Hi friends! ☀️ Here I am again, back with an idea I’ve had in the back of my mind for a little while, now called… Blind date with a book!
You might be familiar with the concept, but for those of you who aren’t, let me paint you a quick picture of it all. Blind date with a book is about picking a book without knowing what it looks like, or its synopsis, necessarily. It’s about knowing some characteristics of the book (tropes, topics, types of characters, genre, for instance) and picking the book you want to read, based on that.
I wanted to explore that popular concept in bookstores in a blog post. I hope it’ll work well and that you’ll enjoy it: please feel free to let me know what you think of the idea! If you like it, I might try turning it into a series here on the blog ☀️
Happy reading, friends!
Blind Date With an Underrated YA Book: Take Your Pick!
Read all the little descriptions (on the images, transcripted below as well) and pick the one that you’re drawn to, the most. Click on it and you’ll be taken to the book of your choice ✨
- Book 1 : Celebrity Romance, Hollywood setting, fake-dating, real feelings, explores identity and belonging
- Book 2 : Crime podcast fans, road trip & a bucket list, OCD & anxiety rep, friends to lovers, female friendship, complex family relationship
- Book 3 : Veronica Mars vibes, badass main character, fast-paced, mix of contemporary & mystery, fiercely feminist
- Book 4 : Predict your future with an app, ex-best-friends to fake-dating, girls in STEM, adorable dad, slow-burning your feelings
- Book 5 : YA funny rom-com, ex-best friends, lots of banter, fat cheerleader man character, a whole lot of messy feelings
- Book 6 : A teenager & bestselling author, a fraud, a boy-next door, love triangle, complex father daughter relationship
The Underrated YA Books I Recommend
Book 1
Bad at Love, Gabriela Martins
Daniel is a famous band member and, according to the L.A tabloids, a bad boy. Sasha hates bad boys, but when she has an opportunity to earn a scholarship and make a name for herself at the celebrity magazine she works for… she decides to get close to Daniel. To get that story out of him.
This is a super fun YA rom-com, so heartwarming and with characters I immediately fell for. If you love Hollywood settings and stories about finding and showing who you really are, this is for you.
Find on Goodreads ☂️ Buy on: Amazon – Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
Book 2
Exactly Where You Need To Be, Amelia Diane Coombs
Florie’s OCD and her mother’s worrying has kept her from doing a lot of things. But when she wins tickets to see her favorite criminal podcasters in San Francisco, she and her best friend decides to go on a road trip there… without their parents knowing.
This has excellent anxiety/OCD rep, a wonderfully slow-burning romance, excellent friendships and I just, this is one of my favorite YA contemporary books ever, okay, just read it.
Find on Goodreads ☂️ Buy on: Amazon – Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
Book 3
The Accidental Bad Girl, Maxine Kaplan
After getting caught with her best friend’s ex, Kendall starts the year friendless, alone and with a bad girl reputation. When her online identity’s stolen and she’s suddenly accused of stealing drugs, she’ll have to figure out who really did it… and who she really wants to be, as well.
This is a fun YA mystery, perfect for Veronica Mars fans. Just like this show, Kendall’s such a badass main character and I absolutely adored the highlight on feminism and friendship.
Find on Goodreads ☂️ Buy on: Amazon – Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
Book 4
Seven Percent of Ro Devereux, Ellen O’Clover
For her senior project, Ro built an app that can predict your future. Where you’ll work, where you’ll live… and who you’ll end up with. She’ll do anything to prove it works and to earn her place at a top working spot in the Silicon Valley. When the app predicts she ends up with Miller, her ex- childhood best friend, she’ll have to pretend to date him…
I just adored this book so much. The characters with so much heart, the deliciously slow-burning romance with lots of feelings, the EMOTIONS. Definitely recommending it always.
Add to Goodreads ☂️ Buy on: Amazon – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
Book 5
A Disaster in Three Acts, Kelsey Rodkey
Kelsey Rodkey writes some of my favorites YA contemporary books, they’re always SO much fun to read. A Disaster in Three Acts is about Saine, an aspiring documentary filmmaker. To get into the program of her dreams, she has to turn to her ex-best friend, her new best friend’s ex…
I had a lot of fun reading that one: it’s filled with banter, excellent, realistic characters and some complex family drama, as well. A well-rounded, fun YA rom-com for sure!
Find on Goodreads ☂️ Buy on: Amazon – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
Book 6
The Undoing of Thistle Tate, Katelyn Detweiler
Ohh this one’s really underrated, but I found it excellent. It’s about Thistle, a teenager and bestselling author of a very popular series. The thing is? She’s also a fraud.
I absolutely loved the complex, messy family and romantic relationships in this one, the bookish, publishing side of the story, as well. It’s certainly a unique kind of story I’d recommend!
Find on Goodreads ☂️ Buy on: Amazon – Book Depository – Blackwell’s
Enjoyed this list? See a book you’d like to read? Order them through these retailers below and support our work. No extra fees and a brand new book for you, a little help for us. Thank you!
For more YA book recommendations, check out these blog posts:
- 12 Great YA Books To Read Based On Your Favorite Season
- Pick a winter aesthetic & get a YA book recommendation!
- 14 Great YA Books To Read Based on Your Favorite Romance Tropes (& My Thoughts On These Tropes)
📌 Pin Blind date with an underrated YA book on Pinterest!
What book did you pick? Do you feel like reading it?
Do you like this kind of blog post idea? I’d love to hear your thoughts in comments!
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Oh yesyes, please make this a serie!! I love looking at more underrated books, and your recs are always on point, Marie!
Oh thank you so much, Kristina, this means so much! 🥺🥺🥺
What a fun and creative concept! I love it. I would love to see you do this again. So so fun, and of course I haven’t read any of these before. I clicked on book 1, because it seemed right up my alley. I’ll tell you my thoughts whenever I get to it! xx
Melina | http://www.melinaelisa.com
Ahh thank you so much, so happy you enjoyed the post! Can’t wait to hear what you think of the book. Thank you!! xx
I looked at all of them hehe. I think I’ve seen some of them around but never thought of picking them up! Loved how you made them, totally wanted to make me read all of them at once 😂
Oh, btw, the Goodreads link for The Accidental Bad Girl is Bad at Love 💜 💜
Ahh yay I’m so happy to hear this though, I hope you’ll pick one of these (or all of them 😂) up sometime soon! Thank you so, so much!! <3
I picked Exactly Where You Need To Be which is great because I want to read that one! I also looooved Ro Devereux, I am glad to see it here too- it really has flown under the radar. I also really want to read Thistle Tate, too! Wonderful choices, this is so fun!
Ahhh thank you so much; Shannon! I hope you’ll love Exactly Where You Need to Be, it’s so good!! <3
The Undoing of Thistle Tate intrigued me! I’ll definitely be adding that to my TBR. This was a fun idea!
Oh thank you! I hope you’ll love the book! <3
This is such a fun idea, Marie!
I ended up picking Seven Percent of Ro Devereux and it seems very exciting. Added to my TBR 🙂
Ahh thank you! So happy you enjoyed it. I hope you’ll LOVE the book, please keep me updated whenever you read it!! 🙂
I read three of these with Ro and Exactly Where You Need to Be being huge hits for me. Fun post!
YAY! I love how we have the same taste in books 😀 Thank you so much, Sam! <3
I love this idea so much!! 🥰 I picked book 2 and of course it was Exactly Where You Need To Be, which I really need to read 💕 I also keep meaning to read A Disaster in Three Acts, The Undoing of Thistle Tate and Bad At Love 😊
AHH YAY! I can’t wait for you to read Exactly Where You Need to Be one, it’s so, so good! <3