63 Of The Best YA Books About Siblings (So Many Siblings! All The Siblings You Could Want!)

Because I have very little chill, I have made an immense list of YA books about siblings.

I could have listed ten or so?? But NO. I had to list as many as I possibly could (and I was still skipping some at the end of this!). I feel like YA has an unfair reputation for starring only-children. And while a lot of the famous YA books do fit snugly into that category — there is an inexhaustible amount of sibling rep in YA. All types. Older sisters, younger sisters, twins, brothers, etc. etc…

I absolutely love this.

I have far too many siblings myself and would trade them all for a single grape, but, fictional siblings are just so much better and I also can’t seem to write a novel without them. The relationships are complex, messy and often fractious. But I love the types of siblings who’ll fight each other but also fight for each other.

So let’s tumble in, shall we?

Caraval | Goodreads

I am starting off strong with one of my ever-favourite series! I adore Scarlett and Tella’s relationship because they manage to be so loyal and loving BUT…they also fight. 😂Scarlett is the sensible one, Tella the headstrong. Hufflepuff to Gryffindor. And look, I definitely like Tella more (she enjoys dresses and murder) but Scarlett is working through a lot of traumas and I respect that. These two.💛😫

Call It What You Want | Goodreads

One of the narrators is Meagan who has this really ferocious older sister who is the Perfect College Child…until she gets pregnant. And they are like CHALK and cheese but they end up really leaning on each other and AHHH. We stan this arc.

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before | Goodreads

Possibly my most favourite wholesome sister trio ever. Yes trio. I do love when there are more than two siblings!! Lara Jean is the softest Hufflepuff who likes baking and scrapbooking and avoiding crushes but just writing letters to them she’ll never send. Kitty is a total energetic snark and sassball. Margot is a typical annoying older sister. 10/10 she is just what an older sister is like.

The Hunger Games | Goodreads

Okay probably the most obvious and famous sister pairing but hey ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I love them so they deserve a mention. Also Katniss is older, Prim younger. And they have a very “i would die for u” relationship that is super sweet and very unrelatable. 🤗

Grace & Fury | Goodreads

Here we have two sisters, both narrate, and the lovely older one is supposed to end up in a contest to win the prince’s hand, buuuuut the rebellious little sister gets in instead. It totally flips tropes and it’s really intriguing and I loved it!

ruined | Goodreads

SISTER POWER. Actually literal power, as the younger sister (Olivia) has powers that can snap spines. Ahem. So Olivia is actually captured in the first book and Em (tragically non-powerful) is doing everything to get her out. They are sisters you will…have mixed feelings about. Very different morals. Fascinating dynamics. Morally grey, bring it.

Tiffany Sly Lives Here Now | Goodreads

Tiffany was an only child…until her mum dies and she has to live with her dad and his new family and it’s like = instafamily, she now has about four sisters. I loved this book and Tiffany is amazing (also has an anxiety disorder), but it was really hard to read at times because her father is really strictly religious and abuses the power. That’s the point of the novel! It’s just upsetting and I ached for her!!

Ramona Blue | Goodreads

Ramona is the younger sister who’s just trying to figure out who she is, what her sexuality is, and if she’ll ever move on from this small claustrophobic town. One thing pinning her down is her pregnant older sister and Romana is so protective of her.

Things I Should Have Known | Goodreads

Basically Chloe is trying to find Ivy a boyfriend. Ivy is autistic and Chloe is the super loving and protective younger sister and I loooove them both. They’re not always understanding of each other, but they TRY and 😍I love positive autism rep.

Enchantee | Goodreads

This is set in France in 1789 and it’s about a girl with a magical DRESS and she ends up playing cards to rob rich people to pay enough to keep her house. She has a drop-kick older brother (we hates him) and she loves and dotes on her younger, fragile sister. Also did I mention MAGIC DRESS.

Odd & True | Goodreads

This is a paranormal/historical fiction and here there are monsters and girls who will fight them. It truly is an odd book but I really adored it and especially loved Odette and Tru as they try to save and love each other enough to make up for their terror stricken past.

 

(Surprisingly…I have NOT read many brotherly books. Which is tragic?! If you have recs, please let me know!)

The Boy Who Steals Houses | Goodreads

Oh hello; it’s my book. 😌I actually have an intense amount of siblings in here, with the love interest having 5 brothers/1 sister as well. BUT, Sam narrates and his fractious relationship with his older brother Avery is the heartbeat of the book. Sam would fite ‘n’ die for Avery, but he feels like Avery doesn’t love him enough. They really don’t take a breath to understand each other.😫THEY BREAK ME. These two autistic loveable disasters.

Reckless | Goodreads

Ok these are amazing and completely underrated I feel!! They’re translated from German, but this is the author if Inkheart!!! Jacob and Will are tragic brothers and they don’t talk, but they privately want to protect each other. And there are vicious fairy tale worlds and magic and it altogether stole my imagination.

White Cat | Goodreads

AGH I love these. Super underrated from our fame fae queen: Holly Black. This series has people who can curse you with a touch, and basically a motley pile of Slytherin brothers who are backstabbing and scheming and I freaking love it. Cassel is the youngest.

Ultimatum | Goodreads

hello hello to very messy brothers who do n o t get on. The book is a lot about them healing, to be honest, and about how you choose how you act and you can choose to change. They’re basically watching their father die in a hospice and having to reconcile their ugly pasts with each other.

These Gentle Wounds | Goodreads

Actually these sTABBING WOUNDS in my heart because this book will softly wreck you and not even apologise. It’s about mental illness and trauma and features half-brothers…Gordie basically relies on his older brother to keep him breathing after everything they’ve been through. It’s so sad. 😭💛

The Raven Boys | Goodreads

Shout out to the LYNCH brothers who are utter chaos to the core. Ronan and Declan, if left alone too long, would probably kill each other and Matthew is perfect and everyone loves him. I adore their fractious dynamics and honestly, this series is my favourite in all the world so I will [slams fist on the table] gush forever. Just you wait. Also Call Down the Hawk is going to feature the messed up bros more and I AM READY.

 

The Poet X | Goodreads

Brother/Sister twins; and they’re very close but in a desperate way because they’re mother is super religious and borderline abusive. Xiomara has to hide herself, her poetry, her personality because it’s being crushed out of her. Xavier has to hide that he’s soft and loves gentle things and is gay. They are written so so tenderly….this is an amazing book.

The Cruel Prince | Goodreads

Shout out to our favourite wildly terrible SISTERS — Jude and Taryn. (They also have an older sister, Vivi.) Their parents were murdered by their mother’s ex-husband, also a fae gentry, adn they’ve been raise din the lavish and gorgeous and vicious world of Faerie. Oh these are not the “nice” sort of sisters, but they’re complex and you root for them and rage at the same time?! Also this book is a Slytherin DREAM. I am obsessed.

One | Goodreads

This is about conjoined twin sisters and it’s all written in verse. It’s really bitterly heartbreaking and also sweet at times. It’s been a while since I read it, but I feel like the disability rep was thoughtful and respectful. It’s tragic but you know it’s going to be when they’re conjoined.

I’ll Give You The Sun | Goodreads

Jude and Noah are extremely different people and oh oh the book starts with you knowing something terrible happened between them, but you don’t know what. They’re artists of different kinds, Noah is gay, and Jude is grieving and the story is honestly phenomenal with the writing. I reeeeally need to reread because I haven’t picked it up since 2015!!

Fangirl | Goodreads

We can’t forget Cath and Wren…literally Cather + Wren so that their names ARE ONE NAME!? Ok, not happy with their mum either. But they’re off to college and Wren was Cath’s safe space, her crutch, but Wren sort of “dumps” her and just goes off to have a solo college experience. I’m still angry at her tbh. 10/10 felt everything for Cath but I love her arc and how she coped with social anxiety.

The Upside of Unrequited | Goodreads

Again twin sisters with Molly being the soft homebody while Cassie is more sharp corners and a go-getter. They definitely don’t mesh all the time, but they’re stronger when they lean on each other.

This Side of Home | Goodreads

Again I do not remember this one well enough except black twin sisters who feel like they’re drifting apart as they what they want begins to differ and they feel like they don’t understand each other anymore. These kind of growing-up-and-apart stories are really important for sisters too!!

Summer of Salt | Goodreads

We have sister twins who are, coincidentally, magical witches and they’ve got very different personalities but they’re not constantly at war. It’s on a rainy island and life is changing now that highschool is over and it’s very deeply about grief and recovery. (Also f/f romance!)

The Foxhole Court | Goodreads

Ok this is cheating because the twin brothers are secondary characters BUT their relationship is pretty integral to the plot (they absolutely hate each other’s guts; we are talking the infamous Minyard twins, Aaron and Andrew). They try to switch places on Neil just once. Only once. Because they FAIL. Neil can tell who his boi is, u fools.

Ink & Bone | Goodreads

Twin brothers who absolutely do n o t get along and never will. Jess is the bookworm and Brendan would rather put out his own eyes. He’s Slytherin to Jess’ Ravenclaw. I just, argh, I love their terse relationship but how they’re still there for each other. Lots of rivalry though. 👀

The Lost And Found | Goodreads

This has a really soft brother/sister twinship where they stick up for each other a lot because he has an anxiety disorder and she is an amputee. It’s also a gentle magical realism and will totally make you FEEL things about internet friends who cross half a continent to meet.

Two Can Keep A Secret | Goodreads

Here we have twins and MURDER…not the twins, uh, doing the murdering. They’re actually fairly close and loving and I thought their relationship was amazing — with a backdrop of solving murder mysteries. 🤗

Aurora Rising | Goodreads

Sci-fi time! We have Tyler and Scarlett who are twins and also utterly badass with their skillsets. He’s like the golden boy leader, she is the diplomat who knows how to get her way around anything and anyone. 🙌🏻This has such a solid misfit squad to save the doomed world. Bring it.

Slayer | Goodreads

This is a Buffy the Vampire Slayer story, but you can actually enjoy it without having seen Buffy (*cough*it me*cough*). We have Nina (soft, nerdy one) and her twin Artemis (tough badass fighter one) and how their roles get reversed and CHAOS. Also monsters and blood and quite a lot of sass.

White Rabbit Red Wolf | Goodreads

This is a mind-twisty thriller and I totally adored it but also was a bit “??!!??” the whole time. Peter has a anxiety panic disorder and Bel is the solid one of the two…but they get caught up in a government conspiracy and it’s madness and delicious to read.

 

 

A Thousand Perfect Notes | Goodreads

Am I going to nominate my own book? You get I am. 😌Beck is 15 with a 5yo half-sister who is basically a peppercorn on legs and he’s soft and depressed and beaten down by the world. He would 10/10 do anything for her and puts her wellbeing before his own ALWAYS. Sometimes she tries to bite him. But you know. Sibling bonds.

A Curse So Dark And Lonely | Goodreads

Harper has an older brother and he doesn’t come in heavily in the book till later (and he brings his doctor boyfriend 😌) but WOW I love these two. Super protective sibling bond and they get really angry at each other for risking their lives. Also Beauty and the Beast retelling but with way way worse monsters. 😏

Half Bad | Goodreads

Look if you want siblings that are actually horrible 🙌🏻look no further. Nathan is the bastard of the family, half black witch, half white witch — a terrible sin. And his older sister is MURDEROUSLY cruel while his older brother is super soft and lovely. Ughhghgh I love this book. It hurts me.

The Scorpio Races | Goodreads

Aka ONE OF MY LIFE FAVES. Puck has an older brother as well as a younger one, but Gabe’s pretty much moved on, while Puck and Finn are just trying to survive and hold their family home together. Also murder horses, sea aesthetic, it’s dreamy and bloody and gorgeous.

The Rest Of Us Just Live Here | Goodreads

Ok SUPERHEROES…but also the book is about the background kids who are just trying to cope. It has anxiety/depression and eating disorders rep and Mikey has an older and younger sister. They really really love each other and feel so alone.

The Gentleman’s Guide To Vice And Virtue | GOODREADS

Older brother/younger sister here too and WOW they do not get along or understand each other. Bless them. But their relationship really propels the book a lot. Felicity (15) is arguably more sensible than Monty (18) and they grow grudging repsect for each other in between being chased by pirates, armies, mercenaries and getting shot at during a 17th century rope around Europe.

Autoboyography | Goodreads

The sibling relationship isn’t the forefront of the story but Tanner does have a younger teen sister. They mostly view each other as heinous nuisances. But I freaking love this book because the romance is just😭💛Super cute and will make you sob. Tanner is bi and Sebastian is Morman and they shouldn’t even look at each other, but yEt–

The Unbecoming Of Mara Dyer | Goodreads

Admittedly I do not remember this as well as I want to (reread is due!) BUT. I do remember Mara had an older brother and their relationship was really solid and kind. Also this story messes with your head and it’s sinister and thrilling!

You Asked For Perfect | Goodreads

This one is just TOO CUTE. Ariel is an overachieving stressaholic and it kind of rubs off on his little sister. And while he obsesses unhealthily over school, he gets such a wakeup call when he sees his 10-year-old sister doing it. They are PRECIOUS.

Spin the Dawn | Goodreads

This is a loose Mulan retelling but with tailors! And Maia goes off to be the imperial tailor disguised as her younger brother. So there’s not a lot of sibling bonds in the book, but it heavily depends on them existing! Maia super loves her family and it’s amazing.😭💛

The Last Namsara | Goodreads

Asha is the younger sister and her older brother is Dax and heir to the throne, but her father abhors him because he’s “stupid” (I suspect dyslexic rep) and they don’t interact a lot in this one, but he narrates book two and ajfkdlsad I love them both SO MUCH. They are badass siblings.

Starworld | Goodreads

Half of this one is narrated by Zoe, who is like the “pretty perfect nice girl” that everyone loves but no one really knows…and it’s really strongly about friendship and identity and it’s heartbreaking. Zoe also has a severely disabled younger brother and she loves him so much just how he is. 😭💛

Afterward | Goodreads

This is dual narrated between a boy who was kidnapped and returned…and a girl whose younger autistic brother was kidnapped but they found him before he was abused. It’s really dark and heart-wrenching and really really well written.

Princess Of Thorns | Goodreads

Aurora is disguising as a boy to find and free her kidnapped younger brother! Their relationship isn’t on page the whole time but they intensely love each other…and gee, her younger brother goes through hell. I was ready to beat my way into the book and rescue him myself.

Lady Midnight | Goodreads

So the entire The Dark Artifices series features…THE BLACKTHORN FAMILY, which has brothers and sisters of all shapes and sizes. They all make me cry desperately because I’m just that attached to them. It’s most intensely about Julian’s relationship as being the surrogate father for his younger sisters an brothers. And also his x Mark’s…Mark who is supposed to be older but was kidnapped by faeries and hasn’t aged and is totally suffering from PTSD. It’s also got A+ autism rep and is basically my all time favourite series haVE I GUSHED ENOUGH YET–

Darius The Great Is Not Okay | Goodreads

Darius is the older brother and his little sister is about 8 maybe? But anyway she is a bucket of sunflowers and he’s trying to deal with depression and feeling alone because he’s ostracised at school for being biracial. It’s such a beautiful book and mostly set in Iran too. #Ownvoices! He is so sweet to his sister!!

A Very Large Expanse of Sea | Goodreads

Older brother / younger sister! Shirin sort of resents her older brother a bit since her Muslim parents respect him more…she is like a bitter espresso and I couldn’t love her more tbh. But ultimately her brother invites her to join their breakdancing group and they are all BADASS. I love this book. It’s not exactly underrated, but, I think it deserves as much love as Mafi’s Shatter Me books!

Words In Deep Blue | Goodreads

Older brother/younger sister again. Also BOOKWORMS. Also George is really tough and bitey and sensible (reminds me of Blue Sargent a bit tbh) while Henry is just a little too whimsical and romantic and off getting his heartbroken brutally at all times. He’s such an idiot but I love him. Also this is set in a bookstore?! YES.

Little & Lion | Goodreads

These are adopted siblings! Suzette is bi and black and Lionel is white and has bipolar. The story takes off with them having been away for a while so they’re no longer sure how they fit together, but they love each other fiercely as siblings. And I think it’s important to have wholesome adopted sibling relationships too!!

Eliza And Her Monsters | Goodreads

Okay she has two younger brothers and she thinks they’re ALIENS because they like sporty stuff and being rowdy and she is like the wraith in the walls, drawing and doing fandom art, and hissing at sunlight. This one is about social anxiety and fandom culture!

On The Come up | Goodreads

Bri has a brother who is quite a lot older so sometimes he squishes in as an extra parent (she would like to whack him for that) but they have such a good relationship. And he sacrifices a lot to help keep the family together. Their family is in such strife, but they are SO CLOSE and loving. 😫

The Cresswell Plot | Goodreads

Looking for a big family who is also part of a cult and their dad basically keeps them locked up in the woods? That’s a very specific request, I realise, but hey…LOOK NO FURTHER. This one is for you. I really loved this book, and the siblings who were really tightly close for survival sakes.

My Sister Rosa | Goodreads

I am leaving this here for all of us who are secretly terrified of our younger siblings. 😘Okay but TRULY: This one is about Che who is an Aussie living in America and he’s 90% sure his adorable cherubic 10-year-old sister is a psychopath. This is chilling and really extremely well written. I’m still thinking about it three years later.

The Graces | Goodreads

I’m so obsessed with the aesthetic of this book. Lowkey witches and contemporary heartache. The Graces are the family everyone is secretly in love with. It’s actually narrated by Rain, who is an only child, but the book is super heavily about Fenrin and Thalia (twins) and their younger sister Summer. I, too, am in love with them. 😌

The Brilliant Death | Goodreads

Oh this one completely stole my heart! Italian-esque mafia fantasy world, and Teo has a huge family but she’s super close to her younger brother and I cry for them and their pure relationship. Also genderfluid magicians and an absolutely epic plot. Teo can turn people into objects btw. Love this life skill.

Charm & Strange | Goodreads

Omg I can’t forget this one…I’m rather obsessed with it and how it WRECKED ME. It’s brutal and dark and is deeply about mental illness spirals and delusions. Drew is the youngest in a super rich family (his older brother is amazing and makes me cry) and he goes through some dark stuff…it’s raw and gut-wrenching and such a good book.

And I Darken | Goodreads

And here is our disaster historical fiction retelling of Vlad the Impaler…but if he was a girl. Lada would literally stab your face and lick the knife, whereas Radu is younger and soft and gentle (and also a scheming Slytherin; I adore him). THESE TWO. I totally adore this trilogy.

Salt | Goodreads

Indi has an older sister, younger brother and younger sister and I LOVE THEM. Monster-fighting sibling squad who are looking for their missing parents. And it’s gut-wrenching and beautiful and full of the ebb and flow of tumultuous sibling feelings.

Here Lies Daniel Tate | Goodreads

This is slightly cheating to put on this list because technically Daniel is (a) not even Daniel because he’s faking being this missing kid, and (b) his siblings aren’t *really* his siblings. But they have the FULL dynamics there and he dotes on his littlest sister so much it’s adorable and I cry. Even if he is faking being their long-lost brother. It’s insanely twisty and so cleverly done. Also older brother/sister heavily involved in the plot.

 

 

| what do you think |

help me out and add to the list!! what are your favourite sibling books? do you have any brother recs because i seem to have a need here