Families who loved Permanent Record by Mary H. K. Choi often look for books with a similar feel. These 20 recommendations were selected for their similarity in style, theme, and reading level.
Reach for this book when your teenager is feeling paralyzed by the pressure of adult expectations or struggling with the shame of a perceived failure, such as dropping out of school or mounting debt. This contemporary novel explores the lives of two young people on opposite ends of the fame spectrum: Pablo, a college dropout working a graveyard shift at a deli to pay off credit card debt, and Leanna, a global pop icon suffocated by the demands of her brand. Through their unlikely romance, the story tackles heavy themes of financial anxiety, the performative nature of social media, and the search for an authentic identity outside of parental or public approval. It is a sophisticated, grounded look at the transition to adulthood that validates the messy reality behind the polished images we see online.