This Rec League comes from Kristin. Thanks, Kristin!
My 13 1/2 year old is an an avid reader. She has recently gotten into romance novels and I want to give her options that are body positive and have healthy relationships, but that are also age appropriate for her. Some of her reading history includes all the harry potter books (repeatedly). One of her favs of all time is Blended by Sharon Draper. She has read the 3 Jenny Han books (To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before). What other authors and books do you recommend for this early teen age and romance?
Shana: Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle ( A | BN | K ) is one of my favorite YA romances. It models healthy relationships with friends, parents, and a romantic partner. CW for backstory of attempted sexual assault.
Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado ( A | BN | K | AB ) is about a teenager who learns to embrace body positivity. It’s more of a coming-of-age story but there’s a very cute b-plot romance. CW: dieting mom.
Skin of the Sea ( A | BN | K ) is a YA fantasy novel about a young mermaid who goes on an adventure and falls in love along the way. It’s the first in a series.
Her Good Side by Rebekah Weatherspoon is an adorable YA romance with faking dating and Jenny Han vibes.
Sarah: Lara, would Poison Study work?
Maureen Johnson writes in several different genres blending mystery, fantasy, and contemporary. Truly Devious ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) might work really well!
Also Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross. ( A | BN | K )
Lara: Poison Study is probably YA romantasy. The romance isn’t explored in depth and it’s certainly chaste. No characters in bigger bodies that I recall. Yelena is too busy trying to save herself to worry about her body. There’s lots of really positive stuff around celebrating what your body can do (albeit in a self-defense/combat sense)
I did adore the romance plot.
Sarah: Oh – Anna and the French Kiss ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) is one of my absolute favorite books and I’ve re-read it a bunch of times. An American girl enters a French boarding school in Paris.
Which books would you recommend? Let us know in the comments!
Sarah Dessen! Her novels are not too grown up for a pre-teen who wants to read romance, and they’re grown up enough that an adult could read them and a child won’t feel like they’re being patronised. My favourite is This Lullaby.
Definitely Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert.
Do the Alanna books by Tamora Pierce count? I remember enjoying them ages ago but don’t remember details. I know there’s a romance over the four books but it’s not the focus.
The series that begins with When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon! There’s Something About Sweetie also has a strong body positivity message, and honestly, one that I found better delivered than Fat Chance, Charlie Vega. Also dieting mom trigger for Sweetie. I haven’t read the finale, Ten Things I Hate About Pinky, so I can’t speak on it, but I will say that reading When Dimple Met Rishi introduces the MMC and romantic antagonist of There’s Something about Sweetie and while it’s not 100% necessary to read one to follow the other. Good times there.
I also highly recommend Nisha Sharma’s My So-Called Bollywood Life. I particularly love the depiction of the FMC, Winnie, and her family sharing their culture and traditions with Winnie’s bestie, who is white and the community at large.
Someone double check me on this, because it may have been a later book in the series, but I recall sexual assault and abuse being a major component in Poison Study. I read it so long ago that I can’t tell you if it was handled well, but I sure wouldn’t recommend it as an introduction to romance.
If she’s open to historical romance, my niece LOVED Eva Ibbotson at that age. The Boy Next Door by Meg Cabot is about adult characters but would be teen-appropriate…it definitely has the vibe of a rom-com you could watch with your mom. (Not sure about the rest of the series.)
Would I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith be appropriate? I never read it but I remember my daughter and friends loving it. They enjoyed the movie too.
When I was about that age, my favorite book was Beauty by Robin McKinley. It’s a beauty and the beast retelling, so maybe not the best example of healthy contemporary relationships, but I loved it.
This is not my wheelhouse so you’re definitely going to want to get second opinions on whether these would suit, but YA that I enjoy is so rare I figure I should mention any that I recall: In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan, The Raven Boys cycle by Maggie Steifvater (sp?), Carry On series by Rainbow Rowell, Darius the Great is Not Ok by Adib Khorram. Dianna Wynn Jones has a bunch and so does Naomi Novik and last but not least T Kingfisher.
In the Key of Us by Mariama J. Lockington – very sweet Sapphic romance between two 13 year olds who meet at music summer camp. Both girls are dealing with some tough issues and there’s a lot about grief and families and belonging – the romance is very low key and age appropriate. This actually reminded me of the “teen problem” books of my youth, but in a good way.
Lakelore by Anna-Marie McLemore – magical realism, queer romance between two non-binary and neuro-atypical teens.
The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley was one of my favorite romance fantasies at that age (still a favorite book). It features a FMC who is not considered traditionally attractive in her culture (IIRC, she is too tall and I think somewhat madculine looking; this is referenced in a disparaging way early on but not once she transplants to a new culture, if that makes sense).
Graceling by Kristin Cashore, Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter, Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell (and others by Rainbow Rowell), Fault in Our Stars by John Green (maybe also Looking for Alaska?), The Uglies novels by Scott Westerfeld
POISON STUDY is pretty violent; I don’t recall if it has sexual assault on page, but I just finished the second one in the series (MAGIC STUDY) and that definitely has sexual assault described, but not occurring on page. They are both excellent, but I think being appropriate for a 13 year old is a YMMV situation.
Anything by Diana Wynne Jones for sure; Howl’s Moving Castle in particular. Also the Chrestomanci series, not too much romance but WAY better than HP, IMHO, and the author wasn’t a douche. Katie McALister’s series starting with The Year My Life Went Down The Loo. And one of my personal faves, Heartstone by Elle Katherine White, a fantasy retelling of Pride & Prejudice with Dragons! Seconding Uprooted and Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik. For a graphic novel I cannot recommend Cursed Princess Club enough, lots of body positivity, girl power, women supporting women, toxic relationships of all kinds being called out, and fall-on-the-floor hilarious to boot. The eventual triumph is *chef’s kiss.
Amanda Sellet’s By the Book and Belittled Women were both fun reads. Definitely YA but I thoroughly enjoyed them. Smartly written. Sarah Dessen is terrific.
There was trilogy my daughter (now 29) read at about 13 that made a huge impact on her. Right in that sweet spot your looking for. I cannot remember but if I get the title I’ll chime back in.
I read Merrie Haskell’s The Princess Curse donkey’s years ago but remember enjoying it immensely.
Also Intisar Khannani’s Thorn or anything by her really! Her stories are thoughtful.
I see that Diana Lynne Jones has been mentioned already. Would highly recommend her for HP fans but would caution that unlike HP which kind of hurtles into plot things, DWJ might cause some confusion–the reader might not be sure with is happening but stay with her. She’ll get you through.
And a huge recommendation for Megan Whalen Turner’s Thief series. . . huh. I think I. might need to re-read these as well!
Julia Murphy’s Dumpling and Pudding maybe? Becky Albertalli is also generally body positive. I know Rainbow Rowell is more controversial as a rec now, but Carry On (and its sequels) may be fun as an alternative to Harry Potter.
I haven’t read YA in a few years, so I don’t know anything more recent than the late 2010s
Absolutely second The Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner and would add The Mediator series and Avalon High by Meg Cabot and Constance by Patricia Clapp!
You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson is a delightful sapphic teen romance about a girl who ends up deciding to compete for Homecoming royalty because there’s some money for college if you win. This is not generally a premise that holds a lot of interest for me but I picked it up because I was looking for more sapphic romances and I’m so glad that I did. I don’t remember if it has body positivity, but I’m pretty sure I would remember if it had body negativity.
I second the recommendation for Thorn by Intisar Khanani -the other two books in the series are also good and the second two can be read without having read Thorn. Do check the content warnings though. Her other series that begins with Sunbolt is also excellent but does not have romance.
I’d recommend Shannon Hale, Patricia Wrede, and Robin McKinley. I super loved Georgette Heyer at that age.
Now, this may be anti-romance, but I just saw that @ezeekat on Instagram posted a Story about a card game called Rebel Princess, and it’s supposed to be about princesses avoiding proposals. It looks super cute, and he’s posting a video about the game this weekend.
Libba Bray’s books are some of my favorite YA. The Diviners series is about a group of friends in 1920s NYC with powers. The Gemma Doyle trilogy is a witchy Victorian boarding school series. They both have romantic elements (the Gemma Doyle one does not have an HEA though).
The Jessica Darling series by Megan McCafferty is hilarious and the love interest is a lot of fun. There’s a Netflix show based on a prequel book with Jessica as a middle schooler.
Oooh I love YA. I would definitely recommend all of Jenn Bennett’s books but my favorite is Alex, Approximately. Emily Henry also has a couple of YA books that I enjoyed as well, A Million Junes & The Love That Split the World. I also read a LOT of Georgette Heyer and Jane Austen at that age. Fave Heyer was April Lady.
Patricia Wrede–I second her so much!!!!
I became hooked on Heyer in my teens as did my daughter. Her language can be challenging though. My first Heyer was either The Quiet Gentleman or The Nonesuch. The latter even comes equipped with a resident mean girl. I’m thinking Frederica, The Talisman Ring, and Sylvester might also work for a teen reader, due to the mix of older and younger characters and the humor. My kid also enjoyed Mary Stewart back in the day. These are adult romantic suspense from the sixties era. Not everything holds up to current standards (lots of smoking), but as historical artifacts, I think they’d work, and they are definitely not explicit.
In a similar vein with magic added, Wrede & Stevermer’s Sorcery and Cecilia series and Stephanie Burgis’s Kat, Incorrigible series are possibilities. Caroline Stevermer also has the College of Magics series. Sherwood Smith has a number of ya fantasy and fantasy romances, most notably Crown Duel. She is not as well known as some of these other authors but is well worth exploring.
Lois McMaster Bujold’s Penric and Desdemona series is not precisely romance, but is often at least romance adjacent. The world of the Five Gods is fascinating and there are some full length novels set in this world that might appeal as your daughter gets older.
An older series that might appeal is Louise Rennison’s Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging series. However, I don’t know how well they hold up. I saw John Green recommended, and while he’s been extremely popular over the years, he writes more love stories than romances with legit HEAs.
Julie Murphy started with YA, so Dumplin’ might be appealing to your daughter. Definitely body positive.
Here to second Divine Rivals! Also I highly recommend John Allison’s comic series Bad Machinery, it’s fun it’s got friendships and a touch of romance. Tracy Deonn’s Bloodmarked series is an Arthurian legend in modern time with romance, there’s only 2 in the series out now but the third is due out in a few weeks
All of my recommendations are from when I was a teen and prior so maybe not the most relevant:
Caroline B. Cooney, especially The Girl Who Invented Romance and the Time Travelers quartet.
Lois Duncan’s The Third Eye
SFF Howl’s Moving Castle, Margaret Mahy’s The Changeover, and Christina Askounis’s The Dream of the Stone.
Definitely second (or third or whatever) the recommendations for Robin McKinley’s Beauty, the Blue Sword, and (not yet mentioned) Spindle’s End, although the romantic relationship is rather secondary to the overall plot in the latter two.
Also Stephanie Burgis’s Kat, Incorrigible series, Shannon Hale, and Patricia Wrede’s Sorcery & Cecilia series.
The Perilous Gard is a wonderful historical fantasy novel (with the emphasis on historical), with a romance woven in but not key to the plot. The main character doesn’t fit the Tudor feminine ideals; she’s too tall, too clumsy, too outspoken, too rebellious, and highly intelligent and curious to boot. She does get some training in moving gracefully, but remains stubbornly herself in every other way… and in the end, the young man she falls in love with chooses her over her beautiful-but-helpless sister. (I don’t like that the sister perpetuates the “dim blonde” stereotype, but you can’t have everything, and the book was written in the 1970s. And the sister is only in a few scenes at the beginning and end, and writes a few letters to the main character in between, so we don’t see a lot of her.)
I recommend Tamora Pierce’s Tortall books for positive, healthy depictions of strong young women in romantic/sexual relationships, with the possible exception of the Song of the Lioness quartet (I would have to reread them to be sure that the eventual sexual relationship between Alana and Jonathan isn’t too explicit for a 13-year-old; I think it might be.)
I am very late to the party here, but The Elementals series by Sherry Thomas is soooo good – and the ending, chef’s kiss!