Books like Where Things Come Back

If you liked Where Things Come Back, read Firekeeper's Daughter, After the Snow, or Ash — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared award lists and reading level.

Looking for books like Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley? 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 Where Things Come Back

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Why each is a match

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Firekeeper's Daughtergrades 9–12
Both on the Michael L. Printz Award list (+1 more shared list) and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
After the Snowgrades 9–12
Both on the William C. Morris YA Debut Award list, overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →
Ashgrades 5–12
Both on the William C. Morris YA Debut Award list, overlapping grades (5–12), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →
Beautiful Creatures: The Manga (A Graphic Novel)grades 9–12
Both on the William C. Morris YA Debut Award list, overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →
Because You'll Never Meet Megrades 9–12
Both on the William C. Morris YA Debut Award list, overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →
Belle Époquegrades 9–12
Both on the William C. Morris YA Debut Award list, overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →
Between Shades Of Graygrades 4–9
Both on the William C. Morris YA Debut Award list, overlapping grades (4–9), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →
Blood Water Paintgrades 9–12
Both on the William C. Morris YA Debut Award list, overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →
Bone Gapgrades 9–12
Both on the Michael L. Printz Award list, overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →
Charm & Strangegrades 9–12
Both on the William C. Morris YA Debut Award list, overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Where Things Come Back for middle school (grades 6–8)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 6–8— same scoring, different audience.

  • Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi · grades 5–12 — Both on the William C. Morris YA Debut Award list, overlapping grades (5–12), and the same era (2010s).
  • Strange & Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Jo Anne Walton · grades 5–12 — Both on the William C. Morris YA Debut Award list, overlapping grades (5–12), and the same era (2010s).
  • The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo · 800L — Both on the Michael L. Printz Award list, overlapping grades (8–12), and the same era (2010s).
  • Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall · grades 7–12 — Both on the William C. Morris YA Debut Award list, overlapping grades (7–12), and the same era (2010s).

Books like Where Things Come Back for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 9–12— same scoring, different audience.

  • Check, Please! Book 1: # Hockey by Ngozi Ukazu · grades 9–12 — Both on the William C. Morris YA Debut Award list, overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2010s).
  • Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi · grades 5–12 — Both on the William C. Morris YA Debut Award list, overlapping grades (5–12), and the same era (2010s).
  • Conviction by Kelly Loy Gilbert · grades 9–12 — Both on the William C. Morris YA Debut Award list, overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2010s).
  • Crossing the Tracks by Barbara Stuber · grades 9–12 — Both on the William C. Morris YA Debut Award list, overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2010s).
  • Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram · grades 9–12 — Both on the William C. Morris YA Debut Award list, overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2010s).

Common questions

What books are similar to Where Things Come Back?
The 10 closest matches to Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley on ReadingList include Firekeeper's Daughter, After the Snow, Ash, Beautiful Creatures: The Manga (A Graphic Novel), and Because You'll Never Meet Me. Each is scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 9–12), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like Where Things Come Back reading-level appropriate?
Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 9–12), so the picks stay grade-appropriate. See how ReadingList judges text difficulty on the /standard methodology page.
How does ReadingList choose similar books?
Matches are ranked by shared themes, shared award and reading-program lists (two books picked for the same state award were chosen by the same committees for the same readers), same genre, comparable Lexile and grade band, and publication decade — computed from cited public curriculum data, not editorial opinion or AI-generated summaries.

Book data last updated 2026-09-05. Matches are computed from each book’s cited attributes — see the methodology.

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