Spending too much time around the house? Thinking about social distancing every day? Need some books to occupy your mind? Here’s a list of YA novels featuring characters keeping their distance from each other. 

I Hate Everyone But You by Gaby Dunn & Allison Raskin

Ava and Gen are best friends, but going to colleges so far away from each other is going to be a huge challenge for both of them. This story is told through their text messages and emails, as they deal with the highs and lows of being college freshmen while still holding on to the lifeline of their friendship.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

A family of four gets into a terrible car accident. Mia is in a coma, but she’s also having an out-of body experience. She’s the one who’s telling this story, looking down at herself and the people who love her. Mia has a lot of time to think about whether she wants to stay in the world of the living, or if she should leave this world and her loved ones behind. 

Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott

Stella is used to living with cystic fibrosis. She lives like a normal teenage girl for 70% of the time, but the other 30% of the time her lungs fail, and she has to go back to the hospital. Now she’s going through treatments again, which means that she can’t go on the senior trip with the rest of her friends. Her only distractions are connecting with her YouTube followers and seeing Will, another CF patient. Because Stella and Will have the same condition, they can’t risk infecting each other so they have to stay five feet apart. But as their feelings for each other grow, they must decide what kinds of risks they’re willing to take.

Because You'll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas

Ollie and Moritz are pen pals who become friends, but they can only stay friends on paper.  That’s because Ollie is allergic to electricity and Moritz uses a pacemaker, so they could never be in the same place at the same time.  The story unfolds through the boys’ letters to each other, in which we learn the full extent of each of their disabilities and we also see the small moments in which they are able to find joy in their lives. 

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

Madeline is 17 years old, and she can’t leave her house.  Because she’s allergic to just about everything, she lives her life in a virtual bubble.  Anyone who comes to see her has to be decontaminated just to be in the same room with her, and even then, they definitely can’t touch her.  Then a new family moves in next door, a family that contains anger, secrets, and a boy named Olly. Madeline is going to fall in love with that boy … and that’s when things are going to get REALLY complicated.

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Staff picks are chosen by NYPL staff members and are not intended to be comprehensive lists. We'd love to hear your ideas too, so leave a comment and tell us what you’d recommend. And check out our Staff Picks browse tool for more recommendations!