“Holding Eleanor’s hand was like holding a butterfly. Or a heartbeat. Like holding something complete, and completely alive.”
If you adored Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell, you’re probably up for reading more books that capture that same blend of heart-fluttering romance, emotional depth, and coming-of-age storytelling. Thankfully, there’s a treasure trove of young adult novels that echo the magic of Eleanor and Park’s story, perfect for fans looking for their next read. From stories about first love and teen crushes to novels that tackle family, friendship, and self-discovery, these books offer all the feelings you loved in Rowell’s iconic novel. Whether you’re looking for contemporary YA romance, heartwarming teen love stories, or just books similar to Eleanor & Park that promise to make you laugh, cry, and root for characters, this list has you covered. Keep reading for the best books like Eleanor and Park – titles that will pull at your heartstrings and keep you turning their pages long into the night.
Eleanor & Park Summary
Eleanor & Park is a tender, bittersweet tale about first love set against the dramatic backdrop of the 1980s. The novel charts two misfit teenagers: Eleanor, who has a troubled home life, and Park, an introverted music-loving boy. When they meet one another aboard a school bus, an unlikely bond develops between the pair of them over a shared appreciation for comics and mixed tapes.
Set over the course of one fateful school year, both Eleanor and Park are smart enough (despite only being sixteen) to know that first loves rarely ever last. Yet both of them find themselves brave and desperate enough to give it a go anyway. Eleanor & Park is a testament to connection, vulnerability, and the nature of growing up.
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Fangirl – Rainbow Rowell
Kicking off our list of books like Eleanor & Park with another one of Rainbow Rowell’s best books, Fangirl is the story of Cath and Wren, twin sisters who are massive fans of Simon Snow. Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath suddenly finds herself on her own, and totally outside her comfort zone.
She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend; a fiction-writing professor who thinks fanfiction is the end of the civilised world; a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words, and she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile, and has never really been alone. For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Is she ready to start living her own life? And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?
Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda – Becky Albertalli
Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be revealed.
With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon will need to find a way out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out – without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.
Anna And The French Kiss – Stephanie Perkins
Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris – until she meets Etienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Etienne has it all… including a serious girlfriend. But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss in this charming YA romance book similar to Eleanor & Park?
To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before – Jenny Han
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day, Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister’s ex-boyfriend, Josh.
As she learns to deal with her past loves face-to-face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of all these letters being circulated after all.
The Sun Is Also A Star – Nicola Yoon
Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the sort of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him will not be my story.
Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ lofty expectations. Never the poet, or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something far more extraordinary in store for the pair of us. Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?
P.S. I Like You – Kasie West
While spacing out in chemistry class, Lily scribbles some of her favourite song lyrics onto her desk. The next day, she finds that someone has continued the lyrics on the desk and added a message.
Soon, Lily and her anonymous pen pal are exchanging full-on letters – sharing secrets, recommending bands, and opening up to one another. Lily realises that she’s kind of falling for this letter writer. Only, who is he? As Lily attempts to unravel the mystery and juggle school, friends, crushes, and her crazy family, she discovers that matters of the heart can’t always be spelt out in this charming coming-of-age tale that’s perfect to read after finishing Eleanor & Park.
My Life Next Door – Huntley Fitzpatrick
The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy, affectionate. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed wishes she were one of them. At least, that is until one summer evening, when Jase Garrett climbs her terrace and changes everything.
As the two of them fall fiercely in love, Jase’s family makes Samantha one of their own. Then, in an instant, the bottom drops out of her world, and she is suddenly confronted with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself? One of the best books like Eleanor & Park, My Life Next Door is a dreamy summer read, full of characters who stay with you long after the story is over.
A Little Something Different – Sandy Hall
The creative writing teacher, the delivery guy, the local Starbucks baristas, his best friend, her roommate, and the squirrel in the park all have one thing in common – they all believe that Gabe and Lea should get together. Lea and Gabe are in the same creative writing class. They get the same pop culture references, order the same Chinese food, and hang out in the same places.
Unfortunately, Lea is reserved, Gabe has issues, and it looks like they may never work things out, despite their mutual crush. But somehow, even when nothing is going on, something is happening between them, and everyone can see it. Surely Gabe and Lea will work out that they’re meant to be together, right?
Tomorrow, And Tomorrow, And Tomorrow – Gabrielle Zevin
Gabrielle Zevin’s Goodreads winner Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is another one of the best books like Eleanor & Park, blending together the worlds of video game design and contemporary romance. Spanning three decades and featuring vivid backdrops ranging from Venice Beach to Cambridge, it orbits around the bond between Sam Masur and Sadie Green.
Having been friends since childhood, the pair set out on an ambitious collaboration that resulted in hitting the big time with their debut video game release, Ichigo. Overnight, the world becomes their oyster. Fame brings with it joy, tragedy, duplicity, and redemption in a stunningly innovative commentary on our need to connect and to love. The emphasis on video gaming makes this an exhilarating approach to romance, and one of the best books to read next after finishing Rainbow Rowell’s work.
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Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
