7 YA Romances Exploring Love from Across the Tracks
Oh man, who doesn’t love the whole rich boy/poor girl (or vice versa!) romance trope? From Cinderella to Pretty In Pink to Pretty Woman to Titanic, we swoon at the meet-cutes, we angst over differences and circumstance, we fret over power dynamics, and despite it all, we root for our lovebirds to overcome the seemingly insurmountable obstacles of class and culture (and wardrobe), hoping they’ll manage to find a solid middle ground on which to build a real, thriving love. Because let’s face it, when it comes to YA romance, the bumpier the journey, the more fun the ride. Herewith, some awesome reads that explore love from the wrong side of the tracks.
The Truth About Us, by Janet Gurtler
In the wake of an attack on her mother, former “good girl” Jess is spiraling—drinking, sunbathing topless, swiping her parents’ credit card for online shopping sprees. So her dad makes her volunteer at local shelter New Beginnings, where she meets Flynn, a street kid who has been coming in for meals. It’s seems like everyone and everything is against the two of them being together—but in Flynn, Jess might just find the answers she’s been scratching at, and Flynn might just find the one thing he’s been looking for: stability.
The Distance Between Us, by Kasie West
Caymen has always been wary of the rich—after all, her mom has ingrained that mistrust in her since she was as small as the dolls in the doll shop the pair runs. So when rich boy Xander Spence comes waltzing into the shop and her life, she resists the meet-cute charm and ignores the goosebumps she gets every time she sees him, trying so hard not to fall. But they share a sense of humor, and, they soon realize, a whole lot more. A sweet, twisty romance that explores the angst of the haves versus the have-nots, and the thoughtless judgments we all make based on class.
The Winner’s Curse, by Marie Rutkoski
The circumstances in Rutkoski’s smoldering Winner’s Curse are far different from the average rich girl–poor boy romance. For one thing, pampered Valorian general’s daughter Kestrel buys world-weary Herrani slave Arin at an auction. But even as they form a secret, dangerous bond over a shared love of music and plenty of stolen glances, the power dynamic between them isn’t quite as it seems. And just when the simmer between them comes to a boil, the balance shifts radically, and the tenuous trust they’ve built is shattered. You might as well buy the sequel, The Winner’s Crime, at the same time you snag the first book, because you’re going to want to read it immediately. Sadly, you’ll have to wait till next March for book three.
The Summer of Chasing Mermaids, by Sarah Ockler
In this swoony take on The Little Mermaid, Caribbean-born beauty Elyse has lost the one thing that truly set her apart: her voice. So she’s mourning it in the tiny seaside hamlet of Atargatis Cove, in coastal Oregon, where everyone and everything—even the ocean—is too cold. Except for the blazing charm of major player Christian Kane, who seduces her into taking a wild ride with him as part of the Pirate’s Regatta. There’s even at stake than their burgeoning romance—Christian has to win the Regatta in order to prevent his dad from selling their summer home to developers who want to commercialize the cove.
The Selection, by Kiera Cass
America Singer is perfectly content being a Five, thank you very much. She likes her job making music, loves hanging with her family—even if there isn’t quite enough to eat sometimes—and is perfectly smitten with her longtime love, Aspen, even though she knows the fact that he’s a six might cause them trouble down the line. Basically she’s got no interest in competing with 35 other girls in the Bachelor-esque Selection, a televised mission to find Prince Maxon a bride. And she definitely has no interest in stuck-up, buttoned-up Prince Maxon. Right? Revel in the dress porn, stay for the slow simmering love triangle and breathless rebel antics.
These Broken Stars, by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Think post-Titanic romance in outer space. Lilac, the daughter of the richest man in the universe, and Tarver, a burned-out war hero, seem to be the only two survivors (out of 50,000) of the Icarus’s crash onto a perilous, abandoned planet. Despite their differences, the pair will have to rely on each other to make it through—but will they be able to survive the whispers tstalking their every move? The definition of star-crossed romance, These Broken Stars kicks off the Starbound trilogy with a bang.
Perfect Chemistry, by Simone Elkeles
Brittany Ellis is perfect: blonde, beautiful, rich, and popular, she seems to have it all. But it’s a façade—she’s hiding a dark, painful secret about her family, one she can’t share with anyone. Alex Fuentes is Fairfield High’s resident badass. A gang member whose dad was murdered, he’s trying his best for his family, but his pals and ex Carmen don’t make it easy. When Brittany and Alex are paired up as lab partners in chemistry class, the whole thing should implode. Instead, they find themselves exploring an undeniable attraction. Race, class, culture, and politics all come into play in this cross-cultural romance, the first in a bestselling trilogy.