If you, like us, live for women supporting women (in books, in life, in all things), then do we have a list for you! Because what’s better than all the fierce females in YA? Obviously the fierce female friendships that follow!
It might’ve been The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants that set our BFF expectations so high, but since then, young adult books sure have delivered—especially in some of our more recent faves. Even as the world is falling down around them (sometimes literally, sometimes figuratively), these girls are always there for each other, saving lives, cracking jokes, and just making things a bit more bearable overall.
So, if you’re looking for your next friendship-fueled read, scroll down to see some of our favorite female friendships in books!
18 Female Literary Friendships
THAT GAVE US LIFE
1. Ever and Sophie
Sophie and Ever perfectly balance each other, even if they may seem ‘unlikely’ friends. But sometimes opposites attract, even in friendships! While the girls face secrets and betrayal, they also form fierce bonds and come out the other side stronger in the end, and isn’t that the mark of true friendship? If you ask us, absolutely!
📚 Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen
“Our cousins have done this program,” Sophie whispers. “Best kept secret. Zero supervision.”
And just like that, Ever Wong’s summer takes an unexpected turn. Gone is Chien Tan, the strict educational program in Taiwan that Ever was expecting. In its place, she finds Loveboat: a summer-long free-for-all where hookups abound, adults turn a blind eye, snake-blood sake flows abundantly, and the nightlife runs nonstop.
But not every student is quite what they seem:
Ever is working toward becoming a doctor but nurses a secret passion for dance.
Rick Woo is the Yale-bound child prodigy bane of Ever’s existence whose perfection hides a secret.
Boy-crazy, fashion-obsessed Sophie Ha turns out to have more to her than meets the eye.
And under sexy Xavier Yeh’s shell is buried a shameful truth he’ll never admit.
When these students’ lives collide, it’s guaranteed to be a summer Ever will never forget.
2. Bisou, Keisha, and Maggie
Get you a group of friends who will stand by you through it all—including the recent discovery that men turn into vicious wolves and that you have the power to stop them. There are so many reasons to read Red Hood, and this stunning friendship is certainly one of them.
📚 Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold
You are alone in the woods, seen only by the unblinking yellow moon. Your hands are empty. You are nearly naked. And the wolf is angry.
Since her grandmother became her caretaker when she was four years old, Bisou Martel has lived a quiet life in a little house in Seattle. She’s kept mostly to herself. She’s been good.
But then comes the night of homecoming, when she finds herself running for her life over roots and between trees, a fury of claws and teeth behind her.
A wolf attacks. Bisou fights back. A new moon rises. And with it, questions.
About the blood in Bisou’s past, and on her hands as she stumbles home.
About broken boys and vicious wolves.
About girls lost in the woods—frightened, but not alone.
3. Mia and Vera
Mia and Vera’s friendship is complicated. It’s messy. But at the end of the day, they’re there for each other through a really s#&tty situation and sometimes, that’s all you need.
📚 You Know I’m No Good by Jessie Ann Foley
Mia is officially a Troubled Teen™— she gets bad grades, drinks too much, and has probably gone too far with too many guys.
But she doesn’t realize how out of control she seems until she is taken from her home in the middle of the night and sent away to Red Oak Academy, a therapeutic girls’ boarding school in the middle of nowhere.
While there, Mia is forced to confront her painful past at the same time she questions why she’s at Red Oak. If she were a boy, would her behavior be considered wild enough to get sent away? But what happens when circumstances outside of her control compel Mia to make herself vulnerable enough to be truly seen?
4. Enchanted and Gab
In Tiffany’s latest, main character Enchanted goes through some truly horrific stuff. But her best friend, Gab, is there for her through thick and thin, ready to pick up the pieces. We love these two so much.
📚 Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson
When legendary R&B artist Korey Fields spots Enchanted Jones at an audition, her dreams of being a famous singer take flight. Until Enchanted wakes up with blood on her hands and zero memory of the previous night.
Who killed Korey Fields?
Before there was a dead body, Enchanted’s dreams had turned into a nightmare. Because behind Korey’s charm and star power was a controlling dark side. Now he’s dead, the police are at the door, and all signs point to Enchanted.
5. Rose and Lissa
The bond between Rose and Lissa is legendary, but one of the most important facets of their friendship is that the loyalty goes both ways. Rose was born a defender, trained a guard, but even still, Lissa has stepped up and supported Rose on every occasion. These two would go to the ends of the world for each other, and together they anchor the series incredibly.
📚 Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
Lissa Dragomir is a Moroi princess: a mortal vampire with a rare gift for harnessing the earth’s magic. She must be protected at all times from Strigoi; the fiercest vampires – the ones who never die. The powerful blend of human and vampire blood that flows through Rose Hathaway, Lissa’s best friend, makes her a dhampir. Rose is dedicated to a dangerous life of protecting Lissa from the Strigoi, who are hell-bent on making Lissa one of them.
After two years of freedom, Rose and Lissa are caught and dragged back to St. Vladimir’s Academy, a school for vampire royalty and their guardians-to-be, hidden in the deep forests of Montana. But inside the iron gates, life is even more fraught with danger… and the Strigoi are always close by. Rose and Lissa must navigate their dangerous world, confront the temptations of forbidden love, and never once let their guard down, lest the evil undead make Lissa one of them forever.
6. Elle and Sage
You know that one friend that sticks up for you and believes in you, even when you don’t believe in yourself? Everyone deserves that kind of friend, and in Geekerella that’s Sage, every step of the way. We love her for always having Elle’s back.
📚 Geekerella by Ashley Poston
Geek girl Elle Wittimer lives and breathes Starfield, the classic sci-fi series she grew up watching with her late father. So when she sees a cosplay contest for a new Starfield movie, she has to enter. The prize? An invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball, and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the reboot. With savings from her gig at the Magic Pumpkin food truck (and her dad’s old costume), Elle’s determined to win…unless her stepsisters get there first.
Teen actor Darien Freeman used to live for cons—before he was famous. Now they’re nothing but autographs and awkward meet-and-greets. Playing Carmindor is all he’s ever wanted, but the Starfield fandom has written him off as just another dumb heartthrob. As ExcelsiCon draws near, Darien feels more and more like a fake—until he meets a girl who shows him otherwise.
7. Cinder and Iko
Everyone needs that BFF that keeps things light and loosens you up when you’re taking things too seriously. That’s Iko for Cinder, and we especially love her for making the funniest (and lowkey relatable) comments in the face of galaxy-threatening danger!
📚 Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move.
No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl…
Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.
8. Xiomara and Caridad
Xiomara is a fighter, and Caridad is a peacemaker, which makes this friendship oh so sweet. Caridad knows deep down that Xiomara is softer than she appears, and always knows what to say to make Xiomara feel better. Plus, she never judges her decisions and supports her friend’s newfound passion for poetry, which is a major friendship key.
📚 The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, she has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking.
But Xiomara has plenty she wants to say, and she pours all her frustration and passion onto the pages of a leather notebook, reciting the words to herself like prayers—especially after she catches feelings for a boy in her bio class named Aman, who her family can never know about.
With Mami’s determination to force her daughter to obey the laws of the church, Xiomara understands that her thoughts are best kept to herself. So when she is invited to join her school’s slam poetry club, she doesn’t know how she could ever attend without her mami finding out. But she still can’t stop thinking about performing her poems.
Because in the face of a world that may not want to hear her, Xiomara refuses to be silent.
9. Mirabella, Elizabeth, and Bree
Okay, we couldn’t help ourselves to another. This trio that forms in the first book evolves so much over the course of the story that they became some of our absolute faves. Though their responsibilities have a habit of pulling them apart, their loyalties and love are never doubted. Bree especially had more time to shine in the later books in the series, and we were so here for it!
📚 Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake
In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born: three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions.
But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose… it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins. The last queen standing gets the crown.
10. Nina and Inej
Inej and Nina are so tight they’re one of the Grishaverse fandom’s biggest ‘ships. In the mostly male Dregs, Inej and Nina support, encourage, and fight for one another, sharing secrets, vulnerabilities, and, of course, cake. Your faves could never.
📚 Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone.
A convict with a thirst for revenge. A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager. A runaway with a privileged past. A spy known as the Wraith. A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums. A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes…
Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.
11. Susan and Her Soccer Team
Let’s be real: we’d love to be part of this team for so many reasons. These teammates laugh together, they grow together (you try telling them that they’re “just girls), and above all else, they support each other. Give us a group of 11 ready-made friends, please and thank you.
📚 Gimme Everything You Got by Iva-Marie Palmer
It’s 1979—the age of roller skates and feathered bangs, Charlie’s Angels and Saturday Night Fever—and Susan Klintock is a junior in high school with a lot of sexual fantasies… but not a lot of sexual experience. No boy—at least not any she knows—has been worth taking a shot on.
That is, until Bobby McMann arrives.
Bobby is foxy, he’s charming… and he’s also the coach of the brand-new girls’ soccer team. Sure, he’s totally, 100 percent, completely off limits. Sure, Susan doesn’t stand a chance. But that doesn’t mean she can’t try out for the team to get closer to him, and Susan Klintock has always liked a challenge.
Between the endless drills and grueling practices, Susan discovers something else: She might actually love soccer. But being a part of the first girls’ team at school means dealing with other challenges. As friendships shifts, she finds her real passions might lie in places she didn’t expect when the season began—and that discovering who she is will mean taking risks, both on and off the pitch.
12. Emma and Cristina
Though Emma and Cristina hadn’t known each other for very long before The Dark Artifices began, there’s an immediate kinship between them that practically radiates off the page. Having one another to hold onto through the chaos and intricacies of their own personal stories is invaluable, and we loved how even when their stories dragged them in opposite directions, they always made sure they were there for one another.
📚 Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare
It’s been five years since the events of City of Heavenly Fire that brought the Shadowhunters to the brink of oblivion. Emma Carstairs is no longer a child in mourning, but a young woman bent on discovering what killed her parents and avenging her losses.
Together with her parabatai Julian Blackthorn, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches across Los Angeles, from the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica. If only her heart didn’t lead her in treacherous directions…
Making things even more complicated, Julian’s brother Mark—who was captured by the faeries five years ago—has been returned as a bargaining chip. The faeries are desperate to find out who is murdering their kind—and they need the Shadowhunters’ help to do it. But time works differently in faerie, so Mark has barely aged and doesn’t recognize his family. Can he ever truly return to them? Will the faeries really allow it?
13. Clary and Isabelle
And why not follow up with a classic? Clary and Izzy become so close over the course of The Mortal Instruments—and their appearances in later books, too—that a solid number of fans were even rooting for them to become Parabatai before the end.
📚 City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder― much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It’s hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing―not even a smear of blood―to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?
This is Clary’s first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It’s also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace’s world with a vengeance when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know…
14. Rome, Lux, and Mercy
A big reason we love Rome, Lux, and Mercy so much is simply because of how much they love each other. They keep each other safe, they keep each other sane, and, let’s be real, they kept us on the edge of our seats. Their sisterhood is what makes Cottonwood Hollow feel so authentic and real, even with all the magic swirling around!
📚 The Deepest Roots by Miranda Asebedo
Cottonwood Hollow, Kansas, is a strange place. For the past century, every girl has been born with a special talent, like the ability to Fix any object, Heal any wound, or Find what is missing.
To best friends Rome, Lux, and Mercy, their abilities often feel more like a curse. Rome may be able to Fix anything she touches, but that won’t help her mom pay rent. Lux’s ability to attract any man with a smile has always meant danger. And although Mercy can make Enough of whatever is needed, even that won’t help when her friendship with Rome and Lux is tested.
15. Zélie and Amari
On paper, Zélie and Amari should be enemies—and for a while Zélie was determined to make sure they were. But they found common ground and their friendship not only shook up their individual lives but also changed their entire world forever.
📚 Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls. But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.
Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good. Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers and her growing feelings for an enemy.
16. Rielle and Ludivine
To say the relationship between Rielle and Ludivine takes some twists and turns throughout the series would be an understatement. But the fact that we get to see this two incredibly strong, complex characters support each other even through the most tumultuous of times was a refreshing change, and their relationship—well, you never expect happens next.
📚 Furyborn by Claire Legrand
When assassins ambush her best friend, Rielle Dardenne risks everything to save him, exposing herself as one of a pair of prophesied queens: a queen of light, and a queen of blood. To prove she is the Sun Queen, Rielle must endure seven elemental magic trials. If she fails, she will be executed… unless the trials kill her first.
One thousand years later, the legend of Queen Rielle is a fairy tale to Eliana Ferracora. A bounty hunter for the Undying Empire, Eliana believes herself untouchable—until her mother vanishes. To find her, Eliana joins a rebel captain and discovers that the evil at the empire’s heart is more terrible than she ever imagined.
As Rielle and Eliana fight in a cosmic war that spans millennia, their stories intersect, and the shocking connections between them ultimately determine the fate of their world—and of each other.
17. Betts and Jo
Real friends can drop a truth bomb, especially when you aren’t ready or willing to hear it. Which is why we love this friendship. When Betts finds herself in an all-consuming, intense relationship (read: turns abusive), Jo is there fighting for her friend, until the very end.
📚 Always Forever Maybe by Anica Mrose Rissi
When Betts meets Aiden at the candy store where she works, their connection is like a sugar rush to the heart. Betts already knows the two of them are infinite. Inevitable. Destined to become an us.
Betts has only ever kept one secret from her best friend, Jo, but suddenly there’s a long list of things she won’t tell her, things Jo wouldn’t understand. Because Jo doesn’t see how good Aiden is for Betts. She finds him needy. Possessive.
Controlling.
She’s wrong. With a love like this, nothing else matters.
18. Jane and Katherine
As polar opposites, it’s no wonder Jane and Katherine got on each other’s last nerves. And they still did, even after they became friends. But these zombie-fighting, racism-bashing Miss Preston’s girls can’t be tamed and neither can their friendship.
📚 Dread Nation by Justina Ireland
Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania—derailing the War Between the States and changing the nation forever.
In this new America, safety for all depends on the work of a few, and laws like the Native and Negro Education Act require certain children attend combat schools to learn to put down the dead. But there are also opportunities—and Jane is studying to become an Attendant, trained in both weaponry and etiquette to protect the well-to-do. It’s a chance for a better life for Negro girls like Jane. After all, not even being the daughter of a wealthy white Southern woman could save her from society’s expectations.
But that’s not a life Jane wants. Almost finished with her education at Miss Preston’s School of Combat in Baltimore, Jane is set on returning to her Kentucky home and doesn’t pay much mind to the politics of the eastern cities, with their talk of returning America to the glory of its days before the dead rose. But when families around Baltimore County begin to go missing, Jane is caught in the middle of a conspiracy, one that finds her in a desperate fight for her life against some powerful enemies.
Which are some of your fave female friendships in YA? Let us know in the comments!