Falling in Love When Everything Is Terrible

Some days it feels like the world is ending, but it is often in those apocalyptic moments that we find something worth living for. That’s certainly true for the characters in these books who manage to find love even under the worst possible circumstances. If you’re looking for a story to escape into, try one of these YA novels about falling in love when everything is terrible.

The Last Bookstore on Earth

By Lily Braun-Arnold

Two teen girls fall in love and fight for survival in an abandoned bookstore weeks before another cataclysmic storm threatens to bring about the end of the world in this unforgettable YA debut. Perfect for fans of Station Eleven and The Last of Us.

“A thoroughly original, intimate, and sometimes harrowing meditation on survival, forgiveness, and learning how to love again at the almost end of the world.”—Nicola Yoon #1 New York Times bestselling author

The Scorpion and the Night Blossom

By Amélie Wen Zhao

Coming 03.04.25

In a world at war with demons, one girl will face the ultimate test when she is forced to enter into an ancient, deadly competition for the chance to save her mother’s soul . . . before she loses her forever. From the New York Times bestselling author of Song of Silver, Flame Like Night comes the beginning of a dark and opulent fantasy duology, perfect for fans of Throne of Glass.

On the Wings of la Noche

By Vanessa L. Torres

Coming 01.28.25

Noche is a Lechuza by night, an ethereal jet-black owl who guides the dead to the after. Except now, Noche cannot bring herself to escort her dead girlfriend, whose soul is fading the harder Noche holds on—an aching romance about first and second loves and finding the strength to let go.

Cruel Is the Light

By Sophie Clark

Coming 05.20.25

An epic new fantasy about a demon hunter and a foot soldier thrown together in a centuries-old war. . . and the forbidden love that could change the course of history. They say love conquers all – but can it win in a war between demons and exorcists? Or will it tear them apart . . .