Find your next great read for National Reading Month by exploring my reviews of these evocative YA books about grief and loss.

Reading stories and knowing that you—or someone you love—is not alone with this sorrow can be a powerful way to cope. Grief can be profoundly lonely, so there is something powerful about connecting inside the head of a protagonist who shares your deepest thoughts and feelings or who is experiencing your grief at a gut level. Someone who really knows.

A book about death or dying won’t offer a hollow platitude or pretend that everything is fine when it’s not. Sometimes you just want to escape into another world—maybe a happy world—or maybe one where a fictional character is also struggling with confusion, mourning, and grief about a death that should not have happened.

Here is a list of YA books about grief and loss that I think are amazing. Be sure to have a box of tissues. Some of these stories about death and dying will wring your heart out. Sometimes, you’ll laugh while you’re crying, but that’s okay.

The Delinquent Hero by Khristina Chess

“I stare at my sister in this bed. She is mine. She is here, and I cannot imagine that she is not. That she will never be here again. How can it be true? I see her before me. Her chest is rising, falling, rising, falling. Her hand is warm in mine.“ ― Khristina Chess, quote from The Delinquent Hero

Kat is dying.

The big question is: why?

Everyone is saying Kat fell and hit her head, causing a catastrophic brain bleed. She’s severely malnourished and on life support, and in a few days, the doctors will remove the ventilator.

But when 18-year-old Molly visits her sister’s rental house, it looks more like a crime scene that someone cleaned up. Stories about what happened are inconsistent.

Later at the hospital, when Molly whispers into her sister’s ear about the odd things she discovered, alarms start wailing on Kat’s cardiac monitor. It’s like, even though she’s supposedly brain dead, some part of Kat still hears her. Like maybe something evil happened in that house.

Like maybe someone tried to murder her.

Wow! The Delinquent Hero grabbed me from the first page and never stopped! What I love most about The Delinquent Hero is the puzzle that Molly is trying to solve—not just about the how this terrible thing happened, but also about her sister herself. Although pitched as an action-packed murder mystery, this YA is also a raw and unforgettable story about a complicated sisterhood, eating disorders, and loss. It’s hard to put down. The present story line is an investigation of the odd circumstances and events that landed Kat in the hospital on a ventilator, but as the hours and days unfold, the close relationship between these sisters becomes apparent.

You won’t want to miss this evocative YA book about grief and loss. Fans of If I Stay will enjoy this one.

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

“You are all the colors in one, at full brightness.” ― Jennifer Niven, quote from All the Bright Places

Theodore Finch has more than a touch of the blues.

Violet Markey wants to escape the grief that lives in her hometown where her sister recently died.

Violet and Theodore are an unlikely couple, paired together on a school project to explore the natural wonders of their state. At first, Theodore seems to be the one helping Violet with her sadness, but Violet doesn’t have any understanding about the depth of Theodore’s despair. Along their journey, they make several unexpected discoveries about one another.

After re-reading this book a second time, I enjoyed it every bit as much as the the first. I liked the writing, the dual character viewpoints, the story, the language, and the symbolism.

Blue is a primary color.

This lovely YA book is about grief and loss, and Niven handles these difficult topics with honesty and resonance. All the Bright Places is one of my all-time favorites. In fact, Jennifer Niven is such a great author that she’s on my list of Best YA Authors to Binge on Kindle Unlimited because she’s all-around amazing!

Drive to June by Khristina Chess

“You do realize that a car is a mobile make-out location, right?” ― Khristina Chess, quote from Drive to June.

Eighteen-year-old Adriana refuses to text anymore.

She doesn’t drive.

And she’s secretly guzzling her dead mother’s wine collection.

With her father traveling so much and her older sister away in college, no one knows about Adriana’s drinking. She drinks to forget something awful that she did; she drinks to go numb. To avoid her grief. And now she can't seem to stop. Since moving to this new school, she doesn't have close friends or teachers, so there's nothing to stop her free-fall.

But then one night, Ian spots her on the roof and makes an offer she can’t refuse. He comes into her life, and everything begins to change.

Wow, what a ride! Drive to June took off from the start and accelerated all the way to the finish. I had to find out Adriana’s secret. What makes this book so special is the sweet relationship that develops between Adriana and Ian as he teaches her how to drive and helps her get her driver’s license. Although it starts as a story about alcohol abuse, this is a dreamy and hopeful YA novel with heart.

You won’t want to miss this this surprisingly romantic YA book about grief and loss. Fans of The Astonishing Color of After will love this one. In fact, Khristina Chess is also on my list of Best YA Authors to Binge on Kindle Unlimited, so be sure to check out her other books.

How to Make Friends with the Dark by Kathleen Glasgow

“You are carrying so many heavy feelings. There just isn’t enough room for them all.“ ― Kathleen Glasgow, quote from How to Make Friends with the Dark

After Tiger Tolliver's mom dies of a brain aneurysm, she becomes a ward of the state, an orphan, suddenly faced with an uncertain future. She doesn't have any living relatives. She doesn't know anything about her father. It's just her and her mom--and now just her. A minor.

What Tiger begins to learn is that her mom kept some important secrets from her. For example, she has a living dad. And a sister.

This YA novel about death and dying is a real tear jerker! Tiger strikes me a sheltered girl with little real life experience; on the day her mom died, she was kissing a boy for the first time. She wasn't prepared for the events that followed as she entered the system. Yet, despite her tragic circumstances, she makes a path for herself. She makes mistakes but doesn't fall off a cliff. She keeps people at a cautious distance, but she does make friends and finds a way to build a new family for herself.

How to Make Friends with the Dark is an evocative YA book about grief and loss that will tug at your heartstrings. Bring extra tissues for this one! And if you like it, be sure to check out my post on Which YA Books about Mother-Daughter Relationships Best Depict This Loving But Painful Dynamic for similar books.

The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

“What kind of girl wants to kiss every boy at a funeral, wants to maul a guy in a tree after making out with her sister’s boyfriend the previous night? Speaking of which, what kind of girl makes out with her sister’s boyfriend, period?” ― Jandy Nelson, quote from The Sky Is Everywhere

I love, love, loved this book! The writing is so lyrical, and the story is incredibly sad. It begins with protagonist Lennie, who is grieving the sudden death of her sister. Although Bailey is dead, the relationship between these siblings is very much alive on the pages of this novel. Lennie writes beautiful poems, and she spends time in their room and shares so many memories that I feel I know Bailey.

A charismatic new boy shows up at school, and Lennie ends up entering into 2 romances at the same time. This is the love triangle. One romance is with the new boy at school, and the other is with her dead sister’s grieving boyfriend. Sooner or later, she has to decide which one of these guys is the one she’s going to stick with. Oh, boy.

All of the characters are vivid, and the story is captivating. The creative visual aspect of the novel is also a nice touch; Lennie writes her poems on scraps and scatters them everywhere, and these appear at the beginning of chapters.

This book is a must-read for anyone looking for evocative YA books about grief and loss. In fact, I highly recommend that you also read Nelson’s other novel, I’ll Give You the Sun.

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

“Life feels beautiful that day. The four of us Liars, we have always been. We always will be. No matter what happens as we go to college, grow old, build lives for ourselves; no matter if Gat and I are together or not. No matter where we go, we will always be able to line up on the roof of Cuddledown and gaze at the sea. This island is ours. Here, in some way, we are young forever.” ― E. Lockhart, quote from We Were Liars

What an unexpected and beautiful story about friendship, coming of age, and sorrow!

I wasn’t sure I’d like this book, but I fell in love with it. By the end it made me cry. This YA book about friendship is about a group of privileged young friends and their lies, family secrets, grief, and love. It’s a mystery. The beautiful and disorienting plot will leave you reader breathless until the very end.

If you haven’t picked this one up yet and are looking for a great YA book about grief and loss, do yourself a favor. It’s a whirlwind read. 

We Are Okay by Nina LaCour

“She peels an orange, separates it in perfect halves, and gives one of them to me. If I could wear it like a friendship bracelet, I would. Instead I swallow it section by section and tell myself it means even more this way. To chew and to swallow in silence here with her.” ― Nina LaCour, quote from We Are Okay

I wanted to read this book for many years on the basis of its cover alone. Look at it! I didn’t even know what the story was about, but it must be beautiful with artwork like that, right?

The book blurb doesn’t prepare you for what this story is about. The plot meanders between present and past. In the present, Marin is staying in her freshman dorm room alone over Christmas break because tragedy has occurred. What tragedy? Well, that’s the big mystery. Her best friend Mabel from California shows up to try to talk her into coming home, and oh by the way, the two of them were romantically involved in the past.

But not anymore.

Mabel doesn’t understand why Marin left without speaking, what happened in the interim, and why she is refusing to come home. Finding out these answers is the main story, but what this book is really about is grief, loneliness, betrayal, longing, being orphaned, and growing up.

I liked We Are Okay. It’s quiet. It’s understated and lovely. I really felt Marin’s sorrow.

If you are looking for an evocative YA books about grief and loss, you definitely want to add this one to your TBR pile!

Willow by Julia Hoban

“It's hard to keep a secret when it's written all over your body.” ― Julia Hoban, quote from Willow

In this complex novel about self-harming and grief, I met the wonderful character of Willow. She is an orphan with terrible secrets. Guilt. Pain. Numbness. And love.

I can’t speak about whether or not Willow suffers from a deep self-harming mental illness, or if she’s simply a teenager who doesn’t know how to deal with the terrible things that happened in her life. Cutting seems like an answer. She feels alone and sad. At any rate, the book felt emotional and honest to me. I loved reading her story and connecting with her pain as she journeyed to wholeness.

Be sure to check out this thought-provoking and heartbreaking YA book about grief and loss.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Greene

“Grief does not change you, Hazel. It reveals you.” ― John Green, quote from The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars is the ultimate YA book about grief and loss. Augustus Waters and Hazel Grace are two teens with cancer, and they fall in love during a sweet time of remission. They talk about literature and philosophy, and they go on a wonderful journey to meet the author of Hazel’s favorite novel. This person is not at all what she expected—a huge disappointment, as a matter of fact—but then, life happens that way.

When the inevitable plot turn comes and twists the knife in your heart, it doesn’t matter that you’re expecting it. Augustus and Hazel are supposed to be together, so every bittersweet moment of their parting is a gasp. Every breath counts. Every syllable.

If you’re looking for the sweetest and most heart-wrenching star-crossed love story, pick up this classic. If you read it a long time ago, it’s just as good the second time around. Trust me.

The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan

“Whose fault was it? That’s the question on everyone’s mind, isn’t it? Nobody will ever say it out loud. It’s a question people would call inappropriate. The kind of thing where everyone tells you, “It’s nobody’s fault.” But is that even true? It’s only human nature to look for a place to lay the blame. Our fingers are more than ready to do the pointing, but it’s like we’re all blindfolded and spinning. What makes a person want to die?” ― Emily X.R. Pan, quote from The Astonishing Color of After

A young girl, Leigh Chen Sanders, is grieving the death of her mother, who committed suicide. Leigh believes that she turned into a bird, and she goes on a journey to visit her grandparents in Taiwan in search of her mother, the bird, and other family secrets.

The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan is one of my top favorite YA reads. I discovered the novel after reading a Goodreads review so intriguing that I went hunting for the title during my next Barnes & Noble trip. The Astonishing Color of After was shelved under Teen Fantasy, a category where I never shop, so without seeing the great reviewer comments I might never have discovered this touching book about grief, culture, and family secrets.

This book wrecked me. The writing is so beautiful. Whether it’s the love story, the voice, the mystery, or the family culture aspect, there’s plenty of reasons why fans connect with this YA classic. I truly can’t say enough wonderful things about this amazing novel.

If you haven’t discovered it yet, you definitely want to make it one of the YA books on your list of evocative YA books about grief and loss you should read next. And if you have already read it, here’s my list of other great books for fans of The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan.

Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

“We used to be pretty good friends, but fourteen-year-old girls are psychotic.” ― Jesse Andrews, quote from Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

How can a book about a teenage girl dying from leukemia be so funny?

Greg and Earl are weird, unlikely friends and amateur filmmakers who manage to fly below the radar at school and enjoy their private world. Then Greg’s mom makes him reach out to Rachel, a childhood friend who has been diagnosed with leukemia and needs a friend.

Earl turns out to be the more compassionate of the pair, and the two of them set out to make a movie about Rachel. Their brilliant idea fails in execution and is the Worst Film Ever Made.

This fun, funny, and all-around wonderful YA book about grief, loss, and friendship is full of crude humor, heart, honesty, and surprises as Greg learns things about his long-time friend Earl, as well as himself, through this journey with the dying girl, Rachel. I can’t say enough good about it. Buy it. Read it. Laugh.

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez

“She has compared me to my sister every single day of my life, so why should I expect that to change now that she’s dead?” ― Erika L. Sanchez, quote from I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter

I loved the cover on this novel, and with so many stars and enthusiastic reviews, I figured I would love this story. There is an interesting mystery about what happened to Julia’s older sister Olga, who died in front of a truck. There is an interesting view into Mexican culture.

But.

The mother-daughter relationship (which is the title of the book) is not the real focus of the story. The mother is portrayed as traditional and strict, but she’s also mostly a shadow and underdeveloped character. Julia, the daughter, is a hard character to like because she has so many hard edges, and I never reached a point of real empathy or connection with her—even though she is a grieving person. Instead, I felt like the book was a checklist of YA book “issues” without any depth or focus on any of them: immigration, depression, first-time sex, death of a sibling, food, Mexican culture, drug usage, attempted suicide, rape… The list could continue.

You will probably feel differently. Literally thousands of readers on Goodreads loved this book.

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

“Murderers are not monsters, they're men. And that's the most frightening thing about them.” ― Alice Sebold, quote from The Lovely Bones

Susie Salmon is dead.

She was raped and murdered in a most gruesome fashion by a most gruesome man, and now she exists in an afterlife, observing her family and her killer.

The story is a bit disorienting, but I think that’s kind of the point. Most of the novel is about Susie’s struggle to come to terms with the fact that she’s dead and move on. The “why?” questions haunt her. Her family and former life haunts her. The desire for justice and vengeance haunts her.

It’s the disquiet that comes when a young person dies tragically, suddenly, whether or not by foul means. There is a profound unfairness. The soul cries out.

Although the scene where Susie is killed is horrific, this one also fits the list of YA books about grief and loss. Everyone in this book is grieving, including Susie herself.

A Hint of Light by Kristin Kisska

“Motherhood is not for the weak. In my opinion, it should have a warning label attached to it—only dedicated individuals with boundless energy, unconditional love, and a high tolerance for pain need apply.” ― Kristin Kisska, quote from The Hint of Light

This debut novel is about many things: mystery, redemption, secrets, resentments, innocence, and love. I wanted a faster pace. I wanted a thriller. Kristen Kisska didn't give me that. Instead, The Hint of Light reveals its story slowly, shifting back and forth in time and between multiple character viewpoints:

Kyle, the son who is dead, slowly gives us the backstory of his recovery and new relationship with his recently-discovered daughter.

Ally, the 18-year-old daughter, who tells both before and after versions. She is grieving a father so recently found... and then lost.

Margaret, the mother, who also reveals a then and now story.

There is the story question of how Kyle really died, as well as the secret that slowly becomes clearer as the past and present layers are pulled away.

The Hint of Light is a lovely, quiet, and yet sometimes shocking novel about family and the power of a mother's love. If you’re looking for books about grief and loss, check it out. Even though it’s not “YA",” it’s worth the read.

Other YA Books about Grief and Loss

If you are looking other YA books about grief and loss, check out the YA Grief Fiction, YA Death & Dying Books, YA Books Dealing with Grief, and Losing Someone -  Grief-themed Books in Young Adult Fiction the lists on Goodreads. You might also be interested in my post, Other Good Reads, which lists other reviews of YA contemporary books about tough topics such as depression and anxiety.

Khristina Chess is the award-winning author of several YA novels about troubled teens turning corners. You can find her on Amazon, Goodreads, and Twitter as an active daily contributor in the #5amwritersclub.