Books that celebrate and honour the journey of LGBTQIA+ individuals are important because nothing is more profound and comforting to know that you are not alone, especially for queer and trans individuals. We’ve rounded up eight of the latest Queer YA books available right now — from romance, sci-fi, historical fiction, mystery, and all that.
And, what ties them all together is that these stories celebrate the message of acceptance across genders and that Love is Love.
In One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston, a sapphic love story, August meets the love of her life in a train, but there is a problem, her dream girl, Jane Su, is actually a time traveller from the 1970s. They have chemistry, but do they have the timing right? A sweet, angst-filled romance with a sci-fi twist.
Credits: St. Martin’s Griffin
The Guncle by Steven Rowley is a heartwarming tale about a once-famous gay sitcom star, who because of an unexpected family tragedy, has to take care of his niece and nephew. Come for the intrigue, and stay for a family that re-discovers love and patience in the most trying of times.
Credits: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Adiba Jaigirdar’s Henna Wars narrates the coming of age story of Nishat, a closet Bangladeshi Irish teen who nurtures a crush on her childhood friend Flavia. As Nishta and Flavia compete in a school contest on whose henna business proposal is better, things start to heat up between them, and Nishat has to choose between her family and a could-be-something relationship.
Credits: Page Street Kids
The Queer Principles of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian is a historical slow burn romance that blooms between Kit Webb, a retired highwayman (read robber) and Edward Percy, a nobleman who approaches him for one last heist. An irresistible story of love and adventure for newcomers of queer romance.
Credits: Avon
In Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee, Noah Ramirez runs a popular blog, which chronicles adorable stories of first trans love encounters. But, when a troll exposes the stories as fake, Noah realises that the only way to save the blog is to convince the readers that the stories are true. Enter Drew, who agrees to fake date Noah to save the blog. What happens next? Will Noah’s own meet-cute find its way to the blog? And, will it be real?
Credits: Quill Tree Books
Malinda Lo’s Last Night At The Telegraph Club, at its core, is a giddy tale about queer first love. Set in America in 1954, a time when it wasn’t safe for two young girls to fall in love with each other, Lily Hu risks everything to explore her budding relationship and sexuality with Kathleen. Tender in its realistic portrayal of a queer-positive tale, this teen novel is perfect for newcomers.
Credits: Dutton Books for Young Readers
In Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales, Darcy Philips is the expert in giving dating advice to her classmates. However, her own dating life is a mess; she has a crush on her friend Brooke and is hesitant to ask her out. Things get complicated further when another student, Alexander Brougham, coerces her into giving him advice to win over his ex. Just a regular day in high school.
Credits: Wednesday Books
In The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe, Nora, her girlfriend, and her ex-boyfriend find themselves in a hostage situation. Nora, the daughter of a legendary con artist who played multiple roles in her mother’s schemes, must use her chequered past of tricks to outwit the robbers and save every hostage. Thrilling, captivating, and explosive, the book is soon to be adapted into a movie by Netflix.
Credits: Hodder Children’s Books
