Seven YA novels where friendship trumps romance

At the B&N Teen Blog Natalie Zutter tagged seven Young Adult books "where friendship is more important than—or even entirely replaces—a love story," including:

Code Name Verity, by Elizabeth Wein

The most important bond in this World War II novel is the trust between pilot Kittyhawk and spy Verity, which is put to the test after their plane crash-lands in France and Verity is captured by the Gestapo. With their code names stripped away, Queenie must protect Maddie and herself. With stakes that high, there’s no need for the story to include a romance plot—which would be superfluous, because, as Queenie writes, “It’s like being in love, discovering your best friend.”

Learn about another entry on the list.

Code Name Verity also appears on Arwen Elys Dayton's top five list od books about false identities, Melissa Albert's top five list of YA books that might make one cry, Sara Brady's list of six of the best spies in romance, Lenore Appelhans's top ten list of teen books featuring flashbacks and Lydia Syson's list of ten of the best historical novels for young readers.

Writers Read: Elizabeth Wein (May 2015).

--Marshal Zeringue