Books like 'When We Were Them'
Readers who enjoyed When We Were Them by Laura Taylor Namey also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance realistic friendship coming-of-age season-summer sad grief
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Say Goodnight, Gracie by Julie Reece Deaver
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThere are friends we can't imagine living without. Morgan and Jimmy were kids together, whirling around the porch on hot summer days. They've been friends forever, and by now they know each other inside out. They do everything together--from cutting high school to go into the city to coaching each other at dance auditions and acting workshops. They even argue well. A perfect friendship... -
![Differently Normal by Tammy Robinson]()
Differently Normal by Tammy Robinson
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEvery family has its issues. For Maddy, life is all about routine. It has to be, to keep her autistic sister happy and healthy. With just Maddy and her mother as Bee’s full time carers, there’s no time in Maddy’s life for complications like friends, let alone a boyfriend... -
![Finding Forever by L.L. Collins]()
Finding Forever by L.L. Collins
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLacey Russell has had enough heartbreak and loss for one lifetime. Turning tragedy into motivation, she becomes a veterinarian to honor her mother’s memory. She knows the path her life is on and she decided long ago that falling in love is not part of that plan. She’s seen firsthand that all it does is cause sorrow and pain... -
![The Day After Forever by Erin Skiffington]()
The Day After Forever by Erin Skiffington
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe Day After Forever is an emotional story centering around four teenagers who discover and demostrate the true meaning of friendship. It illustrates the agony surroundingf horrific events and how friendship will always stand strong against the circumstances. Jeff has leukemia... -
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![A Hundred and One Reasons by Bianca Salindong]()
A Hundred and One Reasons by Bianca Salindong
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThere are still many things Ann needed to know, to explore and live the life she'd always imagined. But everything turned upside down when she learned that she is sick. Not cough and colds sick. No, something much complicated than that. Ann decides that she'd rather fight when she knows she had no chances of winning... -
![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... -
![Love, Lucas by Chantele Sedgwick]()
Love, Lucas by Chantele Sedgwick
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWhen Oakley Nelson loses her older brother, Lucas, to cancer, she thinks she’ll never recover. Between her parents’ arguing and the battle she’s fighting with depression, she feels nothing inside but a hollow emptiness. When Mom suggests they spend a few months in California with Aunt Jo, Oakley isn’t sure a change of scenery will alter anything, but she’s willing to give it a try... -
![Some Other Now by Sarah Everett]()
Some Other Now by Sarah Everett
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThis Is Us for teens, this luminous and heartbreaking contemporary novel follows a girl caught between two brothers as the three of them navigate family, loss, and love over the course of two summers. For fans of Far From the Tree, Emergency Contact, and Nina LaCour... -
![Gray by Pete Wentz, James Montgomery]()
Gray by Pete Wentz, James Montgomery
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSometimes, late at night in the hotel room, after the lights have gone out and the mistakes have already been made, when it is heavy and silent and still, I lie awake and listen to my pulse on the pillow… Imagine you are on a tour bus, the miles whistling away beneath you as you sleep. Tomorrow you will wake up in downtown Somewhere. It doesn’t matter. All the skylines look the same... -
![Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino]()
Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsLilah is stuck in the middle. At least, that’s what having a hearing loss seems like sometimes—when you don’t feel “deaf enough” to identify as Deaf or hearing enough to meet the world’s expectations. But this summer, Lilah is ready for a change.When Lilah becomes a counselor at a summer camp for the deaf and blind, her plan is to brush up on her ASL. Once there, she also finds a community...Categorized as:
realistic friendship season-summer coming-of-age romance young-adult contemporary disability -
![Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes]()
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 Year I Almost Drowned by Shannon McCrimmon]()
The Year I Almost Drowned by Shannon McCrimmon
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn this continuation of The Summer I Learned to Dive, nineteen-year old Finley “Finn” Hemmings is living in Graceville, South Carolina with her grandparents. She's getting to know the family that she was separated from for the last sixteen years. Finn and Jesse's relationship seems to be going strong until they're forced to deal with obstacles that throw them off-track...Categorized as:
coming-of-age friendship realistic book contemporary fiction new-adult womens-fiction -
![The Year of Chasing Dreams by Lurlene McDaniel]()
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]()
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... -
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![A Flirtationship by love-o-holic12babe, Shreya Pandey]()
A Flirtationship by love-o-holic12babe, Shreya Pandey
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“God, I like him. I like my best friend. Oh, and he has a girlfriend.” Scarlett has been best friends with Aiden for a very long time. She's almost like a sister to him. Problem is, Scarlett does not see him as a brother at all; far from it, in fact. Her traitor of a heart loves him--yes, as more than a friend. They are polar opposites... -
![The Half Orphan's Handbook by Joan F. Smith]()
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...Categorized as:
realistic coming-of-age grief friendship season-summer romance young-adult contemporary -
![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... -
![Flight Season by Marie Marquardt]()
Flight Season by Marie Marquardt
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBack when they were still strangers, TJ Carvalho witnessed the only moment in Vivi Flannigan’s life when she lost control entirely. Now, TJ can’t seem to erase that moment from his mind, no matter how hard he tries. Vivi doesn’t remember any of it, but she’s determined to leave it far behind. And she will...Categorized as:
realistic coming-of-age grief season-summer friendship romance young-adult contemporary -
![The Summer I Saved the World . . . in 65 Days by Michele Weber Hurwitz]()
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... -
![Three Things I Know Are True by Betty Culley]()
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 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... -
![Some Mistakes Were Made by Kristin Dwyer, Karissa Vacker]()
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... -
![Float by Kate Marchant]()
Float by Kate Marchant
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA heartfelt summer read for fans of Sarah Dessen and Jenny Han about holding on and letting go.Waverly Lyons has been caught in the middle of her parents’ divorce for as long as she can remember. This summer, the battle rages over who she’ll spend her vacation with, and when Waverly’s options are shot down, it’s bye-bye Fairbanks, Alaska and hello Holden, Florida to stay with her aunt...Categorized as:
realistic coming-of-age season-summer romance young-adult contemporary fiction high-school -
![The Summer of Letting Go by Gae Polisner]()
The Summer of Letting Go by Gae Polisner
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsJust when everything seems to be going wrong, hope and love can appear in the most unexpected places. Summer has begun, the beach beckons and Francesca Schnell is going nowhere. Four years ago, Francesca's little brother, Simon, drowned, and Francesca is the one who should have been watching. Now Francesca is about to turn sixteen, but guilt keeps her stuck in the past... -
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![All the Days of Her Life by Lurlene McDaniel]()
All the Days of Her Life by Lurlene McDaniel
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsOut of control - that's how Lacey Duval feels in almost every aspect of her life. There's nothing she can do about her parents divorce, there's nothing she can do about the death of her young friend, there's nothing she can do about having diabetes - that's what Lacey believes. After a special summer at Jenny House, Lacey is determined to put her problems behind her... -
![The Swift Boys & Me by Kody Keplinger]()
The Swift Boys & Me by Kody Keplinger
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsNola Sutton has been best friends and neighbors with the Swift boys for practically her whole life. There’s the youngest, Kevin, who never stops talking; the oldest, Brian, who’s always kind and calm; and then there’s Canaan, the ringleader and Nola’s best-best friend. Nola can’t imagine her life without the Swift boys — they’ll always be like this, always be friends...Categorized as:
coming-of-age friendship realistic season-summer book bullying children contemporary -
![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... -
![Pulled Under by Michelle Dalton]()
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...Categorized as:
coming-of-age friendship realistic season-summer book contemporary fiction high-school -
![Letting Go of Gravity by Meg Leder]()
Letting Go of Gravity by Meg Leder
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsTwins Parker and Charlie are polar opposites.Where Charlie is fearless, Parker is careful.Charlie is confident while Parker aims to please.Charlie is outgoing and outspoken; Parker is introverted and reserved.And of course, there’s the one other major difference: Charlie got leukemia. Parker didn’t.But now that Charlie is officially in remission, life couldn’t be going better for Parker...Categorized as:
realistic coming-of-age friendship season-summer sad romance young-adult contemporary -
![The Girl Next Door by Selene Castrovilla]()
The Girl Next Door by Selene Castrovilla
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn The Girl Next Door, two teens are forced to make some very grown-up decisions when one of them is diagnosed with terminal cancer.Seventeen year old Samantha has been best friends with seventeen year old Jesse since she moved into the New York high-rise apartment next door to his thirteen years ago... -
![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... -
![The Prologue by Kassandra Kush]()
The Prologue by Kassandra Kush
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsEzekiel Quain has learned over the years that love and family are nothing to be depended on. After standing strong next to his mom through her cancer, she ran off, leaving Zeke, his dad and little sister to struggle with the leftover medical bills, and a bad taste in Zeke’s mouth about counting on anybody... -
![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... -
![The Comeback by Marlene Perez]()
The Comeback by Marlene Perez
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA novel about ruling high school, being exiled, and fighting your way back to your rightful throne.Sophie Donnelly is one half of the most popular and powerful couple in school, until new girl Angie Vogel shows up and compromises everything. Angie steals Sophie's starring role in the school play, and, worse, her super-popular boyfriend...Categorized as:
coming-of-age friendship realistic book contemporary fiction high-school womens-fiction -
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![Dumped by Popular Demand by P.G. Kain]()
Dumped by Popular Demand by P.G. Kain
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDorie Dilts is about to move from California to New Jersey, and instead of seeing this as the worst thing to happen to her in her 13 years, Dorie sees this as a great opportunity--an opportunity to reinvent herself as one of the popular crowd, that is. When she arrives at her new school, she immediately sets out to determine who is the most popular and how they got that way... -
![Four for the Road by K.J. Reilly]()
Four for the Road by K.J. Reilly
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe Perks of Being a Wallflower meets The End of the F***ing World in this dark young adult comedy about four unlikely friends dealing with the messy side of grief who embark on a road trip to Graceland.Asher Hunting wants revenge.Specifically, he wants revenge on the drunk driver who killed his mom and got off on a technicality... -
![Maybe One Day by Melissa Kantor]()
Maybe One Day by Melissa Kantor
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsCritically acclaimed author Melissa Kantor masterfully captures the joy of friendship, the agony of loss, and the unique experience of being a teenager in this poignant new novel about a girl grappling with her best friend's life-threatening illness.Zoe and her best friend, Olivia, have always had big plans for the future, none of which included Olivia getting sick... -
![I'm Not Her by Janet Gurtler]()
I'm Not Her by Janet Gurtler
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 18 ratings“For the first time in my life, I didn’t feel envy…” Tess is the exact opposite of her beautiful, athletic sister. And that’s okay. Kristina is the sporty one, Tess is the smart one, and they each have their place. Until Kristina is diagnosed with cancer. Suddenly Tess is the center of the popular crowd, everyone eager for updates. There are senior boys flirting with her... -
![Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen]()
Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen
Rated: 3.95 of 5 stars · 41 ratingsHalley has always followed in the wake of her best friend, Scarlett. But when Scarlett learns that her boyfriend has been killed in a motorcycle accident, and that she's carrying his baby, she was devastated. For the first time ever, Scarlett really needs Halley. Their friendship may bend under the weight, but it'll never break--because a true friendship is a promise you keep forever... -
![The Girl Death Left Behind by Lurlene McDaniel]()
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... -
![Just Breathe by Cammie McGovern]()
Just Breathe by Cammie McGovern
Rated: 3.93 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFrom the critically acclaimed author of Say What You Will and A Step Toward Falling comes a deeply emotional new novel, perfect for fans of Five Feet Apart and The Fault in Our Stars . David Scheinman is the popular president of his senior class, battling cystic fibrosis. Jamie Turner is a quiet sophomore, struggling with depression... -
![Alice in the Know by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor]()
Alice in the Know by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt's the summer before junior year, and Alice is looking forward to three months of excitement, passion, and drama...Categorized as:
coming-of-age friendship realistic season-summer book contemporary family female-author -
![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... -
![Something Like Gravity by Amber Smith]()
Something Like Gravity by Amber Smith
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFor fans of Love, Simon and Eleanor and Park, a romantic and sweet novel about a transgender boy who falls in love for the first time—and how first love changes us all—from New York Times bestselling author Amber Smith. Chris and Maia aren’t off to a great start. A near-fatal car accident first brings them together, and their next encounters don’t fare much better... -
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![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... -
![Fall From Love by Heather London]()
Fall From Love by Heather London
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsStruggling to put her life back together after a tragic mountaineering accident kills her college sweetheart, twenty-one-year-old Holly Treadwell is trying to set aside her grief, forge ahead in school, and find herself again.When Carter Hansen, a guy who brings back horrible memories from the night of the accident, finds his way back into her life, Holly’s unsure if she should let him in... -
![Our Way Back to Always by Nina Moreno]()
Our Way Back to Always by Nina Moreno
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLuisa (Lou) Patterson grew up across the street from Sam Alvarez in the small, quirky town of Port Coral. They used to be inseparable--spending every holiday together, shooting silly YouTube videos, and rescuing stray cats. But then middle school happened, including the most disastrous (and embarrassing) serenade ever, and Lou and Sam haven't talked in the four years since...Categorized as:
realistic season-summer grief coming-of-age friendship romance contemporary young-adult -
![The Arrival of Someday by Jen Malone]()
The Arrival of Someday by Jen Malone
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn this heartfelt and emotionally candid contemporary YA, author Jen Malone delves into the life of a teen whose world is brought to an abrupt halt when she learns she’s in dire need of an organ transplant... -
![A Matter of Heart by Amy Fellner Dominy]()
A Matter of Heart by Amy Fellner Dominy
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratings“Will make your heart pound — anxiously, joyfully, triumphantly.” — New York Times bestselling author Lauren Myracle Readers will happily dive into this emotionally grounded, contemporary young adult novel about the sudden end of one girl’s Olympic swimming dreams and the struggles she endures before realizing there are many things that express who we are... -
![Water Balloon by Audrey Vernick]()
Water Balloon by Audrey Vernick
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMarley’s life is as precarious as an overfull water balloon—one false move and everything will burst. Her best friends are pulling away from her, and her parents, newly separated, have decided she should spend the summer with her dad in his new house, with a job she didn’t ask for and certainly doesn’t want. On the upside is a cute boy who loves dogs as much as Marley does . .
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