Books like Only the lonely by Laura Dower

Twenty‑five year‑old Belly Conklin returns to the family summer home on the coast, where a cancer diagnosis forces her to confront love, loss, and growing up amid the familiar rhythm of beach life.

Harriet the Spy, a 1964 children’s novel by Louise Fitzhugh, follows a schoolgirl’s secret diary and the repercussions of her observations, earning classic status in juvenile literature and high rankings on notable U.S. children's book lists.

Auden’s summer with her dad’s new family in a beach town forces her to confront the silence left by her parents’ divorce and the friendships she missed. When she meets the enigmatic Eli, they both navigate the challenges of adolescence and lost guilt together.

A heartfelt graphic novel set on a New York‑state beach, following two teenage girls as they confront family turmoil, friendship, and secrets during a summer that threatens to change their lives forever.

When Abby’s family heads out on a camping trip, she seizes the chance to invite a newcomer for a week‑long adventure with the Hardy family, testing if their newfound bond can survive the outdoor trials.

When Samantha Kingston suddenly dies, she wakes to the uncanny ability to relive her final day seven times over. Each repetition reveals new twists that force her to re‑evaluate friendships, love, and the choices she prized most.

A grieving teen learns to move forward when a sudden job at a catering business introduces her to new friends and unexpected challenges.

Oddrey, a spirited and unique girl in school, meets a new classmate who shares her zest for life, leading both to discover friendships that grow beyond first impressions.

**What secrets does the Shadow Market hold?** The Shadow Market is a meeting point for faeries, werewolves, warlocks, and vampires. There, the Downworlders buy and sell magical objects, make dark bargains, and whisper secrets they do not want the Nephilim to know. Through two centuries, however, there has been a frequent visitor to the Shadow Market from the City of Bones, the very heart of the Shadowhunters' world. As a Silent Brother, Brother Zachariah is a sworn keeper of the laws and lore of the Nephilim. But once he was a Shadowhunter called Jem Carstairs, and his love, then and always, is the warlock Tessa Gray. And Jem is searching through the Shadow Markets, in many different cities over long years, for a relic from his past. Follow Jem and see, against the backdrop of the Shadow Market's dark dealings and festival, Anna Lightwood's doomed romance, Matthew Fairchild's great sin, and Tessa Gray as she is plunged into a world war. Valentine Morgenstern buys a soul at the Market and a young Jace Wayland's soul finds safe harbor. In the Market is hidden a lost heir and a beloved ghost, and no one can save you once you have traded away your heart. Not even Brother Zachariah. This description comes from the publisher. *Ghosts of the Shadow Market* takes place in the Shadowhunter world, the first book of which is *City of Bones*.

Seventeen‑year‑old Margaret "Cuckoo" Clark journals her high‑school life, navigating friendships and rivalry while striving to bring hope to the divided halls of North Plains High.

In 'Plastic Polly,' a teenage girl must step up as the new leader of her school’s talent‑show committee after her best friend is suddenly absent, learning to wield her own voice amid popularity’s pressures.

Seventeen‑year‑old Caymen Meyers learns that love isn’t measured by money when she meets the richest guy of all.

In the wake of a docudrama production at Far Hills Junior High, a group of students navigates school life, friendships, and the surprising involvement of Madison’s mother as the producer.

When Madison’s life feels loveless, a mysterious red envelope and a flooded inbox of messages spark her quest to uncover the identity of a secret admirer.

A teen romance that travels backward in time, keeping readers guessing until the final reveal.

After her sister’s death, seventeen‑year‑old Lennie grapples with grief, a love triangle, and her ambition to become a musician.

Madison travels to New York City to celebrate her best friend Lindsay’s thirteenth birthday.

When the beloved teacher Mrs. Wing disappears, Aimee’s dog Blossom is unexpectedly pregnant, and a gossip-ridden Web board erupts in Far Hills, teenage friends must untangle chaos and find truth before it’s too late.

Madison and friends win front‑row tickets to pop star Nikki’s concert, but the excitement is shadowed when Madison’s friend Aimee shows signs of worry and poor health. The story reminds readers that true confidence comes from feeling healthy and good inside.

Madison discovers that her best friend Ivy’s life isn’t as perfect as Ivy’s blog suggests, turning a school friendship into a real‑world adventure during the holiday season.