Looking for an unforgettable collection of YA books like Willow by Julia Hoban? As an award-winning author and blogger about issue-driven YA fiction, I know how powerful stories can open conversations about difficult topics, such as self-harm and cutting. Here are my top three recommendations, each offering a unique perspective on hope and recovery:
The Cutting Edge of Friendship by Khristina Chess - a powerful and unflinching novel about friendship, trauma, and healing as two best friends hide dangerous secrets—one about sexual assault and self-harm, and the other unknowingly walking into the predator’s trap.
Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow - a complex and bestselling novel about a girl working through recovery and the setbacks she experiences along the way.
Scars by Cheryl Rainfield - an emotional and heartbreaking novel about a self-harming girl who was raped at a very young age and now feels the man is stalking her again.
You’ll find detailed reviews of these and many other favorites below.
Stories have power. Reading YA books about self-harm and cutting can be helpful for a person struggling to find a way to cope with pain, as well as someone who loves someone who self-harms. Nonsuicidal self-harming is often misunderstood by family members and friends, which can only add to the sense of isolation, shame, and pain for the person who harms.
So which YA books like Willow should you read next? Discover your next great read for Self Injury Awareness Day in this roundup. These characters, their stories, their strength, and their scars are beautiful and inspiring. A couple of the books include eating disorders as well, which is more of an inadvertent method of self-harm that can also have devastating and lifelong consequences for young adults.
The Cutting Edge of Friendship by Khristina Chess
“Sometimes my inside hurts so bad that I need to make the outside hurt worse so the inside will stop.” ― Khristina Chess, quote from The Cutting Edge of Friendship
Absolutely gripping! For readers drawn to the emotional and physical scars of Julia Hoban’s popular novel Willow, The Cutting Edge of Friendship is for you. This realistic novel explores the wounds of self-harm, shame, and redemption following a sexual assault. Sadie’s resilience is fierce and unforgettable, and the book’s raw, unfiltered pain hits hard. This story doesn’t shy away from the truth—it reveals, with painful honesty, how self-harm can become a desperate response to trauma.
From the very first page, it’s clear that although Sadie and Elana have always shared everything, now they’re keeping secrets that could destroy them. On the night of the fireworks, something terrible happened to Sadie—something she can’t even name. Instead, she turns to cutting, the only way she knows to cope.
But Elana has secrets too. She’s been texting Hunter, making plans to meet in secret, and never questioning why he insists on hiding their relationship.
As their lives spiral deeper into danger, Sadie must find the strength to fight back—not just for herself, but for Elana—before a predator can strike again.
I wholeheartedly recommend this poignant YA book about friendship and the trust involved in sharing our truest selves. It’s definitely worth a look for fans of Willow. In fact, don’t miss Khristina Chess’s other novels about self harm through eating disorders, such as The Delinquent Hero and Hollow Beauty. This author is on my list of Best YA Authors to Binge on Kindle Unlimited because she tackles so many tough topics with heart.
Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow
“People should know about us. Girls who write their pain on their bodies.” ― Kathleen Glasgow, quote from Girl in Pieces
This wonderful novel about self-harm was the kind of story that kept pulling me away to a quiet room to curl up with a cup of tea and a lamp until I finished. I had to know what was going to happen to Charlie. I had to know whether or not she was going to be okay in the end. Because although she seemed to be making progress, this guy in her life wasn't a good choice for her. And then her friend from the hospital shows up, and she doesn't seem to be a good direction either. And if you've ever known addiction or seen someone struggling with recovery from anything, you know that the line is so easy to cross.
For Charlie, crossing the line might have devastating consequences because she has her tender kit, and it's full of glass. It's not tender but slashes and cuts.
So I read and worried and loved this young girl, who was so alone and hungry and living on the edge. I wanted someone to help her. Someone good.
This YA book about self-harming and cutting―and this girl―will stay with me for a long while. In fact, Kathleen Glasgow is such a great author that she’s also on my list of Best YA Authors to Binge on Kindle Unlimited because she’s all-around amazing!
Readers who enjoyed Willow are guaranteed to love this one.
Scars by Cheryl Rainifield
“Other times, I look at my scars and see something else: a girl who was trying to cope with something horrible that she should never have had to live through at all. My scars show pain and suffering, but they also show my will to survive. They're part of my history that'll always be there.” ― Cheryl Rainfield, quote from Scars
Wow! What a powerful, thrilling, emotional, heartbreaking book. Scars packs a real punch, touching on multiple tough topics, including cutting, sexual abuse, and relationships. Kendra was raped at a very young age by a man whose face she cannot remember. The story opens with her in therapy with a counselor who is helping her to cope with the painful memories that have started to surface, but the plot accelerates quickly as Kendra feels her abuser is stalking her. She copes with her pain through self-harming and also in her art, which is both beautiful and darkly disturbing. Descriptions of her art in this book are very vivid.
The revelation of her abuser is both a shock and a non-shock, and I was rooting for her to confront him and find a path to justice and healing. Scars is a great read if you’re looking for YA books similar to Willow by Julia Hoban.
By The Time You Read This I’ll Be Dead by Julie Anne Peters
I want to tell them, "Chip, Kim, there is no way to suicide-proof a person.” ― Julie Anne Peters, quote from By the Time You Read This I’ll Be Dead
Daelyn is going to kill herself in 23 days.
Daelyn is a bullied girl who failed her first suicide attempt but intends to get it right the next time. A website named Through the Light provides support to wanna-be suicide “completers” like Daelyn, and she spends a lot of free time there. Counting down the days.
Then she meets a boy. She tries to ignore him, but he’s pushy. Persistent. Charming, even.
But is he charming enough to keep her from going through the light when the countdown ends?
This short, brutal novel is a fast read. It’s not easy, happy, or hopeful, but it’s a raw and real look at suicide. Fans of Willow will like this one for its voice and mood.
Other YA Books Similar to Willow
If you are looking other books similar to Willow, check out the Books Similar to Willow list on Goodreads, YA Self-Harm and Cutting Fiction (25 books), and Books about Cutting Yourself (78 Books) on Goodreads. You might also be interested in my post, Other Good Reads, which has a comprehensive list of reviews of YA books by type of tough topic, including eating disorders, substance abuse, mental illness, and self-harming.
Khristina Chess is an award-winning author of a dozen young adult novels, including The Cutting Edge of Friendship, The Delinquent Hero, and Junior Missing. Hollow Beauty, her book about eating disorders, was named a finalist in the Next Generation India Book Awards. She tackles tough teen topics and writes binge-worthy books across multiple genres, including contemporary, thriller, mystery, and adventure.