Friendships are such an important part of life and I will forever advocate for more ya books where friends are there, up front and center. They deserve it. Honestly, I feel like there is such focus on romance in those books sometimes that we forget just how incredibly vital those platonical relationships can be…. and how just as devastating it can be when there’s a break-up.
Today, I thought I’d compile for you all a little list of ya books about friendships. There’s a little bit of everything, here, from the complex ones to the break-ups, to the strong, unshakable relationships. I hope you’ll find a book you love and please, give me some of your recommendations in comments as well!
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10 YA Books About Friendships and Friendship Break-Ups
When You Were Everything, Ashley Woodfolk
When You Were Everything is such a stunning book about friendship and friendships break-ups, I adore it. Told between now and then moments, we discover Cleo and Layla’s friendship as it slowly grows, change and finally, explodes into a tiny million pieces and the consequences of it all. A powerful tale I 200% recommend.
☂️ Buy on: Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
We Used To Be Friends, Amy Spalding
Another book about friendships break-ups, yay! I know we need way more of these kind of books. Even if they’re heartbreaking to read, they’re so, so important. We Used To Be Friends explores the break-up of childhood best friends. While James prepares to go off to college, Kat gets into a new relationship, the two best friends’ relationship gradually changes… A bittersweet, emotional read.
☂️ Buy on: Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
Darius The Great is Not Okay, Adib Khorram
Oh, Darius is one of my favorite characters of all times. This book is a beautiful story about Darius, going to Iran to meet part of his family for the first time. It’s a stunning tale of identity and self-discovery, but also about true friendship and I loved it so much.
☂️ Buy on: Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
Since You’ve Been Gone, Morgan Matson
When Sloane, Emily’s best friend disappears, leaving a to-do-list, Emily doesn’t know what to do. It’s thanks to Sloane that Emily managed to get out of her comfort zone and without her, she’s lost. Slowly, as she checks off things off the to-do-list, Emily discovers everything she can do as she chases her best friend… A lovely story about friendship, self-discovery and I loved it so much!
☂️ Find the book on: Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
Miss Meteor, Tehlor Kay Mejia & Anna-Marie McLemore
Look at me screaming about Miss Meteor again. This book is everything okay. It’s about two ex-best friends teaming up to win the Miss Meteor contest. It’s about self-love, friendship, with incredible friends to lovers romance and just a whole lot of love and a bit of stardust. It’s amazing.
☂️ Buy on: Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
Goodbye, Perfect, Sara Barnard
Goodbye, Perfect is about a girl whose best friend suddenly runs away with a guy she barely knows. It’s a complicated story about friendship and the way we see people, it’s about the pressure of being perfect, it’s about family, too. I definitely recommend this one!
☂️ Buy on: Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
This Is What It Feels Like, Rebecca Barrow
Dia, Hanna and Jules used to be inseparable, but ever since a failed relationship, rehab and a baby happened… their friendship fell apart. Can they get back together for the sake of a music contest with an incredible price? This Is What It Feels Like is a cruelly underrated, incredible story about recovery, friends and I just love it so much!
☂️ Buy on: Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
Am I Normal Yet, Holly Bourne
Am I Normal Yet is not an easy read, but a necessary one. It has stunning mental health representation (for me), but also gives such a big, important place to friendships and having a support system and I love that so much. If you’re looking for a great read with a main character dealing with OCD and incredible friends you want to hug, give this one a try!
☂️ Buy on: Book Depository – Blackwell’s
Radio Silence, Alice Oseman
Radio Silence has one of the best boy-girl friendship I’ve read and I love it so much for that. Frances and Aled were meant to be best friends, they’re such dorks together and ah I love them so much. Aside from that, this story is about perfection, going off to college, stressing out about life, who you are and so much more. It’s such a good contemporary read!
☂️ Buy on: Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
Foolish Hearts, Emma Mills
Emma Mills writes some of the best friendships in YA books, this needs to be said. Foolish Hearts is a favorite of mine. Claudia witnesses the break-up of THE sapphic couple of her high school and is then forced to team up with one of them, a closed-off, tough Iris. The unlikely friendship growing between Iris and Claudia, the family vibes and the happy feels, plus the relatability of this book makes this a contemporary winner for me.
☂️ Buy on: Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
You might also be interested in: 10 of my Favorite Romances in YA Books
📌 Pin 10 YA Books About Friendships on Pinterest!
Did you read any of these books? Do you want to?
What are some books with a friendship that you loved? I’d love to hear your recommendations!
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I also read When You Were Everything last month and it is really a book that sticks to me. I am still not sure if I am happy or sad about the ending but it had me crying😭. I mean, it is one of the most emotional books I have read this year! I guess it is that sort of book that shows a different aspect of friendship that I really liked despite the fact that it broke my heart very much 🙁
AHH me too, that ending made me so emotional 😭 but I found it so fitting, too. I’m so happy you enjoyed it so much as well, this book deserves way more praise and hype! Thank you so much for your comment! <3
I love all of these recs! I cannot wait to start with Radio Silence, it’s been on my TBR forever.
Ahh thank you so much! I hope you’ll love it, it’s one of my favorites 🙂
Since You’ve Been Gone and Foolish Hearts are great examples! I loved both of these books.
Ahh yay! Both are amazing! 😀
Amazing list! 💕
I just added Radio Silence to my physical TBR and you’ve made me even more excited to read it soon! 😃
AH YAY! I can’t wait to hear what you think of it! 😀
I absolutely loved radio silence & we used to be friends too!
am I normal yet? and When you were everything were already on my list, now adding Goodbye perfect and this is what it feels like.
AH you have so many great books on your TBR, Kristina! I can’t wait to hear what you think of them all 😀
I absolutely loved this post! Since You’ve Been Gone is a favorite of mine too, I thought that the premise was so fun and felt like I was going on the adventure myself! 🙂
Oh thank you SO much!! <3 I loved Since You've Been Gone so much, it took me on the adventure as well! Have you read Morgan Matson's latest, Take Me Home Tonight? I found that same feeling in this book :D
I haven’t read any of these but I want to get radio silence. Great recs!
Ah I hope you’ll read it and will love it, it’s so great! 🙂
I love books that have a strong friendship in them that’s not romantic whatsoever. Not every book needs to have a romance!
The Bookish Life of Tiffany
Agree! We need way more friendships, always! 🙂
I read 7 of these (all great). Emma Mills creates some of my favorite friend groups. I also really appreciate all the authors addressing friend break ups. I think it’s important to represent them.
Ah yay! I really need to read all of Emma Mills’ books!
truy friendships in ya are so underrated and tend to get overshadowed by romance, so thank you SO much for this list! when you were everything sounds like such a poignant story while darius the great a meaningful one, so excited to get to them! ❤
Oh thank you so much for your kind comment, Cherelle! I hope you’ll love these books, they’re both favorites of mine <3
I love friendship books, so I was so excited about your list!! ❤ I loved We Used to Be Friends, so When You Were Everything sounds right up my alley 🥰 Miss Meteor is on my August TBR, I hope I get around to reading it 😊
Ahhh Caro, I hope you’ll read those books and update me when you do, I have a feeling you’d love them 😀
I adore this list because in the last year, I’ve actually lost two friendships that were so important to me :/ I’ve never been in that position before, so it was def an interesting thing to navigate!! I’d love to read books that have this theme since i can now really understand what it’s like. Love this xx
Oh thank you Macey and I’m so sorry this happened to you. This can be so painful. I hope you’ll give some of these books a try and will enjoy them <3
Since you’ve been gone and Am I normal yet? are both criminally underrated! I can’t wait to read When you were everything though, since you keep talking about it + We used to be friends sounds really good too! Lovely post!!
Right? They need way more praise, they’re incredible. Thank you so, so much, Birdie!! <3
i love this list! i’ll definitely be adding some of these books to my tbr!
Oh thank you so much!! 🙂