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5 YA Reads for New Fans of The DUFF
Sometimes it takes an insightful librarian, an enthusiastic bookseller, or the perfect blog post to sell a book and create a new YA reader. Other times, all it takes is one fantastically fun movie. With the release of The DUFF, the laugh-out-loud new teen movie loosely based on the book of the same name by then-teen author Kody Keplinger, we fully expect YA fans old and new to be knocking down the door looking for similarly sharp, funny, romantic contemporaries. Here are a bunch to choose from, with some of the best still yet to come.
Lying Out Loud, by Kody Keplinger
The most obvious choice if you’re already missing The DUFF? Keplinger’s soon-to-release companion, featuring Sonny—best friend of Wesley’s sister, Amy—as the main character. Sonny has a little problem when it comes to telling the truth…in that she doesn’t, pretty much ever. She especially can’t tell the truth about her home life and why she’s secretly living with the Rushes. And she definitely can’t tell the truth about the fact that she’s been staying up all night chatting online with her enemy-turned-crush, Ryder, and letting him think she’s Amy. A fun pairing with the original!
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The Art of Lainey, by Paula Stokes
Opposites attract? Check. Sex-positivity? Check. Great best friend? Check. Plotting in order to get one guy only to fall for another, a la the movie version of The DUFF? Check. If you fell hard for onscreen couple Bianca and Wes, you definitely need to check out on-page Lainey and Micah, two very different classmates who hook up first in a fauxmance and then in a very real romance full of heart, humor, chemistry, and banter.
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The Fill-In Boyfriend, by Kasie West
What’s worse than getting dumped in the parking lot on your way into prom? Gia Montgomery’s about to find out that several things can in fact put that to shame. On the bright side, the “fill-in boyfriend” she finds to replace the original isn’t a bad substitute. But when he becomes the main attraction in her life, it’ll take a major detangling of her web of lies to set things right and make the fill-in guy the real thing. And if you can’t wait until its May release? Catch up on (or reread) West’s earlier rom-coms, The Distance Between Us and On the Fence, both of which are chock full of romantic chemistry and banter-y goodness.
Audrey, Wait!, by Robin Benway
I’m admittedly behind in my quest to read every book ever by Robin Benway, but this one will forever remain a favorite. Audrey rises to fame when her ex-boyfriend turns their breakup into his band’s breakout single, making her a most-coveted muse and an unlikely center of attention. She has a passion for music, a great best friend, and a budding new romance with a coworker, but living normally becomes impossible when girls are dressing like her and other musicians are pursuing her. Fun, hilarious, and full of great secondary characters, this is one of those books you’ll pick up any time you need a good-mood reread.
The Chapel Wars, by Lindsay Leavitt
My favorite thing in a romance is banter between the main character and love interest, so it’s not a compliment I pay lightly to say this book possesses one of the absolute most banterrific couples in YA. On paper, Holly and Dax may be natural enemies, being the grandchildren of rival chapel owners, but in person, the two can’t deny the attraction between them. What makes it even better is the way the characters are drawn, with strong personalities (I like to think of Holly as a Type-A Pixie Dream Girl) and realistic flaws. This book made me laugh out loud on more than one occasion, and if you’re looking for sharp wit in your YA, it’s definitely one to pick up.