books similar to the miseducation of cameron post

[taliyah]

been searching so often for a book that is similar to the miseducation of cameron post !! any recs ?? or just in general sapphic coming of age books (preferably with the main character trying to overcome the homophones around them)

[Erin Rosalina]

i loved forget me not by alyson derrick. it's about two girls, stevie and nora, navigating a secret relationship, and planning to escape from their homophobic town to california. but their plans are derailed when stevie has an accident, losing her memory, and forgetting their relationship. it's not exactly like the miseducation of cameron post, but the main characters live in a very conservative town and it's a great coming of age book!

[laurel!]

taliyah wrote: "been searching so often for a book that is similar to the miseducation of cameron post !! any recs ?? or just in general sapphic coming of age books (preferably with the main character trying to ov..."

Orpheus Girl is pretty heavy, but quite similar in the conversion camp sense. Based off the Orpheus myth, two girls in love have to escape 'hell' (Camp Friendly Saviors) together. Very poetic and sad, you will probably cry so be prepared!

Man o' War reminded me a lot of the writing style of Cameron Post, with the sort of liminal 'coming-of-age' feeling. It's also about a queer teenager in a conservative town who values swimming as a big part of their identity, but the main character River is never sent to any conversion camp, even though their parents disapprove of their queerness. There's a complicated romance as well, where not everything is perfect (which to me mirrors Cameron Post a lot also.) Quintessential coming of age.

Good Christian Girls is a romance between two girls, one of whom is the daughter of the director of a Christian camp. The whole camp is set at this christian camp, so the 'fighting against homophobia' aspect is definitely there.

Home Field Advantage is a sports romance in a homophobic football town, but it's definitely more romance than coming of age.

Last Night at the Telegraph Club covers a lot of the same themes as Cameron Post, but it is historical fiction, so is pretty totally different other than the themes. It has coming of age, fighting against homophobia, and a cute romance to boot though.

Girls Like Girls is a book by Hayley Kiyoko based off of the lesbian anthem, which is of course Hayley Kiyoko's song Girls Like Girls. I recommend watching the music video, it gives you an idea of what this one is about. Homophobic boy does get punched.

Empress of the World doesn't necessarily cover homophobia, which i know you wanted, but it has .... i don't know how to describe this .. exactly the same atmosphere? it's very much a coming of age story above anything else, but there's a sapphic relationship as part of that coming of age.

Annie on My Mind is the original 'lesbian teenager coming of age in homophobic town book', and honestly most books in that genre probably owe it a debt. It's a little outdated since it was published so long ago but it's a cornerstone of the genre.

High School is a memoir by Tegan and Sara about their teenage years. Like Cameron Post, it covers a lot of years, a lot of different relationships, and general coming of age revelations. their town isn't necessarily totally homophobic but they do their fair amount of rebelling against it. this reads like a fiction book, if you're concerned because you don't like nonfiction!

All Eyes on Us is a mystery more than anything, but one of the main characters is sapphic and a major plot point is her dealing with homophobia. it's twisty and thrilling, you'll probably get through it pretty fast!

You Should See Me in a Crown is about a black girl running for prom queen who falls in love with one of her competitors. their school is obviously not thrilled about this so they have to stage a revolution so that everyone gets the recognition they deserve !! (really liked the romance in this one :D )

Finally, Some Girls Do is another sports romance in a homophobic town that involves plenty of rising up and fighting back, even though (as mentioned) it is mainly a romance. focuses a lot on one love interest's desire to be public about their relationship despite the consequences, and the other love interest's desire to stay closeted and avoid her mother's wrath.

Hope you find one of these that you think sounds good! I have read all of these and liked all of them. I definitely have more in my pocket if you need them but this comment is long enough already.