Looking for an unforgettable collection of books like You’d Be Home Now by Kathleen Glasgow? As an award-winning author and veteran blogger about issue-driven YA fiction, I’ve spent over a decade analyzing and recommending the most impactful YA novels about underage drinking and substance abuse.
You’ll find detailed reviews of more than a dozen great novels in the roundup below. I’m confident you’ll find something new to read for Alcohol Awareness Month or National Substance Abuse Prediction Month. The books in this list remind us that others have walked in similar paths, and healing is possible. I promise you’ll find something new to love here. Be sure to bring some tissues!
Swallow the Rainbow by Khristina Chess
Why It’s Like You’d Be Home Now
Trauma & emotional coping with opioids
What It’s About
She survived the worst tornado in history—but now Savannah must survive what comes next: withdrawal, guilt, and the long road back to herself.
Why I Love It - Review
“That’s the thing about addiction. Now that I’m hooked, nothing else matters. Nothing. Not my mom, not Mr. Purrty, not the power outage, not my lack of clean clothes or showering, not the disaster surrounding us, not these kind people taking care of me, not my friends, nothing but the addiction”― Khristina Chess from Swallow the Rainbow
If you’ve ever loved someone with opioid an addiction—or suffer from one yourself—Swallow the Rainbow is for you. Savannah’s sharp, darkly unique perspective makes this more than just another teen addiction story—it’s raw, emotional, and beautifully crafted.
After the tornado, nothing is where it should be—not the roof, not the cat, not Savannah Young’s mother.
But that’s not the worst part.
The worst part is the empty pill bottle.
With roads blocked and power out across multiple counties, Savannah has no way to get more painkillers—and withdrawal is worse than any storm. As her neighborhood bands together to rebuild, she fights a more private war against opioid addiction, survivor’s guilt, and the wreckage of a past she thought she’d buried with her brother.
Wow—this book is unforgettable. Swallow the Rainbow grabs you from the first page and never lets go. If You’d Be Home Now left you breathless, Swallow the Rainbow is an absolute must-read.
Heroine by Mindy McGinnis
Why It’s Like You’d Be Home Now
Consequences, cycles of addiction & recovery from opiates (heroin)
What It’s About
A powerful story of addiction and recovery after a teen girl wakes up to find all of her friends dead.
Why I Love It - Review
“When I wake up, all my friends are dead. I don’t know when they stopped breathing, or how long I slept while they dropped off one by one.” ― Mindy McGinnis from Heroine
Those are the opening words of Heroine, the compelling novel about the slow slide of Mickey from Catalan from her position as a star student athlete to heroin addict. It begins with a terrible car accident and pain. Determine to make it back on the field, she uses the prescription painkillers to accelerate her recovery.
But then she’s out of pills and needs more.
What’s so compelling about Heroine is Mickey’s slow slide into addiction and her denial about her situation. She justifies every step of the way. The means justifies the ends, every time.
I did not watch my friends die.
I did not leave their bodies cooling in a basement.
I am not an addict.
Heroine is one of the best YA books featuring characters dealing with substance abuse that I’ve ever read. It’s real and raw, and I couldn’t look away. I really rooted for her to find a way to health. If you enjoyed You’d Be Home Now, you won’t want to miss this one!
The Glass Girl by Kathleen Glasgow
Why It’s Like You’d Be Home Now
Substance abuse (alcohol), family impacts, and recovery
What It’s About
A lovely YA novel about a girl hitting rock bottom and finding the way through recovery.
Why I Love It - Review
“Every morning when I wake up, I don’t think I’m going to make it. Or maybe I think that I don’t want to make it. I’m heavy with what I did the night before and I’m heavy with everything inside me and sometimes it is just too goddamn much to carry around.” ― Kathleen Glasgow from The Glass Girl
Everything Kathleen Glasgow writes is pure gold, and The Glass Girl is no exception.
Bella is a 15-year-old girl with a drinking problem. Her parents divorced and put her in the middle, and her beloved grandmother died, and her boyfriend broke up with her because she's "too much" (his words), and life really sucks except when she's drinking.
Bella hits bottom as most addicts do and finds herself in the hospital and then in rehab. Her journey through recovery and back to real life is not linear, and along the way, I fell in love with her and her pain. She's very authentic and young. There are moments when she shines so, so brightly, and I just wanted to hug her.
Fans of Kathleen Glasgow’s books will love her latest: The Glass Girl.
Fix Me by Lisa M. Cronkhite
Why It’s Like You’d Be Home Now
Siblings, substance abuse, coping
What It’s About
To deal with emotional trauma, a girl becomes addicted to a hallucinogenic drug after the death of her sister.
Why I Love It - Review
“I have to stop asking myself whether or not I'm going to make it through life and start reminding myself I already have.” ― Lisa M. Cronkhite from Fix Me
Fix Me starts as a simple story about a girl using drugs. The drug has properties that cause strange hallucinations, but lots of drugs do that. Pen is a realistic teen character dealing with addiction in that her mind is constantly thinking about Fix, thinking about quitting Fix or taking more Fix or worrying about what happened while she was on Fix, and all of that was very, very compelling.
But what was up with this Nate character? The intriguing mystery in the novel is a slow burn, but I thought the conclusion was worth the journey. I wish the mom hadn't been such a jerk. It happens.
Fix Me is a great book if you like reading about addiction and the complications surrounding drug use. It is also an important book about sibling grief as Pen's sister committed suicide, and Pen is still mourning that loss--as well as her dad--without any real support structure.
These are important topics that resonate with readers of all ages, especially fans of You’d Be Home Now.
Drive to June by Khristina Chess
Why It’s Like You’d Be Home Now
Trauma & emotional coping with substance abuse (alcohol)
What It’s About
After sixteen months of quiet self-destruction, a girl drowning in grief and addiction is thrown a lifeline by an unexpected stranger—if she’s brave enough to take it.
Why I Love It - Review
“You do realize that a car is a mobile make-out location, right?” ― Khristina Chess, quote from Drive to June.
What kind of girl drinks after a drunk driver kills her mom?
Sixteen months ago, Adrianna lost her mother. Since then, she’s been drowning her grief—one bottle at a time. With her father always away and her sister off at college, no one notices she’s slowly draining the wine collection and numbing herself to an awful secret she can’t face.
Now, she can’t quit.
Then one evening, a pizza delivery boy finds her crying on the roof of her house and offers to teach her how to drive—and somehow, that changes everything.
Wow—what a ride! Drive to June grabs you from the start and never lets go. It’s more than a story about alcohol abuse—it’s funny, romantic, and deeply emotional, unraveling the truth of grief, healing, and unexpected love. Adrianna and Ian’s chemistry is undeniable, and their growing connection makes this novel unforgettable.
A beautifully crafted novel, Drive to June has sparked conversations across book clubs and reader communities—solidifying its place as one of the most memorable YA books of the decade. If you loved You’d Be Home Now, Drive to June is an absolute must-read.
The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
Why It’s Like You’d Be Home Now
Siblings & emotional coping
What It’s About
A beautiful novel about a grieving girl who falls in love with two boys: the cute new kid in school and her dead sister’s boyfriend.
Why I Love It - 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 similar to Kathleen Glasgow’’s You’d Be Home Now.
Looking for Alaska by John Green
Why It’s Like You’d Be Home Now
Trauma & emotional coping with substance abuse (alcohol)
What It’s About
A quiet boy at boarding school meets a charismatic girl, then loses her.
Why I Love It - 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 from Looking for Alaska
A quiet boy at boarding school meets a charismatic girl, then loses her.
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.
I don’t want to give too much away. For a cautionary tale about alcohol and drug abuse, this award-winning story is a must-read. If you liked You’d Be Home Now, read this one.
Car Heroin Train by Virginia Austin
Why It’s Like You’d Be Home Now
Substance abuse (opiates)
What It’s About
A recent college graduate goes in search of a girl, but the girl he finds is an opioid addict with real life problems.
Why I Love It - Review
This slim novel is a fast and unexpected read. The main story is about Evan, who leaves graduation in Chicago and travels to Buffalo to find a girl who survived the car crash that killed his father. He's looking for some closure. Instead, he meets a beautiful young woman who is a heroine addict and also a child. The child is an unexpected subplot, equally important, and a bit odd.
Although the viewpoint character is a recent college graduate (and therefore technically knocks this one outside the YA genre), you should add this one to your list of books like You’d Be Home Now by Kathleen Glasgow. It’s great.
The First True Thing by Claire Needell
Why It’s Like You’d Be Home Now
Recovery (alcohol)
What It’s About
A teen girl works through a recovery program as well as a mystery
Why I Love It - Review
“People sometimes go with their instincts. They have sympathy. They care about people. I think Martin learned something when he messed up. Like now he really knows he wants to be here. Like he actually knows why he’s here and what this Group is really for.” ― Claire Needell from The First True Thing
The First True Thing is both a mystery and a book about a teen working through the hard parts of recovery.
The mystery is that Marcelle’s friend Hannah is missing, and Marcelle was the last person to hear from her. What happened? What should she do? And if she tells the truth, the whole truth, what does that mean for her friends?
Working through this dilemma is part of her recovery because lying, hiding, hanging out with people who aren't good for her are all behaviors associated with her drinking.
Books about people in recovery can be hard to read. Addiction and drug abuse makes people choose the wrong thing, and Marcelle does that before she chooses the right thing. Therapy and group can seem dull or even frustrating. However, the ending of her story was satisfying to me because she grew and made the positive steps she needed to make. I felt she was on a good track by the end.
If you’re looking for books about alcohol and drug abuse like You’d Be Home Now, The First True Thing is definitely worth a look.
Other Books You’ll Devour If You Liked You’d Be Home Now by Kathleen Glasgow
If you are looking for other books like You’d Be Home Now by Kathleen Glasgow, Goodreads offers a list of Similar Books for Readers Who Enjoyed You’d Be Home Now.
You might also be interested in my post, Other Good Reads.
Author Bio
Khristina Chess is an award-winning author of more than a dozen young adult novels, including The Cutting Edge of Friendship, The Delinquent Hero, and Junior Missing. Her novel about eating disorders, Hollow Beauty, was named a finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards. She tackles tough teen topics and writes binge-worthy books across multiple genres, including contemporary, thriller, mystery, dystopian, and adventure.
In a recent interview from her alma mater, she described how her experience in the creative writing program prepared her for success.
