Books like 'Written in the Stars'
Readers who enjoyed Written in the Stars by Aisha Saeed also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary young adult south asian arranged marriage multicultural high-school forbidden love first-person-pov muslim
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The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
An alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780062498533 can be found here.Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed...Categorized as:
high-school first-person-pov young adult contemporary racism african-american black-mc length-long -
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
Fans of Jacqueline Woodson, Meg Medina, and Jason Reynolds will fall hard for this astonishing New York Times-bestselling novel-in-verse by an award-winning slam poet, about an Afro-Latina heroine who tells her story with blazing words and powerful truth. Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood... -
All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 48 ratingsLahore, Pakistan. Then. Misbah is a dreamer and storyteller, newly married to Toufiq in an arranged match. After their young life is shaken by tragedy, they come to the United States and open the Cloud’s Rest Inn Motel, hoping for a new start. Juniper, California. Now. Salahudin and Noor are more than best friends; they are family...Categorized as:
south asian high-school young adult contemporary historical abuse racism length-medium -
As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 42 ratingsSalama Kassab was a pharmacy student when the cries for freedom broke out in Syria. She still had her parents and her big brother; she still had her home. She had a normal teenager’s life. Now Salama volunteers at a hospital in Homs, helping the wounded who flood through the doors daily...Categorized as:
muslim first-person-pov contemporary war length-long young adult m-f friends to lovers -
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Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 57 ratingsInternational phenomenon Angie Thomas revisits Garden Heights seventeen years before the events of The Hate U Give in this searing and poignant exploration of Black boyhood and manhood.If there’s one thing seventeen-year-old Maverick Carter knows, it’s that a real man takes care of his family. As the son of a former gang legend, Mav does that the only way he knows how: dealing for the King Lords... -
Himawari House by Harmony Becker
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsLiving in a new country is no walk in the park.When Nao returns to Tokyo to reconnect with her Japanese heritage, she books a yearlong stay at the Himawari sharehouse. There she meets Hyejung and Tina, two other girls who came to Japan to freely forge their own paths...Categorized as:
multicultural high-school young adult contemporary new adult east-asian-mc found-family east-asia -
All We Have Left by Wendy Mills
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsA haunting and heart-wrenching story of two girls, two time periods, and the one event that changed their lives—and the world—forever.Now:Sixteen-year-old Jesse is used to living with the echoes of the past. Her older brother died in the September 11th attacks, and her dad has filled their home with anger and grief...Categorized as:
multicultural high-school young adult contemporary historical death suspense length-medium -
TJ Powar Has Something to Prove by Jesmeen Kaur Deo
A charming rom-com about high school debater TJ Powar who—after becoming the subject of an ugly meme—makes a resolution to stop shaving, plucking, and waxing, and prove that she can be her hairy self and still be beautiful…but soon finds this may be her most difficult debate yet. Perfect for fans of Netflix’s Never Have I Ever...Categorized as:
south asian high-school young adult contemporary from hate to love humor length-medium behind-doors -
A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 50 ratingsA Place for Us unfolds the lives of an Indian-American Muslim family, gathered together in their Californian hometown to celebrate the eldest daughter, Hadia’s, wedding – a match of love rather than tradition. It is here, on this momentous day, that Amar, the youngest of the siblings, reunites with his family for the first time in three years... -
Parachutes by Kelly Yang
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsSpeak enters the world of Gossip Girl in this modern immigrant story from New York Times bestselling author Kelly Yang about two girls navigating wealth, power, friendship, and trauma. They’re called teenagers dropped off to live in private homes and study in the United States while their wealthy parents remain in Asia...Categorized as:
high-school multicultural young adult contemporary east-asian-mc usa north-america china -
Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsAn #ownvoices contemporary YA set in Argentina, about a rising soccer star who must put everything on the line—even her blooming love story—to follow her dreams.In Rosario, Argentina, Camila Hassan lives a double life...Categorized as:
multicultural high-school young adult contemporary sports abuse heroine athlete latinx-mc -
Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar
Everyone likes Humaira "Hani" Khan—she’s easy going and one of the most popular girls at school. But when she comes out to her friends as bisexual, they invalidate her identity, saying she can’t be bi if she’s only dated guys. Panicked, Hani blurts out that she’s in a relationship…with a girl her friends absolutely hate—Ishita "Ishu" Dey. Ishu is the complete opposite of Hani... -
Una sfida come te by Katie McGarry
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 41 ratingsOttimi voti, stile impeccabile e una carriera di successo: ecco cosa si aspettano tutti da Rachel Young. Specialmente la sua numerosa e assillante famiglia. Ma nessuno sospetta che dietro quella maschera di perfezione si nasconda una ragazza fragile con una lista interminabile di segreti. Segreti inconfessabili come la passione per la velocità e le auto da corsa...Categorized as:
high-school forbidden love young adult contemporary new adult bad boys dual-pov sports -
A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi
It’s 2002, a year after 9/11. It’s an extremely turbulent time politically, but especially so for someone like Shirin, a sixteen-year-old Muslim girl who’s tired of being stereotyped.Shirin is never surprised by how horrible people can be...Categorized as:
multicultural muslim forbidden love high-school contemporary young adult sports angst -
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Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han
Lara Jean is having the best senior year. And there’s still so much to look forward to: a class trip to New York City, prom with her boyfriend Peter, Beach Week after graduation, and her dad’s wedding to Ms. Rothschild. Then she’ll be off to college with Peter, at a school close enough for her to come home and bake chocolate chip cookies on the weekends...Categorized as:
multicultural high-school friends to lovers contemporary young adult new adult humor east-asian-mc -
Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott, Mikki Daughtry
Now a major motion picture starring Cole Sprouse and Haley Lu Richardson!Goodreads Choice Winner, Best Young Adult Fiction of 2019In this #1 New York Times bestselling novel that’s perfect for fans of John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars, two teens fall in love with just one minor complication—they can’t get within a few feet of each other without risking their lives... -
The Candid Life of Meena Dave by Namrata Patel
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsA woman embarks on an unexpected journey into her past in an engrossing novel about identity, family secrets, and rediscovering the need to belong. Meena Dave is a photojournalist and a nomad. She has no family, no permanent address, and no long-term attachments, preferring to observe the world at a distance through the lens of her camera... -
Love From A to Z by S.K. Ali
A marvel: something you find amazing. Even ordinary-amazing. Like potatoes—because they make French fries happen. Like the perfect fries Adam and his mom used to make together.An oddity: whatever gives you pause. Like the fact that there are hateful people in the world. Like Zayneb’s teacher, who won’t stop reminding the class how “bad” Muslims are.But Zayneb, the only Muslim in class, isn’t bad...Categorized as:
high-school multicultural south asian muslim young adult contemporary racism friends to lovers -
More to the Story by Hena Khan
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFrom the critically acclaimed author of Amina’s Voice comes a new story inspired by Louisa May Alcott’s beloved classic, Little Women, featuring four sisters from a modern American Muslim family living in Georgia.When Jameela Mirza is picked to be feature editor of her middle school newspaper, she’s one step closer to being an award-winning journalist like her late grandfather... -
Arabian Nights by Simone Shirazi
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsBlair Bakhtiar always wanted to be royalty. Zayn al-Haydar wanted to be anything but. When one fateful summer brings them together, the two discover that maybe it's not that much better on the other side... but the journey there is always full of surprises, with love being the biggest surprise of them all. [Book #2 in the Fairytale Series, but can be read as a standalone...Categorized as:
high-school forbidden love young adult new adult contemporary super rich hero length-long -
Sparrowood Academy by Angel Lawson
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsSparrowood Academy is for the elite. The rich. The well connected. Eden Warren is none of those things. She’s spent most of her life in Kingston, mostly hanging down at The Park with her sister, Hope. When Hope goes missing, Eden makes a last-ditch effort to find her by going to Hawk, her enemy and the leader of the K-Boys, for help. Sparrowood Academy is filled with darkness. Entitlement...Categorized as:
first-person-pov high-school mystery young adult reverse harem cruel hero contemporary poly -
More Than Just a Pretty Face by Syed M. Masood
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsFor fans of Becky Albertalli and Jenny Han, a sweetly funny YA rom-com debut about falling in love, familial expectations, and being a Renaissance Man.Danyal Jilani doesn't lack confidence. He may not be the smartest guy in the room, but he's funny, gorgeous, and going to make a great chef one day. His father doesn't approve of his career choice, but that hardly matters...Categorized as:
south asian high-school arranged marriage young adult contemporary humor length-medium -
Salaam, with Love by Sara Sharaf Beg
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsThis heartfelt and humorous YA contemporary follows Dua, who spends the month of Ramadan making unexpected discoveries about family, faith, and first love.Being crammed into a house in Queens with her cousins is not how Dua envisions her trip to New York City. But here she is, spending the holy month of Ramadan with extended family she hasn’t seen in years... -
I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver
An alternate cover edition for 9781338306125 can be found here.When Ben De Backer comes out to their parents as nonbinary, they're thrown out of their house and forced to move in with their estranged older sister, Hannah, and her husband, Thomas, whom Ben has never even met... -
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Between Perfect and Real by Ray Stoeve
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsA moving YA debut about a trans boy finding his voice—and himselfDean Foster knows he’s a trans guy. He’s watched enough YouTube videos and done enough questioning to be sure. But everyone at his high school thinks he’s a lesbian—including his girlfriend, Zoe, and his theater director, who just cast him as a “nontraditional” Romeo...Categorized as:
high-school first-person-pov young adult contemporary trans-hero queer length-medium -
More Than Just a Pretty Face by Syed M. Masood
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsFor fans of Becky Albertalli and Jenny Han, a sweetly funny YA rom-com debut about falling in love, familial expectations, and being a Renaissance Man.Danyal Jilani doesn't lack confidence. He may not be the smartest guy in the room, but he's funny, gorgeous, and going to make a great chef one day. His father doesn't approve of his career choice, but that hardly matters...Categorized as:
south asian high-school arranged marriage multicultural muslim young adult contemporary humor -
The Bad Muslim Discount by Syed M. Masood
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsFollowing two families from Pakistan and Iraq in the 1990s to San Francisco in 2016, Bad Muslim Discount is a hilarious, timely, and provocative comic novel about being Muslim immigrants in modern America. For fans of Hanif Kureshi, Mira Jacob, and Mohammed Hanif.It is 1995, and Anvar Faris is a restless, rebellious, and sharp-tongued boy doing his best to grow up in Karachi, Pakistan... -
Lost Royal by Lily Wildhart
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsNothing about my return to Echoes Cove was what I expected, but I wasn’t prepared for the darkness that’s threatening to devour us all.A stalker, patient and cunning, hunting in the shadows.Powerful forces determined to control my every move and bend me to their will.And them.Lincoln, Maverick, Finley and Easton. I’m not sure how I’ll survive them without losing myself, or my heart, along the way...Categorized as:
forbidden love high-school first-person-pov contemporary new adult young adult reverse harem poly -
Counting Down with You by Tashie Bhuiyan
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsA reserved Bangladeshi teenager has twenty-eight days to make the biggest decision of her life after agreeing to fake date her school’s resident bad boy.How do you make one month last a lifetime?Karina Ahmed has a plan. Keep her head down, get through high school without a fuss, and follow her parents’ rules—even if it means sacrificing her dreams...Categorized as:
south asian high-school muslim first-person-pov young adult contemporary grumpy sunshine m-f -
The Impossibility of Us by Katy Upperman
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsThe last thing Elise wants is to start her senior year in a new town. But after her brother’s death in Afghanistan, she and her mother move from San Francisco to a sleepy coastal village.When Elise meets Mati, they quickly discover how much they have in common. Mati is new to town too, visiting the U.S. with his family... -
Not So Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 26 ratings"Hysterical. I couldn’t put it down.” (Nic Stone) "I laughed, I gasped, I church grunted through every chapter." (Tiffany D. Jackson) "Heartfelt and hilarious on every page!" (Justin A...Categorized as:
high-school multicultural young adult contemporary african-american humor black-mc usa -
Fumbled Past by Lauren Runow
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsTwenty years have passed, yet not one thing in my hometown has changed … even the man I left behind.I was the girl no one could touch because they all feared my father. He was a legend, the head football coach who had created this town’s Friday night lights. Only two football players dared to win my heart—the boy next door and the new guy in town...Categorized as:
high-school forbidden love love triangle friends to lovers young adult sports angst contemporary -
The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen by Isaac Blum
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe Chosen meets Darius the Great in this irreverent and timely story of worlds colliding in friendship, betrayal, and hatred.Hoodie Rosen's life isn't that bad. Sure, his entire Orthodox Jewish community has just picked up and moved to the quiet, mostly non-Jewish town of Tregaron, but Hoodie's world hasn't changed that much... -
Float by Kate Marchant
A heartfelt summer read for fans of Sarah Dessen and Jenny Han about holding on and letting go.Waverly Lyons has been caught in the middle of her parents’ divorce for as long as she can remember. This summer, the battle rages over who she’ll spend her vacation with, and when Waverly’s options are shot down, it’s bye-bye Fairbanks, Alaska and hello Holden, Florida to stay with her aunt... -
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An Appetite for Miracles by Laekan Zea Kemp
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAward-winning author Laekan Zea Kemp’s heart-wrenching novel-in-verse follows two teens who must come together to heal the pain from their pasts, perfect for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo and Nicola Yoon... -
The Karma Map by Nisha Sharma
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsA youth group’s temple road trip through India is a liberating escape for a former mean girl and sunshine boy to explore their past and their feelings for each other in the much-anticipated novel about self-discovery by the award-winning author of My So-Called Bollywood Life.Born and raised in the US, Tara Bajaj hides her family secrets...Categorized as:
south asian multicultural young adult contemporary new adult grumpy sunshine length-medium -
As You Walk On By by Julian Winters
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsThe Breakfast Club meets Can't Hardly Wait with an unforgettable ensemble cast in another swoony YA contemporary from award-winning author Julian Winters! Seventeen-year-old Theo Wright has it all figured out...Categorized as:
high-school multicultural young adult contemporary m-m queer found-family length-medium -
The Beautiful Now by M. Leighton
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsDane James worked my stepfather’s fields. He was the boy next door. Strong. Hardworking. Forbidden. From the moment we met, we were star-crossed lovers—always wanting, never having. We loved each other for most of our lives, but right from the beginning destiny had other plans. She knew we would fall in love. She knew we would fall apart...Categorized as:
forbidden love high-school contemporary abuse new adult second chances young adult length-long -
A Show for Two by Tashie Bhuiyan
Rated: 4.03 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsAll Mina Rahman wants is to finally win the Golden Ivy student film competition, get into her dream school, and leave New York City behind for good. When indie film star Emmitt Ramos enrolls in her high school under a secret identity to research his next role, he agrees to star in her short film for the competition…if she acts as his NYC tour guide...Categorized as:
south asian high-school muslim mental illness from hate to love contemporary young adult m-f -
Roses, in the Mouth of a Lion by Bushra Rehman
Rated: 4.02 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsFor readers of On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous and My Brilliant Friend, Bushra Rehman's Roses, in the Mouth of a Lion is an unforgettable story about female friendship and queer love in a Muslim-American community.Razia Mirza grows up amid the wild grape vines and backyard sunflowers of Corona, Queens, with her best friend, Saima, by her side... -
The Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds
Rated: 4.01 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsJust when seventeen-year-old Matt thinks he can’t handle one more piece of terrible news, he meets a girl who’s dealt with a lot more—and who just might be able to clue him in on how to rise up when life keeps knocking him down—in this wry, gritty novel from the author of When I Was the Greatest.Matt wears a black suit every day. No, not because his mom died—although she did, and it sucks...Categorized as:
high-school multicultural young adult contemporary african-american death substance abuse black-mc -
Here to Stay by Sara Farizan
Rated: 4.03 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsFor most of high school, Bijan Majidi has flown under the radar. He gets good grades, reads comics, hangs out with his best friend, Sean, and secretly crushes on Elle, one of the most popular girls in his school. When he’s called off the basketball team’s varsity bench and makes the winning basket in a playoff game, everything changes in an instant... -
In the Key of Nira Ghani by Natasha Deen
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsNira Ghani has always dreamed of becoming a musician. Her Guyanese parents, however, have big plans for her to become a scientist or doctor. Nira's grandmother and her best friend, Emily, are the only people who seem to truly understand her desire to establish an identity outside of the one imposed on Nira by her parents... -
He Made Me Do It by Zee Shine Storm
An MM stepbrother taboo romanceZaynWhat is it like to be both Muslim and gay? Honestly? It feels like I've been cursed for all eternity. And then I had to go and fall for Asher Hannes and make it even more complicated.Not only was he a guy, he happened to be my cocky and rebellious stepbrother who became the reason I began to get in trouble for things that weren't even my fault...Categorized as:
multicultural muslim forbidden love first-person-pov m-m young adult queer contemporary -
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Freedom Swimmer by Wai Chim
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA powerful story of friendship, bravery, and a desperate bid for freedom, inspired by true events.Ming survived the famine that killed his parents during China's "Great Leap Forward", and lives a hard but adequate life, working in the fields...Categorized as:
high-school multicultural young adult historical contemporary abuse east-asian-mc east-asia -
LDK Vol. 14 by Ayu Watanabe
LOVEY-DOVEY DRAMAAoi and Shusei’s bond becomes ever stronger, adding to their already airtight love! But as the two of them grow closer, the lives of the people around them get turbulent. As Shouta pushes the brother he never wanted away, he stumbles upon Yudai’s diary and makes a startling discovery...Categorized as:
forbidden love high-school young adult length-short contemporary humor m-f secret-relationship -
How We Roll by Natasha Friend
Rated: 4.01 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsA gentle young adult romance for fans of Sarah Dessen about two teens, each of whom has lost something irreplaceable, finding one another.Quinn is a teen who loves her family, skateboarding, basketball, and her friends, but after she's diagnosed with a condition called alopecia which causes her to lose all of her hair, her friends abandon her...Categorized as:
high-school multicultural young adult contemporary disabilities and marks sports length-medium -
She's So Dead to Us by Kieran Scott
Rated: 3.99 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsAlly Ryan would rather be in Maryland. She would rather be anywhere, in fact, than Orchard Hill, site of her downfall. Well, not hers exactly—but when your father’s hedge fund goes south and all your friends lose their trust funds, things don’t look so sunny for you. Her mother moved her to Maryland to flee the shame, but now they’re moving back... -
You Bring the Distant Near by Mitali Perkins
Rated: 3.99 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsFive girls. Three generations. One great American love story. Ranee, worried that her children are losing their Indian culture; Sonia, wrapped up in a forbidden biracial love affair; Tara, seeking the limelight to hide her true self; Shanti, desperately trying to make peace in the family; Anna, fighting to preserve her Bengali identity...Categorized as:
multicultural high-school south asian young adult contemporary historical racism humor -
Challenging What's Real by Kenzie Brayne
I’m lying to everyone. Even to myself.ChloeMy family’s lost everything.Ashamed, I’m hiding the truth with help from a fake boyfriend. So far, no one suspects a thing.Tutoring in secret should be the perfect way to earn some cash. Except it’s with the one guy who knows how to get under my skin—Nate...
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