Romance

"The course of true love never did run smooth," wrote William Shakespeare in A Midsummer Night's Dream—and he knew what he was talking about. A text from this study guide collection might be just the thing to remind you of the bliss and pain of love.

Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality

Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer, is a young adult adventure-romance about a teenage girl who falls in love with a vampire. Her struggle to build a relationship in a world filled with suspicion and danger helped make the book a number-one New York Times bestseller. The novel launched the Twilight book series including New Moon (2006), Breaking Dawn (2008), and Midnight Sun (2020), which has sold more than 100 million copies and received multiple young reader... Read Twilight Summary


Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Relationships: Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

Twisted, by Laurie Halse Anderson, tells the story of Tyler Miller and his family as Tyler is about to begin his senior year of high school. Tyler has recently been punished with probation and community service after vandalizing school property. As part of his community service, he works with his high school’s maintenance crew to repair the very building he defaced. Due to the physical labor he’s been doing over the summer, Tyler’s put on... Read Twisted Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Romance, New Adult, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Romance, New Adult


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Self Discovery, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger

Tags Romance, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Health / Medicine


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos

Tags Romance, New Adult, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge

Tags Romance, Love / Sexuality, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, History: Asian, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ, Depression / Suicide, Love / Sexuality, Parenting, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

David Levithan’s 2013 young adult novel Two Boys Kissing is narrated from the perspective of the gay men who died during the 1980s HIV/AIDS epidemic. This chorus, resembling that of ancient Greek theater, observes the novel’s present-day characters—several gay teenage boys in neighboring American small towns—as they explore love, relationship, and identity. The central narrative follows two boys, Harry and Craig, who attempt to break the Guinness World Record for longest continuous kiss by kissing... Read Two Boys Kissing Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Realistic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus is a middle-grade thriller that embraces the trappings of true crime and high school romance to create an engaging, knotty mystery. Published in January 2019, it is the New York Times bestselling follow-up to One of Us Is Lying and is McManus’s second book. Plot SummaryTwo Can Keep a Secret is a story of two high schoolers told in alternating first-person point of view. The first... Read Two Can Keep a Secret Summary


Publication year 1594

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Class, Relationships: Friendship

Tags Play: Comedy / Satire, Classic Fiction, British Literature, Humor, Drama / Tragedy, Romance

Two Gentlemen of Verona is a romantic comedy generally assumed to be the first play written by William Shakespeare. It was likely written between 1587 and 1593, though the exact date of composition is unknown. The play describes the fallout that ensues when two young men (one of whom is engaged) fall in love with the same woman. Important themes in the play include The Restrictions of Courtly Love for Women, The Fickle Nature of... Read Two Gentlemen of Verona Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Gothic Literature


Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Beauty, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Children's Literature, Romance, Action / Adventure, Fantasy

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld is a young adult dystopian/science fiction novel and the first book of the Uglies Quartet. Published in 2005, Uglies was awarded the ALA 2006 Best Books for Young Adults award, the ALA 2006 Popular Paperback for Young Adults award, the Kirkus Editor’s Choice award, and the SLJ Best Book of the Year award. Uglies is followed by Pretties, Specials, and Extras.This guide uses the May 2011 Simon & Schuster BFYR paperback... Read Uglies Summary


Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt

Tags Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance


Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship

Tags Historical Fiction, Western, Action / Adventure, Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, History: World

Under a Painted Sky is a young adult historical novel set on the Oregon Trail during the 1849 Gold Rush. It is a debut novel by Stacey Lee, inspired by her own family history as a fourth-generation Chinese American. The novel won several prizes, including an American Library Association award. Her corpus focuses on Chinese culture and Chinese American experiences. Her other works with these themes include Outrun the Moon (2016), The Downstairs Girl (2019), Luck of... Read Under a Painted Sky Summary


Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory

Tags Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

Tags Romance, Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, History: Asian, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery

Tags Romance, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Sports, Modern Classic Fiction

Abbi Glines’s Until Friday Night is a young adult romance novel that follows the relationship between the two protagonists, Maggie Carlton and West Ashby. Maggie’s and West’s alternating first-person narratives reveal their complex feelings for each other and their struggles to navigate falling in love. Their evolving dynamic is the basis for the novel’s themes of Coping with Grief and Trauma, The Development of Teenage Romantic Relationships, and The Role of Communication in Healing. This... Read Until Friday Night Summary


Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Politics / Government, Psychology, Technology, Religion / Spirituality, American Literature, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Romance

UnWholly (2012) by Neal Shusterman is Book 2 in the Unwind Dystology. Shusterman originally planned the series to be a dystopia trilogy, but the third book, UnSouled, was split into two for publication due to length. While it was nominated for several awards in Young Adult literature, it did not win any, in contrast to the first book of the series, Unwind, which won nearly a dozen awards and prizes.UnWholly is science fiction, specifically YA... Read UnWholly Summary


Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Relationships, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages

Uprooted (2016) is a fantasy novel inspired by Polish folktales and written by New York Times bestselling American fantasy author Naomi Novik, best known for her Temeraire series. In Uprooted, a young woman named Agnieszka lives in a small village in a valley on the edge of the deadly Wood. It is the task of the Dragon, a powerful wizard in a nearby tower, to keep the Wood at bay. As payment, the Dragon chooses... Read Uprooted Summary