Books like 'What We Pretend to Be'
Readers who enjoyed What We Pretend to Be by Shaun David Hutchinson also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary science fiction young adult aliens queer
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Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness
In the riveting conclusion to the acclaimed dystopian series, a boy and girl caught in the chaos of war face devastating choices that will decide the fate of a world.As a world-ending war surges around them, Todd and Viola face monstrous decisions. The indigenous Spackle, thinking and acting as one, have mobilized to avenge their murdered people... -
![The Only Light Left Burning by Erik J. Brown]()
The Only Light Left Burning by Erik J. Brown
What If It's Us meets They Both Die at the End in this sequel to the beloved postapocalyptic queer YA adventure romance All That's Left in the World by USA Today bestselling author Erik J. Brown. Perfect for fans of Adam Silvera, Alex London, and Heartstopper by Alice Oseman. After a long and treacherous journey south, Andrew and Jamie have finally found safety in the Florida Keys... -
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![Novas by Lou Vane]()
Novas by Lou Vane
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsNovas is the thrilling second instalment in the young adult apocalyptic survival series, Fortune Falls. Perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and Tomorrow, When the War Began.Struggling in the aftermath of the devastating attack on the Fortune Falls community, Jess fears history will repeat itself when a new group of survivors arrive... -
![The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore]()
The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore
The Rise of Nine is the next thrilling instalment in the gripping Lorien Legacies series by Pittacus Lore.'Number Four is a hero for this generation' Michael Bay, director of Transformers***Until I met John Smith, Number Four, I'd been on the run alone, hiding and fighting to stay alive. Together we are much more powerful...Categorized as:
aliens science fiction magic contemporary high-school superheroes other-man-woman length-medium -
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![Heartstopper: Become Human by Alice Oseman]()
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![The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks]()
The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
Alternate Cover Edition can be found hereSeventeen-year-old Veronica 'Ronnie' Miller’s life was turned upside-down when her parents divorced and her father moved from New York City to Wilmington, North Carolina. Three years later, she remains angry and alienated from her parents, especially her father . .Categorized as:
aliens contemporary military science fiction high-school young adult small town tearjerkers -
![Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah]()
Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah
In this gorgeously stunning debut, a mysterious child teaches two strangers how to love and trust again.After the loss of her mother and her own battle with breast cancer, Joanna Teale returns to her graduate research on nesting birds in rural Illinois, determined to prove that her recent hardships have not broken her...Categorized as:
aliens contemporary suspense magic mystery young adult science fiction mental illness -
![At the Edge of the Universe by Shaun David Hutchinson]()
At the Edge of the Universe by Shaun David Hutchinson
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsFrom the author of We Are the Ants comes “another winner” (Booklist, starred review) about a boy who believes the universe is slowly shrinking as the things he remembers are being erased from others’ memories.Tommy and Ozzie have been best friends since the second grade, and boyfriends since eighth. They spent countless days dreaming of escaping their small town—and then Tommy vanished...Categorized as:
queer young adult contemporary science fiction mental illness mystery m-m high-school -
![Arena by Karen Hancock]()
Arena by Karen Hancock
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsA Journey She Did Not Choose Will Change Her Life Forever Transported surreptitiously to a terrifying alien world, with limited resources and only a few cryptic words to guide her, Callie Hayes finds herself engulfed in a perilous battle for freedom – for her very life...Categorized as:
aliens science fiction christian young adult dystopian mystery contemporary historical -
![The Case Files of Jeweler Richard Vol. 3 by Nanako Tsujimura]()
The Case Files of Jeweler Richard Vol. 3 by Nanako Tsujimura
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsBLAST FROM THE PASTCollege student Seigi works part-time at Jewelry Étranger, run by the equally handsome and capable jeweler, Richard... -
![Mon plus beau rêve by Lily Haime]()
Mon plus beau rêve by Lily Haime
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratings« C’est un oiseau sur un mur. »Depuis la mort de ses parents Aliocha vogue de familles d’accueil en foyer, de conneries en garde à vue. Il a appris très tôt à ne s’accrocher à rien, à ne croire qu’en lui, à ne laisser personne l’approcher d’assez prés. Il dessine le regard des gens qu’il croise dans la rue, les émotions, ces choses étranges qu’il ne ressent jamais... -
![Jem and the Holograms: The Misfits by Kelly Thompson]()
Jem and the Holograms: The Misfits by Kelly Thompson
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsTheir songs may be better, but the Misfits have lost their label and nobody will touch them in the music business. On the ropes and desperate to get back on top, they're forced to consider the worst case scenario...A MISFITS REALITY TV SHOW. Though it promises the chance to get them back in the spotlight, it comes with a heavy, privacy-destroying price... -
![Determinant by A.M. Hargrove]()
Determinant by A.M. Hargrove
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsNOTE: Though this is the 3rd installment of the Guardians of Vesturon, it can be read as a stand alone novel. January St. Davis, on her own since the age of sixteen and struggling to stay in college, thinks she’s scored in a major way when she lands a paid summer internship at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta... -
![Rout of the Dem-Shyr by Raine Thomas]()
Rout of the Dem-Shyr by Raine Thomas
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTouted as the future ruler and savior of worlds, Ascendant KyrVawn is ready to put her growing power to good use. She intends to begin with her home planet of Alametria, where hints of corruption have infiltrated the highest levels of the palace. It’s a monumental task, but one she won’t undertake alone. By her side is her personal bodyguard and secret lover, Dem-Shyr TaeDane... -
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![The Grief Keeper by Alexandra Villasante]()
The Grief Keeper by Alexandra Villasante
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThis stunning YA debut is a timely and heartfelt speculative narrative about healing, faith, and freedom.Seventeen-year-old Marisol has always dreamed of being American, learning what Americans and the US are like from television and Mrs. Rosen, an elderly expat who had employed Marisol's mother as a maid... -
![Until Midnight by Melissa Landers]()
Until Midnight by Melissa Landers
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsDon't miss the *free* romantic holiday story that connects ALIENATED and INVADED! Cara and Aelyx only have one day to spend together before he returns to earth and she travels to Aelyx's home planet, L'eihr. Homesick and worried about the upcoming year apart, Cara is desperate to make these final hours count. Worst of all, Cara is missing Christmas, stuck on board an alien spaceship...Categorized as:
aliens dystopian futuristic science fiction young adult contemporary christmas length-novella -
![Invaded by Melissa Landers]()
Invaded by Melissa Landers
Rated: 4.02 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsThe romantic sequel to Alienated takes long-distance relationships to a new level as Cara and Aelyx long for each other from opposite ends of the universe...until a threat to both their worlds reunites them. Cara always knew life on planet L’eihr would be an adjustment...Categorized as:
aliens magic futuristic science fiction young adult dystopian virgin heroine contemporary -
![A Complicated Love Story Set in Space by Shaun David Hutchinson]()
A Complicated Love Story Set in Space by Shaun David Hutchinson
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsBlack Mirror meets What If It’s Us in this gripping, romantic, and wildly surprising novel about two boys lost in space trying to find their way home—while falling in love—from the critically acclaimed author of We Are the Ants.When Noa closes his eyes on Earth and wakes up on a spaceship called Qriosity just as it’s about to explode, he’s pretty sure things can’t get much weirder.Boy is he wrong... -
![Revealing Kia by Airicka Phoenix]()
Revealing Kia by Airicka Phoenix
Rated: 3.97 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsThe events of Claudia’s party were nothing more than a distant memory as far as Kia was concerned. She was ready to resume her life as though that night had never happened. But it’s a slippery slope keeping a secret and Kia’s about to learn just how hard when she’s faced with the truth and the consequences of her decision. Adam Chaves was no stranger to girls wanting him... -
![Tracker Hacker by Jeff Adams]()
Tracker Hacker by Jeff Adams
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHigh school student. Hockey player. Computer whiz kid. Covert agent?At sixteen Theo Reese is the youngest agent for Tactical Operational Support. His way with computers makes him invaluable. He designs new gadgets, helps agents (including his parents) in the field, and works to keep the TOS network safe... -
![Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis]()
Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis
Rated: 3.91 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsPrincess Snow is missing. Her home planet is filled with violence and corruption at the hands of King Matthias and his wife as they attempt to punish her captors. The king will stop at nothing to get his beloved daughter back—but that’s assuming she wants to return at all. Essie has grown used to being cold...Categorized as:
aliens science fiction young adult dystopian legends & fairy tales futuristic mystery magic -
![Return to Me by James Oliver French]()
Return to Me by James Oliver French
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsWhat would you do if the man you loved vanished without a trace? Kyle and Todd meet at a party in their freshman year at college. They fall in lust at first sight, then deep in love. In spite of Kyle’s melancholy past, their future together looks bright. Then Kyle disappears, leaving Todd heartbroken and alone, and their dreams in ruins... -
![Starstruck by Brenda Hiatt]()
Starstruck by Brenda Hiatt
Rated: 3.93 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsNerdy astronomy geek Marsha, M to her few friends, has never been anybody special. Orphaned as an infant and reluctantly raised by an overly-strict “aunt,” she’s not even sure who she is. M’s dream of someday escaping tiny Jewel, Indiana and making her mark in the world seems impossibly distant until hot new quarterback Rigel inexplicably befriends her... -
![Milo and Marcos at the End of the World by Kevin Christopher Snipes]()
Milo and Marcos at the End of the World by Kevin Christopher Snipes
Rated: 3.93 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen Marcos moves to town, Milo is forced to acknowledge the feelings he's kept hidden, especially from his religious parents. But as natural disasters begin to befall them the closer they become, Milo and Marcos soon begin to wonder if the universe itself is plotting against them in this young adult debut by playwright and creator of The Two Princes podcast, Kevin Christopher Snipes...Categorized as:
queer young adult contemporary science fiction dystopian m-m friends to lovers length-medium -
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![What Goes Up by Katie Kennedy]()
What Goes Up by Katie Kennedy
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsAction-packed and wildly funny, this near-future sci-fi features three teens on an inter-dimensional mission to save the world.Rosa and Eddie are among hundreds of teens applying to NASA’s mysterious Multi-World Agency. After rounds of crazy-competitive testing they are appointed to Team 3, along with an alternate, just in case Eddie screws up (as everyone expects he will)...Categorized as:
aliens young adult science fiction humor contemporary high-school futuristic length-medium -
![Return of the Ascendant by Raine Thomas]()
Return of the Ascendant by Raine Thomas
Rated: 3.85 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThis is a New Adult novel recommended for ages 17+. Expecting to enjoy another typical college night at a frat party with friends, Kyra Vaughn’s plans derail when she’s almost killed…twice. Her savior, a tall, sexy stranger who calls himself TaeDane, claims that he’s the personal bodyguard for the Ascendant of Alametria. She’s convinced he’s crazy... -
![Jem and the Holograms, Vol. 5: Truly Outrageous by Kelly Thompson]()
Jem and the Holograms, Vol. 5: Truly Outrageous by Kelly Thompson
Rated: 3.78 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsJem and The Holograms head to Hawaii for some much needed rest and relaxation but with The Stingers renting the beach house next door they instead get shenanigans, betrayals, hi-jinx, and.. -
![Draw the Line by Laurent Linn]()
Draw the Line by Laurent Linn
Rated: 3.82 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAfter a hate crime occurs in his small Texas town, Adrian Piper must discover his own power, decide how to use it, and know where to draw the line in this “powerful debut” novel (Publishers Weekly, starred review) exquisitely illustrated by the author.Adrian Piper is used to blending into the background... -
![Love and Other Alien Experiences by Kerry Winfrey]()
Love and Other Alien Experiences by Kerry Winfrey
In this heartwarming debut by HelloGiggles blogger Kerry Winfrey, a young agoraphobe begins a journey of first love that leads her to the true meaning of home—just by taking one small step outside of her house. My name is Mallory Sullivan. My therapist says I have an anxiety disorder. My brother says I’m an “optimistic recluse.” Everybody else says I'm a freak... -
![The Final Six by Alexandra Monir]()
The Final Six by Alexandra Monir
Rated: 3.82 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsWhen Leo, an Italian championship swimmer, and Naomi, a science genius from California, are two of the twenty-four teens drafted into the International Space Training Camp, their lives are forever altered. After erratic climate change has made Earth a dangerous place to live, the fate of the population rests on the shoulders of the final six who will be scouting a new planet...Categorized as:
aliens science fiction young adult dystopian mystery futuristic time travel contemporary -
![Unearthed by Amie Kaufman, Meagan Spooner]()
Unearthed by Amie Kaufman, Meagan Spooner
Rated: 3.80 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsWhen Earth intercepts a message from a long-extinct alien race, it seems like the solution the planet has been waiting for. The Undying's advanced technology has the potential to undo environmental damage and turn lives around, and Gaia, their former home planet, is a treasure trove waiting to be uncovered...Categorized as:
aliens young adult science fiction dystopian mystery futuristic suspense contemporary -
![Spinning Starlight by R.C. Lewis]()
Spinning Starlight by R.C. Lewis
Rated: 3.73 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsSixteen-year-old heiress and paparazzi darling Liddi Jantzen hates the spotlight. But as the only daughter in the most powerful tech family in the galaxy, it’s hard to escape it. So when a group of men shows up at her house uninvited, she assumes it’s just the usual media-grubs. That is, until shots are fired... -
![Renegade Rule by Ben Kahn, Rachel Silverstein]()
Renegade Rule by Ben Kahn, Rachel Silverstein
Rated: 3.67 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsPrepare for competitive gaming like you've never seen it!The Manhattan Mist have beaten the odds to land themselves in the national championships for Renegade Rule, one of the hottest virtual reality games in existence. But they're in for competition fiercer than they ever imagined, and one team member's entire future could be at stake...Categorized as:
queer young adult f-f science fiction contemporary new adult friends to lovers from hate to love -
![Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston]()
Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston
Rated: 3.80 of 5 stars · 34 ratingsSeventeen-year-old Ana is a scoundrel by nurture and an outlaw by nature. Found as a child drifting through space with a sentient android called D09, Ana was saved by a fearsome space captain and the grizzled crew she now calls family. But D09—one of the last remaining illegal Metals—has been glitching, and Ana will stop at nothing to find a way to fix him...Categorized as:
aliens futuristic historical contemporary science fiction young adult mystery pirates -
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![To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini]()
To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini
To Sleep in a Sea of Stars is a brand new epic novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author of Eragon, Christopher Paolini.Kira Navárez dreamed of life on new worlds.Now she's awakened a nightmare.During a routine survey mission on an uncolonized planet, Kira finds an alien relic. At first she's delighted, but elation turns to terror when the ancient dust around her begins to move... -
![This Night So Dark by Amie Kaufman, Meagan Spooner]()
This Night So Dark by Amie Kaufman, Meagan Spooner
Rated: 3.77 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsDon’t miss the breathtaking short story that connects the first two novels in the Starbound trilogy, These Broken Stars and This Shattered World. Tarver still has nightmares about the night, six months before the Icarus crash, when he rescued a group of civilian researchers being held hostage by brutal mercenaries...Categorized as:
aliens contemporary futuristic mystery dystopian young adult science fiction male-pov -
![The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow]()
The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow
Rated: 3.77 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsCan a girl who risks her life for books and an Ilori who loves pop music work together to save humanity? A beautiful and thrilling debut novel for fans of Marie Lu and Veronica Roth.When a rebel librarian meets an Ilori commander...Two years ago, a misunderstanding between the leaders of Earth and the invading Ilori resulted in the death of one-third of the world's population...Categorized as:
aliens science fiction young adult dystopian from hate to love contemporary length-long -
![The Calling by James Frey, Nils Johnson-Shelton]()
The Calling by James Frey, Nils Johnson-Shelton
Rated: 3.78 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsTwelve thousand years ago, they came. They descended from the sky amid smoke and fire, and created humanity and gave us rules to live by. They needed gold and they built our earliest civilizations to mine it for them. When they had what they needed, they left. But before they left, they told us someday they would come back, and when they did, a game would be played...Categorized as:
aliens young adult science fiction futuristic mystery dystopian contemporary suspense -
![Karac by T.J. Yelden]()
Karac by T.J. Yelden
Rated: 3.69 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsOne phone call was all it took to turn Ashley’s world upside down. Aliens from outer space? Check. Government deal to mandate women sign up for alien courtship? Check. A woman willing to allow someone else to dictate her life? No way in hell. Screw the government. Screw the aliens. She makes her own decisions on how her future plays out...Categorized as:
aliens science fiction futuristic alpha male young adult insta-love contemporary m-f -
![Mirror X by Karri Thompson]()
Mirror X by Karri Thompson
Rated: 3.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCassie Dannacher wakes up in a hospital over 1,000 years into the future after her space capsule is retrieved from space. She soon learns that 600 years prior to her arrival, the earth was struck by a plague, killing over half of the world’s population...Categorized as:
aliens contemporary dystopian futuristic science fiction young adult time travel length-medium -
![Radical by E.M. Kokie]()
Radical by E.M. Kokie
Rated: 3.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDetermined to survive the crisis she’s sure is imminent, Bex is at a loss when her world collapses in the one way she hasn’t planned for.Preppers. Survivalists. Bex prefers to think of herself as a realist who plans to survive, but regardless of labels, they’re all sure of the same thing: a crisis is coming. And when it does, Bex will be ready... -
![My Secret Affection Vol. 1 by Fumi Mikami]()
My Secret Affection Vol. 1 by Fumi Mikami
Rated: 3.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIn this sweet, unforgettable shojo manga, space made the world gay. What happens when a girl likes a boy in this new reality?Ever since the day thirty years ago when a strange meteorite crashed to earth, heterosexuality disappeared. Life changed drastically, and the world embraced same-sex relationships... -
![Earth to Charlie by Justin Olson]()
Earth to Charlie by Justin Olson
Rated: 3.61 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA high school outcast spends his life hoping to be abducted by aliens in this funny, quirky novel about finding your footing in a world that sometimes feels like Mars. Convinced his mother has been abducted by aliens, Charlie Dickens spends his nights with an eye out for UFOs, hoping to join her. After all, she said the aliens would come back for him... -
![Lizard Radio by Pat Schmatz]()
Lizard Radio by Pat Schmatz
Rated: 3.64 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsFifteen-year-old Kivali has never fit in. As a girl in boys’ clothes, she is accepted by neither tribe, bullied by both. What are you? they ask. Abandoned as a baby wrapped in a T-shirt with an image of a lizard on the front, Kivali found a home with nonconformist artist Sheila... -
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![The Academy by Emmaline Andrews, Evangeline Anderson]()
The Academy by Emmaline Andrews, Evangeline Anderson
Rated: 3.75 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsThe Academy Where things are not always as they seem… My name is Kris Jameson and I’m a student at the Royal Academy. I’m at the top of all my classes, what they call a “model student.” There’s only one problem—the Academy is an all boys school and I’m a girl. It started as a prank when I took my brother’s place...Categorized as:
aliens contemporary young adult alpha male bad boys forbidden love dystopian futuristic -
![The Kindred by Alechia Dow]()
The Kindred by Alechia Dow
Rated: 3.69 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsTo save a galactic kingdom from revolution, Kindred mind-pairings were created to ensure each and every person would be seen and heard, no matter how rich or poor…Joy Abara knows her place. A commoner from the lowly planet Hali, she lives a simple life—apart from the notoriety that being Kindred to the nobility’s most infamous playboy brings.Duke Felix Hamdi has a plan... -
![The Cage by Megan Shepherd]()
The Cage by Megan Shepherd
Rated: 3.69 of 5 stars · 34 ratingsThe Maze Runner meets Scott Westerfeld in this gripping new series about teens held captive in a human zoo by an otherworldly race. From Megan Shepherd, the acclaimed author of The Madman's Daughter trilogy. When Cora Mason wakes in a desert, she doesn't know where she is or who put her there...Categorized as:
aliens futuristic science fiction young adult forbidden love love triangle mystery dystopian -
![Jem and the Holograms, Vol. 4: Enter The Stingers by Kelly Thompson]()
Jem and the Holograms, Vol. 4: Enter The Stingers by Kelly Thompson
Rated: 3.48 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsStill reeling from the shattering conclusion to "Dark Jem," Jem and the Holograms regroup--desperate to find a path forward. Meanwhile, THE MISFITS find themselves with a unique problem one lead singer too many! Plus, a European super group takes the U.S. by storm The Stingers! Meet Riot, Rapture, Minx, and... Raya! Collects issues #17-23... -
![Rated by Melissa Grey]()
Rated by Melissa Grey
Rated: 3.57 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsSocieties thrive on order, and the Rating System is the ultimate symbol of organized social mobility. The higher it soars, the more valued you are. The lower it plummets, the harder you must work to improve yourself. For the students at the prestigious Maplethorpe Academy, every single thing they do is reflected in their ratings, updated daily and available for all to see...Categorized as:
queer young adult mystery science fiction high-school dystopian contemporary friends to lovers -
![Away We Go by Emil Ostrovski]()
Away We Go by Emil Ostrovski
Rated: 2.99 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWesting is not your typical school. For starters, you have to have one very important quality in order to be admitted—you have to be dying. Every student at Westing has been diagnosed with PPV, or the Peter Pan Virus. No one is expected to live to graduation...
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