Books like 'Imagine Us Happy'
Readers who enjoyed Imagine Us Happy by Jennifer Yu also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance realistic coming-of-age poc-mc friendship asian-mc
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All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir
Rated: 4.64 of 5 stars · 14 ratings"Contains the following content: drug and alcohol addiction, physical abuse, Islamophobia, mentions of repressed sexual assault, tense exchange with law enforcement, death."--Preliminaries... -
![I Hope This Doesn't Find You by Ann Liang]()
I Hope This Doesn't Find You by Ann Liang
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsSnarky and romantic, I Hope This Doesn't Find You is Never Have I Ever meets To All the Boys if Lara Jean wrote hate emails instead of love letters.Sadie Wen is perfect on paper: school captain, valedictorian, and a "pleasure to have in class... -
![Bronxwood by Coe Booth]()
Bronxwood by Coe Booth
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe acclaimed author of TYRELL and KENDRA returns to PUSH to continue Tyrell's astonishing story. Tyrell's father is just out of jail, and Tyrell doesn't know how to deal with that. It's bad enough that his brother Troy is in foster care and that his mother is no help whatsoever. Now there's another thing up in his face, just when he's trying to settle down... -
![Just Another Hero by Sharon M. Draper]()
Just Another Hero by Sharon M. Draper
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThis group of friends has been through so much after a deadly hazing ritual left friendships broken, hearts aching, and November pregnant with Josh’s baby. But senior year is going well, and when the fire alarm goes off, everyone assumes that crazy Jack is trying to get out of a quiz or a test... -
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![Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle]()
Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsHitch meets The Sun Is Also a Star in this novel about a self-professed teen love doctor with a popular radio segment who believes he can get a girl who hates all things romance to fall in love with him in only three dates.Prince Jones is the guy with all the answers—or so it seems... -
![Tryin' to Sleep in the Bed You Made by Virginia DeBerry, Donna Grant]()
Tryin' to Sleep in the Bed You Made by Virginia DeBerry, Donna Grant
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFrom the time they were young, Gayle and Patricia were raised like sisters, as close as two friends could be. But they each had dreams that would take them far away - and far away from each other. Gayle was the beauty who believed that a man could make her world complete. Patricia was the intellectual who thought that rising to the top of her career would make her happy... -
![These Impossible Things by Salma El-Wardany]()
These Impossible Things by Salma El-Wardany
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA razor‑sharp debut novel of three best friends navigating love, sex, faith, and the one night that changes it all. It’s always been Malak, Kees, and Jenna against the world. Since childhood, under the watchful eyes of their parents, aunties and uncles, they’ve learned to live their own lives alongside the expectations of being good Muslim women...Categorized as:
realistic friendship poc-mc coming-of-age romance fiction contemporary literary-fiction -
![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... -
![This Time It's Real by Ann Liang]()
This Time It's Real by Ann Liang
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsWhen seventeen-year-old Eliza Lin’s essay about meeting the love of her life unexpectedly goes viral, her entire life changes overnight. Now she has the approval of her classmates at her new international school in Beijing, a career-launching internship opportunity at her favorite magazine…and a massive secret to keep.Eliza made her essay up... -
![Working Man by Melanie Schuster]()
Working Man by Melanie Schuster
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFunny and feisty true-crime writer Dakota Phillips has "almost" everything she wants. She's still looking for the perfect man: very tall, very educated and very cultured--all wrapped up in rich chocolate brown. So far, her insecurities about her generous curves and her independent streak have kept her searching. Nick is a self-made mogul who works hard, plays hard and loves life's finer things... -
![If You Still Recognise Me by Cynthia So]()
If You Still Recognise Me by Cynthia So
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsElsie has a crush on Ada, the only person in the world who truly understands her. Unfortunately, they've never met in real life and Ada lives an ocean away. But Elsie has decided it's now or never to tell Ada how she feels. That is, until her long-lost best friend Joan walks back into her life... -
![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 -
![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... -
![Falling for Korea by Piper Jean]()
Falling for Korea by Piper Jean
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAmerica meets K-drama in this rollercoaster plot with a fresh take on romance and what it means to be family.When Sydney is sent to Seoul to live with a family she’s never met, she encounters unexpected chemistry with their son, but must fight to unravel the mystery of why she was sent away... -
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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.. -
![Turning the Page by Katrina Abbott]()
Turning the Page by Katrina Abbott
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCelia Thomas should be living a charmed life; as the niece of Hollywood's current it guy, whose whole family is on the payroll, she doesn't have to worry about money or future job prospects. Except maybe she doesn't want to go into the family business... -
![On the Bright Side by Anna Sortino]()
On the Bright Side by Anna Sortino
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA hopeful novel about love, disability, and the inevitability of change by the author of Give Me a Sign.Ellie’s Deaf boarding school just shut down, forcing her to leave the place she considered home and return to her hearing family. Back in a mainstream school, Ellie quickly becomes the subject of hateful rumors...Categorized as:
realistic coming-of-age friendship poc-mc romance young-adult disability 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... -
![Ethan Between Us by Anna Myers, Julia Laserna]()
Ethan Between Us by Anna Myers, Julia Laserna
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEthan is different. He is gorgeous, easy to talk to, and a uniquely gifted pianist. But his musical talent is both a gift and a curse. The doctors label him a schizophrenic, as he claims to have been taught by a long-dead, 19th-century composer... -
![Reggie and Delilah's Year of Falling by Elise Bryant]()
Reggie and Delilah's Year of Falling by Elise Bryant
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDelilah always keeps her messy, gooey insides hidden behind a wall of shrugs and yeah, whatevers. She goes with the flow—which is how she ends up singing in her friends’ punk band as a favor, even though she’d prefer to hide at the merch table.Reggie is a D&D Dungeon Master and self-declared Blerd... -
![Now I'll Tell You Everything by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor]()
Now I'll Tell You Everything by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt's Alice—for the rest of her life! Yes, the very last Alice book, and it reveals every last bit you'd want to know about Alice, including whether she spends the rest of her life with Patrick! "This is the book where Alice, every girl’s girl, turns into every lady’s lady" (VOYA).Alice McKinley is going to college! And everything, from her room to her classes to her friends, is about to change... -
![This Place Is Still Beautiful by XiXi Tian]()
This Place Is Still Beautiful by XiXi Tian
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsTwo sisters. A shocking racist incident. The summer that will change both of their lives forever. Despite having had near-identical upbringings, sisters Annalie and Margaret agree on only one thing: that they have nothing in common. Nineteen-year-old Margaret is driven, ambitious, and keenly aware of social justice issues... -
![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...Categorized as:
coming-of-age friendship realistic book contemporary family fiction friends-to-lovers -
![Twenty-Four Seconds from Now...A Love Story by Jason Reynolds]()
Twenty-Four Seconds from Now...A Love Story by Jason Reynolds
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsJason Reynolds tackles it—you know…it—from the guy’s perspective in this stream of consciousness story of a teen boy about to experience a huge first.Twenty-four months ago: Neon gets chased by a dog all around the parking lot of a church. Not his finest moment. And definitely one he would have loved to forget if it weren’t for the dog’s owner: Aria... -
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![How to Be Remy Cameron by Julian Winters]()
How to Be Remy Cameron by Julian Winters
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsEveryone on campus knows Remy Cameron. He's the out-and-proud, super-likable guy who friends, faculty, and fellow students alike admire for his cheerful confidence. The only person who isn't entirely sure about Remy Cameron is Remy himself... -
![Whisper by Chrissie Perry]()
Whisper by Chrissie Perry
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsI'm always trying to figure out what's really going on. Always having to fill in the gaps, but never getting all the details. It's like trying to do a jigsaw when I don't even know what the picture is, and I'm missing one of the vital middle pieces... -
![The Jasmine Project by Meredith Ireland]()
The Jasmine Project by Meredith Ireland
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsJenny Han meets The Bachelorette in this effervescent romantic comedy about a teen Korean American adoptee who unwittingly finds herself at the center of a competition for her heart, as orchestrated by her overbearing, loving family.Jasmine Yap’s life is great. Well, it’s okay... -
![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... -
![The Victoria in My Head by Janelle Milanes]()
The Victoria in My Head by Janelle Milanes
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA shy, rule-following teen joins a local rock band and finds herself caught between staying on the path she’s always known and straying off-course to find love, adventure, and danger in this novel that’s perfect for fans of Rainbow Rowell.Victoria Cruz inhabits two worlds: In one, she is a rock star, thrashing the stage with her husky voice and purple-streaked hair... -
![The Knockout by S.A. Patel, Sajni Patel]()
The Knockout by S.A. Patel, Sajni Patel
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA rising star in Muay Thai figures out what (and who) is worth fighting for in this #ownvoices YA debut full of heart.If seventeen-year-old Kareena Thakkar is going to alienate herself from the entire Indian community, she might as well do it gloriously. She’s landed the chance of a lifetime, an invitation to the US Muay Thai Open, which could lead to a spot on the first-ever Olympic team... -
![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... -
![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... -
![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 -
![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... -
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![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... -
![Unscripted by Nicole Kronzer]()
Unscripted by Nicole Kronzer
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA funny and timely debut YA about the toxic masculinity at a famous improv comedy campSeventeen-year-old Zelda Bailey-Cho has her future all planned out: improv camp, then Second City, and finally Saturday Night Live... -
![Alice on Her Way by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor]()
Alice on Her Way by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFreedom! It's the moment Alice has been looking forward to for years -- her sixteenth birthday is coming up, and that means getting her driver's licence, with the freedom that entails. And before that important milestone, there's another delicious taste of freedom awaiting Alice and her friends -- a class trip to New York City, promising some serious partying once chaperones have gone to bed... -
![American Betiya by Anuradha D. Rajurkar]()
American Betiya by Anuradha D. Rajurkar
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFans of Sandhya Menon, Erika Sanchez and Jandy Nelson will identify with this powerful story of a young artist grappling with first love, family boundaries, and the complications of a cross-cultural relationship.Rani Kelkar has never lied to her parents, until she meets Oliver... -
![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... -
![The Secret Side of Empty by Maria E. Andreu]()
The Secret Side of Empty by Maria E. Andreu
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA Junior Library Guild Selection, 2014A Junior Library Guild Selection, 2014A School Library Journal Top 10 Latino Books of 2014As a straight-A student with a budding romance and loyal best friend, M.T.’s life seems as apple-pie American as her blondish hair and pale skin. But M.T. hides two facts to the contrary: her full name of Monserrat Thalia and her status as an undocumented immigrant... -
![The Brothers Torres by Coert Voorhees]()
The Brothers Torres by Coert Voorhees
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrankie Towers has always looked up to his older brother, Steve, and with good reason. Steve is a popular senior who always gets what he wants: girls, a soccer scholarship, and--lately--street cred. Frankie, on the other hand, spends his time shooting off fireworks with his best friend Zach, working at his parents' restaurant, and obsessing about his longtime crush, Rebecca Sanchez... -
![Footfree & Fancyloose by Elizabeth Craft, Sarah Fain]()
Footfree & Fancyloose by Elizabeth Craft, Sarah Fain
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBest friends Harper Waddle, Sophie Bushell, and Kate Foster committed the ultimate suburban sin: bailing on college to pursue their dreams. Middlebury-bound Becca Winsberg was convinced her friends had gone insane until they reminded her she just might have a dream of her own. Now the year is half-way through and their dreams seem within reach. Well, almost... -
![Hate is Such a Strong Word by Sarah Ayoub]()
Hate is Such a Strong Word by Sarah Ayoub
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI hate being invisible. I hate that I still can′t fight my own battles. I hate that I can′t keep up with the demands of high school. Sophie Kazzi is in Year 12 at an all-Lebanese, all-Catholic school where she is invisible, uncool and bored out of her brain... -
![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... -
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![A Song for Bijou by Josh Farrar]()
A Song for Bijou by Josh Farrar
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLife for Alex Schrader has never involved girls. He goes to an all-boys prep school and spends most of his time goofing around with his friends. But all that changes the first time he meets Bijou Doucet, a Haitian girl recently relocated to Brooklyn after the earthquake-and he is determined to win her heart... -
![An Echo in the City by K.X. Song]()
An Echo in the City by K.X. Song
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTwo star-crossed teenagers fall in love during the Hong Kong protests in this searing contemporary novel about coming-of-age in a time of change. Sixteen-year-old Phoenix knows her parents have invested thousands of dollars to help her leave Hong Kong and get an elite Ivy League education. They think America means big status, big dreams, and big bank accounts... -
![I'll Tell You Mine by Pip Harry]()
I'll Tell You Mine by Pip Harry
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsKate Elliot isn't trying to fit in – that's the whole point of being a goth, isn't it?Everything about her – from her hair to her clothes – screams different and the girls at her school give her a wide berth. How can Kate be herself, really herself, when she's hiding her big secret? The one that landed her in boarding school in the first place...Categorized as:
coming-of-age friendship realistic boarding-school book contemporary fiction high-school -
![Crazy for the Competition by Cindi Madsen]()
Crazy for the Competition by Cindi Madsen
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe road to trouble is paved with sweet temptation… Always the rebel in her ultra-conservative family, Quinn Sakata dreams of quitting her dad's real-estate business and restoring the old Mountain Ridge Bed and Breakfast in her hometown of Hope Springs. Except that Quinn's not the only person bidding on it... -
![Pwned by Shannen Crane Camp]()
Pwned by Shannen Crane Camp
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsReagan West has a perfect life. She’s at the top of the high school food chain as co-captain of the cheerleading squad and she’s best friends with the most evil girl in Albany, Tawny Perez, which means she’s never on the receiving end of her wrath... -
![Claire Gets Caught by Katherine Applegate]()
Claire Gets Caught by Katherine Applegate
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsClaire just can't mind her own business. It may be meddling, but she knows deep down inside, her friends desperately need her guidance. How would they every get by without her? The gang is going on a ski trip to Killington and everyone is sure they'll have a fantastic time. But with Claire along, there may be more trouble than fun...Categorized as:
coming-of-age friendship realistic book contemporary female-author fiction womens-fiction
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