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Quick answer: If you read You'd Be Home Now, read Kathleen Glasgow's Girl in Pieces, then Crank, Smack, Beautiful Boy and Wintergirls. All are honest young adult novels and memoirs about addiction, family and recovery.
Kathleen Glasgow's 2020 novel follows Emory Ann Land, a teenager in a small Indiana town whose brother's addiction has shaped her family, and who tries to hold things together while falling for a boy. It is raw, hopeful and unflinching. Please note it deals with substance use. The books below offer similar stories of addiction and its effect on families.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Girl in Pieces | Kathleen Glasgow | Teen | self-harm and recovery |
| Crank | Ellen Hopkins | Teen | addiction in verse |
| Glass | Ellen Hopkins | Teen | the sequel to Crank |
| Smack | Melvin Burgess | Teen | teens and heroin |
| Beautiful Boy | David Sheff | Adult | family and addiction |
| Wintergirls | Laurie Halse Anderson | Teen | eating disorders |
| Speak | Laurie Halse Anderson | Teen | silence after trauma |
| The Perks of Being a Wallflower | Stephen Chbosky | Teen | letters from a shy teen |
| All the Bright Places | Jennifer Niven | Teen | love and depression |
| Turtles All the Way Down | John Green | Teen | anxiety |
| Hold Still | Nina LaCour | Teen | grief after suicide |
| Challenger Deep | Neal Shusterman | Teen | mental illness in metaphor |
| Thirteen Reasons Why | Jay Asher | Teen | tapes and suicide |
| Dopesick | Beth Macy | Adult | opioid crisis |
| Go Ask Alice | Anonymous | Teen | diary of addiction |
1. Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow
A homeless teenager fights to rebuild her life. Raw and hopeful.
Best for: self-harm and recovery.
2. Crank by Ellen Hopkins
A girl falls into addiction. Raw and harrowing.
Best for: addiction in verse.
3. Glass by Ellen Hopkins
Kristina's addiction deepens. Intense and fast.
Best for: the sequel to Crank.
4. Smack by Melvin Burgess
Two runaways fall into addiction. Gritty and honest.
Best for: teens and heroin.
5. Beautiful Boy by David Sheff
A father writes about his son's addiction. Painful and honest.
Best for: family and addiction.
6. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
A teenager grieves her best friend and struggles with anorexia. Intense.
Best for: eating disorders.
7. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
A freshman who was assaulted stops speaking. Clear and powerful.
Best for: silence after trauma.
8. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
A shy teenager writes about high school and friendship. Warm, sad and classic.
Best for: letters from a shy teen.
9. All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
Two teens meet on a ledge and form a bond. Moving and heavy.
Best for: love and depression.
10. Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
A girl struggles with obsessive thoughts. Honest and clear.
Best for: anxiety.
11. Hold Still by Nina LaCour
A teenager copes with her best friend's death. Gentle and lyrical.
Best for: grief after suicide.
12. Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman
A boy descends into psychosis on an imaginary ship. Inventive.
Best for: mental illness in metaphor.
13. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
A teenager listens to tapes recorded by a friend who died. Widely read.
Best for: tapes and suicide.
14. Dopesick by Beth Macy
The story of the opioid epidemic in Appalachia. Powerful and humane.
Best for: opioid crisis.
15. Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
A teen's diary of drug use, now considered partly fictional. Classic and controversial.
Best for: diary of addiction.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with You'd Be Home Now: 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.
How to Choose
For more Glasgow read Girl in Pieces. For addiction stories choose Crank, Smack or Beautiful Boy. For related mental-health fiction pick Wintergirls, Hold Still or All the Bright Places. For the wider crisis read Dopesick. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, please reach out to a doctor or a local helpline. Glasgow has said she writes books for the teenagers she once was, and her novels are often recommended by school librarians for older teens.
Related: The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle: Summary and Key Takeaways · How to Teach a Child to Read at Home
Frequently Asked Questions
What is You'd Be Home Now about?
A teen copes with her brother's addiction and her family's expectations.
Who wrote it?
Kathleen Glasgow.
When was it published?
2020.
What age is it for?
Older teens, usually 14 and up.
Is it hopeful?
Yes, it focuses on healing.
Is it a mystery?
It has a mystery thread alongside the family drama.
Is it a standalone?
Yes.
Where can I find help?
A doctor, counsellor or local helpline.
Which book here is best for teens and heroin?
Try Smack by Melvin Burgess, which suits readers looking for teens and heroin.
Which book here is best for silence after trauma?
Try Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, which suits readers looking for silence after trauma.
Which book here is best for anxiety?
Try Turtles All the Way Down by John Green, which suits readers looking for anxiety.
Which book here is best for tapes and suicide?
Try Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, which suits readers looking for tapes and suicide.
Which book here is best for addiction in verse?
Try Crank by Ellen Hopkins, which suits readers looking for addiction in verse.
Which book here is best for family and addiction?
Try Beautiful Boy by David Sheff, which suits readers looking for family and addiction.
Which book here is best for letters from a shy teen?
Try The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, which suits readers looking for letters from a shy teen.