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If you loved
Books like On The Come Up
A fierce, rhythmic anthem about the power of words and the fight to be heard on your own terms. These 12 books are the closest matches in mood, pace and themes, with what each one shares with On The Come Up.
- energetic
- tense
- rhythmic
- hopeful
- 01
Concrete Rose
Angie Thomas
A gritty yet profoundly tender exploration of Black boyhood, legacy, and the heavy, beautiful burden of choosing your own path.
- 02
Dear Martin
Nic Stone
A raw, urgent exploration of coming of age in a world that refuses to see you as just a kid.
- 03
The Hate U Give
Angie Thomas
An urgent, heart-wrenching journey of a teenager finding her voice and demanding justice in a fractured world.
- 04
The Poet X
Elizabeth Acevedo
A fierce, rhythmic heartbeat of a book about a girl learning to carve out her own space in a world that wants her to shrink.
- 05
With the Fire on High
Elizabeth Acevedo
A warm, sensory-rich journey about balancing heavy responsibilities with the simmering pursuit of a dream.
- 06
Another Brooklyn
Jacqueline Woodson
A haunting, poetic plunge into the intoxicating magic of girlhood friendships and the heavy shadows that eventually fracture them.
- 07
The Crossover
Kwame Alexander
A kinetic, rhythmic exploration of brotherhood, basketball, and the sudden, sharp pains of growing up.
- 08
If I Grow Up
Todd Strasser
A gritty, unflinching look at the impossible choices forced upon a boy trying to survive systemic poverty and neighborhood violence.
- 09
The stars beneath our feet
David Barclay Moore
A poignant and grounded journey of a young boy navigating the heavy currents of grief and the tense realities of his neighborhood.
- 10
Legendborn
Tracy Deonn
A fierce, grief-fueled collision of Southern Black history and Arthurian legend hidden within an elite college campus.
- 11
You Should See Me in a Crown
Leah Johnson (Young adult author)
A joyful, anxiety-laced, and ultimately triumphant celebration of queer Black girlhood and the courage it takes to take up space.
- 12
Children of Blood and Bone
Tomi Adeyemi
A fierce, adrenaline-fueled quest to reclaim stolen magic and shatter the chains of systemic oppression.
