"The course of true love never did run smooth," wrote William Shakespeare in A Midsummer Night's Dream—and he knew what he was talking about. A text from this study guide collection might be just the thing to remind you of the bliss and pain of love.
Publication year 2010
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Fate
Tags Bullying, Grief / Death, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Religion / Spirituality
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver is a young adult novel about redemption, written in 2010. Following her death in a car accident, high school senior Sam Kingston wakes the next morning to find that she’s reliving the same day—February 12, or Cupid Day. She juggles the complexities of bullying, blossoming sexuality, self-confidence, and self-sacrifice after reliving the same day seven times. Through this experience, she reconnects with her family and friends, but mostly with... Read Before I Fall Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags Romance, Parenting, Depression / Suicide, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: The Past
Tags Romance, Relationships, Love / Sexuality
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Romance, Relationships, Mental Illness, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Grief / Death, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Behind Her Eyes, a psychological thriller, was written by Sarah Pinborough and published in 2017. The book has sold over 1 million copies worldwide and was adapted for a TV series by Netflix. While clearly a best seller, there is great divergence of opinion on the book’s very unexpected twist at the end, with the publishers using the hashtag #WTFThatEnding to promote the book.Plot SummaryLouise is a single mother living in London and working as... Read Behind Her Eyes Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery
Tags Sports, Romance, New Adult
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Action / Adventure
Publication year 1801
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage
Tags Classic Fiction, British Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance
Written by Irish novelist Maria Edgeworth (1768-1849) and published in 1801, Belinda remains one of the landmark works of the late Restoration novel and a precursor of the realistic novel of the mid-19th century. Its purpose is made clear by Edgeworth herself in a brief preface that begins the novel: “The following work is offered to the public as a Moral Tale” (1). Edgeworth was distressed by the glut of frivolous novels that sought only... Read Belinda Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Self Discovery
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Gothic Literature, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2004
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Humor, Romance, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy
Be More Chill (2004) by Ned Vizzini is a young adult novel about a teenage boy trying to increase his social status in high school. The work employs humor and a science fiction premise to satirize the absurdity of social norms in contemporary youth culture. The main character, Jeremy Heere, is a socially awkward high school student who ingests a pill that contains a quantum supercomputer that advises him on how to modify his behavior... Read Be More Chill Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Romance, Humor, Relationships, Love / Sexuality, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery
Tags Romance, Humor
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Russian Literature, WWII / World War II, Military / War, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance
Between Shades of Gray is a fictionalized account of what happened to many Lithuanians—and others from Estonia and Latvia—after the Soviet Union annexed and occupied the Baltic States in 1940. Thousands of citizens of these countries were deported and imprisoned, and many of them ended up in Siberian forced labor camps like the ones Lina Vilkas and her mother and brother are sent to in the book. The novel is told from the first-person perspective of a... Read Between Shades of Gray Summary
Publication year 2003
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Teams
Tags Romance
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Self Discovery, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Romance, WWII / World War II, Class, Education, Finance / Money / Wealth, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Military / War, Grief / Death, History: World, Parenting
Publication year 2002
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Romance, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Big Mouth & Ugly Girl is a young adult novel written by Joyce Carol Oates. Published in 2002 after the high-profile Columbine High School shooting and attempted bombing in Columbine, Colorado, Big Mouth & Ugly Girl recounts three months in the lives of two 16-year-old high school juniors, Matt “Big Mouth” Donaghy and Ursula “Ugly Girl” Riggs. Oates is also known for We Were the Mulvaneys (1996) and Blonde (2000), among many other critically acclaimed... Read Big Mouth & Ugly Girl Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Marriage, Identity: Sexuality
Tags LGBTQ, Love / Sexuality, Romance, Humor, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Class
Tags Romance, Sports, New Adult, Modern Classic Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Love / Sexuality, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance
Publication year 2004
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, History: World, Romance, Fantasy
Published in 2004, Alice Hoffman’s novel Blackbird House chronicles a house on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and its inhabitants over a 200-year span. The story, which invokes elements of magical realism, begins during the War of 1812 and ends in the present day. Shifting between first-person and third-person point-of-view, the novel delves into the themes of Love as Motivation, Resilience Resulting from Adversity, and The Power of Place in Shaping Lives.Other works by this author include... Read Blackbird House Summary