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Quick answer: If you loved ttyl, try ttfn, l8r, g8r, The Princess Diaries, Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging, Eleanor & Park and The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Each one is a funny, honest YA story about friendship and growing up, often told through messages or diaries.
Lauren Myracle's 2004 novel is told entirely through instant messages between three best friends: Zoe, Maddie and Angela, during their sophomore year. They chat about crushes, school, a creepy teacher and drifting apart. It was the first novel written entirely in instant messages and kicked off the Internet Girls series. Readers love its voice and its realism, though it has been frequently challenged. These books share its friendships and its format.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Age | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| ttfn | Lauren Myracle | 13+ | readers who want the sequel |
| l8r, g8r | Lauren Myracle | 13+ | readers who want the third book |
| The Princess Diaries | Meg Cabot | 12+ | readers who like diaries |
| Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging | Louise Rennison | 12+ | readers who like funny diaries |
| Eleanor & Park | Rainbow Rowell | 14+ | readers who like honest teens |
| The Perks of Being a Wallflower | Stephen Chbosky | 14+ | readers who like letters |
| Illuminae | Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff | 14+ | readers who like unusual formats |
| Tweet Cute | Emma Lord | 13+ | readers who like online banter |
| The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants | Ann Brashares | 12+ | readers who like friend groups |
| Dear Dumb Diary | Jim Benton | 8-12 | younger readers |
| Dork Diaries | Rachel Renée Russell | 9-12 | younger readers |
| Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda | Becky Albertalli | 13+ | readers who like email romance |
| Eliza and Her Monsters | Francesca Zappia | 13+ | readers who like online lives |
| Love, Rosie | Cecelia Ahern | 15+ | readers who like epistolary romance |
| Me and Earl and the Dying Girl | Jesse Andrews | 14+ | readers who like funny honesty |
1. ttfn by Lauren Myracle
The friends are separated when one moves away.
Best for: readers who want the sequel.
2. l8r, g8r by Lauren Myracle
Senior year for the Internet Girls.
Best for: readers who want the third book.
3. The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot
A girl learns she is a princess.
Best for: readers who like diaries.
4. Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison
A British girl's hilarious diary.
Best for: readers who like funny diaries.
5. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Two misfits fall in love.
Best for: readers who like honest teens.
6. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
A shy teen writes letters.
Best for: readers who like letters.
7. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
A story told in documents.
Best for: readers who like unusual formats.
8. Tweet Cute by Emma Lord
Rivals feud on Twitter.
Best for: readers who like online banter.
9. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
Four friends share magic pants.
Best for: readers who like friend groups.
10. Dear Dumb Diary by Jim Benton
A funny middle-school diary.
Best for: younger readers.
11. Dork Diaries by Rachel Renée Russell
A girl's diary of middle school.
Best for: younger readers.
12. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
A boy falls for an anonymous emailer.
Best for: readers who like email romance.
13. Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia
A webcomic creator hides her identity.
Best for: readers who like online lives.
14. Love, Rosie by Cecelia Ahern
Two friends' story through letters.
Best for: readers who like epistolary romance.
15. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
A teen befriends a girl with leukemia.
Best for: readers who like funny honesty.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Ttyl: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Ttyl. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most. If a pick is part of a longer series, read the first book before you commit, and check the age or content notes in the table before passing a book to a younger reader.
How to Choose
Continue with ttfn and l8r, g8r. For funny diaries, Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging and The Princess Diaries are classics. If you love unusual formats, Illuminae and Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda are great. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is perfect for friend-group stories.
Related: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell: Summary and Key Takeaways · The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky: Summary and Key Takeaways
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ttyl about?
Three best friends chat by instant message through their sophomore year.
What does ttyl mean?
“Talk to you later.”
What is unusual about the format?
It was the first novel written entirely in instant messages.
What age is it for?
It suits readers about 13 and up.
Why was it challenged?
It includes sexual content, language and drinking.
Are there sequels?
Yes. ttfn, l8r, g8r and yolo.
What should I read next?
ttfn.
Who are the three friends?
Zoe, Maddie and Angela, who chat as zoegirl, mad maddie and SnowAngel.