Books like Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me

A tender, beautifully illustrated exploration of the messy line between the love we crave and the love we actually deserve. These 12 books are the closest matches in mood, pace and themes, with what each one shares with Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me.

bittersweet
melancholic
hopeful
intimate

01
This One Summer
Mariko Tamaki
A beautifully rendered, sun-drenched ache of a story that captures the exact moment childhood begins to slip away.
Shares:
- bittersweet
- empathetic
02
On a sunbeam
Tillie Walden
A breathtakingly gorgeous, slow-burn journey through space that feels like a warm hug from a found family.
Shares:
- melancholic
- earnest
- tender
03
Skim
Mariko Tamaki
A moody, beautifully illustrated dive into the messy, cynical, and deeply vulnerable heart of 90s teenage angst.
Shares:
- melancholic
04
I Am Not Okay With This
Charles Forsman
A stark, deadpan exploration of teenage alienation where repressed trauma manifests as uncontrollable, destructive power.
Shares:
- angsty
05
Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel
Sara Farizan
A warm, witty exploration of the sheer panic and ultimate joy of a high school queer awakening.
Shares:
- hopeful
- earnest
06
Bloom
Kevin Panetta
A sun-drenched, flour-dusted summer romance about the quiet beauty of slowing down and figuring out who you want to be.
Shares:
- earnest
- tender
07
Honor girl
Maggie Thrash
A humid, bittersweet plunge into the dizzying confusion of a first queer crush at a traditional Southern summer camp.
Shares:
- melancholic
- earnest
08
Lumberjanes Vol. 1
N.D. Stevenson
A chaotic, punk-rock summer camp adventure fueled by supernatural mysteries and fierce, unapologetic girl power.
Shares:
- earnest
09
Times I Knew I Was Gay
Eleanor Crewes
A gentle, funny, and deeply relatable exploration of the messy, non-linear journey to figuring out you're queer.
Shares:
- hopeful
- earnest
10
Ophelia after All
Racquel Marie
A warm, funny, and tender exploration of what happens when the person you thought you were no longer fits the person you are becoming.
Shares:
- earnest
- tender
- angsty
11
Spinning
Tillie Walden
A quiet, visually stunning journey through the chill of the ice rink and the warmth of finding your own voice.
Shares:
- melancholic
- earnest
12
Real Friends
Shannon Hale
A deeply validating, emotionally honest exploration of the roller coaster of childhood friendships and the quest to find where you truly belong.
Shares:
- hopeful
- earnest

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