Gay young adult novels

Despite the fact that Mark and Kate have sat next to each other in class for an entire school year, their paths have never really crossed—until one night, after Kate has just blown her chances with the girl she loves and Mark is torn, in love with his best friend Ryan and not sure if he feels the same way.

Imagine running into your dad while buying condoms? Discover the ten best gay young adult novels which offer a powerful and diverse representation of the queer experience with unique and intriguing storylines. These books feature queer young adult characters as they discover romance, identity, and adventure.

In order to become whole again, he has to find and solve every last painful piece of the puzzle. Jeffrey Davies is a professional introvert and writer with imposter syndrome whose work spans the worlds of pop culture, books, music, feminism, and mental health. Check out our list of LGBTQ-inclusive books for teens.

This list has books with diverse representation, gorgeous prose, and phenomenal character development. View All posts by Jeffrey Davies. As a teenager, I rarely felt comfortable reading YA books, let alone gay YA books, because I felt so disconnected and rejected by my age group—having never really shared the same interests or ideals of people my own age, and often being bullied for it—that I did anything I could to subtly and quietly set myself apart from kids my age.

Therefore, it can also take a long time for you to feel comfortable enjoying what you enjoy without shame or ridicule—from other people or from yourself. Your best friend? Find him on his website and follow him on Instagram , Threads , or Bluesky. At university, he finds his footing as a drag artist, The Black Flamingo, and the ability to take the lead in his own life.

An important tale about learning to embrace our own unique individuality, The Black Flamingo teaches us that sometimes standing up in pink feathers is the courage we all need to live in color. Looking for your next queer romance? In New York City in , the world is a complicated place for three teenagers.

Books shelved as gay-young-adult: Carry On by Rainbow Rowell, We Contain Multitudes by Sarah Henstra, Date Me, Bryson Keller by Kevin van Whye, The Gentl. In this strikingly bold and ambitious novel, a mixed-race gay teen finds the courage to be himself by masquerading in makeup and feathers.

But now, as his downward spiral continues and he begins losing himself to his obsessive compulsive rituals, Griffin has to face his own destructive choices and the secrets that have been tearing him apart. Growing up queer, it can be really easy to be made to feel guilty about what you might secretly love, because it might not fit the rigid yet contradictory gender norms you never really adhered to.

Who knows you well? As David Levithan mentioned in his guest post, YA literature has had a tide coming in of LGBTQIA+ books. Your boyfriend or girlfriend? LGBTQ for YA Any and all books targeted at young adults featuring gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender characters.

Or both! Even after Theo moved to California and started dating Jackson, he always figured they would reunite. In early s New York, year-old Michael enjoys living in the shadows of his best friends: James, a queer performance artist whom everyone wants but no one can have; and Becky, a straight shooter who just wants to protect her friends.

Lisa desperately wants to get into a prestigious college psychology program, but is her relentless ambition enough to seal the deal? A stranger you meet on a wild night? We've put together a list of 30 YA books featuring LGBT+ characters and themes. Written in alternating points of view by LaCour and Levithan, You Know Me Well is a heart-aching story of first gay loves, and all the messy, glorious feelings that come along with them.

Like a Love Story brings these three lost souls together in a story that celebrates activism, loving who you are, and dancing to Madonna. Internalized homophobia at its finest! There are constantly more and more queer books making their way onto our shelves, particularly in this space, and we’re absolutely thrilled to be able to shoutout some of our favorites!.

No one, really? We also promise that you don't need to be a teen to enjoy the fantastic prose, compelling queer characters, and diverse perspectives in store.