Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month (LGBT Pride Month) is currently celebrated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall riots in Manhattan. The Stonewall riots were a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States. I’ve selected some of the best, and most recent LGBTQ+ young adult fiction for displays and suggesting to readers!
Kristin Lattimer, in her senior year in high school, is the star of her track team, soon-to-be Homecoming Queen, and loved by her friends and football-playing boyfriend. When Homecoming night doesn’t go quite as planned, Kristin makes an appointment with an ob-gyn, and discovers something about herself that she never could have expected: Kristin is intersex.
While she has developed as a girl, Kristin has male chromosomes, a wealth of testosterone in her body, and embarrassing “boy parts.” Shocked and disgusted by the diagnosis, Kristin works up the courage to tell her best friends about it – only to have the entire school, including her boyfriend, find out the very next day. Kristin must cope with bullying and harassment at school, her own confusion about being intersex, handle a possible surgery and new medication, and try to find a support system for herself, in debut author I.W. Gregorio’s powerhouse of a contemporary novel, NONE OF THE ABOVE.
While she has developed as a girl, Kristin has male chromosomes, a wealth of testosterone in her body, and embarrassing “boy parts.” Shocked and disgusted by the diagnosis, Kristin works up the courage to tell her best friends about it – only to have the entire school, including her boyfriend, find out the very next day. Kristin must cope with bullying and harassment at school, her own confusion about being intersex, handle a possible surgery and new medication, and try to find a support system for herself, in debut author I.W. Gregorio’s powerhouse of a contemporary novel, NONE OF THE ABOVE.
NONE OF THE ABOVE is a fantastic contemporary debut novel by a strong writer and expert in the medical field. Gregorio is a force to be reckoned with – her seemingly effortless prose will capture readers’ attention and keep them enthralled all the way to the last page.
CUT BOTH WAYS has the most honest, realistic, and sad ending to a YA book I’ve ever read. Mesrobian’s writing is so powerful that when it was over, when I turned the last page and then closed the book, I physically hurt with feeling. My chest ached with compassion for Will, and with a tainted hope for his open-ended future. I highly recommend CUT BOTH WAYS to adult and teen readers. Every library should have a copy – you need to have this book for teens who are questioning their own sexuality and decisions in life.
Etta is tired of dealing with all of the labels and categories that seem so important to everyone else in her small Nebraska hometown. Everywhere she turns, someone feels she’s too fringe for the fringe. Not gay enough for the Dykes, her ex-clique, thanks to a recent relationship with a boy; not tiny and white enough for ballet, her first passion; and not sick enough to look anorexic (partially thanks to recovery). Etta doesn’t fit anywhere— until she meets Bianca, the straight, white, Christian, and seriously sick girl in Etta’s therapy group. Both girls are auditioning for Brentwood, a prestigious New York theater academy that is so not Nebraska. Bianca seems like Etta’s salvation, but how can Etta be saved by a girl who needs saving herself? The latest powerful, original novel from Hannah Moskowitz is the story about living in and outside communities and stereotypes, and defining your own identity.
A wholly unique story told from the point of view of in-between Kivali – who everyone calls Lizard. In a near future that is eerily different from our own world, Kivali is sent to CropCamp for the summer. There she will learn to follow all the rules, work hard, and become a good citizen. In the style of Alaya Dawn Johnson’s THE SUMMER PRINCE, LIZARD RADIO addresses the issues of freedom and choice, gender and sexuality, in a world reminiscent of Orwell’s 1984. LIZARD RADIO is a unique and powerful novel with a strong story that will leave readers with many questions of their own to answer about themselves.
Tretch is in love with his best friend, and he doesn’t know what to do about it. Not only that, the bookstore girl crushing on him becomes his date to the New Year’s dance, and his best friend gets a girlfriend. How does Tretch deal? With Ellie Goulding’s Halcyon on repeat, Tretch dances his way through lies, bullying, and awkward situations, and I loved every minute of it. ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN is a powerful debut novel about being true to who you are. A powerful story of self-discovery and empowerment. ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN will warm the hearts of readers.
Jessica Verdi masterfully tells the story of a girl, Lexi, coming to terms with her identity, her commitment to her family, and accepting her own feelings for what they are. Lexi spends the summer at an anti-gay camp, which is absolutely terrifying. There were several times when I gasped, or felt my heart start racing because of the crazy, awful things that happened at this camp! The writing is very compelling, keeping you turning the pages to find out what happens next. You’ll get attached to the well-designed characters right away. The ending is very satisfying and optimistic, which is a definite plus. The story is powerful, compelling, and a fast read. It will surprise you, make your heart ache, and renew your faith in love. Highly recommended for those looking for an LGBT coming-of-age story, or something to share with a family member to help them understand homosexuality.