XD) I feel like itd be nice to see more balancemake it easier to find books without romance? Even if they do seem quite rare at times. But as he grows up and comes of age as his authentic queer self, he starts to get to know the person he was always meant to be. I get sick of an elderly relative or teacher silently judgeing me because they read the back cover of the book I was reading and deemed it too romance-y. I agree that there are so many books where, sometimes, romance is really unneccessary, and just added for the benefits of the readers, to have something to swoon over, in between the madness of fights, struggles and everything we can think of. We do have rights to whine because YES, most YA booksdo feature a romance and a lot of time itis the focus. so maddening. Open Road Summer by Emery Lord 7. ! I urge you to share your recs in the comments! I personally love romance in books and it never really bothers me at all, despite age unless its completely unrealistic. xD *digs hole* *lives in it forever*, IM GLAD YOU APPRECIATED MY ADAM AND EVE TWIST. Oh I hear ya I HEAR YA with the 16 year olds making mammoth decisions. Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window). So thank you for sharing some books that can solve that! But I am also really happy when I read a YA books that contains NO romance. MY SPECIALITY IS DRAGONS. Omg. YOURE MOST WELCOME. When her aunt Penelope disappears, Lucy is left devastated and alone. *nods* Which is perfectly great, of course. (Which is a struggle for me because I suck at writing romance.). I personally dont mind when there is romance in a YA novel, but I dont like the whole book to centre around the romance. It can be high fantasy (but the main character must be male) I am just sick with every royalty book is about romance, and female lead. Thats kind of the best way I can describe it, but yeah. ;D. I love this post! And even many of these have hints of romance its almost impossible to find one without it. Sometimes romance is just overdone. Now enough of my tantrum. YA fantasy books without any romance? : YAlit - Reddit No worries! IT NEEDS YOU. This was a fabulous list and awesome discussion. Well written romances are goodthe rest, not so much. - Novel Ink, Weekly Fury #64 // My Society6 Store (!!) Plus, not every teen out there is finding their one true love and they do not WANT to always read about characters who do. In the creation of this list, some of the books may feature characters who have a significant other but that partner plays little or no role in the story beyond a passing one. In which I gush aboutBook covers & the people that design them. single. Even if it isnt a romance novel per se. I am writing these books down. 10 YA Books With No Romance For When You're Out of Love - BOOK RIOT YA book without romance? : r/suggestmeabook - Reddit I basically just like my stories to be full of people doing and feeling things about, with, and in opposition to each other. Ride your dragons. I THINK YOUD LOVE IT. Plus fictional boys (or girls) are just somehowBETTER. I find it really hard to love a book without romance I dont know what it is, but I just love the romance aspects of novels. 16 YA Books Without Romance to Add to Your TBR - Epic Reads . I'M CROSSING ALL MY FINGERS FOR THIS SAVAGE SONG. Have a look around and lets chat! One especially focuses on sibling relationships instead. It should be highlighted more. YAAY thanks for all the recommendations!! (Im so excited to read Demon Road whY HAVENT I READ IT YET). Go fight the bad guys. XD. I can only think of Code Name Verity as another book that doesnt have romance in, and that made me cry a lot! Very very good. :) So some romance, at least, is always appreciated by me. Notify me via e-mail if anyone answers my comment. I mean, I personally am not a romantic person IRLbuuuut, in a book? Actually, I think its keeping me from reading other books now. (also, awesome) I do enjoy romance (its cute. #DragonRights ANYHOW. Honestly, I was the oppositeI was the scrawny 15 year old who SCREAMED BLUE MURDER if they read a book with romance because ughggugh. rips himself in half. REEEEAAAD IIIIIIT! Sure. I think the value and strength of platonic love gets forgotten! But it is subjective*nods* I LOVE BOOKS WITH GREAT SIBLING RELATIONSHIPS. Luckily I havent read that much in books? GOOD FOR YOU! & Immensely Glorious Library Sales, Whats Your Favourite Type of YA Romance? It seems to me that most (if not everything) I've read in the genre has at least one romance somewhere in the story. . Occasionally, if done well, I love them, but most of the time I get tired of them. *heavy sigh*. WHAT ARE THEY FROM? And most of the books I write actually have romance (even if my definition of romance is just characters mutually eating cake whilst professing love for each other *shrugs* It worksI hope. Rose Under Fireug. I think it really depends on the book and how the romance evolves into the story line. totally normal. And like when the book is SO PLOT FOCUSED that the romance justdoesnt work because theres no time to develop it. I like a well rounded story with deep, sensible characters who can also have a little love future on the side. #noregrets Its so tragic and motivating for the character to then conquer the world or whatnot. When its not just lots of stream-of-conciousness angst though, I can get on board with it for the added emotional tension. , Thanks! I can definitely see why so many YA books focus on romance though at that time in your life I guess starting to have relationships is probably foremost in your mind, so its definitely a selling point for a lot of teens. A few years ago I really wanted to read She is Not Invisible but I never got round to it ROSE UNDER FIRE I THINK I NEED TO CRY, ILL BE BACK SOON. Im also always looking for a romance to be anything but typical. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), What To Do When You Think Your Writing Woefully Sucks. YES! YA doesnt take kindly to a lack of Smacks-You-In-The-Face-Romance. It needs to happen. It is about a graphic novel and the book actually has comic panels in it which, was awesome. Its esp. UGHHHH. But yesromance in YA can get pretty predictable, which is frustrating. Although I do like to ship* and I often find romances entertaining or squishily nice to read about. Although they sucked at the whole ride into the sunset happily and instead cursed of all mankind. :):):). I AM A BIG ADVOCATE OF THIS. And I think youre spot on with this analysis too. As both a reader and an aspiring writer of ya novels, I often find that so many epic ideas are ruined by romance that feels like its shoved in there to please the audience. Im going to go out on a limb here and say yes. Its Kind of a Funny Story totally has a romance. xD OHHH MY GAWSH STAAAHP. The one exception is the Murderbot Diaries series, which is sci-fi with . Lucy Acostas mother died when she was three. I think the only YA title I read this year that had no romance was Erin Bows Plain Kate. Its more of creating yourself and finding out what you want to do. I like my romance as a subplot. And yes, Katniss and Prim. Hardcover$17.99 $19.99. Like, if the characters are bent on saving the world and, you know, not dying, its a little annoying to replace that tension with romantic tension. So great. And goes to show that boys and girls can be friends. Not saying I agree with it 100%, but I am also older than the targeted age and age of the characters. In a world that is rapidly changing for the worse, Djola, an exiled spymaster, is desperately searching for a way to save his homeland. So maybe this isnt so healthy after all . I dont mind romance in books. AFJDASLKFD YOU ARE MY FAVOURITE OBVIOUSLY. WE ARE TWINS ON THIS MATTER! I enjoy it most of the time. Sometimes I think, because, well, most authors are quite older than their characters, maybe they rush things? :'( That book is really special though and, gah, I want to hug it. Or when they dont really develop the romance, its just physical attractionI hate that. Like if the plot is so so tight about the action and adventure that the romance just feels rushed and shoved in there and awkward. But I also like it to be done well: no he likes her, she likes him, hes dating another girl blah blahbity blah blah nonsense. Romances are great! I think this is because a lot of YA is marketed towards teenage girls and knowing how fangirly over romance we are, authors will write it into their books. But hey, if I'm not going to experience a perfect swoon-worthy romance in real life I might as well experience it in a book??? I really like them, but I think a lot are unnecessary and hurt the book if not done well. . . Hehe. Thats where I get the feels; particularly from the slow burn friendship/platonic to something more. At one point I was so sick of the romance, I kept looking for one without it and it was always like. Dont get me wrong, I like a little bit of flirting and falling in love- thats great but when it becomes the end-all-be-all or worse, it defines the character then I go bat-ugly! *nods sagely*, OF COURSE THE BOOKS I WRITE ARE FULL OF THESE GOLDEN LINES. It can have romance ( but the romance must be in the background) not old books . Its just nice to read books that focus on more than the romance sometimes! YA Books Without Romance ~ I Promise You THEY DO TOTALLY EXIST - Paper Fury Its Kind of a Funny story is amazing. While Id like to consider myself someone who doesnt like the MASSIVE amount of romance in YA novels, over the past year or two I have come to admit that my liking romance is more than a guilty pleasure haha. 1. If you have a problem with anything featured on this site please, please, PLEASE feel free to contact me! In cultures that center romance as the epitome of intense emotion, how many works of literature don't include romantic development as a theme? I really like finding YA books without romance or too MUCH romance because thats not the only stories that need to be told. Sometimes, it just feels too much and unnecessarily. ;D, I enjoy a non-romantic YA novel. I definitely do not have a problem with romance in YA. Take THAT, society. SABA AND JACK MY LURVES. I love seeing complex characters, and non-romantic relationships. However, I am a romantic and when it comes to reading about other, fictional, peoples lives who cares what your own circumstances are? THATD BE GOOD. And I also enjoyed Messenger of Fear, and Im looking forward to the sequel . Thank you for the recommendations. I dont always like stories that are pure romance (like the Contemporary Romance genre) but I love when amazing stories have just the teeniest bit of romance in it. but I dont need it there. The books listed below are certified romance-free. I definitely plan to check out these books, btw. YA & MG Books WITHOUT Romance Looking for good YA or Middle-school reads without romance. Imaginary Girls doesnt have a whole lot of romanceI mean, there is /some/, but its definitely not the focus. Blah blah. . . Required fields are marked *. For books to be added, romance can't play a major role or be a focus point to be on this list. Books who dont need that crutch? And being a writer of YA Fantasy that has just a smidge of romance compared to the magical awesome that I love so much, I thought I was doomed! I feel like a ton of authors are adding romance where it isnt completely necessary, just so the story will appeal to a YA audience, which kind of makes me disappointed. Awk, dont even get me started on curing illnesses with romance. Tolkien is usually not very romantic at all. Like Ill totally sit here and go Great! CUE [], Hello! MY BLOG IS SO RAndOM I CANNOT EVEN. An excuse to be wildly melodramatic about things that dont really matter in the long run! Personally, I dont mind romances. So you see my problem is I am a very picky picky reader when it comes to romance there are just so many things that go into it! I want to read about people who end up in a (sort of) happily ever afterIt makes me happy. Your email address will not be published. I like a main genre with romance sprinkled in. I love it. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys, 18. I own Eon, I was recently gifted The Knife of Never Letting Go and I want to read Magnus Chase and Maze Runner so I might just time it so I read them right after a YA book that had a less-than-spectacular ship LOL ! This list is defining romance as any clear romantic relationship. Thanks so much to Stormy, Cait, Mel, Brett, Sarah, Rashika, Jennifer, and Maddie for helping me come up with a bunch of these titles through my discussion on Twitter! (But recognized many of them on my TBR list. Your email address will not be published. Finding a young adult book without romance is no easy feat. From the bestselling author of the National Book Award Finalist The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School comes a revenge story told with nuance, heart, and the possibility of healing. This was super interesting. Paperback. So I decided to actually write some of these down and make a real, tangible list. I agree! There are asexual people, for instance, Wow, this is really refreshing. This content contains affiliate links. Im sure I looked like an ugly mess that day driving home from work. The Knife of Never Letting Go is like my favorite book of all time! Besides, theres no time for romance! I was going to say I read one YA book this year that didnt really have romance, but I think it mightve been more middle grade. Also when the book is so so plot focused and doesnt have time to develop the romance properly? That book is everything. Other books are pure adventure stories, science fiction romps, constructed entirely in fantasy worlds, or spine-tingling thriller or horror reads. GAH. Jam is a trans girl living in a utopian society called Lucille. We love books, traveling and were both marshmallows, basically. [], [] forget you said it and then repeat it nine million times. Tension. Seol is an indentured servant in 1800 Joseon (Korea). WHYYYYYYY. I really NEED to read The Knife of Never Letting Go, and Im glad to hear there isnt a romance in it, because they have their priorities in order. Teenagers dont need romance shoved down their throats, we need more non-romance orientated books, thank you for sharing this awesome list of books, I intend to check them out soonish , Oh no need to apologise! Celaena wasnt with Dorian and Chaol at the same time. YA. It bothers me!! Its Kind of A Funny Story WAS SO SO AMAZING. I totally dont have anything against romance, but YEAH ITD BE GOOD FOR BALANCE. I also laugh at them a lot. Not when its shoved down my throat for the sake of dramatization or whatnot. . Reader's Digest Releases Best 100 Books of All Time List, Neck-cessary Reading: 20 of the Best Vampire Books of All Time, Keep Cool While You Read These 8 Hot Horror Novels, 15 of the Most Underrated Books on Goodreads. Meh. I really agree with everything youve said. Takes 30 seconds! Although I read one today that totally did NOT end like I thought it would and it was really refreshing and grand. If my characters get too close romantically, I tend to kill one off. Im not a reader who fancies a romance in her books. Start quiz 1. And then of course there is the dreaded (or loved, depending on who you ask) love triangle or instalove. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. It feels so shallow and empty I dont even care about it. Id like to check it out if is somewhere online. The chrestomanci series by Diana wynne jones is great if she hasn't read those already. [] The amazing Cait over at Paper Fury has chimed in on the conversation and has even more books on her list of YA sans [], [] @ Paper Fury shares with us YA books that dont have a romance. Sometimes the characters have other things to think about than who they want to kiss and cuddle. Required fields are marked *. Omg. YA and Adult books without romance This is for people who are tired of romance in books. I was that teenager who had romance on her mind a looooottt. I hate the romance books where the romance overtakes the plot and you go from reading so and so have to save the world to this person cant stop thinking about their crush and forget all about saving the world. *commences happy dance* I really have noooo idea how people can balance this intense demanding love life AND try to survive from zombies. It makes them feel bad, you know?!! This book has no romance! and then go back to shipping characters anyway. Or like when EVERYONE is in love with one person? Its an unexplainable force of nature. *tosses hair majestically* . , Tell me about all the books youre eager to read. The characters have to be appropriately immature, but they also have to be madly in love. HA YES! I think the best books are the ships that arent forced at all, and the readers want the ship to happen so badly, because it doesnt happen automatically. . OCD, the Dude, and Me is a great YA contemporary without romance that I think gets overlooked. Black Dove, White Raven by Elizabeth Wein (shes good at this stuff) The Memory of Light by Francisco X Stork, 87. There is literally something for every kind of YA reader, along with books that represent the nice wide swath of landscape that YA books not take up in our cultural and literary histories. I didnt end up reading Eona because I didnt actually love Eon. I notice this more with Adult fiction books (even the overly romantic ones). Although I do know of a few of those too! Sometimes we want narratives that we can wholeheartedly see ourselves in, and not everyone is going to find that in novels centered around teen puppy love. Out of all the books that youve listed, Ive only read Its Kind Of A Funny Story and Maze Runner hehehe. (Which is probably why I love Maggie Stiefvater, especially The Scorpio Races and TRC. I miss books where there is serious friendship and the friendship is not overshadowed or have to share time with romantic relationships. *nods*. My son is almost 13 so you know, kind of close to some of these kids in the books. SO that makes me sad too. For books to be added, romance can't play a major role or be a focus point to be on this list. And I see a lot of them in NA books? adventure! *nods*. I agree with you about sometimes just wanting the protagonist to succeed more plot-wise and less romance-wise. In addition to Book Riot, his writing can be found at Collider, PopMatters, Spectrum Culture, and other places. Emotionally shut out by her father, Lucy watches helplessly as her cousins sanity unravels. (the steamier the better) But thats just me. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. The whole book is about friendship. And I fail to see how its love if you cant decide between two people. I have to say, I NEED me some romance. Keep an eye on your inbox. Better.) I personally have a lot of fun with really supporting ships and canon and stuff like that, but I REALLY enjoy snarky, sassy friendships too. ;D Same with a few of those on your list, too. I met my husband when I was 31, and am very glad weve been married for nearly 15 years now, but the first 31 years of my life counted too, dammit. I also yell at the book YOURE 16 FREAKING YEARS OLD, CALM DOWN because Im an old hermit and have legal right to say these things now. The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E Pearson, 77. But I really cried when I heard the author died. And I like it when its slow burn and not insta love (agh instalove makes me angry). ITS EPIC. To be honest, I dont know why I like romance in fiction, as I used to read fantasy and magical realism as a child. BUT Im really happy about this list of non romance YA books. The 29 best young adult romance books to read in 2022 - Business Insider The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks, Reader's Digest Releases Best 100 Books of All Time List, Neck-cessary Reading: 20 of the Best Vampire Books of All Time, Keep Cool While You Read These 8 Hot Horror Novels, 15 of the Most Underrated Books on Goodreads. These cookies do not store any personal information. . BUT. BUT YEAH. I also recommend the Every Breath series by Ellie Marney! The Luis Ortega Survival Club by Sonora Reyes. how the pumpernickel do you get Jackaby attracted to the duck? All she can do is wait and pray for someone to find her. You make an excellent point about books reminding us that you can be happy w/o a significant other.