Looking for an unforgettable collection of books similar to The Fault in Our Stars by John Green? As an award-winning author and veteran blogger for YA books, I’ve spent over a decade analyzing and recommending the most emotionally honest stories about difficult topics, such as illness, mortality, and star-crossed love.
You’ll find detailed reviews of many favorites in the roundup below. I’m confident that you’ll find something new to love. Be sure to bring some tissues!
The Delinquent Hero by Khristina Chess
why It’s Like The Fault In Our Stars
Life & death, family dynamics
Why I Love It - Book Review
“I stare at my sister in this bed. She is mine. She is here, and I cannot imagine that she is not. That she will never be here again. How can it be true? I see her before me. Her chest is rising, falling, rising, falling. Her hand is warm in mine.“ ― Khristina Chess from The Delinquent Hero
For readers who love great “tear-jerkers,” The Delinquent Hero offers a tragic and raw exploration of sisterhood, eating disorders, and devastating loss. If you’ve ever lost someone you love, this gripping YA novel speaks directly to the grief of saying goodbye.
At its core is Molly, desperate for answers after her older sister, Kat, lands in the hospital. Something is suspicious. The investigation unfolds in real time, peeling back layers of secrets, regrets, and the painful bond they’ve always shared. For Molly, reconnecting with Kat means slipping into their old patterns—the kind that consume and starve in equal measure.
"I'm not very hungry. I am, and I'm not. I am hollow, but this feeling seems less about food and more about Kat. At any rate, I do not want to eat."
What makes The Delinquent Hero truly unforgettable is its heart-wrenching puzzle—not just unraveling what happened that night, but understanding Kat herself. This novel doesn’t just tell a story; it forces you to feel every ache, every unanswered question, every regret, every desperate search for why.
I wholeheartedly recommend this memorable YA book for teens facing tough problems. If The Fault in Our Stars left you breathless, The Delinquent Hero is an absolute must-read.
All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
why It’s Like The Fault In Our Stars
Love, family dynamics, mortality
Why I Love It - Book Review
“You are all the colors in one, at full brightness.” ― Jennifer Niven from All the Bright Places
Theodore Finch has more than a touch of the blues.
Violet Markey wants to escape the grief that lives in her hometown where her sister recently died.
Violet and Theodore are an unlikely couple, paired together on a school project to explore the natural wonders of their state. At first, Theodore seems to be the one helping Violet with her sadness, but Violet doesn’t have any understanding about the depth of Theodore’s despair. Along their journey, they make several unexpected discoveries about one another.
After re-reading this book a second time, I enjoyed it every bit as much as the the first. I liked the writing, the dual character viewpoints, the story, the language, and the symbolism.
Blue is a primary color.
This lovely YA book is about grief and loss, and Niven handles these difficult topics with honesty and resonance. All the Bright Places is one of my all-time favorites. Fans of The Fault in Our Stars will enjoy this one.
Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
Why It’s Like The Fault in Our Stars
Illness & mortality, friendship
Why I Love It - Book Review
“We used to be pretty good friends, but fourteen-year-old girls are psychotic.” ― Jesse Andrews from Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
I loved this book. It was so comical, which is an odd thing to say about a book about a girl dying from cancer. But it’s true. It’s sad humor in the face of tragedy.
Greg and Earl are weird, unlikely friends and amateur filmmakers who manage to fly below the radar at school and enjoy their private world. Then Greg’s mom makes him reach out to Rachel, a childhood friend who has been diagnosed with leukemia and needs a friend.
Earl turns out to be the more compassionate of the pair, and the two of them set out to make a movie about Rachel. Their brilliant idea fails in execution and is the Worst Film Ever Made.
This wonderful novel is full of crude humor, heart, honesty, and surprises as Greg learns things about his long-time friend Earl, as well as himself, though this journey with the dying girl, Rachel. If you’re looking for books like The Fault in Our Stars, Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl is definitely a title to add to your reading list.
How to Make Friends with the Dark by Kathleen Glasgow
why It’s Like The Fault In Our Stars
Family dynamics & grief
Why I Love It - Book Review
“You are carrying so many heavy feelings. There just isn’t enough room for them all.“ ― Kathleen Glasgow from How to Make Friends with the Dark
After Tiger Tolliver's mom dies of a brain aneurysm, she becomes a ward of the state, an orphan, suddenly faced with an uncertain future. She doesn't have any living relatives. She doesn't know anything about her father. It's just her and her mom--and now just her. A minor.
What Tiger begins to learn is that her mom kept some important secrets from her. For example, she has a living dad. And a sister.
This YA novel about death and dying is a real tear jerker! Tiger strikes me a sheltered girl with little real life experience; on the day her mom died, she was kissing a boy for the first time. She wasn't prepared for the events that followed as she entered the system. Yet, despite her tragic circumstances, she makes a path for herself. She makes mistakes but doesn't fall off a cliff. She keeps people at a cautious distance, but she does make friends and finds a way to build a new family for herself.
If you loved The Fault in Our Stars as much as I did, be sure to check out this thought-provoking and heartbreaking YA book that wrestles with grief and loss.
The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
why It’s Like The Fault In Our Stars
Love, family dynamics & grief
Why I Love It - Book Review
“What kind of girl wants to kiss every boy at a funeral, wants to maul a guy in a tree after making out with her sister’s boyfriend the previous night? Speaking of which, what kind of girl makes out with her sister’s boyfriend, period?” ― Jandy Nelson from The Sky Is Everywhere
I love, love, loved this book! The writing is so lyrical, and the story is incredibly sad. It begins with protagonist Lennie, who is grieving the sudden death of her sister. Although Bailey is dead, the relationship between these siblings is very much alive on the pages of this novel. Lennie writes beautiful poems, and she spends time in their room and shares so many memories that I feel I know Bailey.
A charismatic new boy shows up at school, and Lennie ends up entering into 2 romances at the same time. This is the love triangle. One romance is with the new boy at school, and the other is with her dead sister’s grieving boyfriend. Sooner or later, she has to decide which one of these guys is the one she’s going to stick with. Oh, boy.
All of the characters are vivid, and the story is captivating. The creative visual aspect of the novel is also a nice touch; Lennie writes her poems on scraps and scatters them everywhere, and these appear at the beginning of chapters.
This book is a must-read for anyone looking for books like The Fault in Our Stars. In fact, I highly recommend that you also read Nelson’s other novel, I’ll Give You the Sun.
Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippencort
why It’s Like The Fault In Our Stars
Star-crossed love, illness
Why I Love It - Book Review
“If I’m going to die, I’d like to actually live first.” ― Rachael Lippincott from Five Feet Apart
Stella and Will are two kids with cystic fibrosis who literally have to stay away from one another to survive. Infections are bad, possibly deadly, and Will is like kryptonite to Stella, who doesn’t want to lose her place on the transplant list.
But the heart wants what the heart wants—even when the lungs are failing.
Stella and Will disobey all kinds of orders in their love pursuits and put their lives at risk. They have so much positive energy that you want them to beat the odds. Tragedy won’t touch them.
Don’t miss this popular YA book about star-crossed lovers, similar to The Fault in Our Stars. You will love Stella and Will’s story. The movie was pretty great, too!
Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
why It’s Like The Fault In Our Stars
Star-crossed love, family dynamics
Why I Love It - Book Review
“I just can’t believe that life would give us to each other,” he said, “and then take it back.”
“I can,” she said. “Life’s a bastard.” ― Rainbow Rowell from Eleanor and Park
It's been a long time since I've encountered a novel that I literally couldn't put down. Eleanor & Park was one of those books. I loved every minute. I sat on the porch, on the couch, on the floor by the window... and devoured this book. It was a wonderful reading experience about first love. Sweet and heartbreaking and everything I wanted. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a good, romantic young love story.
The story unfolds from alternating points of view, both Eleanor and Park, as they fall in love over the course of one year. The dialog is witty, snappy, and fun.
As a super-dreamy YA book about star-crossed lovers, it will give you all the feels about falling in love.
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
why It’s Like The Fault In Our Stars
Family dynamics, love, mortality
Why I Love It - Book Review
“Life feels beautiful that day. The four of us Liars, we have always been. We always will be. No matter what happens as we go to college, grow old, build lives for ourselves; no matter if Gat and I are together or not. No matter where we go, we will always be able to line up on the roof of Cuddledown and gaze at the sea. This island is ours. Here, in some way, we are young forever.” ― E. Lockhart from We Were Liars
What an unexpected and beautiful story about friendship, coming of age, and sorrow!
I wasn’t sure I’d like this book, but I fell in love with it. By the end it made me cry. This YA book about friendship is about a group of privileged young friends and their lies, family secrets, grief, and love. It’s a mystery. The beautiful and disorienting plot will leave you reader breathless until the very end.
If you’re looking for books like The Fault in Our Stars, pick this one up. It’s a whirlwind read.
Looking for Alaska by John Green
Why it’s like the fault in Our stars
Another great John Green book!
Why I Love It - Book Review
“There comes a time when we realize that our parents cannot save themselves or save us, that everyone who wades through time eventually gets dragged out to sea by the undertow-that, in short, we are all going.” ― John Green, quote from Looking for Alaska
Miles Halter goes away to boarding school, where he makes new friends, takes up drinking and smoking, breaks some rules, and meets a hot girl named Alaska Young. She’s the ringleader of the merry group’s adventures. She’s the one who can get alcohol and cigarettes.
She’s a bit wild.
Then one night while they’re all partying, she receives a phone call and takes off in her car. She never returns.
If you’re looking for another great YA novel like The Fault in Our Stars, you won’t want to miss this one. In fact, John Green is such a great author that he’s on my list of Best YA Authors to Binge on Kindle Unlimited because he’s all-around amazing!
Other YA Books Similar to The Fault in Our Stars
If you are looking other books similar to The Fault in Our Stars, check out the Readers who enjoyed The Fault in Our Stars and Books Like The Fault in Our Stars lists 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.
Author Bio
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.
In a recent interview from her alma mater, she described how her experience in the creative writing program prepared her for success.
