Books like Ways to live forever

A tender, tear-jerking exploration of what it means to truly live when time is running out. These 12 books are the closest matches in mood, pace and themes, with what each one shares with Ways to live forever.

bittersweet
tender
tear-jerking
life-affirming

01
How to live forever
Colin Thompson
A surreal, labyrinthine journey through endless library shelves that ultimately celebrates the fleeting, beautiful nature of a mortal life.
Shares:
- gentle
02
I Want to Live
Lurlene Mcdaniel
A tender and emotionally heavy exploration of a young girl's fight for survival and her poignant appreciation for simply being alive.
Shares:
- tender
- earnest
- poignant
- facing mortality
03
Breathless
Lurlene McDaniel
A devastating, tear-soaked exploration of bodily autonomy and the impossible burdens we place on those we love.
Shares:
- tear-jerking
- earnest
04
A time for dancing
Davida Wills Hurwin · 1995
An intimate, dual-perspective journey through the heartbreaking intersection of teenage friendship and terminal illness.
Shares:
- tender
- earnest
- poignant
05
The truth about forever
Sarah Dessen
A sun-soaked summer of chaotic catering gigs, found family, and learning to let go of the need to be perfect.
Shares:
- bittersweet
- earnest
- gentle
06
Cat Mummy
Jacqueline Wilson
A tender and accessible exploration of a child's unique way of processing grief and helping her family find their voice.
Shares:
- tender
- earnest
- gentle
07
Second Chance Summer
Morgan Matson
A bittersweet, sun-drenched summer of rekindled love and inevitable goodbyes.
Shares:
- bittersweet
- tender
- earnest
08
Playlist for the Dead
Michelle Falkoff
A poignant, music-infused journey through the messy, confusing aftermath of losing a best friend.
Shares:
- earnest
09
Cry heart, but never break
Glenn Ringtved
A tender, allegorical embrace that offers quiet comfort in the face of inevitable loss.
Shares:
- bittersweet
- tender
- gentle
10
Let Me Tell You How I Died
Sinclair Smith
A creepy, nostalgic descent into a dead girl's mind through the pages of a cursed diary.
Feels:
- creepy
- claustrophobic
- dread-soaked
11
Tuck Everlasting
Natalie Babbitt · 1975
A sun-dappled, philosophical fable that asks what it truly means to live by exploring the heavy weight of never dying.
Shares:
- earnest
- gentle
12
A summer to die
Lois Lowry · 1977
A quiet, heartbreaking exploration of sibling rivalry melting into profound grief as a young girl learns to see the world through her own lens.
Shares:
- bittersweet
- earnest
- poignant

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