A Renaissance in Young Adult LGBTQ Fiction – It’s been a common complaint for some time now within the LGBT community: there just aren’t enough books for young LGBTQ adults. All that is starting to change now, as 2014 has seen the publication of some truly great reads:
Far From You by Tess Sharpe
A whodunit with a fascinating element of same-sex attraction between the protagonists.
Synopsis: The first time, she’s fourteen, and escapes a near-fatal car accident with scars, a bum leg, and an addiction to Oxy that’ll take years to kick. The second time, she’s seventeen, and it’s no accident. Sophie and her best friend Mina are confronted by a masked man in the woods. Sophie survives, but Mina is not so lucky. When the cops deem Mina’s murder a drug deal gone wrong, casting partial blame on Sophie, no one will believe the truth… read more
Moon at Nine by Deborah Ellis
Two lesbians fall in love under the religious strictures of 1980s Iran – with dramatic consequences.
Synopsis: Fifteen-year-old Farrin has many secrets. Although she goes to a school for gifted girls in Tehran, as the daughter of an aristocratic mother and wealthy father, Farrin must keep a low profile. It is 1988; ever since the Shah was overthrown, the deeply conservative and religious government controls every facet of life in Iran. If the Revolutionary Guard finds out about her… read more
Changers, Book One: Drew by T. Cooper and Allison Glock
Gender-bending occult thriller that bears a resemblance to the excellent Every Day by David Levithan.
Synopsis: Changers Book One: Drew opens on the eve of Ethan Miller’s freshman year of high school in a brand-new town. He’s finally sporting a haircut he doesn’t hate, has grown two inches since middle school, and can’t wait to try out for the soccer team… read more
Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kiklan
This nonfiction collection of portraits and interviews is a powerful insightful into the lives of LGBTYAs.
Synopsis: Author and photographer Susan Kuklin met and interviewed six transgender or gender-neutral young adults and used her considerable skills to represent them thoughtfully and respectfully before, during, and after their personal acknowledgment of gender preferen… read more
Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith
Hard science fiction with a strong focus on bisexuality – a must-read!
Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Austin Szerba interweaves the story of his Polish legacy with the story of how he and his best friend , Robby, brought about the end of humanity and the rise of an army of unstoppable, six-foot tall praying mantises in small-town Iowa… read more
Shadowplay by Laura Lam
The sequel to last year’s highly successful Pantomine, out now!
Synopsis: He and the white clown, Drystan, take refuge with the once-great magician, Jasper Maske. When Maske agrees to teach them his trade, his embittered rival challenges them to a duel which could decide all of their fates… read more
Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour
The issue of lesbians who work in the world of cinema is not widely discussed, but this book addresses precisely that theme.
Synopsis: A wunderkind young set designer, Emi has already started to find her way in the competitive Hollywood film world. Emi is a film buff and a true romantic, but her real-life relationships are a mess… read more
Fan Art by Sarah Tregay
Two female students in the same art class fall gradually in love…
Synopsis: Senior year is almost over, and Jamie Peterson has a big problem. Not college—that’s all set. Not prom—he’ll find a date somehow. No, it’s the worst problem of all: he’s fallen for his best friend… read more
One Man Guy by Michael Barakiva
Israeli/Armenian author Michael Barakiva portrays young gay love with verve and sub
tlety.
Synopsis: Alek Khederian should have guessed something was wrong when his parents took him to a restaurant. Everyone knows that Armenians never eat out. Between bouts of interrogating the waitress and criticizing the menu, Alek’s parents announce that he’ll be attending summer school in order to bring up… read more
Lies My Girlfriend Told Me
by Julie Anne Peters
Murder, love, betrayal, jealousy – this lesbian melodrama has it all and more!
Synopsis: When Alix’s charismatic girlfriend, Swanee, dies from sudden cardiac arrest, Alix is overcome with despair. As she searches Swanee’s room for mementos of their relationship, she finds Swanee’s cell phone, pinging with dozens of texts sent from a mysterious contact, L.T… read more
