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28 Beloved YA Books to Read for Pride Month
In honor of Pride Month, we took a look at our readers' favorite young adult LGBTQ books from the last ten years.
Among the popular and award-winning titles with LGBTQ leads are John Green and David Levithan's Will Grayson, Will Grayson and Mark Oshiro's Anger Is a Gift. Not only do these stories reflect a spectrum of identities and experiences, but they also show how the young adult category continues to grow more inclusive each year.
Don't forget to add what catches your eye to your Want to Read shelf and share your recommendations in the comments!
Among the popular and award-winning titles with LGBTQ leads are John Green and David Levithan's Will Grayson, Will Grayson and Mark Oshiro's Anger Is a Gift. Not only do these stories reflect a spectrum of identities and experiences, but they also show how the young adult category continues to grow more inclusive each year.
Don't forget to add what catches your eye to your Want to Read shelf and share your recommendations in the comments!
Which YA book would you recommend for Pride Month? Tell us in the comments!
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Check out more recent articles:
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Comments Showing 1-50 of 112 (112 new)
I recommend Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston.
Happy pride ^-^
Call me by your name is amazing as well!🏳️🌈
Red, White and Royal Blue deserves the Hype.Openly Straight and its sequel Honestly Ben (Among the best and don't get enough recognition)
The Summer of Jodi Perez
Autoboyography
Memoirs: Mama's Boy by Lance Dustin Black really affected me. How he fought his coming out due to his religious family and upbringing and brought new understanding to his Mama was BEAUTIFUL.
I'd also recommend:Heartstopper: Volume One for bi/mlm rep (and which has a 2nd volume coming out next month)
Let's Talk About Love for asexual rep
Summer Bird Blue for aromantic/asexual rep
Birthday for trans rep
there's heaps more stuff - more recent stuff - than what's in this article so defs go have a scout around the LGBT+ lists on here :)
I love Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda and What if it's Us which are on this list they are both so beautiful! I would also recommend Undone by Cat Clarke, which is about a gay character. It is one of my all time favourite books!
All For the Game by Nora Sakavic is great. Definitely check for trigger warnings but it’s one of my absolute favorite quick reads. Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller as well. My absolute favorite of all time.
Heartstopper is also a great LGBTQ YA book! Great if you want a illustrated / manga feel book!
I'd also recommend:More Happy Than Not and everything Adam Silvera
Down Among the Sticks and Bones
An Absolutely Remarkable Thing
We Are the Ants
We Are Okay
Rida wrote: "I'd also recommend:More Happy Than Not and everything Adam Silvera
Down Among the Sticks and Bones
An Absolutely Remarkable Thing
[book:We Are the A..."
- All of Adam Silvera's books are stunning! If you're into his lgbt+ I would highly recommend What If It's Us which is shown above. If you like his work you should try Cat Clarke's books - I love them so much xx
The God Box by Alex Sanchez is a wonderful read for anyone, but particularly for young adults (or older ones) who are interested in the intersection of religions (specifically Christianity in this novel) and being a member of the LGBT community.
Some great stuff on here, though I can't believe nothing by Ashley Herring Blake made this list!
Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan! Great quick read.
I third the Heartstopper comic! Vol. 2 is coming in July, I've read everything available online and support Alice Oseman on Patreon because I love it so much ❤ also her books have great LGBT+ characters too 😊
non-binary main and written by a non-binary author
Missing: The lovely "Something like...." series by Jay Bell:
Robyn wrote: "I don't read much YA, but it's much easier to find queer/trans representation in it than my preferred genre (speculative/science fiction). In fact, YA seems to have had an explosion of QT rep. Woul..."The Brilliant Death seemed closer to NA to me? It has two genderfluid mains.
I know more fantasy than sci-fi but what comes to my head beyond YA is Yoon Ha Lee, This Is How You Lose the Time War, A Song for a New Day, In Ageless Sleep, On A Sunbeam: A Webcomic, The Girls From Alcyone, Gunrunners, Né łe!, Ardulum: First Don
I haven't read all of them because in the end I just opened my TBR but I don't read much sci-fi so I'm pretty picky with them and they should be at least better than average?
EVERYTHING ALICE OSEMAN
Kaitee wrote: "I'm so happy that Laura Lam's Pantomime is in this list. That book changed my life."Same!
Tessa1316 wrote: "Call me by your name is amazing as well!🏳️🌈"Yup, but not YA
I really liked Leah in the Offbeat, the sequel to Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda, And I Darken/The Conqueror’s Saga, and Hamilton’s Battalion: A Trio of Romances.
Ive read 8 of these. Really want to read Prince and the dressmaker too
I'd also have to recommend The Song of Achilles!! It's definitely one of my favorite books and one I think about a lot! :) Also Hero which is favorite that I didn't expect :0 For genderqueer recommendations it'd have to be Symptoms of Being Human. I also loved More Happy Than Not which made me very sad because...oof that book...
Bloom!! It’s a graphic novel and has an adorable m/m romanceAvoid Rainbow Rowell tho, she’s a racist creep
The Prince and the Dressmaker is fantastic too <3333
I would also recommend "The Art of Being Normal" for transgender representation.
All of the titles that I've read so far from this list have been 4 or 5 stars for me. I would suggest all of them!
Tessa1316 wrote: "Call me by your name is amazing as well!🏳️🌈"(uncomfy face) ... i think during pride month ppl should promote lgbt books/movies that DON'T involve any pedophilic relationships or unhealthy relationships. bc this stereotype has to stop!
Nitya wrote: "Bloom!! It’s a graphic novel and has an adorable m/m romanceAvoid Rainbow Rowell tho, she’s a racist creep"
I see her rec'd a lot, but never read her. May I ask what happened?
I'm glad to see several of my favorite books on here. In Other Lands was amazing and I really need to reread it and Simon vs. this month. Especially Simon since it's the book that helped me to come out to my parents.
I'm picky when it comes to teen lit. The only titles I've given 5 stars to are:I Am J - FTM transgender main character
The Love Interest - M/M romance
Dreadnought - MTF transgender character, also superheroes, has one sequel out and Daniels is working on #3
You Asked for Perfect by Laura Silverman was a fantastic YA novel with themes about LGBTQ+ and academic pressures. Highly recommend 👍🏻
Em wrote: "I'd also recommend:Heartstopper: Volume One for bi/mlm rep (and which has a 2nd volume coming out next month)
Let's Talk About Love for asexual rep
[book:Summer Bir..."
Thanks for the rec! Always on the prowl for ace rep and I'd never heard of the Summer Bird one
kotonamichan wrote: "I recommend Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. Happy pride ^-^"
I loved that book too!! Totally recommend.
i just can´t believe among all these crazy good books, call me by your name is not on this list. it´s a stunning book that will ruin your life in the best way possible!
Brian wrote: "Any of Chase Potter's YA books, but especially The Music of the Spheres."
haha why is rowell a racist creep? never heard something about her and racism..
haha why is rowell a racist creep? never heard something about her and racism..
Can anyone recommend a book with a bisexual main girl character, please?
Mariana wrote: "Can anyone recommend a book with a bisexual main girl character, please?"The Truth About Keeping Secrets Leah on the Offbeat
enchatedfire wrote: "Mariana wrote: "Can anyone recommend a book with a bisexual main girl character, please?"The Truth About Keeping Secrets Leah on the Offbeat"
Thank you!
Mariana wrote: "Can anyone recommend a book with a bisexual main girl character, please?"Also - Not Otherwise Specified by Hannah Moskowitz
Mariana wrote: "Can anyone recommend a book with a bisexual main girl character, please?"I just read Finding Aurora! It's short but sweet :)
Anything by Rachel Gold, especially Being Emily! Which was Winner 2013 Golden Crown Literary Award in Dramatic / General Fiction.Winner 2013 Moonbeam Children's Book Award in Young Adult Fiction - Mature Issues.
Finalist 2013 Lambda Literary Award. Her other LGBTQ books (Just Girls, My Year Zero, Nico and Tucker, In the Silences are all amazing as well!
Beautiful Music for Ugly Children by Kirstin Cronn-Mills is also a fabulous read for this month.
In high school “A Density of Souls” by Christopher Rice, “Geography Club” by Brent Hartinger, “The Year of Ice” by Brian Malloy and “The World of Normal Boys” by K.M. Soehnlein were my lifelines. Also “The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley” by Shaun David Hutchinson is great.
I can think that this list could easily be much, much longer! I would have loved to see one of Robin Reardon's complex and enjoyable novels on the list, especially Waiting for Walker, if one wants to make the representation on the list broader. Brett Hartinger is another author I miss, but perhaps he hasn't written recently. Simon James Green's books about the hapless Noah will also bring smiles and belly laughs to readers working their way through a list like this.
Happy pride! :D