Books like How to Survive Your Murder

If you liked How to Survive Your Murder, read That's Not My Name, Not Quite Dead Yet, or The Reappearance of Rachel Price — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like How to Survive Your Murder by Danielle Valentine (Mystery · grades 9–12)? It’s most often read for its themes of mystery, survival, and family. The 10 titles below are the closest matches in the ReadingList database — each scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level, and each linked to the curricula, states, and grades where it’s assigned, with primary sources.

These are reading-level matches, not just topical ones — so the picks stay grade-appropriate for a grades 9–12 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

10 books similar to How to Survive Your Murder

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Why each is a match

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That's Not My Namegrades 9–12
Shares themes of mystery and survival, both on the Virginia Readers' Choice list, and same genre (Mystery). Amazon →
Not Quite Dead Yetgrades 7–12
Shares themes of mystery and family, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (7–12). Amazon →
The Reappearance of Rachel Pricegrades 7–12
Shares themes of mystery and family, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (7–12). Amazon →
Under the Surfacegrades 7–12
Shares themes of mystery and survival, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (7–12). Amazon →
The Agathasgrades 9–12
Shares themes of mystery, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon →
Refugee800L
Shares themes of survival and family and overlapping grades (5–9). Amazon →
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time1090L
Shares themes of mystery and family and overlapping grades (8–12). Amazon →
Everything We Never Hadgrades 7–12
Shares themes of family and overlapping grades (7–12). Amazon →
Never Thought I'd End Up Heregrades 7–12
Shares themes of family and overlapping grades (7–12). Amazon →
Ruby Lost and Foundgrades 6–9
Shares themes of family and overlapping grades (6–9). Amazon →

Books like How to Survive Your Murder for younger readers (K–2)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps K2— same scoring, different audience.

Books like How to Survive Your Murder for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 35— same scoring, different audience.

  • Cryptid Hunters by Roland Smith · grades 5–8 Shares themes of mystery, survival, and family.
  • The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright · grades 4–7 Shares themes of mystery and family and same genre (Mystery).
  • Code Name Kingfisher by Liz Kessler · grades 4–8 Shares themes of survival and family.
  • Final Word (The Winterton Deception #1) by Janet Sumner Johnson · grades 3–7 Shares themes of mystery and family.
  • Fowl Play by Kristin O'Donnell Tubb · grades 3–6 Shares themes of mystery and family.

Books like How to Survive Your Murder for middle school (grades 6–8)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 68— same scoring, different audience.

  • Cryptid Hunters by Roland Smith · grades 5–8 Shares themes of mystery, survival, and family.
  • The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright · grades 4–7 Shares themes of mystery and family and same genre (Mystery).
  • Code Name Kingfisher by Liz Kessler · grades 4–8 Shares themes of survival and family.
  • Final Word (The Winterton Deception #1) by Janet Sumner Johnson · grades 3–7 Shares themes of mystery and family.
  • Fowl Play by Kristin O'Donnell Tubb · grades 3–6 Shares themes of mystery and family.

Books like How to Survive Your Murder for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 912— same scoring, different audience.

  • Shut Up, This Is Serious by Carolina Ixta · grades 9–12 Shares themes of family and overlapping grades (9–12).
  • Sky's End by Marc J. Gregson · grades 7–12 Shares themes of survival and overlapping grades (7–12).
  • Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins · grades 7–12 Shares themes of survival and overlapping grades (7–12).
  • The Forbidden Book by Sacha Lamb · grades 7–12 Shares themes of survival and overlapping grades (7–12).
  • The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman by Gennifer Choldenko · grades 6–9 Shares themes of family and overlapping grades (6–9).

Book data last updated 2026-07-07. Matches are computed from each book’s cited attributes — see the methodology.

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