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Non-"Romantic" Books
Recently, I have...
Recently, I have found myself drifting towards the teen section more at the library. I still get a fair share of "middle-grade" books, but the plots of some of them don't satisfy my thirst for more complex plots and characters. But the teen books have romance. They have everything else I'm looking for, but the romance is kind of steeering me away. These days, I'll spend an hour or two browsing the sixteen smallish shelf teen section and come out with oh, ten books or so? I'm trying to avoid vivid romance scenes. Does anyone have non-romantic book ideas for me?
submitted by S.E.
(April 2, 2015 - 4:09 pm)
(April 2, 2015 - 4:09 pm)
Oh my gosh, tell me about it! I hate romance books so much, and books with romance subplots are everywhere. I could go on a long rant about why I don't like them and berating authors who write them, but I am just so fed up with them!
Have you tried The Giver series? About a page's worth of brief attraction (that's in the whole book, not all at once) but nothing else (or, I'm thinking of the first book. But the rest of them are pretty much romance free. Just a couple pages worth of attraction, unless I'm forgetting something.)
Or . . . let's see. Gosh, there is so much out there that has romance. The Book Thief? That has a boy teasing "give me a kiss" to the MC, but honestly, it's not really a main part of the plot. Well, some people tell you that Rudy and Leisel are the book itself, but I say they're a subplot. and they're best friends, but she has no interest in going any farther than that. Awesome book.
The Hobbit or LotR. Well, LotR has a bit, but it's far from the main part (I'm pretty sure. I haven't finished the book, but it's mostly attracation, I think)
The Magyk series, again, a bit of attraction to each other, private thoughts, but not heavy on it at all. Mostly a brother/sister love, I think. I've only read the first few books, but others online seem to say it's in the "little to none" area romance wise.
Ugh. Why can't there be more books without romance? This list is so short! I swear, some day, I will write and publish one without a shred of romance and make the list a bit longer.
(April 2, 2015 - 6:16 pm)
Robin McKinley is pretty clean (I'm always her champion)--The Blue Sword especially, and Pegasus. Blue Sword has one semi-romantic scene at the end, but nothing disgusting. Peter Dickinson's The Ropemaker is ditto.
(April 2, 2015 - 8:11 pm)
Actually, if you want ZERO romance, go for Pegasus. I'm rereading it now and I still feel it's one of the best fantasys I've ever come across.
(April 2, 2015 - 9:42 pm)
I just read that and I love it!!
(April 3, 2015 - 12:36 pm)
*does happy dance* What was your favorite part? Did you totally knash your teeth over the cliffhanger? It's been four years and there's STILL no definite date for the release of the sequel, so I'm going a little mad with impatience waiting.
(April 3, 2015 - 9:49 pm)
I recommend Inheritance Cycle and The Hunger Games!
Eragon, first IC book is really big ( like all of the books ); it has a tiny bit of love but barely any!
Hunger Games has some love but some of the love they just fake and lots of action!
(April 3, 2015 - 6:58 am)
Hunger Games is actually really romantic but it's a great book. I, in fact, like me a good romance. But if you are trying to avoid romance, try The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. It does have mentions of romance, but it's like "they loved one another very much" or something. It doesn't involve kissing or anything. It's also a great classic and compellingly written. I really recommend it!
Also, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle is a great book. It does have "love" themes but not boyfriend-girlfriend love at all. It's family member love, kind of like in Harry Potter. Fruity, say a crazy combination of four letters if you agree!
Fruity: Cewu.
Somebody: See? Fruity agrees!
(April 4, 2015 - 1:54 pm)
Uhhh... I don't know if I would call that "a little romance". Every time I read that scene with Arya and whatnot, I blush and then scream.
I'm embarrassed for him.
(April 10, 2015 - 7:24 am)
If you like mysteries, the Enola Holmes books are (I believe) completely romance-free. At least, the two I've read, but since they were later on in the series, I'd believe they're all consistant.
(April 3, 2015 - 9:38 am)
I love Enola Holmes! The plots are pretty suprising, and Enola is a spectacular character.
(April 3, 2015 - 1:02 pm)
I personally like a romantic subplot, but when it takes over the whole book it bothers me.
No romance:
The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series is really good and there's no romance that I can remember.
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is a mystery book/series (I've only read the first) written for adults, I think, but is completely appropriate and romance free.
The Beyonders by Brandon Mull
Most of the things I can think of are't really "teen" books but I still like them at 15 so...
The Mysterious Benedict Society
Keeper of the Lost Cities
I also really liked the False Prince by Jennifer Neilson (Acendance Trilogy), but throughout the series there is a little romance, just not in the first book.
(April 3, 2015 - 1:44 pm)
Theo W.!!! Everinne!!! Seeing you two post made my day.
I completely agree about the romance- the only good books (that I haven't read) have way too much of it!
It's not really teen, but the Oz series is quite good.
(April 3, 2015 - 3:53 pm)
I have that problem all the time!
If you want 0 romance books, here's some:
Theodore Boone: It's a legal thriller series about a murder case by John Grisham, and it's awesome!
Oracles of Delphi: Keep is a good series, with a little romance, but it's mostly brother/sister love.
Hope this helped!
(August 25, 2015 - 7:28 pm)