Friendship is one of the most important aspects of human existence. Without our friends, we’d be lost in such an overstimulating, overwhelming world. Those we surround ourselves with make us into better and kinder people. In celebration of these bonds, here are ten books featuring unbreakable and complex friendships. Platonic love is just as special and important as romantic.
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
Starting off with a personal favorite, Maggie Stiefvater’s The Raven Boys is as much about magic as it is about the unbreakable bonds formed between its main characters. The friend group at the heart of this series is complicated, fun, kind, and one you won’t forget well after you set the book down. Through trials and tribulations, the love between Gansey and his friends never falters. Speaking on both the complications of adolescence and the experiences that shape us, Stiefvater weaves an incredible tale of a hunt for a Welsh king in West Virginia.
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
Set in post-war Naples, Elena Ferrante’s novel tells the story of the complex friendship between Elena Greco and Raffaella “Lila” Cerullo. Following their life from childhood to adulthood, Ferrante explores the complexity of female friendship when faced with class and social divide. Their bond shapes this deeply emotional journey and is one you won’t forget well after the last page.
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Bardugo’s novel picks up in a Ketterdam of seedy streets and dangerous criminals. Kaz Brekker is offered the job of a lifetime and assembles a lovable crew of six powerful outcasts to pull it off. What starts as a heist soon evolves into a novel about the complex bonds between these six people. They may have their issues, but they come together to form an unforgettable found family.
Heartstopper: Volume One by Alice Oseman
A graphic novel about self-discovery and the romance between two boys, Heartstopper is as tooth-rottingly sweet as it is endearing. The past year hasn’t been too great for Charlie Spring, having been outed to the entire school and forced to deal with bullying. Things start to look up when he is sat by Nick Nelson and they form a friendship that becomes something more. While it is first and foremost about romance, Heartstopper still manages to weave incredible friendships between its pages that are both supportive and protective.
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Set in rural Oklahoma, The Outsiders is about the lives of social outcasts known as “Greasers.” The events of the book are set in motion when Ponyboy and Johnny get into a brawl that ends with the death of a member of the group known as the “Socs.” Ponyboy and Johnny are forced into hiding. Family and friendship are at the bleeding heart of Hinton’s classroom favorite.
Happy Place by Emily Henry
Harriet and Wyn have been the perfect couple since college. But for whatever reason, they don’t go together like they used to, and they still haven’t told their friends. Now stuck sharing the largest room at a Maine cottage for an annual getaway, they have to fake their relationship lest they hurt the feelings of those they care about the most. Romantic and silly, Emily Henry’s novel is about romance as much as it is about the lengths we will go to not hurt our friends.
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
Imaginative and talkative orphan Anne Shirley is sent to live with siblings Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert on their farm on Prince Edward Island. This novel follows Anne’s life, as well as the friendships she builds as she grows. Heart-warming and sentimental, Anne Shirley and friends will have you reaching for your tissues.
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
Belly measures her life in summers, everything good happening between June and August. The rest of her year seems to be spent waiting for the following summer, when she returns to Cousins with Susannah and her sons, Conrad and Jeremiah. While romance is central to Jenny Han’s novel, the friendships between its pages make it all worthwhile. Love and friendship go hand in hand.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
One of the most famous novels in all of literature is also the most endearing. Telling the story of the March sisters, Little Women focuses on girlhood and growing up during and after the Civil War. Detailing the trials and tribulations of women coming into their own, Alcott’s novel is about the unbreakable bond between sisters. While friends are not always family or vice versa, the friendships between the March sisters have endured over time — a novel you most definitely will not want to miss.
Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare
Set in early 1900s London, Chain of Gold follows Cordelia Carstairs as she is sent away after her father is accused of a heinous crime. The sequel trilogy to Clare’s The Infernal Devices follows the friendships Cordelia forms and strengthens during her stay in London. The leading friend group of this book becomes like family to the reader and to Cordelia herself.
Whether the groups are small or large, each book holds friendship close to its heart. Who better to find a Welsh king with than the people you actively choose to have in your life? Be sure to check out these books and add them to your TBR. Happy reading!
Interested in more books to add to that ever-expanding TBR? Check out some more recommendations here.
Find these titles and more on our Friendship is a bond of life shelf.
