Love and crushes can be wonderful, complicated, and exhilarating all at the same time. Of course, there are so many questions that pop up when you’re crushing hard or falling for someone new — are your feelings for them genuine? Do they like you-like you? How do you know if you’re ready for the next step in a relationship (or situationship)? While asking your mom, sister, and besties is a tried and true go-to for answers, sometimes, it’s nice to gain perspective on your love life from an unbiased source: enter, the best teen romance books of all time.
Young adult novels (often dubbed YA) are powerful devices to learn about and explore subjects such as friendship, family, race, identity, and yes, love and heartbreak. Written from the perspective of a young person, these books are often relatable and helpful when trying to navigate experiences of your own. So, whether you’re grappling with matters of the heart or love to get lost in a good romance, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best teen romance books that’ll keep you believing in love, even if you’re dealing with heartbreak.
Psst... Seventeen has a book club! If you’re a book lover just like us, join Open Book: The Seventeen Book Club. Every winter, spring, summer, and fall, we pick a new YA book to read, discuss, ponder, and gush over. Join us on Discord, and at the reading period’s end, look out for a Seventeen exclusive interview with the novel’s author.
1
“Heartstopper” by Alice Oseman
Can’t wait for the season 2 premiere of Heartstopper on Netflix? (Same.) Then catch up on the complete graphic novel series (four volumes!), which chronicles Nick and Charlie’s sweet love story.
2
“French Kissing in New York” by Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau
Margot and Zach fall in love one night in Paris, but soon return to their separate lives, anchored by the promise that they’ll reunite. One year later, Margot arrives in New York, ready to kickstart her career as a chef, and hopefully, finally, reconnect with Zach. Then she meets Ben — and begins to question whether Zach is her one true love after all.
3
“Beating Heart Baby” by Lio Min
Santi joins the marching band at his new high school, where everyone greets him with open arms. Everyone, that is, except for Suwa, who doesn’t think Santi has what it takes to be there. But, connected by their painful pasts, Santi and Suwa form a friendship. Their bond soon develops into something more, all the while their music dreams and aspirations threaten to tear them apart.
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4
“They Both Die at the End” by Adam Silvera
The story follows Rufus and Mateo, two boys who recently found out that today is their final day on earth. Fate brings them together in NYC as they try to live their final hours to the fullest, before they have to say goodbye forever.
5
“The First to Die at the End” by Adam Silvera
The prequel to Adam Silvera’s bestselling novel takes place on the night before Death-Cast goes live. Orion, with a serious heart condition, wants a warning before he dies. Meanwhile, Valentino signed up for Death-Cast after his twin sister’s near-fatal car accident. The two meet in Times Square, but when one receives an End Day call and other doesn’t, they embark on a day that will change their lives forever.
6
“Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute” by Talia Hibbert
Brad and Celine are ex-besties who now share nothing more than an academic rivalry. But when they both sign up for a survival course in the middle of the woods, they have no other option but to work together and confront their past.
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7
“The Henna Wars” by Adiba Jaigirdar
After coming out to her parents, Nishat no longer wants to hide any part of herself. But her parents don’t approve and tell her she must be confused. While stuck between the choice of remaining true to herself and keeping her family, Nishat reunites with her childhood friend, Flávia. Tensions between Nishat and Flávia heighten when the two both enter their henna-making businesses into an entrepreneurial contest at school — but as the competition intensifies, so does Nishat’s crush on Flávia.
8
“Love from Scratch” by Kaitlyn Hill
Reese arrives in Seattle for her summer internship with cooking channel Friends of Flavor. Determined to land the fall position, she doesn’t let cute, charming Benny Beneventi get in her way — or steal her heart. But then a video segment of the two go viral, and as they’re thrust into on-air cooking contests day after day, their feelings become harder and harder to ignore.
9
“All That’s Left in the World” by Erik J. Brown
Post-apocalypse adventure meets romance in this YA novel, which follows Jamie and Andrew, two teens who depend on each other as they evade a deadly disease and desperately seek civilization.
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10
“The Stars and The Blackness Between Them” by Junauda Petrus
Told from two perspectives, this fearless story follows two young Black girls struggling to find their place in the world. Audre is going through a lot. Originally from Trinidad, she’s sent to live with her father in Minneapolis after her mother catches her with a secret girlfriend. In Minneapolis she’ll meet Mabel, who happens to be going through a lot, too. Mabel has been ill for most of the summer and thinks... she might like girls. When their worlds collide, love hits hard and fast — but adding to the momentum is a grim diagnosis that thrusts their romance into an uncertain future.
11
“History Is All You Left Me” by Adam Silvera
Griffin always believed he and his ex-boyfriend, Theo, would get back together. But then Theo tragically dies in a drowning accident and the only person who can truly understand how Griffin feels his Theo’s new boyfriend, Jackson.
12
“The Music of What Happens” by Bill Konigsberg
Max and Jordan are complete opposites of each other, but they can't help but fall in love while working together at Coq Au Vinny, a 1980s-themed food truck, over the summer. They soon have to come face to face with their biggest fears to truly get what they want out of life and each other.
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13
“Opposite of Always” by Justin A. Reynolds
What if you had the chance to save your significant other? After his girlfriend Kate dies from sickle cell disease, Jack suddenly finds himself back at the moment where they first met over and over again. Will Jack find something in time to be able to help Kate or will he have to live through their relationship all over again knowing how it ends?
14
“Hot Dog Girl” by Jennifer Dugan
Lou Parker sets out to have the most perfect summer of her life, thanks to her new job at Magic Castle Playland. However, as the summer starts, she realizes that nothing is going as planned, including her new job which requires her to dress up as a hot dog, and her crush, who is currently dating the girl who is also playing the park's princess. After learning that Magic Castle Playland is set to close at the end of the summer, Lou must find a way to save the park and her summer before it ends.
15
“It’s Kind of a Funny Story” by Ned Vizzini
Ambitious New York City teenager Craig Gilner is determined to succeed at life - which means getting into the right high school to get the right job. But once Craig aces his way into Manhattan's Executive Pre-Professional High School, the pressure becomes unbearable.
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16
“The Poet X” by Elizabeth Acevedo
This New York Times bestselling novel in verse (a feat, if ever there was one!) centers on Dominican American Xiomara, a young girl growing up in Harlem with her religious immigrant family. Her mom is overbearing in impressing Catholicism on Xio and her twin brother, but Xio spills her soul in the pages of her journal, documenting the dramas and traumas of first-generation life, addressing religion, crises of faith, sexual harassment, and the rush of first love (and lust).
17
“The Sun is Also a Star” by Nicola Yoon
Natasha Kingsley is an undocumented immigrant from Jamaica who is about to be deported due to her status. Since she was brought here when she was young, all she's ever known is the United States. As she tries to find a way for her and her family to stay, she meets Daniel who is unhappy with his current life as he tries to continue to please his parents. The two decide to spend the day together and slowly fall in love even though they know their time together is limited.
18
“Five Feet Apart” by Rachael Lippincott
Seventeen-year-old Stella must stay in a hospital due to her cystic fibrosis. While she finds her life there dull, she soon meets Will, another young cystic fibrosis patient. Despite their instant connection, they two of them cannot be close together because of their illness. As they fall for each other, they must come to terms with their feelings and the illness that is keeping them apart.
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19
“Twilight” Saga by Stephanie Meyer
Is there a love story of our generation as epic as the Twilight saga? Travel to Forks, Washington and meet Bella Swan, who grapples between her intense love for vampire Edward Cullen and affection for werewolf Jacob Black.
20
“Simon vs. the hom*o Sapiens Agenda” by Becki Albertalli
If you missed the groundbreaking movie adaptation, Love, Simon, that came out in 2018, you need to read this poignant book first.
Simon Spier is a closeted gay teen, but when a classmate learns his secret and threatens to out him, Simon is forced to make a tough decision about his future.
MORE: The Love, Simon Cast On Advice They'd Give Their Teenage Selves
Stacey Grant
Senior Editor
Stacey Grant is a senior editor at Seventeen who runs the brand's Snapchat Discover channel. She also covers entertainment topics specializing in nostalgia, such as classic '90s and '00s Disney Channel and Nickelodeon content.
Leah Campano
Associate Editor
Leah Campano is an Associate Editor at Seventeen, where she covers pop culture, entertainment news, health, and politics. On the weekends, you can probably find her watching marathons of vintage Real Housewives episodes or searching for New York City’s best almond croissants.
