Man Enough by Schuyler Bailar]()
Obie Is Man Enough by Schuyler Bailar
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA coming-of-age story about transgender tween Obie, who didn't think being himself would cause such a splash. For fans of Alex Gino's George and Lisa Bunker's Felix Yz.Obie knew his transition would have ripple effects. He has to leave his swim coach, his pool, and his best friends. But it’s time for Obie to find where he truly belongs. As Obie dives into a new team, though, things are strange... -
![Something Like Stories: Volume Three by Jay Bell]()
Something Like Stories: Volume Three by Jay Bell
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEmbark on a final trip through the Something Like… universe with this special collection of stories that promises heartwarming reunions and gut-wrenching closure.Something Like Stars playfully explores what would happen if a movie was made about Ben’s love for Tim and Jace... -
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![The Boy from the Mish by Gary Lonesborough]()
The Boy from the Mish by Gary Lonesborough
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA funny and heart-warming queer Indigenous YA novel, set in a rural Australian community, about seventeen-year-old Jackson finding the courage to explore who he is, even if it scares him.'I don't paint so much anymore,' I say, looking to my feet.'Oh. Well, I got a boy who needs to do some art... -
![Ready When You Are by Gary Lonesborough]()
Ready When You Are by Gary Lonesborough
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA remarkable YA love story between two Aboriginal boys -- one who doesn’t want to accept he’s gay, and the boy who comes to live in his house who makes him realize who he is.It's a hot summer, and life's going all right for Jackson and his family on the Mish. It's almost Christmas, school's out, and he's hanging with his mates, teasing the visiting tourists, avoiding the racist boys in town... -
![Jaded by Monica McKayhan]()
Jaded by Monica McKayhan
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhat Jade Morgan wants: for her parents to get back together. Instead her dad proposes to his new girlfriend, who has the nerve to ask Jade to be a bridesmaid. Like that'll ever happen. Her new boyfriend, Terrence, thinks she should give her future stepmom a chance, try to get to know her. Yet Jade barely knows Terrence—who is cute and cool, but is seriously hiding something... -
![It's Boba Time for Pearl Li! by Nicole Chen]()
It's Boba Time for Pearl Li! by Nicole Chen
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsPerfect for fans of Kelly Yang and Jessica Kim, this joyful, moving middle grade contemporary follows a big-hearted Taiwanese American girl as she aims to gain her family’s acceptance and save her favorite boba tea shop by selling her handcrafted amigurumi dolls...Categorized as:
realistic coming-of-age asian-mc poc-mc middle-grade contemporary fiction children-books -
![Lifted by Nia Forrester]()
Lifted by Nia Forrester
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhat if your soulmate could never be your bedmate?Tessa Denison knows who she is—she never has and as far as she’s concerned, never will date men. Though she struggles with coming to terms with the loss of her parents at a young age and her very protective and overbearing brother, Trey, her sexuality and free-loving lifestyle have never given her a moment’s pause.Tyson Clark is a screw-up... -
![Die Sonne, so strahlend und Schwarz by Chantal-Fleur Sandjon]()
Die Sonne, so strahlend und Schwarz by Chantal-Fleur Sandjon
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsEin sprachgewaltiger und überraschender Coming-of-Age-Roman für Jugendliche, voller Tiefgang und Gefühl, neu und aufregend.Seit ihrer ersten Begegnung ist Nova völlig fasziniert von Akoua. Ihre Gedanken kreisen nur noch um dieses Mädchen, das mit ihrem Strahlen Novas Welt zum Leuchten bringt. Es ist Liebe auf den ersten Blick und der Beginn einer aufregenden Zeit voller erster Male... -
![The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue]()
The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhere would I start, and how would it even make sense? How could you understand the year in Shandon Street unless you were there, with us, living it?Rachel Murray is twenty-one years old, platonically infatuated with her housemate James, and less-than-platonically infatuated with her enigmatic, married English professor Dr Byrne... -
![Girl Unmoored by Jennifer Gooch Hummer]()
Girl Unmoored by Jennifer Gooch Hummer
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThirteen-year-old Apron Bramhall begins a summer job at her new friend Mike and his boyfriend Chad's flower shop, but she soon learns a secret about Chad that threatens to turn her peaceful world upside down...Categorized as:
realistic lgbtq coming-of-age young-adult fiction contemporary historical-fiction drama -
![On Herring Cove Road: Mr. Rosen and His 43Lb Anxiety by Michael Kroft]()
On Herring Cove Road: Mr. Rosen and His 43Lb Anxiety by Michael Kroft
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsOnce an amusing extrovert with a reputation as a prankster, Mr. Rosen is entering his retirement years as a stoic thirty-year converted introvert who has no interest in people, despises change, and is more than content to have his wife navigate his life... -
![A Boy Like Me by Jennie Wood]()
A Boy Like Me by Jennie Wood
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBorn a girl, Peyton Honeycutt meets Tara Parks in the eighth grade bathroom shortly after he gets his first period. It is the best and worst day of his life. Determined to impress Tara, Peyton sets out to win her love by mastering the drums and basketball. He takes on Tara’s small-minded mother, the bully at school, and the prejudices within his conservative hometown... -
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![Afterglow by Phil Stamper]()
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.. -
![Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee]()
Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHeartstopper meets Crazy Rich Asians in this heartfelt, joyful paperback original rom-com that follows an aspiring chef who discovers the recipe for love is more complicated than it seems when he starts fake-dating a handsome new customer... -
![Idol Minds by K.T. Salvo]()
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... -
![Midnights with You by Clare Osongco]()
Midnights with You by Clare Osongco
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTwo high school seniors with family trauma keeping them up at night fall in love over a series of secret late-night driving lessons.“An achingly beautiful coming-of-age story…Midnights With You is everything I’ve ever wanted in a book.” —Ann Liang, New York Times best-selling author of I Hope This Doesn’t Find You***“Where were you thinking of going?”“Nowhere... -
![Queerceañera by Alex Crespo]()
Queerceañera by Alex Crespo
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThis irresistible and hilarious rom-com from acclaimed author Alex Crespo is a whirlwind of telenovela-level drama and hijinks when Joaquin Zoido finds himself fake-dating his childhood crush and newly minted date to his queerceañera.Joaquin Zoido is out and proud of it... -
![Barbie Chang by Victoria Chang]()
Barbie Chang by Victoria Chang
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBarbie’s cultural artifice is unmasked by Victoria Chang’s imagination, lifting the struggle of Asian American experience to mythic levels... -
![Any Day with You by Mae Respicio]()
Any Day with You by Mae Respicio
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA story about a creative girl who hopes that by winning a filmmaking contest, she'll convince her great-grandfather not to move back home to the Philippines.Kaia and her family live near the beach in California, where the fun of moviemaking is all around them. Kaia loves playing with makeup and creating special effects, turning her friends into merfolk and other magical creatures... -
![The Impossibility of Us by Katy Upperman]()
The Impossibility of Us by Katy Upperman
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe last thing Elise wants is to start her senior year in a new town. But after her brother’s death in Afghanistan, she and her mother move from San Francisco to a sleepy coastal village.When Elise meets Mati, they quickly discover how much they have in common. Mati is new to town too, visiting the U.S. with his family... -
![Jumped In by Patrick Flores-Scott]()
Jumped In by Patrick Flores-Scott
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSam has the rules of slackerhood down: Don't be late to class. Don't ever look the teacher in the eye. Develop your blank stare. Since his mom left, he has become an expert in the art of slacking, especially since no one at his new school gets his intense passion for the music of the Pacific Northwest—Nirvana, Hole, Sleater-Kinney...Categorized as:
realistic coming-of-age poc-mc young-adult contemporary high-school friendship male-mc -
![Stay with My Heart by Tashie Bhuiyan]()
Stay with My Heart by Tashie Bhuiyan
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrom the author of Counting Down with You and A Show for Two comes a new YA contemporary about a girl who accidentally sabotages an up-and-coming local band and falls for the guitarist while secretly trying to make up for her mistake.Liana Sarkar lives and breathes music, hoping to follow in the footsteps of her A&R coordinator father... -
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![The Mission by Jason Myers]()
The Mission by Jason Myers
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWake up and do something! Kaden Norris's life is shattered when his older brother -- his best friend and hero -- is killed in Iraq. All Kaden has left of Kenny is a letter, urging him to break away from his sheltered life and to go to San Francisco to visit his cousin, James. Kaden is blown away, as James introduces him to a life filled with drugs, sex, and apathy...Categorized as:
realistic coming-of-age grief young-adult fiction contemporary substance-abuse teens -
![The Flick by Annie Baker]()
The Flick by Annie Baker
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIn a rundown movie theater in central Massachusetts, three underpaid employees sweep up popcorn in the empty aisles and tend to one of the last thirty-five-millimeter projectors in the state. With keen insight and a ceaseless attention to detail, The Flick pays tribute to the power of movies and paints a heartbreaking portrait of three characters and their working lives... -
![Down to the Bone by Mayra Lazara Dole]()
Down to the Bone by Mayra Lazara Dole
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWhat if you don't follow the rules and it radically alters the course of your life?What if you get kicked out of the house and lose all your friends and everyone you love? Will you turn the corner into a world filled with unusual friends and create a new kind of family... -
![Tiffany Sly Lives Here Now by Dana L. Davis]()
Tiffany Sly Lives Here Now by Dana L. Davis
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsI’ve got seven days to come clean to my new dad. Seven days to tell the truth…For sixteen-year-old Tiffany Sly, life hasn’t been safe or normal for a while. Losing her mom to cancer has her a little bit traumatized and now she has to leave her hometown of Chicago to live with the biological dad she’s never known...Categorized as:
realistic poc-mc grief coming-of-age young-adult contemporary fiction mental-illness -
![Desert Sons by Mark Kendrick]()
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... -
![Skyscraping by Cordelia Jensen]()
Skyscraping by Cordelia Jensen
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA heartrending, bold novel in verse about family, identity, and forgiveness Mira is just beginning her senior year of high school when she discovers her father with his male lover. Her world–and everything she thought she knew about her family–is shattered instantly...Categorized as:
lgbtq realistic grief coming-of-age young-adult contemporary fiction historical-fiction -
![The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway by Ashley Schumacher]()
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... -
![Fifteen Lanes by S.J. Laidlaw]()
Fifteen Lanes by S.J. Laidlaw
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsNoor has lived all of her fourteen years in the fifteen lanes of Mumbai’s red light district. Born into a brothel, she is destined for the same fate as her mother: a desperate life trapped in the city’s sex trade. She must act soon to have any chance of escaping this grim future.Across the sprawling city, fifteen-year-old Grace enjoys a life of privilege... -
![This May End Badly by Samantha Markum]()
This May End Badly by Samantha Markum
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsPranking mastermind Doe and her motley band of Weston girls are determined to win the century-long war against Winfield Academy before the clock ticks down on their senior year. But when their headmistress announces that The Weston School will merge with its rival the following year, their longtime feud spirals into chaos... -
![Barefoot in the City of Broken Dreams by Brent Hartinger]()
Barefoot in the City of Broken Dreams by Brent Hartinger
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratings“There was no way moving to Los Angeles was going to make me give up my soul. After all, I’d already seen all the movies about Hollywood. I knew how things worked.” Twenty-four year-old Russel Middebrook and his boyfriend have moved to Los Angeles so Russel can try to make it as a screenwriter... -
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![Leila in Saffron by Rukhsanna Guidroz]()
Leila in Saffron by Rukhsanna Guidroz
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA colorful journey of self-discovery and identity, this sweet, vibrant picture book follows young Leila as she visits her grandmother’s house for their weekly family dinner, and finds parts of herself and her heritage in the family, friends, and art around her... -
![Drizzle, Dreams, and Lovestruck Things by Maya Prasad]()
Drizzle, Dreams, and Lovestruck Things by Maya Prasad
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFour sisters, four seasons, four flavors of romance.The Singh sisters grew up helping their father navigate the bustle of the Songbird Inn. Nestled on dreamy and drizzly Orcas Island in the Pacific Northwest, the inn's always been warm and cozy and filled with interesting guests―the perfect home. But things are about to heat up now that the Songbird has been named the Most Romantic Inn in America... -
![Don't Forget Me by Victoria Stevens]()
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... -
![Small World by Ishta Mercurio]()
Small World by Ishta Mercurio
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen Nanda is born, the whole of her world is the circle of her mother’s arms. But as she grows, the world grows too. It expands outward—from her family, to her friends, to the city, to the countryside. And as it expands, so does Nanda’s wonder in the underlying shapes and structures patterning it: cogs and wheels, fractals in snowflakes... -
![Last Gamer Standing by Katie Zhao, Sunny Lu]()
Last Gamer Standing by Katie Zhao, Sunny Lu
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTwelve-year-old Reyna Cheng is the up-and-coming junior amateur Dayhold gamer, competing in a VR battle royale against AI monsters and human players alike. But despite Reyna's rising popularity and skills, no one know who she is. Gaming is still a boy's club and to protect herself against trolls, she games as the mysterious TheRuiNar... -
![Midnight Hour Encores by Bruce Brooks]()
Midnight Hour Encores by Bruce Brooks
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOn the RoadSibilance T. Spooner thinks she's one of the world's more promising cellists. The world thinks so too. Given up by her mother on the day she was born, she believes she has almost raised herself--with just a bit of guidance from her unconventional father, Taxi... -
![She Loves Me, He Loves Me Not by Zeenat Mahal]()
She Loves Me, He Loves Me Not by Zeenat Mahal
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsZoella didn’t know whether she was devastatingly happy or happily devastated. Zoella has been in love with Fardeen Malik, her best friend’s gorgeous older brother, since she was ten, but he’s always seen her as a ‘good girl’—not his type—and he can barely remember her name... -
![Also Known as Elvis by James Howe]()
Also Known as Elvis by James Howe
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSkeezie Tookis navigates a pivotal summer of first crushes and tough choices in this conclusion to the bestselling and acclaimed quartet that began with The Misfits.Skeezie Tookis, also known as Elvis, isn’t looking forward to this summer in Paintbrush Falls...Categorized as:
coming-of-age lgbtq realistic children children-books contemporary fiction friendship -
![Outrunning The Darkness by Anne Schraff]()
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... -
![Teenie by Christopher Grant]()
Teenie by Christopher Grant
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHigh school freshman Martine (Teenie for short) is a good student, with a bright future ahead of her. She's desperate to be accepted into a prestigious study abroad program in Spain so that she can see what life is like beyond the streets of Brooklyn. She wouldn't mind escaping from her strict (though lovable) parents for awhile either... -
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![How to Live without You by Sarah Everett]()
How to Live without You by Sarah Everett
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn this heart-wrenching, coming-of-age story about family, grief, and second chances, seventeen-year-old Emmy returns home for the summer to uncover the truth behind her sister Rose’s disappearance—only to learn that Rose had many secrets, ones that have Emmy questioning herself and the sister Emmy thought she knew... -
![Pritty by Keith F. Miller Jr.]()
Pritty by Keith F. Miller Jr.
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOn the verge of summer before his senior year, Jay is a soft soul in a world of concrete. While his older brother is everything people expect a man to be--tough, athletic, and in charge--Jay simply blends into the background to everyone, except when it comes to Leroy... -
![Summer Bird Blue by Akemi Dawn Bowman]()
Summer Bird Blue by Akemi Dawn Bowman
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsRumi Seto spends a lot of time worrying she doesn’t have the answers to everything. What to eat, where to go, whom to love. But there is one thing she is absolutely sure of—she wants to spend the rest of her life writing music with her younger sister, Lea. Then Lea dies in a car accident, and her mother sends her away to live with her aunt in Hawaii while she deals with her own grief... -
![The Tiger and the Cosmonaut by Eddy Boudel Tan]()
The Tiger and the Cosmonaut by Eddy Boudel Tan
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA noirish page-turner about a mysterious disappearance and a moving portrait of a Chinese Canadian family navigating insecurities, expectations, and simmering anger in their small BC town.Casper Han grew up the dutiful son of immigrants who never felt entirely welcome in their remote corner of British Columbia... -
![When We Were Sisters by Fatimah Asghar]()
When We Were Sisters by Fatimah Asghar
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAn orphan grapples with gender, siblinghood, family, and coming-of-age as a Muslim in America in this lyrical debut novel from the acclaimed author of If They Come For Us In this heartrending, lyrical debut work of fiction, Fatimah Asghar traces the intense bond of three orphaned siblings who, after their parents die, are left to raise one another... -
![GAP : ทฤษฎีสีชมพู by เจ้าปลาน้อย]()
GAP : ทฤษฎีสีชมพู by เจ้าปลาน้อย
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratings'หม่อมสาม' หรือ 'คุณสาม'ผู้หญิงที่เพียบพร้อมไปด้วยรูปลักษณ์ รวยทรัพย์และสติปัญญาเธอคือผู้หญิงที่ทำให้ฉันเติบโตขึ้นมาและอยากจะเป็นให้ได้แบบนั้นฉันถึงขนาดยอมสมัครเข้ามาทำงานทีเดียวกัน เพื่อจะได้อยู่ใกล้ชิดอาจจะเพราะตอนเด็กๆฉันฝังใจกับรอยยิ้มกว้างจนหน้ายับไปหมดแบบนั้นจนมันกลายเป็นความรัก ในรูปแบบที่ฉันเองก็ไม่อยากจะเชื่อว่าผู้หญิงสามารถตกหลุมรักกับผู้หญิงด้วยกันเองได้แต่เพราะเราแตกต่างกันเกินไป...
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