The solace and comfort of true friendship — and the pain of its loss — can rival any romantic or familial relationship. In this collection, we present texts that examine the unique qualities and costs of deep friendships.
Publication year 2008
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction
Publication year 1875
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Place
Tags Classic Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure, Fantasy, Survival Fiction, French Literature
Publication year -12024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2007
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Fantasy, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Humor
The Name of This Book Is Secret (2007) is the first book in the middle grade fantasy series The Secret Series by Pseudonymous Bosch, the pen name of writer Raphael Simon. The book is told by an intrusive narrator, the author, Pseudonymous Bosch. The narrator frequently breaks the fourth wall to address the reader directly and interrupts the story to warn the reader of the dangerous nature of the story he is telling, sometimes considering... Read The Name of This Book Is Secret Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, History: World
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Religion / Spirituality, Psychological Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Education, Incarceration, African American Literature, Race / Racism, History: World, Historical Fiction
Like his 2016 bestseller, The Underground Railroad, Colson Whitehead’s The Nickel Boys (2019) won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (Whitehead is only the fourth writer in history to win two Pulitzers). The Nickel Boys describes life in a reform school from the point of view of young Black teenager. Whitehead based Nickel Academy on the real life Dozier School, a Florida facility that ran for over a century, until a university investigation publicized its racist... Read The Nickel Boys Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags History: World
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 1998
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers
Tags Psychology, Parenting, Science / Nature, Sociology, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Social Science, Psychology
Publication year 1859
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship
Tags Classic Fiction, Race / Racism, Education, Education, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Historical Fiction
The Octoroon; or, Life in Louisiana by Dion Boucicault premiered in New York City on December 6, 1859. The title refers to a person who is one-eighth black. The Octoroon was a controversial play when it debuted, given its focus on slavery when the pre-Civil War United States was engaged in a heated debate over the institution. Abolitionist John Brown was hanged just three days before the play’s debut, which is seen as one of... Read The Octoroon Summary
Publication year 1965
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: The Past
Tags Play: Drama, Play: Comedy / Satire, Relationships, Depression / Suicide, Education, Education, American Literature, Drama / Tragedy, Humor, Classic Fiction
The Odd Couple is a satirical play by American playwright Neil Simon. It opened on Broadway in 1965 and chronicles the unconventional relationship between friends turned roommates, Oscar Madison and Felix Ungar. The play found enduring success and inspired subsequent film and television adaptations. It was nominated for a New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award in 1965.Many of Simon’s plays are influenced by his own upbringing. Simon was born in the Bronx and grew up... Read The Odd Couple Summary
Publication year 2004
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Grief / Death, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Children's Literature, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt
Tags LGBTQ, Romance, Arts / Culture, Grief / Death, Health / Medicine, Love / Sexuality, Mental Illness, Parenting, Relationships, Religion / Spirituality, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Friendship, Natural World: Animals, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Fear
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 1998
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Romance, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Depression / Suicide, Relationships, Trauma / Abuse / Violence
The Pact: A Love Story (1998) by Jodi Picoult tells the story of teens Emily Gold and Chris Harte who enter into a pact to die by suicide. Emily’s death has taken place by the novel’s opening, but Chris is swiftly charged with her murder. As the novel unfolds, the complicated dynamics of the lives of the teens—lifelong best friends who grew up next door to one another—are presented. The nature of the “pact” that... Read The Pact Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Society: Community, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Historical Fiction, The Lost Generation, LGBTQ, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), History: World, French Literature
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Food, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Art
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, French Literature, Historical Fiction, Romance, Travel Literature, Food
Publication year 1999
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Lyric Poem, Relationships
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction