Characters – and readers – can go through some really hard moments. From car crashes to suspension after confronting a teacher, our characters have been through some tough, frustrating, and even heartbreaking times. However, just as life may throw a curveball, there always is someone who is there to help them face their pain. These books never fail to show that love can help anyone get through these hard times. Pick up one of these five YA books where characters help each other heal over time.
All This Time by Mikki Daughtry and Rachael Lippincott
Kyle and Kimberly have been a perfect couple all through high school, but when Kimberly breaks up with him on the night of their graduation party, Kyle’s world flips. They get into a car crash, and while he may have a brain injury, Kimberly is dead. No one understands how he feels until he meets Marley who is facing her own tragic loss and feels like it’s her fault. As they work together to heal each other’s wounds, their feelings for each other grows as well.
Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds
When Jack and Kate meet at a party, Jack knows he’s falling for her hard. Soon Kate is winning over his friends as easily as she did Jack. But then Kate dies – and Jack is sent back to the moment he meets Kate. He isn’t sure if he is losing his mind seeing her happy and alive. But if it’s a chance to save Kate from death, Jack will take it. But Jack’s actions are not without consequences, and choices turn deadly for others around him. He will have to figure out what he’s willing to do to save the people he loves.
History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera
When Griffin’s first love and ex-boyfriend, Theo, dies in a car accident, Griffin’s world implodes. While Theo had moved to California for college and started seeing Jackson, Griffin was sure that Theo would come back to him when the time was right. To make things worse, the only person who really understands Griffin’s pain is Jackson. But no matter how much they open up to one another, Griffin is on a constant downward spiral. If Griffin is to ever build a future, he must first confront his past.
Love From A to Z by S.K. Ali
When Zayneb’s teacher keeps reminding her class that Muslims are “bad,” she confronts her teacher only to get suspension – and he begins to investigate her activist friends. Zayneb is sent to her aunt’s house in Doha, Qatar for an early start to spring break to try to be a “nicer” version of herself. While Adam was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in November, he’s been balancing between keeping the memory of his mom alive for his little sister – and hasn’t told his father his diagnosis yet. But when Adam and Zayneb cross paths, they just might be able to be their real selves.
The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
Natasha is a girl who is focused on science and facts and is not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him – especially when her family is being deported to Jamaica in twelve hours. Daniel is supposed to be the good son who reaches for his parent’s high expectations – but not the poet. When he meets Natasha, Daniel is sure that fate has something special for them.
