If You Liked . . . #17: A YA Contemporary Extravaganza!

Hi friends!

I’ve been a little MIA, which most of you probably don’t notice if you only read my blog, but I’ve been feeling a little out of it! Distracted, feeling a little listless, and whatnot. Anyways, these If You Liked . . . posts are like, the single constant in my life, so you’re not getting out of it today!

Today I have ten contemporary recommendations for you–five sets of two that are paired together. We have everything from mystery/thriller to romance, to coming of age and comedy! So there’s a lot of good options for you to read . . .

Anyways, we’ll get right into it! Goodreads links are in the titles!

If you liked The Spaces Between Us, you’ll love Wild and Crooked!

This one is kind of weird because my whole recommendation is inverted, pub-date-wise, but if you want a contemporary in a rural setting, definitely check these out!

I haven’t read The Spaces Between Us, but it’s set in a dying factory town and heavily centers friendship. Similarly, Leah Thomas’ Wild and Crooked (which I read and loved) is set in rural Kentucky as two queer teens build a friendship and get to the bottom of a decades old murder mystery.

I think rural settings are highly overlooked in YA, but I definitely think these are two great additions that work well together given their themes! Woo for friendship!

If you liked Our Year of Maybe, you’ll love The Best Lies!

MORE FRIENDSHIP! (Toxic, this time!)

Our Year of Maybe is one of my favorite novels (read my review here!), as Solomon handles Peter & Sophie’s friendship-breakup (and after Sophie donated a kidney to him) really well. I love how she really showed that part of teen life that’s not really written a lot, and it makes it such a poignant read.

On the other hand, The Best Lies, while also dealing with friendship, is a bit of an “after” book and a psychological thriller because, well, people are dead. I’m excited to start reading this week, so keep an eye out for my review later!

If you liked Always Never Yours, you’ll love Don’t Date Rosa Santos!

ARE YOU READY FOR SWOONS AND CUTENESS?

Both of these are just adorable well-rounded romcoms that I can’t recommend enough (romcoms are SO underrated, tbh). I wholeheartedly recommend everyone check both of these out.

Always Never Yours features theater kids and Romeo & Juliet inspiration, while Don’t Date Rosa Santos emphasizes the idea of community, love, and family (and its ties to culture) with its strong story. I reviewed both here and here respectively! (Read then and then come scream about them with me!)

If you liked The Poet X, you’ll love This Time Will Be Different!

I love a good coming of age as much as the next person, and I especially am in love with both of these.

Poignant, heartfelt, and dealing with family issues, The Poet X and This Time Will Be Different both pack in a well-needed story not just of the protagonists, but also of community, their families, and shaky relationships with both family and love interests.

If you want something that’s a little more than just your fluffy contemporary, something that will pack a bit of a gut punch, definitely check both of these out. They’re so well rounded, and some of the first books I’d recommend to a contemporary lover.

(I reviewed The Poet X here and This Time Will Be Different here!)

If you liked Trouble Is a Friend of Mine, you’ll love The Dead Queens Club!

COMEDY GOLD.

Okay, maybe it depends on your sense of humor, but if you want something a little silly, a little wild, and a heck of a lot of fun (embrace the young teen in yourself!) definitely check out both of these books.

They’re a little silly–great for younger YA readers (and older, too!)–and pack in a lot of fun mixed into some darker themes. Both were books that were refreshing to me because they broke up the monotony of a lot of fantasies (sorry @ fantasy) and I had a silly smile on my face for a decent portion of the time.

Definitely check them out if you want something funny, a little bit over the top, and all sorts of trouble! And read my review of The Dead Queens Club here!

What is your favorite contemporary from 2019?