Not all books hate families, I assure you..! | A list of books with pro-family themes

Happy post-Family Day! Who else in Canada is mourning the fact that work and school resumes now that the weekend and Family Day has passed? XD I know I am. Yesterday was Family Day for me—a fairly boring one, but whatever. No school means no school, right?—and so in honor of that, since I kind of skipped out on making a themed post for yesterday, I decided to make a list of books with pro-family themes.. today! It’s kind of sad how having positive familial relationships in books is so rare sometimes. I shouldn’t have to be digging through the bottom of the floor just to find books that have actual families, at the very least. But I digress. Onwards to the list!

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

No brainer, much??! The Weasley family is, without argument one of the best families out there. Not only are they totally awesome, they just ARE a family. You can’t even question it, because they’re so perfect. The bicker with each other, they support each other, they love eachother, and always have eachother’s backs. Really, I don’t know what else to say other than YES FAMILY. lol.

I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

This is one of my more recent reads (though I suppose not so recent when I think about it) and I was delighted to see the positive family themes in this one! There were a lot of issues for the characters to sort out regarding their family that involved… well, there were a lot of complications in the quest to having a happy family, but in the end, this book was so great in representing what true family is! (Also the sibling relationship in this one was great too.)

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

Now, some of you may be thinking about the familial relationships in this one and be like, really? all skeptical-like, but yes. I don’t know if anyone else noticed, or if this is just me grasping at straws but in the first book, I found Cleo’s family to be a good example. I mean, Cleo loved her sister and her father whole-heartedly, and would do anything for them.  It was nice to see at least a bit of a family theme in this book, you know, amidst all the death and stuff.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

I do realize that Cath’s mother was MIA for most of the book and definitely was not the best mom, but Cath, Wren and their father made up their own little family, and I totally supported them! I loved the pro-family themes in this one; especially with Cath and her father. She loved and cared for him so much, and that was really nice to see. The fact that the father cared so much about Cath and Wren in return was sweet too!

Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Simon’s family is absolutely hilarious! Omg I loved them. They were so supportive (I know I’ve been repeating that a lot, but it’s true!! Plus it’s a very important trait in families. *nods*) and they simply had a great dynamic. Also can I mention how wonderful it was for Simon to have such a close relationship with his siblings, and parents? Like YES.

A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray

To anyone who’s read this book, this one is a great example as well! Marguerite has two loving and understanding parents, as well as one sister. Yep, this is a sci-fi novel, and yep, I kid you not, she has.. wait for it… *gasp* a family. And it was so great! Also, while we’re at it, it was so interesting to see the different versions of her family too, in the various dimensions! This is definitely one book you might want to check out if family is important to you in books. 😉

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

I wasn’t, like, the biggest fan of this book, but it’s definitely a book that doesn’t neglect the power of family! A lot of the story is spent in flashbacks, and from there we can see how important Mia’s family is to her, as well as how they interacted with eachother. And it was clear that her family had a very positive relationship, so yay!

The Selection series by Kiera Cass

The Selection series is not without flaws, but I found it worth mentioning in this post seeing how it offers a relatively good example of pro-family themes. America’s family seemed pretty realistic, to a certain extent, and was generally very supportive of one another. I liked May and America’s relationship, though it wasn’t focused on much I suppose, as well as the relationship between America and her father. As for The Heir, Eadlyn had a pretty good family… mostly. America and Maxon were good, though some of their decisions involved some raised eyebrows on my part. But still. Point being; pro-family! *Claps*

Legend by Marie Lu

June and Day’s respective families are the reason for Legend being on the list. June’s parents were dead even before the book started (so no worries, it’s not a spoiler, you’ll learn that quickly anyway), but her relationship with her brother recieves a thumbs-up from me! I appreciated their strong bond. Day didn’t have the best family, in that they weren’t in the best condition, but their relationship was strong and filled with love. ❤ Agh. Why they don’t have more strong familial relationships in books, I don’t understand.

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

I know, I know. Most of you are probably looking at the screen like, girl, really?! or something like that. But yes. This isn’t a mistake! Twilight actually does have a pro-family theme, as much as Twilight-haters might want to deny it. The Cullen family, though perhaps not popular, still does support the whole pro-family theme! The Cullens are very protective of one another, and love eachother.. in their own way. This may not be a favourite, but it still has a good family theme! Don’t kill me please.

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Aaaand, last but not least, to conclude this list, I’ve put Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard! This book also has a pro-family theme going on (duh, that’s why it’s on the list), thanks to Mare. She obviously cared for her family quite a bit, and her family, despite their disapproval at times, returned that sentiment. It was refreshing to see that in a fantasy novel!

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So that’s it for this little list! I know (well, hope) that there are many other books out there with pro-family themes; if I’ve missed any that you’ve read, feel free to mention it below! I’m always on the lookout for books with families actually present, you know? Having no family in YA books has honestly become too common. But tell me what you think? Has families become sparse in YA? Is that a good or bad thing? What bookish families do you love the most? Let me know whatever thoughts you may have down in the comments! ❤ Happy Tuesday!