Books like Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel

A warm, witty exploration of the sheer panic and ultimate joy of a high school queer awakening. These 12 books are the closest matches in mood, pace and themes, with what each one shares with Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel.

warm
awkward
hopeful
bustling

01
If You Could Be Mine
Sara Farizan
A desperate, heart-wrenching exploration of how far a person will go to keep the one they love when the world forbids it.
Shares:
- earnest
02
The Henna wars
Adiba Jaigirdar
A spirited queer rom-com where cultural pride, family expectations, and the messy thrill of first love collide in a high school rivalry.
Shares:
- hopeful
- earnest
- family expectations
03
Crush
Svetlana Chmakova
A sweet, funny, and deeply relatable exploration of the butterflies and blunders that come with a first middle-school crush.
Shares:
- warm
- awkward
- earnest
- humorous
04
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me
Mariko Tamaki
A tender, beautifully illustrated exploration of the messy line between the love we crave and the love we actually deserve.
Shares:
- hopeful
- earnest
05
Very Large Expanse of Sea
Tahereh Mafi
A fiercely guarded heart learns to navigate the armor of prejudice and the terrifying vulnerability of first love.
Shares:
- earnest
06
It's Not Like It's a Secret
Misa Sugiura
A tender, tangled exploration of first love, family fractures, and the courage it takes to stop hiding.
Shares:
- warm
- earnest
07
Her Royal Highness
Rachel Hawkins
A cozy, banter-filled sapphic fairy tale set against the misty backdrop of an elite Scottish boarding school.
Shares:
- wry
- humorous
08
Darius the Great is not okay
Adib Khorram
A tender, tea-steeped exploration of diaspora, depression, and the quiet magic of being truly seen by a friend.
Shares:
- warm
- hopeful
- wry
- earnest
09
Our own private universe
Robin Talley
A tender, sun-warmed summer romance about stepping out of your own head and into the messy, beautiful reality of first love.
Shares:
- warm
- hopeful
- earnest
10
Sugar rush
Julie Burchill
A dizzying plunge into the intoxicating, all-consuming rush of a first queer crush.
Shares:
- earnest
11
The upside of unrequited
Becky Albertalli
A warm, witty, and deeply relatable exploration of the terrifying leap between crushing from afar and risking your heart in the real world.
Shares:
- warm
- awkward
- hopeful
- wry
12
Who I Was with Her
Nita Tyndall
A raw, quiet exploration of what it means to mourn a love the world didn't know you had.
Shares:
- earnest

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