text: Read-alikes: Vote with Your Heart, by By Maggie Reagan. | Booklist Online
  Read-alikes: Vote with Your Heart
  It's an election year, and that in and of itself would be enough to get teens thinking about politics. But in the last few years we've seen more and more teens becoming engaged with activism and politics, finding ways to get involved in their communities even though they themselves may not be able to vote yet. In her new novel, The Voting Booth, acclaimed author Brandy Colbert encapsulates a growing trend in YA that combines the scope of activism with the deeply personal: teens making romantic connections through politics. Read on for a list of more of these titles (for those feeling overwhelmed by our current state of affairs, never fear—a few are set in alternate realities) that do the same.
  All-American Girl. By Meg Cabot. 2002. HarperTeen, $8.99 (9780061479892). Gr. 9–12.
  Rebellious Sam is primarily interested in art and her popular older sister's boyfriend, so when she inadvertently saves the president from an assassination attempt, she's surprised to find herself in the political limelight—and falling for the president's son.
  America is a monarchy, not a democracy, in this alternate reality. In McGee's version of the present day, American princess Beatrice will be the first woman to rule after the abolishment of a law stating that only sons can inherit the throne. But first, she has to choose a consort.
  Johnston imagines a future in which the British Empire never fell and a Crown Princess who, as Church-sanctioned genetic-matchmaking technology searches for her perfect match, travels to Toronto for her last summer of freedom. But while posing as a commoner, Margaret meets the girl who could change her life.
  Most Likely. By Sarah Watson. 2020. Little, Brown/Poppy, $17.99 (9780316454834). Gr. 9–12.
  One of four lifelong friends is waiting to be sworn in as U.S. president. Her married last name is that of a boy they all liked in high school. As the story flashes back to their senior year, the question remains: Just who married him and ascended to the country's highest office?
  The State of Us. By Shaun David Hutchinson. 2020. HarperTeen, $17.99 (9780062950314). Gr. 8–12.
  Dre is the gay, out-and-proud, Mexican American son of the Democratic Party's presidential nominee; Dean is the Republican candidate's questioning, demisexual son who seems to fit the conservative mold embodied by his mother. When the teens meet on their parents' clashing campaign trails, an unexpected romance develops.
  Jamie and Maya don't exactly hit it off when they meet canvassing for the summer. Politically indifferent Maya is dismissive about Jamie's enthusiasm for the candidate, while socially awkward Jamie keeps putting his foot in his mouth about Maya's culture. But despite the miscommunications, a true connection starts to bloom.
  You Say It First. By Katie Cotugno. 2020. HarperCollins/Balzer+Bray, $18.99 (9780062674128). Gr. 9–12.
  The only thing progressive high-school senior Meg is sure about is her work at WeCount, where she calls people and helps them register to vote. When 18-year-old Colby, a guy from a red town in Pennsylvania, ends up on her call list, they form a surprising long-distance relationship.