Book picks similar to
That Freak Kid by Samantha Stemler


contemporaries
goth-emo-punk-characters
high-school
realist-young-adult

How They Met, and Other Stories


David Levithan - 2008
    Here are 18 stories, all about love, and about all kinds of love. From the aching for the one you pine for, to standing up and speaking up for the one you love, to pure joy and happiness, these love stories run the gamut of that emotion that at some point has turned every one of us inside out and upside down. What is love? With this original story collection David Levithan proves that love is a many splendored thing, a varied, complicated, addictive, wonderful thing.

The Long Walk (The Bridge #2)


Jill Cox - 2018
    And when a childhood dream bubbles up through the cracks in her life, Meredith can’t help but wonder if this new path was her true destiny all along.From Ireland to Oregon, from Paris to Shanghai, follow Meredith into a future she never imagined. Because sometimes, the story is more important than the ending.This sequel to THE BRIDGE is a sweet contemporary romance, perfect for fans of Jane Austen’s PERSUASION or L. M. Montgomery’s ANNE OF THE ISLAND.CONTENT WARNING: THE LONG WALK contains multiple scenes addressing death, grief, and mental health issues (depression, PTSD, and accident-related trauma).

This Is Where It Ends


Marieke Nijkamp - 2016
    Nijkamp portrays the events thoughtfully, recounting fifty-four intense minutes of bravery, love, and loss." —BookRiot

Stonebriar Academy: School for Dragon Riders


Tom Boyhan - 2016
    Jamie and his mother have returned to his mother’s home, Aurellius—a world where dragons, dwarves, elves, and other so-called mythological creatures actually exist. It is a world created by the leader of the Dragons, Dragonith, and his mate, Gwenith. Even though life on Aurellius is not the ideal that Dragonith and Gwenith had envisioned, it is still far better than Earth, where the nine races have wreaked havoc and exploited Earth’s people. But now a movement, led by a group called The Sisterhood, would seize the powerful “Dragon’s Heart” in order to gain total control of Aurellius. Jamie is unwittingly being drawn into this struggle, with his very life at stake. In order to survive, he must learn many skills that he can only learn in Stonebriar Academy. However, competition to enter Stonebriar Academy is grueling, and only one hundred students will be granted admission. And gaining admission is Jamie’s only hope if he is to survive against the Sisterhood. Jamie desperately wants to be admitted to Stonebriar, not only to give himself a fighting chance against the Sisterhood but also so that he might learn something that a few short months ago he didn’t even know existed—how to fly with a Dragon.

All the Bright Places


Jennifer Niven - 2015
    But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him. Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death. When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink. This is an intense, gripping novel perfect for fans of Jay Asher, Rainbow Rowell, John Green, Gayle Forman, and Jenny Downham from a talented new voice in YA, Jennifer Niven.

Openly, Honestly


Bill Konigsberg - 2017
    He wasn't expecting his best friend, Claire Olivia, to kidnap him. And he definitely wasn't expecting what she has planned to cheer him up...Ben Carver was honestly planning to spend winter break at home in New Hampshire not thinking about Rafe. But he wasn't expecting to run into his ex-girlfriend, who's still interested in him. And he wasn't expecting to find himself still attracted to her...Openly, Honestly tells two funny, sad, beautiful stories that were made for anyone who has longed for one person to see you, to understand you, and to love you exactly as you are.

The Heart Rate of a Mouse (The Heart Rate of a Mouse, #1-9)


Anna Green - 2016
    RYDEN <3

Creating Chaos


Lacey Dailey - 2018
    His sexual identity and close friendship with his parents has made him a target for every bully in Hillside High's student body. With less than a year to graduation, Gideon hopes to lay low and get out unscathed.In a failed first attempt at blending in, Gideon finds himself seated next to Elliott Oakley—the new kid.Following his mother's death, Elliott packs his bags and leaves small town Iowa for a fresh start in Durham, North Carolina. Making new friends was not on his agenda but when Gideon sits beside him, a frown on his face, he can't help but make conversation.Side by side in Chemistry class, Gideon and Elliott bond over a mutual hatred for teenage torment and a shared love of earning trophies. As the year progresses, their friendship evolves into something unexpected yet welcome. Their new relationship ensures they stick out like a sore thumb but when they're together, blending in doesn't seem so important anymore. Together, they have exactly what they need to survive their final months of high school.Until Elliott's past makes the journey from Iowa all the way to North Carolina, threatening to destroy their bond. Gideon and Elliott are left to wonder... is love really strong enough?

My Monster


Einat Segal - 2018
    Landon's here for a reason, somehow Shawn's involved and there were careful plans set in motion with Sophie at their center.Now, to be the boss of her own fate, Sophie must learn to tell apart the mess in her heart form the madness of a world where monsters are real.

If He Had Been with Me


Laura Nowlin - 2013
    But I should've been. It was raining, of course. And he and Sylvie were arguing as he drove down the slick road. No one ever says what they were arguing about. Other people think it's not important. They do not know there is another story. The story that lurks between the facts. What they do not know—the cause of the argument—is crucial.So let me tell you...

Hello?


Liza M. Wiemer - 2015
    One HELLO can save a life.Tricia: A girl struggling to find her way after her beloved grandma's death.Emerson: A guy who lives his life to fulfill promises, real and hypothetical.Angie: A girl with secrets she can only express through poetry.Brenda: An actress and screenplay writer afraid to confront her past.Brian: A potter who sets aside his life for Tricia, to the detriment of both.Linked and transformed by one phone call, Hello? weaves together these five Wisconsin teens' stories into a compelling narrative of friendship and family, loss and love, heartbreak and healing, serendipity, and ultimately hope.Told from all five viewpoints: narration (Tricia), narration (Emerson), free verse poetry (Angie), screenplay format (Brenda), narration and drawings (Brian).

Out of the Darkness


Danielle Keil - 2020
    Meet Brandon:I was the king of the world. I had popularity, two state football championships, admittance to play ball at a top Division 1 school, and was ready for the best summer of my life. What I wasn’t ready for was Claire. From the moment I met her, she forced me to uncover parts of myself I didn’t know existed. The face I wore every day as the king of Parkdale was a façade. This girl was the sun that brightened my world, and I would always protect her. The problem was, how could I protect her from my own self destruction?Meet Claire:I liked my routine life. My best friends, Jackson and Ali, were by my side, I had a job lined up for the summer, and I was headed into my senior year. Things were steady. Things were good. Until Brandon. He came into my life like a whirlwind—strong, forceful, and just about knocked me over. I wasn’t the quintessential quarterback girlfriend type. I hated standing out in the crowd, being surrounded by people. And that was his entire life. Being with Brandon pulled me out of my shell. I handed him my heart, trusting him to protect it like he always protected me. The question was, would it be safe?

My Unscripted Life


Lauren Morrill - 2016
    Another sultry Georgia summer is about to get a lot hotter. Dee Wilkie is still licking her wounds after getting rejected by the precollege fine arts program of her dreams. But if she'd gone away, she wouldn't have been around to say yes to an unbelievable opportunity: working on the set of a movie filming in her small Southern town that just happens to be starring Milo Ritter, the famous pop star Dee (along with the rest of the world) has had a crush since eighth grade. It's not like Dee will be sharing any screen time with Milo—she's just a lowly PA. And Milo is so disappointingly rude that Dee is eager to stay far away from him. Except after a few chance meetings, she begins to wonder if just maybe there's a reason for his offensive attitude, and if there's more to Milo than his good looks and above-it-all Hollywood pedigree. Can a relationship with a guy like Milo ever work out for a girl like Dee? Never say never. . .

Hold Still


Nina LaCour - 2009
    . . in words and illustrations, Ingrid left behind a painful farewell in her journal for Caitlin. Now Caitlin is left alone, by loss and by choice, struggling to find renewed hope in the wake of her best friend’s suicide. With the help of family and newfound friends, Caitlin will encounter first love, broaden her horizons, and start to realize that true friendship didn’t die with Ingrid. And the journal which once seemed only to chronicle Ingrid’s descent into depression, becomes the tool by which Caitlin once again reaches out to all those who loved Ingrid—and Caitlin herself.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson


John Green - 2010
    One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two strangers are about to cross paths. From that moment on, their world will collide and lives intertwine.It's not that far from Evanston to Naperville, but Chicago suburbanites Will Grayson and Will Grayson might as well live on different planets. When fate delivers them both to the same surprising crossroads, the Will Graysons find their lives overlapping and hurtling in new and unexpected directions. With a push from friends new and old - including the massive, and massively fabulous, Tiny Cooper, offensive lineman and musical theater auteur extraordinaire - Will and Will begin building toward respective romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history's most awesome high school musical.