Books like The Boy Next Door (Candy Apple #2) by Laura Dower
The Boy Next Door follows Taryn and Jeff as they navigate the transition from middle‑school mates to uneasy adolescents. Told in alternating first‑person perspectives, the story captures the humor and heart of teenage change. As they confront new feelings for each other and the challenges of growing up, their long‑standing friendship is tested.
A relatable, lighthearted narrative, the book explores themes of friendship, first love, and the awkward yet exciting moments of early adolescence, all set within a familiar middle‑school setting.
First publish date: 2006
Genre: Coming of Age/Coming of Age Romance
Authors: Laura Dower
★
★
★
★
★
3.7 (3 community ratings)
How are these books recommended?
The books recommended for The Boy Next Door (Candy Apple #2) by Laura Dower 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 The Boy Next Door (Candy Apple #2) (29 similar books)
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.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A young orphan girl from Canada makes her way to a Prince Edward Island farm and becomes a cherished member of a family there, all while proving she has a talent for making friends and learning languages.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Raina Telgemeier’s graphic novel follows middle‑school theater enthusiast Callie as she designs a blue‑grass‑tired set for a school play, grappling with teamwork, budgets, and the drama of friendship and family.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Seventeen‑year‑old Mia faces a life‑altering medical crisis after a family car crash—she must decide whether to live a new life in the present or return to her former world as a coma patient.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Teenager Annabel faces a year of loss and silence, from a fractured friendship to a struggling sister, until she meets Owen Armstrong, a truth‑telling music lover who may help her confront the night the friendship ended.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
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.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A New York City single woman’s attempts to find love are humorously intertwined with her daily life, highlighting neighborhood dynamics and modern communication challenges.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A grieving teen learns to move forward when a sudden job at a catering business introduces her to new friends and unexpected challenges.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
After her boyfriend leaves, 16‑year‑old Reena discovers she's pregnant; three years later he returns, unaware she is his daughter.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Jenny discovers love and its darker side when she falls for her new neighbor Rob, a boy who both inspires confidence and threatens her sense of self. A summer of promise turns into a test of trust and emotional resilience.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
When sixth and seventh graders from Joyce Kilmer Middle School spend a week at Camp Einstein, a science camp deep in the woods, roommates Jenny, Chloe, and Sam must learn to share a cabin with Addie and Dana amid trust exercises.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
After a night out in Raleigh, 22‑year‑old Camryn leaves her predictable life to embark on a road trip that turns into a journey of self‑discovery and forbidden attraction with a mysterious man named Andrew.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Seventeen‑year‑old Caymen Meyers learns that love isn’t measured by money when she meets the richest guy of all.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
After a family tragedy, Leila embarks on a cross‑country road trip in her red car, meeting Hudson the mechanic, Bree the petty thief, Elliot the planner, and Sonia the teen, each drifting toward self‑discovery.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Francis, a teenager with a quirky and fractured family, struggles to carve his own path at school. When leukemia strikes, he discovers unexpected kindnesses and new perspectives on life.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Best friends Macallan and Levi navigate seventh grade, teen friendships, and dating confusion as everyone assumes they’re a couple.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
After a decade apart, Ronnie must protect tired teen hero worship from a returned crush who once hurt her, while managing responsibilities to her orphaned siblings.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Seventeen‑year‑old Layla, half demon, half gargoyle, can kill anything with a soul in a single kiss. Trying to stay normal, she hides her deadly power from the Warden she loves—until a tattooed demon threatens to expose her secret.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Teen band Amber Road faces a summer tour, record deal hopes, and swirling romantic complications as friendships and ambitions collide.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Tretch, a closeted gay teenager, struggles to keep his feelings for his straight best friend Matt hidden in a small town where everyone knows everyone’s business.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Before her senior year, Gloria spends a summer at a Kentucky camp for gifted teens, coping with her grandmother’s loss while forming new friendships and learning to thrive in new surroundings.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Some Other Similar Books
Morgan Matson's Since You've Been Gone by Morgan MatsonDairy Princess by Sharon Dennis Wyeth
Have a similar book in mind? Let others know!
Please login to submit books!