13 YA Books That Highlight the Importance of Friendship | Brightly

YA Books Highlighting the Importance of Friendship

• Core Theme: Friendship is a vital developmental tool for teenagers, serving as a primary support system for self-discovery and navigating the transition from family-centric life to independence.
• Featured Titles & Key Concepts:
  • When the Ground Is Hard by Malla Nunn: Historical fiction set in 1965 Swaziland; explores an unlikely bond between a popular girl and an outcast. (Winner of the 2019 LA Times Book Prize).
  • The Beauty That Remains by Ashley Woodfolk: Focuses on three teens connected by loss and a shared love for the band "Unravelling Lovely."
  • I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez: Explores self-discovery and coping with grief within a Mexican American household.
  • What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum: Examines the intersection of friendship and romance between a popular student and an autistic classmate.
  • Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo: A story of identity and romance set against the backdrop of the Red Scare.
  • Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen: Follows two best friends navigating the complexities of love, sex, and responsibility during their junior year.
  • Scars Like Wings by Erin Stewart: A story of survival and friendship between two burn victims returning to high school.
  • Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram: Highlights male friendship and mental health, focusing on a teen battling clinical depression.
  • Wilder Girls by Rory Power: A dystopian tale of female friendship set during a deadly virus outbreak at a remote boarding school.
  • When You Were Everything by Ashley Woodfolk: Examines the painful dissolution of a long-term best friendship.
  • Seafire by Natalie C. Parker: Features an all-female crew of rebels led by best friends in a futuristic setting.
  • *The Radio Silence (implied context): Focuses on the pressures of high school friendships facing the transition of graduation.
  • *The Last True Poets of the Sea (implied context): Explores the void left by a faltering friendship and the use of technology to cope with loss.