These six contemporary novels all feature (almost) no romance. A few of them do mention romance, but none of them have romantic plots or subplots. Some of the characters in these books are in romantic relationships at one point or another, but those relationships are just briefly touched on. Romance isn’t what drives the plot. Instead, these books are about friendship, grief, family, self-discovery, and work. There are so many interesting and important things that happen to humans besides falling in love, and these books explore all of that messy, non-romantic stuff. If you’re looking for more books without romance, check out 100 Must-Read YA Books with Little or No Romance and also these three recent YA books without romance.

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