Written by Anna D
It’s very likely you have seen Netflix’s new original series Never Have I Ever, which released in April 2020. Teen shows do have something magical and engrossing about them and this one also offers a ton of diversity! However, it’s pretty short, so if you’re looking for something similar, here are some young adult books you could read! Each recommendation corresponds with an element or trope from Never Have I Ever, so you can satisfy your specific cravings.
We Are Totally Normal by Rahul Kanakia
The book follows Nandan, an Indian-American teen, as he questions his sexuality and does some growing up. It’s not a cutesy fairy-tale romance, but instead a very real look at figuring out one’s identity, and how making mistakes only means we’re human.
The Stars and the Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus
This is a gorgeously written love story between two Black lesbian teenagers. It’s tender, it’s beautiful, and it will leave you crying but those are going to be tears of happiness.
Out of the Blue by Sophie Cameron
Imagine a world where angels start falling from the sky, but they’re not able to speak English and act like humans… Imagine that your father makes it his life mission to catch one, while you’re still trying to come to terms with the death of your mother.
Camp by L.C. Rosen
Just like Devi, Randy has a group of close friends he can rely on. They don’t always agree with his ridiculous ideas, but they support him anyway and it’s that trust and love that helps Randy grow into the best version of himself.
Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales
While Will doesn’t outright ask Ollie to have sex with him out of the blue, they have a summer fling and later on their paths cross again. There’s some messiness and a ton of mistakes, just like in Devi’s love life, but the outcome is slightly different.
By Any Means Necessary by Candice Montgomery
Torrey is a freshman at college and he’s torn between just wanting some space to grow in peace and wanting to save his late uncle’s bee farm. It’s the friends and family back home, and especially the Black women, that help him realise how much is to be gained from loving one’s roots.
I Knew Him by Abigail de Niverville
Here the production is Shakespeare’s Hamlet, but all the drama and chaos of working on stage remains. Although maybe not Eleanor’s levels of being a diva, but then she is rather hard to match.
Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender
While friends to lovers is not the first thing that comes to mind when talking about Felix Ever After, the trope does exist in the book and it does sneak up on the reader just like with Devi and Ben.
Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust
A fairy tale-like story set in ancient Persia about a girl whose cursed with poisonous touch. Soraya finds many reasons to hate her mother, but their relationship changes a lot as she learns to look at things from multiple perspectives.
Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian
Having to choose between your friends and the person you have feelings for is never easy, and there are lots of reasons for that choice to be made. The conflict here arises from a very different place than in Never Have I Ever, but it’s just as difficult one to deal with.
