Books like In the unlikely event by Judy Blume
In 1987, Miri Ammerman returns to her hometown of Elizabeth, New Jersey, to attend a commemoration of the most traumatic year of her life. Thirty-five years earlier, when Miri was fifteen and falling in love for the first time, a succession of airplanes fell from the sky, leaving a community reeling. Drawing on real events from the early 1950s—a time when airline travel was new and exciting, and the public held out hopes of distant adventure—Blume paints a vivid portrait of the era: Nat King Cole singing “Unforgettable,” Elizabeth Taylor-style haircuts, youthful and adult romances, explosive friendships, A‑bomb hysteria, and whispers of a Communist threat. Amid the tragedy, a young journalist rises to prominence, and across generations the town learns that life goes on.
First publish date: 2015
Genre: Historical Fiction/20th Century Historical Fiction
Authors: Judy Blume
★
★
★
★
★
3.3 (4 community ratings)
How are these books recommended?
The books recommended for In the unlikely event by Judy Blume are shaped by reader interaction. Votes on how closely books relate, user ratings, and community comments all help refine these recommendations and highlight books readers genuinely find similar in theme, ideas, and overall reading experience.
Have you read any of these books?
Your votes, ratings, and comments help improve recommendations and make it easier
for other readers to discover books they’ll enjoy.
Books similar to In the unlikely event (23 similar books)
A coming‑of‑age epistolary novel that follows introverted teen Charlie through his freshman year in a 1990s Pittsburgh suburb as he navigates high school, friendship and the challenges of adolescence.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A high‑school freshman, Melinda, isolates herself after a traumatic encounter with a classmate. Through art and the courage to speak, she confronts her past and begins healing.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
When an eccentric new student named Stargirl arrives at Mica Area High School, her vibrant individuality challenges the school’s strict norm of conformity, sparking a tense battle with popularity and a budding first love for classmate Leo.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Junior, a budding cartoonist from the Spokane Indian Reservation, transfers to an all‑white farm‑town high school, where the only other Indian is the school mascot.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A humorous look at sibling life and family change as the youngest member of the Baum family, Fudge, navigates school, moving, and the ups and downs of growing up.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A coming-of-age story about a 14-year-old girl grappling with the loss of her uncle and searching for the truth about her family's past.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A sweeping family saga that follows the Clifton and Barrington families through love, betrayal, and corporate intrigue in 1960s Britain as secrets and ambition collide.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A son uncovers his family's hidden past as his grandfather’s deathbed confessions span a mail-order novelty business, World War II, and the space program.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A sweeping family saga that follows the Wellwood children and their parents from Victorian England through World War I, where secrets, betrayals, and the looming war reshape a renowned children's author’s life.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
In Ann Patchett’s Commonwealth, an uninvited encounter between Bert Cousins and Franny Keating’s family in Southern California sparks a chain reaction that ties two households together, revealing hidden family secrets and the enduring bonds of siblings across five decades.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A fifth‑grader named Jill Brenner leads a class in teasing and bullying an overweight girl, Linda, who becomes known as "Blubber" after an oral report about whales.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Jende Jonga’s dream of a new life in New York turns into a struggle as his family faces the rigors of immigration law and the hidden dangers of working for a powerful executive.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A 13‑year‑old boy grapples with his family's sudden wealth, evolving sexual curiosity, a friend’s shoplifting, and worsening stomach pains during adolescence.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
In mid‑life, Willa Knox faces a crumbling inherited home and a family in crisis, prompting her to uncover Vineland, New Jersey’s Utopian roots and a nineteenth‑century connection that may save them.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Set in 1951 during the Korean War, "Indignation" follows Newark law student Marcus Messner as he attends Ohio’s Winesburg College, struggles with his father’s fears, and confronts the challenges of coming of age in postwar America.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
First‑grader Jake, nicknamed "the Pain," and his third‑grade sister Abigail, "the Great One," chase adventure as they visit a beach with Grandma, a county fair with Aunt Diana, and a mall with Dad.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
On Jeju Island, Mi‑ja and Young‑sook become lifelong friends through decades of diving, navigating Japanese occupation, World War II, the Korean War, and modern changes, while confronting family legacies and cultural tensions.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
In 20th‑century Princeton, New Jersey, a powerful curse snuffs out a wealthy family’s brightest hope when a bride disappears, and her brother’s quest leads him into the city’s darkest underbelly and its most outspoken figures.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A biography of American author Judy Blume, detailing her lifelong connection to youth, the vivid memories that fueled her writing, and her celebrated career of over twenty‑five years crafting stories for children and teenagers.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
In a New York‑set family torn by an ancient curse, three Owens siblings must navigate their unique gifts while obeying strict rules that forbid love—yet love keeps pulling them back toward one another.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A spirited coming‑of‑age tale set in 1951 Montana, following eleven‑year‑old Donal Cameron as he embarks on a cross‑country adventure with his grandfather’s quirky German friend, encountering humor, hardship, and the rugged American landscape.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Some Other Similar Books
Tales for the Teenage by P.C. CastAre You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
So Much to Say: Adolescence and the Search for Self by James Howe
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Have a similar book in mind? Let others know!
Please login to submit books!