Books like 'This Might Hurt a Bit'
Readers who enjoyed This Might Hurt a Bit by Doogie Horner also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary realistic friendship coming-of-age found-family grief humor
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Looking for Alaska / An Abundance of Katherines / Paper Towns / The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFour critically acclaimed, award-winning modern classics from #1 New York Times-bestselling author John GreenThis John Green deluxe box set includes Printz Award–winning Looking for Alaska, Printz Honor book An Abundance of Katherines, Edgar Award–winning Paper Towns, and #1 New York Times–bestselling The Fault in Our Stars... -
![Katie and the Cupcake Cure by Coco Simon]()
Katie and the Cupcake Cure by Coco Simon
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThis first book in The Cupcake Diaries is told through the perspective of Katie Brown. We find Katie miserable on the first day of middle school. Her best friend Callie came back from camp boy-crazy and part of a whole new group of friends. When it's made clear that Callie is in the PGC (Popular Girls Club) and Katie is not invited to join, Katie suddenly feels incredibly alone...Categorized as:
coming-of-age friendship humor realistic children children-books contemporary culinary -
![Clementine and the Family Meeting by Sara Pennypacker]()
Clementine and the Family Meeting by Sara Pennypacker
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThis New York Times bestselling chapter book series has been keeping readers engaged and laughing for more than a decade with over one million copies sold! Clementine's having a nervous breakdown. The FAMILY MEETING! sign is up in her house, and she just knows she's in trouble for something...Categorized as:
coming-of-age friendship humor realistic audiobook children children-books contemporary -
![The Door-To-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn]()
The Door-To-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe charming international bestseller about an unlikely friendship between an elderly door-to-door bookseller and a nine-year-old girl that changes his life. Small-town German bookseller Carl Kollhoff delivers his books to special customers in the evening hours after closing time, walking through the picturesque alleys of the city...Categorized as:
friendship realistic found-family humor fiction contemporary audiobook romantic-love -
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![My Lame Life: Queen of the Misfits by Jen Mann]()
My Lame Life: Queen of the Misfits by Jen Mann
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNew York Times bestselling author Jen Mann has written a hilarious and heartwarming story for fans of Meg Cabot and Rainbow Rowell. My name is Plum Parrish, I'm fourteen, and I'm pretty sure I'm invisible. Not like super power invisible, more like loser invisible. There's a big difference... -
![3 stepbrothers by Animallover55]()
3 stepbrothers by Animallover55
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTori lived with her dad and little sister. She never expected to have a stepmother, much less a stepbrother. But whats worse is not only one stepbrother, not two either. No three stepbrothers. But it gets worse, the three boys just happen to be the three triplet sport stars of the school. The same three boys that have gone out with nearly all those girls that wear short short skirts... -
![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... -
![Caitlin's Lucky Charm by Lisa Schroeder]()
Caitlin's Lucky Charm by Lisa Schroeder
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFour best friends, one lucky bracelet, and an utterly charming new middle-grade series!Caitlin would stay at summer camp forever if she could. Her new best friends in the world, Hannah, Mia, and Libby are there... -
![Accidentally Fooled by Lisa Papademetriou]()
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... -
![Like Bug Juice on a Burger by Julie Sternberg]()
Like Bug Juice on a Burger by Julie Sternberg
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI hate camp. I just hate it. I wish I didn’t. But I do. Being here is worse than bug juice on a burger. Or homework on Thanksgiving. Or water seeping into my shoes. In this sequel to the critically acclaimed Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie, Eleanor is off to summer camp...Categorized as:
coming-of-age friendship humor realistic animals children children-books contemporary -
![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 -
![Alexis and the Perfect Recipe by Coco Simon, Elizabeth Doyle Carey]()
Alexis and the Perfect Recipe by Coco Simon, Elizabeth Doyle Carey
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe fourth book in Spotlight's fun and delicious tween series is told from the perspective of Alexis, the most organized member of the Cupcake Club...Categorized as:
realistic friendship coming-of-age humor middle-grade fiction children-books contemporary -
![Almost Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor]()
Almost Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIs it possible to be too good a friend -- too understanding, too always there, too much like a doormat? Alice has always been a good friend to Pamela and Liz, a best friend to Pamela and Liz... -
![Intensely Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor]()
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... -
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![Girls Rule! by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor]()
Girls Rule! by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSUMMER IS AROUND the corner, and the rivalry between the Malloys and the Hatfords is heating up! The kids have two weeks to earn money for a fundraising contest sponsored by the local hospital. Those who collect $20 or more for the new children’s wing can choose to be in the annual Strawberry Festival Parade or get all the strawberry treats they can eat...Categorized as:
realistic humor friendship children-books fiction middle-grade contemporary children -
![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... -
![Inspection by Lainey Davis]()
Inspection by Lainey Davis
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHe closed off his heart when he lost his wife. She is trying to start fresh. Can they rekindle an old flame?Kellen Brady is just fine, thank you. He runs his family business. He cooks family dinners and takes his vitamins. He even gets plenty of exercise. When his daughter suggests he needs to "get back out there," Kellen brushes off her comment and gets back to his work instead. Safer that way... -
![Who Won the War? by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor]()
Who Won the War? by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWho will win as the curtain closes on the war between the girls and the boys?Summer vacation is almost over and after one year in Buckman it looks like the Malloy girls will be going home to Ohio. The Hatford boys are relieved to finally be rid of Eddie, Beth and Caroline, also known as the Womper, the Weirdo and the Crazy...Categorized as:
realistic friendship humor children-books fiction middle-grade contemporary children -
![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... -
![Access Denied: And Other Eighth Grade Error Messages by Denise Vega]()
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 humor friendship romance young-adult middle-grade contemporary -
![My New Best Friend by Julie Bowe]()
My New Best Friend by Julie Bowe
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThere's a new girl in town! After Ida May’s last best friend moved away, she swore she’d never have another. But then she met fun, sparkly Stacey Merriweather, and now she and Ida are like two peas in a pod. When the friends discover a magical mermaid night-light that seems to grant wishes, they start a secret club— just the two of them...Categorized as:
realistic friendship humor fiction middle-grade children-books contemporary children -
![The Teenage Dirtbag Years by Ross O'Carroll-Kelly, Paul Howard]()
The Teenage Dirtbag Years by Ross O'Carroll-Kelly, Paul Howard
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSo there I was, roysh, class legend, schools rugby legend, basically all-round legend, when someone decides you can't, like, sit the Leaving Cert four times. Well that put a focking spanner in the works.But joining the goys at college wasn't the mare I thought it would be, basically for, like, three major beer, women and more women... -
![PS, I Scored the Bridesmaids by Ross O'Carroll-Kelly, Paul Howard]()
PS, I Scored the Bridesmaids by Ross O'Carroll-Kelly, Paul Howard
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSo there I was, roysh, twenty-three years of age, still, like, gorgeous and rich, living off my legend as a schools rugby player, scoring the birds, being the man, when all of a sudden, roysh, life becomes a total mare... -
![Bear Necessity by James Gould-Bourn]()
Bear Necessity by James Gould-Bourn
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA heartwarming, poignant, and charming debut novel for fans of Nick Hornby and The Rosie Project, about a father and son overcoming their grief in surprisingly inventive ways.Danny’s life is falling apart. He’s become a single father to eleven-year-old Will—who hasn’t spoken since the death of his mother in a car crash a year earlier—and Danny has just been fired from his construction job... -
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![Alice the Brave by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor]()
Alice the Brave by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Rated: 3.93 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA month before eighth grade begins, Alice realizes she is going to have to face something she's been afraid of forever. Everybody, she knows, is afraid of something: elevators, dogs, planes, spiders . . . but her fear is worse. It's going to bring absolute disaster to the rest of her summer, maybe to the rest of her life... -
![Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie by Julie Sternberg]()
Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie by Julie Sternberg
Rated: 3.93 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsI had a bad August.A very bad August.As bad as pickle juice on a cookie.As bad as a spider web on your leg.As bad as the black parts on a banana.I hope your August was better.I really do.Written in a lyrical style with thoughtful and charming illustrations throughout, this remarkable debut novel tells a poignant story of friendship and the bittersweet feelings of growing up...Categorized as:
coming-of-age friendship humor realistic children children-books contemporary family -
![Starting with Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor]()
Starting with Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Rated: 3.93 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAll Alice wants is a friend.Well, a pet and pierced ears and really long hair would be nice, too -- and most of all, Alice wishes she still had a mother. But starting third grade in a new school in a new town can be lonely, especially if the closest thing you have to a friend is weird Donald Sheavers from next door.But even making new friends can't solve all of Alice's problems... -
![Living with Jackie Chan by Jo Knowles]()
Living with Jackie Chan by Jo Knowles
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAfter fathering a baby, a teenager moves in with his karate-loving uncle and tries to come to terms with his guilt — and find a way to forgive. This isn’t how Josh expected to spend senior year. He thought he’d be hanging out with his best friends, Dave and Caleb, driving around, partying, just like always... -
![No Big Deal by Bethany Rutter]()
No Big Deal by Bethany Rutter
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 12 ratings'It's not my body that's holding me back. I think it's more of a problem that people tell me my body should hold me back.'Meet Emily Daly, a stylish, cute, intelligent and hilarious seventeen-year-old about to start her last year at school. Emily is also fat. She likes herself and her body. When she meets Joe at a house party, he instantly becomes The Crush of Her Life. Everything changes... -
![Star-Crossed by Mimi McCoy]()
Star-Crossed by Mimi McCoy
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA sweet new addition to the hit Candy Apple line! Will Abby's horoscope make her superstitious, or will she take fate into her own hands?A fabulous new title from Mimi McCoy, author of Candy Apple's debut title!Abby has it all together: she gets straight A's, she's a star on her junior high track team, and she's 7th grade class vice president... -
![Best Friends by Melissa J. Morgan]()
Best Friends by Melissa J. Morgan
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsGrace is a riot at camp - not afraid to do anything for a laugh, she's everyone's friend. But secretly she isn't as carefree as she seems, and wishes she had a best friend to confide in. So she starts hanging out with Gaby, a girl from a rival bunk. But when Gaby starts acting like a bully, Grace finally has to get serious...Categorized as:
coming-of-age friendship realistic children children-books contemporary fiction middle-grade -
![We Could Be Something by Will Kostakis]()
We Could Be Something by Will Kostakis
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsPart Coming-Out Story.Part falling-in-love story.Part falling-apart story.Harvey's dads are splitting up. It's been on the cards for a while, but it's still sudden. Woken-by-his-father-to-catch-a-red-eye sudden. Now he's restarting His Life In A New City, Living Above A Cafe With The Extended Greek Family He Barely Knows.Sotiris is a rising star... -
![Girl, 16: Five Star Fiasco by Sue Limb]()
Girl, 16: Five Star Fiasco by Sue Limb
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe teenage world of Jess Jordon is looking characteristically chaotic: Mum has joined an online dating programme and has recruited Jess as advisor, while Jess's best friend Flora has a rich new boyfriend who Jess can't possibly keep up with. Then Jess's own boyfriend, Fred, does something unbelievably treacherous and spineless... -
![Can't Always Get What You Want by Chelsey Krause]()
Can't Always Get What You Want by Chelsey Krause
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFans of Ruthie Knox, Rachel Gibson, and Molly O’Keefe will love this deeply romantic and uplifting debut novel about losing everything you thought you wanted—and getting exactly what you need. Sophie Richards has been looking forward to a much-needed girls’ night out: a Rolling Stones tribute-band concert, a few drinks, a distraction from her grueling nursing shifts in acute care... -
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![Waiting For The Bee Stings by Calvin Wade]()
Waiting For The Bee Stings by Calvin Wade
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMia Maher is nearing forty. She arrives at the funeral of an old friend, Chrissie, who has died suddenly. Happily married, with two school age children, Mia is unaware that this will be the day that changes everything and her life will switch on to an entirely new path. 'Waiting For The Bee Stings' is a story about the lives of four friends who met at Newcastle University in the mid-1990s... -
![I Like This, You Like That: A Picture Book by Linda Ashman]()
I Like This, You Like That: A Picture Book by Linda Ashman
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFrom acclaimed author Linda Ashman and illustrator Eve Coy comes I Like This, You Like That , a joyful picture book about making new friends and finding common ground.We’re opposites! / You’re right—we are.Like big and small. / Like near and far.But even when we disagree / I like you, and you like me... -
![Please Don't Hug Me by Kay Kerr]()
Please Don't Hug Me by Kay Kerr
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA funny-serious own-voices story about what happens when you stop trying to be the person other people expect you to be and give yourself a go.Erin is looking forward to Schoolies, at least she thinks she is. But things are not going to plan. Life is getting messy, and for Erin, who is autistic, that’s a big problem. She’s lost her job at Surf Zone after an incident that clearly was not her fault... -
![Flying Solo by Ralph Fletcher]()
Flying Solo by Ralph Fletcher
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFriday, April 28, 9:00 a.m. Opportunity is knocking at the door of Mr. "Fab" Fabiano's sixth-grade class. Mr. Fab is absent and a substitute never arrives. The class wants to prove that KIDS RULE, so they decide to run the class on their own. Super smart Karen leads the way in the class routines and most of the kids join in. But for Rachel White, this isn't just any other day... -
![The Reminders by Val Emmich]()
The Reminders by Val Emmich
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsGrief-stricken over his partner’s death, Gavin sets fire to every physical reminder in the couple's home. A neighbor captures the ordeal on video, turning this unsung TV actor into a household name. Now, Gavin is fleeing the hysteria of Los Angeles for New Jersey, hoping to find peace with the family of an old friend. Instead, he finds Joan... -
![Reluctantly Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor]()
Reluctantly Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Rated: 3.86 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAlice comes home on the first day of junior high with a list of seven things about seventh grade that stink. The one good thing she can think of (besides getting out at 2:30 instead of 3:00) is that she's friends with everybody -- and that gives her the idea of setting a goal to make it through the entire school year with everyone liking her... -
![Goodbye, Rebel Blue by Shelley Coriell]()
Goodbye, Rebel Blue by Shelley Coriell
Rated: 3.86 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsRebecca Blue is a rebel with an attitude whose life is changed by a chance encounter with a soon-to-be dead girl. Rebel (as she’s known) decides to complete the dead girl’s bucket list to prove that choice, not chance, controls her fate. In doing so, she unexpectedly opens her mind and heart to a world she once dismissed—a world of friendships, family, and faith... -
![So Totally Emily Ebers by Lisa Yee]()
So Totally Emily Ebers by Lisa Yee
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThis companion to MILLICENT MIN, GIRL GENIUS introduces us to Emily Ebers, average girl extraordinaire, and brings Lisa Yee's funny, touching story of friendship and family full circle. Lisa Yee charmed audiences with the hilarious MILLICENT MIN, GIRL GENIUS and revealed another side of the story in STANFORD WONG FLUNKS BIG-TIME... -
![Heavy Metal And You by Christopher Krovatin]()
Heavy Metal And You by Christopher Krovatin
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIf Nick Hornby had a metalhead little brother, he'd write a book as clever, music-drenched, and observationally direct as this, Christopher Krovatin's rock-solid PUSH debut, now in paperback. Boy listens to lots of loud music and hangs with his friends. Boy meets girl. Boy falls dippy-happy-scared-as-hell in love with girl. Friends meet girl -- and aren't impressed... -
![It's Kind of a Cheesy Love Story by Lauren Morrill]()
It's Kind of a Cheesy Love Story by Lauren Morrill
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA contemporary YA rom-com about love, friendship, and pizza.After her mother gave birth to her in the bathroom of a local pizzeria, Beck Brix hsd been given the dubious privilege of having minor fame, free pizza for life, and a guaranteed job when she turns sixteen—a job she unfortunately can’t afford to turn down... -
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![Unboxed by Non Pratt]()
Unboxed by Non Pratt
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsUnboxed is about four teenagers who come together after several months apart. In previous years, they had put together a time capsule about their best summer with a friend who was dying. Now that their friend has passed, they reunite to open the box... -
![Heart and Salsa (Students Across the Seven Seas) by Suzanne Nelson]()
Heart and Salsa (Students Across the Seven Seas) by Suzanne Nelson
Rated: 3.80 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsCat Wilcox has left chilly Boston for sunny Mexico and a summer of girl bonding with her best friend, Sabrina. But Sabrina has a surprise. She is accompanied by her boyfriend—a boyfriend Cat didn’t even know existed. So rather than Sabrina and Cat spending their study-abroad semester working together at the orphan school building site, Cat expects she’ll be hammering nails all by her lonesome... -
![Rock On by Denise Vega]()
Rock On by Denise Vega
Rated: 3.80 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsOri Taylor is the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter of the Band To Be Named Later, a garage band he started with his friends. After years of being known only as the kid brother of sports star Del, Ori is looking forward to stepping out of his older brother's shadow, learning to perform in public, and rocking the Battle of the Bands contest... -
![The Toll Bridge by Aidan Chambers]()
The Toll Bridge by Aidan Chambers
Rated: 3.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTo escape the pressures of suffocating parents and a possessive girlfriend, seventeen-year-old Piers takes a job as a keeper of a toll bridge and its cottage. There he befriends Adam, a charismatic wayfarer who shows up one day and refuses to leave. He also befriends a girl named Tess, and soon he and Tess find themselves strangely attracted to Adam and falling under his spell... -
![Wise Young Fool by Sean Beaudoin]()
Wise Young Fool by Sean Beaudoin
Rated: 3.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTeen rocker Ritchie Sudden is pretty sure his life has just jumped the shark. Except he hates being called a teen, his band doesn't play rock, and "jumping the shark" is yet another dumb cliché. Part of Ritchie wants to drop everything and walk away. Especially the part that's serving ninety days in a juvenile detention center... -
![Love: And Other Uses for Duct Tape by Carrie Jones]()
Love: And Other Uses for Duct Tape by Carrie Jones
Rated: 3.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsPraise for Tips on Having a Gay (ex) Boyfriend "From the first sentence of Carrie Jones' novel, I could tell that here was a bright new writer who was going to set the world of young adult letters aflame." -Kathi Appelt, award-winning poet and author"Provocative...The author's poetic prose ably captures her heroine's emotional upheavals...
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