Books like 'An Emotion of Great Delight'
Readers who enjoyed An Emotion of Great Delight by Tahereh Mafi also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary young adult multicultural war high-school dystopian muslim
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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:
war muslim contemporary length-long first-person-pov young adult m-f friends to lovers -
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 -
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... -
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 -
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The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali
A poignant, heartfelt new novel by the award-nominated author of Together Tea—extolled by the Wall Street Journal as a “moving tale of lost love” and by Shelf Awareness as “a powerful, heartbreaking story”—explores loss, reconciliation, and the quirks of fate.Roya, a dreamy, idealistic teenager living amid the political upheaval of 1953 Tehran, finds a literary oasis in kindly Mr...Categorized as:
multicultural war historical contemporary young adult new adult glimpses-kisses length-medium -
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 -
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 -
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 muslim young adult contemporary racism friends to lovers south asian -
Love Times Infinity by Lane Clarke
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsThe swoon of Nicola Yoon meets the emotional punch of Elizabeth Acevedo in this breakout debut novel that answers big questions about identity, family, and love. High school junior Michie is struggling to define who she is for her scholarship essays, her big shot at making it into Brown as a first-generation college student...Categorized as:
multicultural dystopian young adult contemporary sports african-american black-mc 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... -
Picture Us in the Light by Kelly Loy Gilbert
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsDanny Cheng has always known his parents have secrets. But when he discovers a taped-up box in his father's closet filled with old letters and a file on a powerful Silicon Valley family, he realizes there's much more to his family's past than he ever imagined...Categorized as:
high-school multicultural dystopian young adult contemporary mystery suicide mental illness -
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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:
high-school multicultural muslim young adult contemporary humor south asian arranged marriage -
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... -
The Paper Girl of Paris by Jordyn Taylor
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsNow:Sixteen-year-old Alice is spending the summer in Paris, but she isn’t there for pastries and walks along the Seine. When her grandmother passed away two months ago, she left Alice an apartment in France that no one knew existed. An apartment that has been locked for more than seventy years... -
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:
high-school muslim young adult contemporary south asian grumpy sunshine m-f length-medium -
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 -
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... -
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... -
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 -
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:
high-school muslim mental illness south asian from hate to love contemporary young adult m-f -
Seven Percent of Ro Devereux by Ellen O'Clover
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA clever, charming, and poignant debut novel about a girl who must decide whether to pursue her dreams or preserve her relationships, including a budding romance with her ex-best friend, when an app she created goes viral.Ro Devereux can predict your future. Or, at least, the app she built for her senior project can... -
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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... -
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 -
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 -
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 young adult contemporary historical south asian racism humor -
Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet by Laekan Zea Kemp
Rated: 3.99 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsI'm Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter meets Emergency Contact in this stunning Pura Belpré Honor Book about first love, familial expectations, the power of food, and finding where you belong.Penelope Prado has always dreamed of opening her own pastelería next to her father's restaurant, Nacho's Tacos...Categorized as:
multicultural dystopian young adult contemporary mental illness found-family length-medium -
Romiette and Julio by Sharon M. Draper
Rated: 3.97 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsDo you feel the soul of another calling toyou? Do you know in your heart that yourdestiny and his wore meant to merge Inthe cosmos? We can help you find him.When Romiette Cappelle and her best friend, Destiny, decide to order The Scientific Soul Mate System from the back of Heavy Hunks magazine, they're not sure what they're getting into...Categorized as:
high-school multicultural young adult african-american contemporary forbidden love racism black-mc -
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki, Rosemary Valero-O'Connell
All Freddy Riley wants is for Laura Dean to stop breaking up with her.The day they got together was the best one of Freddy's life, but nothing's made sense since. Laura Dean is popular, funny, and SO CUTE ... but she can be really thoughtless, even mean. Their on-again, off-again relationship has Freddy's head spinning — and Freddy's friends can't understand why she keeps going back... -
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Perfectly Parvin by Olivia Abtahi
Rated: 3.99 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsFourteen-year-old Iranian-American Parvin Mohammadi sets out to win the ultimate date to homecoming in this heartfelt and outright hilarious debut.Parvin Mohammadi has just been dumped--only days after receiving official girlfriend status. Not only is she heartbroken, she's humiliated. Enter high school heartthrob Matty Fumero, who just might be the smoking-hot cure to all her boy problems... -
Gabi, a Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero
Rated: 3.95 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsGabi Hernandez chronicles her last year in high school in her diary: college applications, Cindy's pregnancy, Sebastian's coming out, the cute boys, her father's meth habit, and the food she craves. And best of all, the poetry that helps forge her identity... -
The QB Bad Boy and Me by Tay Marley
Rated: 3.93 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsReluctant cheerleader Dallas Bryan has a problem on her hands—and his name is Drayton Lahey.Ever since the hot star quarterback of the high school football team hit her car with his motorcycle, he has the annoying ability to get under her skin, making Dallas think about Drayton way more than she should . . . in all the ways that she shouldn't...Categorized as:
high-school dystopian young adult contemporary sports from hate to love friends to lovers new adult -
Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel by Sara Farizan
High-school junior Leila has made it most of the way through Armstead Academy without having a crush on anyone, which is something of a relief. Her Persian heritage already makes her different from her classmates; if word got out that she liked girls, life would be twice as hard... -
Cinderfella by Xavier Neal, Kim Collins
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsPerfect body. Perfect car. Perfect life. So, what could a girl like that ever want from a guy like me? The guy with holes in his sneakers. The guy who can barely afford to eat. The guy with an unexpected secret. What could a princess like that want from me? After all fairy tales don't exist in real life.. -
Beneath Wandering Stars by Ashlee Cowles
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWinner of the 2017 Colorado Book Award for Young Adult literature! After her soldier brother is horribly wounded in Afghanistan, Gabriela must honor the vow she made: If anything ever happened to him, she would walk the Camino de Santiago through Spain, making a pilgrimage in his name... -
The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson
For the past five years, Hayley Kincain and her father, Andy, have been on the road, never staying long in one place as he struggles to escape the demons that have tortured him since his return from Iraq. Now they are back in the town where he grew up so Hayley can attend school... -
Private Label by Kelly Yang
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsNew York Times bestselling author Kelly Yang delivers a heartfelt and powerful YA romance about a Chinese American girl who gets help from the new boy in town to search for her dad after her successful fashion designer mother is diagnosed with cancer.Serene dreams of making couture dresses even more stunning than her mom’s, but for now she’s an intern at her mom’s fashion label...Categorized as:
multicultural high-school dystopian young adult contemporary racism historical east-asian-mc -
The Secret Side of Empty by Maria E. Andreu
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAs a straight-A student with a budding romance and loyal best friend, M.T.’s life seems as apple-pie American as her blondish hair and pale skin. But M.T. hides two facts to the contrary: her full name of Monserrat Thalia and her status as an undocumented immigrant. But it’s harder to hide now that M.T.’s a senior... -
Love in English by Maria E. Andreu
Rated: 3.91 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsSixteen-year-old Ana has just moved to New Jersey from Argentina for her Junior year of high school. She’s a poet and a lover of language—except that now, she can barely understand what’s going on around her, let alone find the words to express how she feels in the language she’s expected to speak... -
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When Michael Met Mina by Randa Abdel-Fattah
Rated: 3.91 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsBefore Mina, my life was like a completed jigsaw puzzle but Mina has pushed the puzzle onto the floor. I have to start all over again, figuring out where the pieces go.When Michael meets Mina, they are at a rally for refugees - standing on opposite sides.Mina fled Afghanistan with her mother via a refugee camp, a leaky boat and a detention centre... -
Running to You by Julie L. Spencer
Sammy didn’t expect Brandon to look twice. But Brandon didn’t count on Sammy running off with his heart. First love can be bittersweet in this touching teen romance. Sammy had her sights set on track state finals and never paid much attention to the college guys who came to help her mom run their bed-and-breakfast. But that was before Brandon...Categorized as:
multicultural high-school young adult sports contemporary behind-doors christian virgin heroine -
The Lines We Cross by Randa Abdel-Fattah
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsA remarkable story about the power of tolerance from one of the most important voices in contemporary Muslim literature, critically acclaimed author Randa Abdel-Fattah. Michael likes to hang out with his friends and play with the latest graphic design software. His parents drag him to rallies held by their anti-immigrant group, which rails against the tide of refugees flooding the country... -
Lulu and Milagro's Search for Clarity by Angela Velez
Rated: 3.89 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsBooksmart meets Never Have I Ever in this Latinx road trip adventure—a big-hearted, voice-driven YA about two sisters who couldn’t be more different, but become begrudging partners on their school’s cross-country college trip—from debut author Angela Velez. Overachiever Luz “Lulu” Zavala has straight As, perfect attendance, and a solid ten-year plan... -
American Road Trip by Patrick Flores-Scott
Rated: 3.89 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA heartwrenching YA coming of age story about three siblings on a roadtrip in search of healing.With a strong family, the best friend a guy could ask for, and a budding romance with the girl of his dreams, life shows promise for Teodoro “T” Avila...Categorized as:
war high-school young adult contemporary mental illness historical military length-medium -
We Are All We Have by Marina Budhos
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen a teenage girl’s single mom is taken by ICE, everything changes—all of her hopes and dreams for the future have turned into survival. There’s a knock at the door.It’s the police.They’re taking Rania’s mom. Seventeen-year-old Rania doesn’t understand why—they’ve done all the right things, haven’t they? Her mom said their case with immigration was fine...
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