Books like Dear Evan Hansen

A tender, anxiety-laced exploration of loneliness and the lengths we go to in order to finally feel seen. These 12 books are the closest matches in mood, pace and themes, with what each one shares with Dear Evan Hansen.

emotionally raw
tense
melancholic
fragile

01
All the Bright Places
Jennifer Niven
A tender, devastating exploration of two broken teenagers finding a fleeting, beautiful world in each other.
Shares:
- melancholic
- earnest
02
Thirteen reasons why
Jay Asher
A haunting, tape-by-tape unraveling of high school secrets that forces you to confront the unseen weight of everyday cruelty.
Shares:
- melancholic
- earnest
03
Playlist for the Dead
Michelle Falkoff
A poignant, music-infused journey through the messy, confusing aftermath of losing a best friend.
Shares:
- melancholic
- earnest
- empathetic
04
Be More Chill
Ned Vizzini
A frantic, funny, and slightly unhinged exploration of what happens when the desperate desire to be cool gets a sci-fi shortcut.
Shares:
- anxious
05
Goodbye days
Jeff Zentner
A big-hearted, tear-jerking exploration of survivor's guilt that balances the crushing weight of loss with the healing power of memory and laughter.
Shares:
- melancholic
- earnest
- empathetic
06
Love Letters to the Dead
Ava Dellaira
An intimate, epistolary journey through the messy, heartbreaking, and ultimately hopeful landscape of teenage grief.
Shares:
- melancholic
- earnest
- vulnerable
07
Eliza and her monsters
Francesca Zappia
A tender exploration of the clash between a safely curated online existence and the messy, terrifying reality of offline connection.
Shares:
- fragile
- earnest
- vulnerable
08
Letters to the lost
Brigid Kemmerer
An intimate, emotionally charged exploration of how two broken people can help piece each other back together through the safety of shared words.
Shares:
- melancholic
- earnest
- vulnerable
09
Every You, Every Me
David Levithan
A dread-soaked, multimedia descent into a sleepless teenager's guilt and paranoia.
Feels:
- dread-soaked
- claustrophobic
- unsettling
10
Hate list
Jennifer Brown · 2009
A raw, unflinching exploration of guilt, grief, and the agonizingly slow journey toward self-forgiveness in the wake of unimaginable tragedy.
Shares:
- tense
- melancholic
- earnest
- empathetic
11
Before I Fall
Lauren Oliver · 2010
A poignant, time-bending exploration of teenage cruelty and the desperate search for redemption before time runs out.
Shares:
- melancholic
- earnest
12
Suicide notes
Michael Thomas Ford · 2008
A darkly funny, diary-style exploration of healing that strips away a teenager's sarcastic defenses to reveal the tender, hurting kid underneath.
Shares:
- earnest
- vulnerable

Back to Dear Evan Hansen