Books
10 YA Novels With The Same Vibe As '10 Things I Hate About You'
Teen film 10 Things I Hate About You was released in theaters on March 31, 1999, which means this year marks the beloved film's 20th anniversary. The movie is full of icons — including Julia Stiles as Kat Stratford and the late Heath Ledger as Patrick Verona, the role that made him an eternally beloved star — and has been held up as an enduring teen comedy for its discussion of ever-relevant topics like sexual politics and feminism.
Now that you know it's 10 Things I Hate About You's 20th anniversary, you're probably desperate to watch the film on repeat. But once you've relived the antics at Padua High a few times, I've got some modern YA book recommendations that will practically be screaming "I Want You To Want Me" at you when you read their synopses. These reads are sure to give you the same feels as your favorite teen film, with new stories and characters you'll love just as much as your Prada backpack.
Keep scrolling for the the full list below, and then check out more of Bustle's coverage of the film including 13 Things You Didn't Know About 10 Things I Hate About You and 28 Absurd Things From 10 Things I Hate About You (including but not limited to waiters serving shots of tequila at a high school party and cowboys as a teen subculture.) This film truly does have everything!
'If I'm Being Honest' by Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka (April 23)
Like 10 Things, If I'm Being Honest is inpired by Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. In this one, senior Cameron Bright attempts to win over her crush Andrew by "taming" herself — a.k.a. trying to overcome her reputation as the bitchy queen bee at her private L.A. high school.
'When Dimple Met Rishi' by Sandhya Menon
Dimple just wants to focus on her future. But when Rishi — the boy her parents have secretly set her up with — unexpectedly arrives at her summer coding camp, they have to look past their expectations to figure out if they actually have a true connection.
'Moxie' by Jennifer Mathieu
If Kat Stratford attended a small-town Texas high school in modern day, she would be Vivian Carter, the heroine of Moxie. Inspired by the Riot Grrrl movement of the '90s, Vivian launches a feminist zine that unites the girls of the school against the administration's sexist dress codes and policies.
'I Believe In A Thing Called Love' by Maurene Goo
What happens when a girl who has never dated before is suddenly linked with the hot bad boy? You know how this plays out in 10 Things, but in Goo's book, straight-A student Desi Lee uses her favorite K-Dramas to help her win over mysterious artist Luca Drakos to disastrous (and romantic) results.
'Fangirl' by Rainbow Rowell
The sister relationship between Kat and Bianca is a hugely important part of 10 Things, and the same goes for Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl, which follows sisters Cath and Wren. Despite being identical twins, the two are about as different as can be, and their lives diverge even further when they start their first year of college.
'By Your Side' by Kasie West
A lot of Patrick's reputation as a socipathic criminal turns out to be a rumor in 10 Things. (The truth: he's got a heart of gold.) Likewise, when Autumn gets stuck in the library with troubled Dax Miller in By Your Side, she finds out there is much more to him than everyone says.
'The Victoria In My Head' by Janelle Milanes
Like Kat, Victoria Cruz also harbors dreams of rock stardom, deals with overbearing parents, and starts to fall for a guy who makes everything in her life more complicated.
'To All the Boys I've Loved Before' by Jenny Han
Although TATBILB has become a teen movie classic in its own right, the book and 10 Things have a lot of similarities: In both stories, you'll find a "fake" romance, strong sister bonds, and a young woman's attempt to grieve her mother and celebrate her legacy.
'The Beauty of the Moment' by Tanaz Bhathena
If you're here for a good ol' fashioned bad boy meets smart girl rom-com, Bhathena's will hit all the right notes for you: Susan is driven, but Malcolm has a bad reputation. But things get messy when the two fall for each other.
'Hearts Made for Breaking' by Jen Klein (April 30)
In a sort of gender-bent take on the tropes you see in 10 Things, Klein's Hearts Made for Breaking follows Lark, who has never been one for relationships. But when her friends convince her to date Andy — a mysterious guy the other girls in school have deemed "undateable" — she finds herself falling for him.
