One of the most important relationships in our lives is friendship, and no friendship is perfect. At some point in our lives, we will all have to face the decision to forgive or be forgiven. Today, we are recommending seven coming-of-age books that focus on forgiveness and friendship.
Chlorine Sky by Mahogany L. Browne
Chlorine Sky is a coming-of-age novel in verse about Sky, who is constantly in the shadow of her best friend, Lay Li. When she starts attracting boys, Sky is left alone. The only place she feels confident is on the court. Browne is a critically acclaimed poet who delivers a heartbreakingly honest novel that reminds you that you can generate your own light.
The Tragedy Paper Elizabeth LaBan
LaBan’s debut novel follows Tim Macbeth, a seventeen-year-old albino transfer student to the Irving School, where their motto promises to make a friend once you enter. Tim only cares about making it through his last year unnoticed until he falls for Vanessa, the “It” girl. Turns out Vanessa is also into him, so they start their clandestine romance because Vanessa doesn’t want to sacrifice her social status. Meanwhile, Ducan, another senior student.
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
The Kite Runner follows the childhood best friends, a wealthy boy, Amir, and the son of his father’s servant, Hassan, in a struggling Afghanistan. Amir, with Hassan’s support, is determined to win the kite-fighting tournament. He wins, but at a devastating cost that alters the course of their lives forever. Amir’s guilt at his betrayal follows him long after, as Hosseini weaves a tale of friendship and finding redemption.
Of Stormlarks and Silence by Constance Lopez
Princess Riona has spent the last ten years since the Revonian king murdered her family and conquered her land training to avenge her family and reclaim her title. When she gets a position in the Revonian royal palace, she is determined to make the king suffer and kill the prince while uncovering the mysterious magic that helped the king conquer. But after she gets to truly know the prince, a boy who is nothing like her father, she has to question what true forgiveness looks like. At the heart of the YA romantasy novel is a tale of forgiveness.
The Language of Flowers Vanessa Diffenbaugh
In The Language of Flowers, Victoria Jones is eighteen and aging out of the foster care system. After a life in the system, she uses the language of flowers to convey her solitude and mistrust. Even though she has nowhere to go, she finds her talent in helping others through the flowers she chooses for them. After an unexpected encounter with a stranger, she begins to question what’s been missing in her life, and a secret from her past, she must decide to risk it all for a second chance at happiness.
Chasing Forgiveness by Neal Shusterman
When Preston Scott was twelve, he never expected his father to kill his mother. Now he’s fourteen and his father is being released from jail. He and his brother have been staying with their maternal grandparents, who’ve forgiven him for killing their daughter. Preston isn’t sure if he’s ready to do the same, knowing he’ll never see his mother again, but he still loves his father. How can he balance these warring emotions and move past this tragedy?
The Beauty that Remains by Ashley Woodfolk
The Beauty that Remains follows three friends who are united by music but struggle to connect after tragedy strikes. Autumn knew who she was before a great artist’s friend and twin. But now she’s sending messages she knows won’t get a response, and Logan keeps watching videos of his dead ex-boyfriend. Each one must contend with their grief as it struggles to consume them. But music may be able to bring them together again.
Learning how to forgive and reforge friendships can often be the biggest hurdle in life. Hopefully, these books can teach us a bit about how to forgive and how valuable friendship is.
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