YA (that’s short for Young Adult, for the uninitiated) fiction has been where it’s at for the past several years. From Twilight to The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, The Fault in Our Stars, The Hate U Give…really, I could spend the next three days listing amazing titles that center around teenaged protagonists.
Many of them have been adapted for television and film, very successfully.
I can’t help but think more than a few of these 18 titles that feature teenaged kids who also identify as LGBTQ will find themselves on those same, lauded shelves sooner rather than later.
18. Pet by Akwaeke Emezi
Image Credit: Goodreads
Release Date: September 10, 2019
Synopsis: Jam lives in a utopian society called Lucille, a place that’s free of corruption, crime, and injustice – at least, it’s supposed to be. When the black, transgender main character accidentally brings a Pet to life from a painting and the creature is set on tracking down monsters that aren’t supposed to exist, she’ll have to face the fact that monsters don’t disappear just because we pretend they’re not there.
Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Indiebound
17. You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson
Image Credit: Goodreads
Release Date: June 2, 2020
Synopsis: This sweet rom-com features Liz, a poor kid who starts running for prom queen for the scholarship money. Things get complicated as she begins to fall for one of the competition, a girl named Mack.
Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Indiebound
16. Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian
Image Credit: Goodreads
Release Date: June 4, 2019
Synopsis: Set in 1989 at the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis, this tale follows closeted Iranian teen Reza as he moves to NYC. He’s in a relationship with a girl but falling for her best friend, but as with every good romance, he could lose more than his heart.
Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Indiebound
15. Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan
Image Credit: Goodreads
Release Date: November 6, 2018
Synopsis: A girl from a remote village is summoned to the palace to live as a consort to the king, but while she’s training, she discovers truths about the past that lend more to revenge than compliance – and falls in love with the wrong girl at the same time.
Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Indiebound
14. Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens by Tanya Boteju
Image Credit: Goodreads
Release Date: May 7, 2019
Synopsis: When main character Nima finds herself tangled up in the drag scene, she never thinks it might lead to a journey of self-discovery for herself.
Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Indiebound
13. Heartstopper by Alice Oseman
Image Credit: Goodreads
Release Date: May 5, 2020
Synopsis: This graphic novel is set at an English prep school, where Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson’s friendship is integral to them both learning to live as their truest selves.
Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Indiebound
12. The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta
Image Credit: Goodreads
Release Date: May 26, 2020
Synopsis: You won’t want to miss this coming-of-age story about a multiracial gay teen who embraces the drag world.
Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Indiebound
11. The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar
Image Credit: Goodreads
Release Date: May 12, 2020
Synopsis: Nishat, a Muslim girl who came out to her parents only to be shoved back in the closet, and Flavia, the girl she desperately likes, both create henna businesses for a school project. They navigate friendship, romance, cultural appropriation, and so much more.
Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Indiebound
10. Ship It by Britta Lundin
Image Credit: Goodreads
Release Date: May 1, 2018
Synopsis: Claire is a popular fan-fic writer focused on her favorite show, Demon Heart. Her favorite ship is non-canon, and even though the actor, Forest, is contemptuous of the idea that his character could be gay, Claire isn’t giving up on her favorites ship without a fight.
Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Indiebound
9. The Gravity of Us by Phil Stamper
Image Credit: Goodreads
Release Date: February 4, 2020
Synopsis: Cal is new in school when his astronaut father’s latest mission moves them to Houston. He meets Leon, whose father is also an astronaut, and they grow to be close friends (and more). There’s a great mystery, too!
Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Indiebound
8. Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron
Image Credit: Goodreads
Release Date: July 7, 2020
Synopsis: Two hundred years have passed since the Cinderella story we know and love, and now every eligible girl must attend the ball to be picked over – and taken home – by the men of the kingdom. Sophia wants to marry Erin, so at the ball, she hides in Cinderella’s mausoleum and runs into her last living descendant. Together, they hatch a plot to bring down the patriarchy.
Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Indiebound
7. Date Me, Bryson Keller by Kevin van Whye
Image Credit: Goodreads
Release Date: May 19, 2020
Synopsis: Bryson Keller dates someone new every week – first come, first serve. He’s never even thought about falling for one of his classmates, but then Kai Sheridan asks him out.
Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Indiebound
6. If It Makes You Happy by Claire Kann
Image Credit: Goodreads
Release Date: June 4, 2019
Synopsis: Winnie is looking forward to her last summer before leaving for college, hanging out with friends and working shifts in her granny’s diner. She enters a cooking competition with the intention of using the prize money to keep the diner in business, and this contemporary story takes off from there.
Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Indiebound
5. Odd One Out by Nic Stone
Image Credit: Goodreads
Release Date: October 9, 2018
Synopsis: Anyone grappling with, or looking to better understand, gender fluidity needs to grab this novel about three teens who are struggling with come to grips with sexual identity, labels, and fitting in.
Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Indiebound
4. Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett
Image Credit: Goodreads
Release Date: October 29, 2019
Synopsis: Simone is living with HIV, a fact she hopes to keep quiet at her new school. Things are going great until her relationship with Miles escalates, and she knows the time is approaching to tell him the truth. When someone else finds out first and threatens to out her, Simone has to decide whether to give into the shame or face the haters head on.
Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Indiebound
3. Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender
Image Credit: Goodreads
Release Date: May 5, 2020
Synopsis: Felix is a black trans boy looking for his first love while navigating kids at school determined to disrespect his true self.
Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Indiebound
2. Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi
Image Credit: Goodreads
Release Date: June 11, 2019
Synopsis: Sana is a cheerleader. Rachel an aspiring director. They hate each other (even though maybe they used to like each other?) but Rachel’s latest film project brings them together in ways they didn’t expect. This classic rom-com is sure to put a smile on your face.
Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Indiebound
1. What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
Image Credit: Goodreads
Release Date: October 9, 2018
Synopsis: Two people meet-cute at the post office, then leave without getting contact info…and then meet again. Is it meant to be, or just a coincidence? You’ll have to read the book to find out!
Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Indiebound
What better time to add some diversity to your (and your kid’s!) shelves, hmm?
If you’ve read any of these, tell me what you thought in the comments? If not, which ones are you most excited to pick up? Let’s talk books!
