I like a good romance subplot as much as the next person, but sometimes... sometimes YA seems to include romance subplots just for the sake of having a romance subplot. And unfortunately, this means a lot of cheesy, poorly developed romantic plots. Which maybe is what gives romance in books its bad reputation.
That being said, sometimes it's nice when a YA book breaks the mold, and focuses on other aspects of life... because let's be real, not all teenagers need to be romantically involved with another person, right?
1. This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab (urban fantasy/horror)
A totally creepy, totally amazing book,
This Savage Song is definitely violent and scary at times. But it features two awesome POV characters, a riveting plot, wonderfully executed themes, and, of course, an awesome m/f friendship. The second book does have a /tiny/ bit of romance in it... but not very much.
2. Wild Bird by Wendelin Van Draanen (contemporary fiction)
This book surprised me, because I did not expect to like it at all! It's not really the type of thing I normally like, but oh my goodness. This book was really good. It's about a girl who gets sent to a wilderness therapy camp by her parents after she gets into drinking and drugs, and her road to recovery and healing. It's a wonderful story, and also has a great female friendship!
3. Skyward by Brandon Sanderson (science fiction)
Talk about amazing friendships. This book was full of them, as well as well-developed characters, a fully realized storyworld, and a riveting plot with some truly epic twists.
4. The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak (historical fiction)
Maybe this book has a tiny bit of romance...? But I don't even know if it really counts as a romance, because it was barely in the book at all. So this book makes the list. It's a story about life and death and hope even in the face of ultimate evil, and it's about people. This book made the horrors of what happened during the Second World War strike very close to home for me. To read about these characters suffering through this horrible time lets me have a glimpse of what it must have been like for the real people who lived and died during this dark time in history.
5. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (magical realism)
One of the saddest books I read this year. This book nearly had me in tears by the end. It's about a boy whose mother is very sick with cancer. One night, a monster comes to his window and promises to tell him three stories... and the plot continues from there. It's a really beautiful, heartfelt story, and I highly recommend it.
6. Sweep by Johnathan Auxier (middle grade historical)
So this isn't really YA... but it makes it onto this list because it's absolutely amazing and heartwrenching and I really feel like it would appeal to other teens, too? I read this quite a while ago, and I don't remember any romance in it, but I could be wrong. If so, it's not a huge part of the plot at all. It's magical realism crossed with historical fiction, and the writing and the characters and the storyline are all fantastic. Definitely recommend.
7. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (adult science fiction)
Now this book is very... violent, so I don't recommend it to everyone. But it is a masterpiece of science fiction, and so if you are comfortable reading about high levels of violence (violence against and perpetrated by children) then I would highly recommend this book. It also has some fantastic plot twists.
8. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (contemporary fiction)
This book is one of my new favorites. It's a raw and honest story, and I highly recommend giving it a try. It's also incredibly short, so I won't say much more about it. You can check out my mini review which I featured in my contemporary reads wrap up
here.
9. The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson (steampunk fantasy)
The world of this story is the best part of the book. The worldbuilding -- and especially the geometry/chalk/drawing based magic system -- truly makes this book stand out from the crowd. It also features a compelling mystery element, and some interesting character development.
There you have it! Nine of my favorite romance-free YA (or not) books.
Do you guys have any recommendations for romance-free YA? Have you read any of the books I mentioned, and if so, what did you think? Please let me know in the comments!
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