Books like Hate That Cat
Hate That Cat by Sharon Creech reads as poignant, hopeful. These 12 books share its genome — matched by how they actually read, not just their shelf label.
What Hate That Cat is like to read
A quick, tender verse-novel where a boy's grudge against cats melts through poetry and real kittens; short lines and white space make it feel light and fast even as real feeling builds underneath. Best for: young readers or reluctant readers who like verse novels and gentle animal-affection arcs, and fans of the first book wanting more of Jack's voice.
Love That Dog
Sharon Creech · 2001
A short, tender read told through a boy's own poems as he slowly opens up about a loss, moving from guarded reluctance to genuine feeling.
The pigman
Paul Zindel · 1968
Two teenagers narrate in alternating chapters the story of their friendship with a lonely widower, in a candid vernacular voice that shifts from prank-comedy to guilt-laden reckoning.
Street Love
Walter Dean Myers · 2006
A lyrical, intimate portrait of first love unfolding against Harlem's harsh realities, told in verse that balances earnest teenage voice with poetic reflection on identity, family, and belonging.
The weir
Conor McPherson · 1998
Shares the grief + vspare thread
Love Story
Erich Segal · 1970
A short, clipped, wry-then-devastating first-person account of a class-crossed college romance that hurtles toward loss.
We are okay
Nina LaCour · 2017
A quiet, interior reckoning with grief as two friends face the summer's unspoken tragedy inside an emptied dorm — reflective and emotionally raw rather than plot-driven.
Of Mice and Men & Cannery Row
John Steinbeck · 1947
Shares the vspare + vvoice thread
The Friend
Sigrid Nunez · 2018
Shares the grief + vspare thread
Tex
S. E. Hinton · 1979
A close-focus story of two brothers holding each other up in the absence of parents — emotionally direct and centered on the bond that anchors them.
The First Part Last
Angela Johnson · 2003
Shares the vspare + vvoice thread
A Monster Calls
Patrick Ness · 2011
A grief-soaked story of a boy facing his mother's terminal illness, with a monster arriving where no human comfort can reach.
Beach Read
Emily Henry · 2020
Two rival writers in neighboring lake houses swap genres and slowly fall for each other — witty banter braided with real grief, landing warm rather than frothy.
About Hate That Cat — what the genome says
Is Hate That Cat a complete story or a cliffhanger?
It's a complete, standalone-satisfying story.
Who is Hate That Cat for?
It's written for middle-grade readers (roughly ages 8-12).
Find your next read by its genome
Tell Novelome one book you love — get recommendations tuned to your taste, including the ones other sites never surface.
Start free →More readalikes: Books like THE LET THEM THEORY · Books like EXTREME OWNERSHIP · Books like WINGS OF STARLIGHT · Books like DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU THINK, EXPANDED EDITION · Books like I WILL TEACH YOU TO BE RICH, SECOND EDITION · Books like FAKE SKATING · Books like THE CREATIVE ACT · Books like IF ONLY I HAD TOLD HER