Fiction

Pink hearts everywhere. Candy that says “Be Mine, Valentine”. Pet names and mushy stuff. Maybe it just isn’t for you. So here’s a list of books we recommend that are romance-free-zones (at least 95% romance-free, anyway), with no love triangles in sight.

Steeplejack (A. J. Hartley)
High above the city, Ang works a dangerous job repairing chimneys, towers, and spires as a steeplejack. Death from a fall is a real possibility, and even the best of the best sometimes take a spill. So the death of Ang’s apprentice from an apparen't fall isn’t that surprising. But when Ang finds out that her apprentice was murdered, the crime is overshadowed by the greatest theft her city has ever seen. Determined to unravel the mystery and find justice for her friend, it isn’t falling to her death that becomes the greatest danger to Ang…

This novel is hard to put down once you get started, full of action and excitement from the very beginning. Hopefully a sequel will be in store, too!

Recommended for fans of Parkour, bungee jumping, or girls who kick butt.

There’s also a short-story prequel, available as an eBook!

The Stranger Game (Cylin Busby)
Nico Morris’ older sister Sarah disappeared four years ago, and most people assume she’s dead. Despite many false leads, gruesome corpses, and years of campaigning, Nico’s mother hasn’t given up hope. So when she’s sent a photo of a young woman from Florida, Nico and her paren'ts head across the country once again. Sarah has finally been found… with amnesia. Now that she’s back in Nico’s life, she’s different. Not the same Sarah that Nico used to know… If she is in fact Sarah.

"She isn't who you think she is" is a pretty common theme, but this novel handles it well. The reader is left guessing the truth right up to the last few chapters. Some prolific mystery readers may see the twist at the end coming, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable!

Recommended for fans of mysteries, tragedies, or dark plot twists.

The Third Twin (Cynthia Jaynes Omololu)
Full disclosure: there is some romance and some dating in this novel. However! These ex-boyfriends quickly start dying, so it’s perfect for those of us who are sick of romance, right? Two twins, Ava and Lexi, both take turns playing the part of Alicia, their “triplet”, who dates and dumps all the cute guys. Suddenly those boys start dying, and it looks as if Alicia is to blame. But if Ava and Lexi made Alicia up, who is doing the killing?

Sometimes a bit predictable, this is still a very engaging story, with quite a lot of action coming closer to the end of the novel.

Recommended for fans of fighting with your sister, weird mind-trips, or “secret twin” theories.

Stargazing Dog (Takashi Murakami)

A sweet and sad, stand-alone graphic novel about a man and his dog, Happie. When Daddy loses his job, his friends, his family, Happie is his only companion. Not knowing where to go or what to do, Daddy and Happie go on a drive. The story that follows revolves around Happie and the true loyalty that only a dog can show.

Anyone who's heard the story of Hachi will find this book feeling awfully familiar, but that doesn't detract from the emotional blows it holds in store!

Recommended for fans of crying in public, the unconditional love of a pet, or realistic fiction.

The Female of the Species (Mindy McGinnis) Also available in eBook and eAudiobook.

It's been three years since Alex's sister Anna was captured, brutalized, and murdered. The killer walked free, but not for long. Shortly after, he was also murdered. It's a small town, but no one knows who did it… except Alex. Because she's the one who got revenge for her sister. Now Alex tries to stay away from people and suppress the darkness inside her, working at the local animal shelter to take care of the innocent. She doesn't mean to befriend Peekay, the new volunteer. Alex knows how to hurt someone, and if it means protecting her new friend, she'll do it again. This novel explores themes of rape culture, innocence, and a thirst for vengeance.

The ending to this book may surprise some readers, and others may see it as inevitable. Engaging and fast-paced right up until the end, with increasing darkness throughout. Be warned, there are some descriptions of abused animals in this novel.

Recommended for fans of dark, violent, or revenge-based books.

I Hunt Killers (Barry Lyga) Also available in eBook and eAudiobook.

Often referred to as "Dexter for young adults", I Hunt Killers is the story of a troubled teen named Jazz. Not only is his father a notorious serial killer, Jazz was forced to watch…and maybe participate… in his father's crimes. Now he's trying to resist his murderous impulses, to prove that he can'triumph over both nature and nurture. But the older he gets, the harder it becomes. When a new serial killer seems beyond the efforts of the police to catch, Jazz thinks he may have finally found an outlet for his violent nature.

When you reach the end of this novel, you miiiiight just find yourself desperate to know what happens next.

Recommended for fans of CSI-style shows, gory movies, and personal demons.

Sequels: Game (available in eBook) and Blood of My Blood (available in eBook)

Other Valentine's Day recommend reading lists:

• Love is Love: LGBTQ+ Valentine's Stories
• Be Mine, Pal-entine: Recommended Reads where Friendship Trumps Romance
• Butterflies: A Little Romance for Valentine's Day

Do you have books you'd like to recommend for our unromantic list? Add them in the comments!

*Edited 02/14/17 to add the other related reading lists