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Quick answer: If you loved Looking for Alaska, try Paper Towns, The Fault in Our Stars, Turtles All the Way Down, Will Grayson, Will Grayson, The Perks of Being a Wallflower and We Were Liars. Each one captures the intensity of first love, friendship and loss in the final years of school.
John Green's first novel follows Miles “Pudge” Halter to an Alabama boarding school, where he falls for the brilliant, unpredictable Alaska Young and joins a group of friends who change his life. Readers remember its humor, its big questions about meaning and its devastating turning point. The books below share that mix of wit, friendship and grief, from more John Green to classics of teen fiction.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper Towns | John Green | 14+ | readers who want more John Green |
| The Fault in Our Stars | John Green | 14+ | readers who want a love story with heart |
| Turtles All the Way Down | John Green | 14+ | readers interested in mental health |
| Will Grayson, Will Grayson | John Green and David Levithan | 14+ | fans of quirky humor |
| The Perks of Being a Wallflower | Stephen Chbosky | 14+ | readers who love a confessional voice |
| We Were Liars | E. Lockhart | 14+ | readers who want a twist |
| All the Bright Places | Jennifer Niven | 14+ | readers drawn to stories about grief |
| Eleanor & Park | Rainbow Rowell | 14+ | readers who want first love in the 1980s |
| I'll Give You the Sun | Jandy Nelson | 14+ | readers who love lyrical writing |
| The Sky Is Everywhere | Jandy Nelson | 14+ | readers who like stories about sisters |
| If I Stay | Gayle Forman | 14+ | readers who want an emotional, fast read |
| A Separate Peace | John Knowles | 14+ | classic lovers |
| The Catcher in the Rye | J. D. Salinger | 15+ | readers who like a cynical narrator |
| Speak | Laurie Halse Anderson | 14+ | readers looking for a powerful story |
| Dead Poets Society | N. H. Kleinbaum | 13+ | readers who love boarding-school stories |
1. Paper Towns by John Green
Quentin follows a trail of clues to find Margo Roth Spiegelman, the neighbor he has loved from afar, after she disappears. A mystery about how we imagine other people.
Best for: readers who want more John Green.
2. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Hazel and Augustus meet at a cancer support group and fall in love. Funny, moving and full of big questions about meaning.
Best for: readers who want a love story with heart.
3. Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
Aza, a teenager with obsessive-compulsive disorder, investigates the disappearance of a billionaire while managing her spiraling thoughts.
Best for: readers interested in mental health.
4. Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan
Two teenagers with the same name meet by chance in Chicago, and their lives become intertwined in funny and touching ways.
Best for: fans of quirky humor.
5. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Charlie writes letters about his first year of high school and the friends who take him in. Like Pudge, he learns to participate in his own life.
Best for: readers who love a confessional voice.
6. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
Cadence spends summers on her family's private island with her cousins and friend Gat, but she cannot remember the accident that changed everything. A short, gripping read.
Best for: readers who want a twist.
7. All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
Two teens meet on the ledge of a bell tower and form a bond that helps them both, for a while. A sad, honest story about mental illness.
Best for: readers drawn to stories about grief.
8. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Two misfit sixteen-year-olds bond over comics and music on the school bus. Sweet, painful and memorable.
Best for: readers who want first love in the 1980s.
9. I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
Twins Noah and Jude tell their story from different points in time, revealing how grief and first love pulled them apart.
Best for: readers who love lyrical writing.
10. The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
After her older sister dies, Lennie falls for two different boys while struggling with grief. Funny and heartbreaking.
Best for: readers who like stories about sisters.
11. If I Stay by Gayle Forman
After a car crash, Mia is in a coma and must decide whether to stay. A short, intense story about love and family.
Best for: readers who want an emotional, fast read.
12. A Separate Peace by John Knowles
At a New England boarding school during World War II, Gene's friendship with the daring Phineas ends in tragedy. Like Looking for Alaska, it looks back on a loss that defined a young life.
Best for: classic lovers.
13. The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
Holden Caulfield wanders New York after being expelled from prep school. The classic voice of teenage alienation.
Best for: readers who like a cynical narrator.
14. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Melinda becomes an outcast after calling the police at a party, and slowly finds the courage to speak about what happened. A powerful read.
Best for: readers looking for a powerful story.
15. Dead Poets Society by N. H. Kleinbaum
Based on the film, this novel follows students at a strict prep school inspired by an unconventional English teacher. A story about friendship and seizing the day.
Best for: readers who love boarding-school stories.
How to Choose
For more of John Green's voice, read Paper Towns, The Fault in Our Stars and Turtles All the Way Down. If the boarding-school setting is what drew you in, try A Separate Peace and Dead Poets Society. For first love with a heartbreak, choose Eleanor & Park, I'll Give You the Sun or If I Stay. All the Bright Places and Speak deal with serious topics, so they are best for readers ready for heavy themes.
Related: What Age Is Looking for Alaska Appropriate For? A Parent’s Guide · 15 Best Books to Read Before Visiting Alaska
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Looking for Alaska appropriate for 13-year-olds?
It is usually recommended for ages 14 and up because of drinking, smoking, sexual content and a death.
Is Looking for Alaska based on a true story?
It is fiction, but John Green drew on his own experience at a boarding school in Alabama.
What should I read after Looking for Alaska?
Try Paper Towns or The Fault in Our Stars by the same author, or The Perks of Being a Wallflower.