When I was a young babygay, many of the LGBT YA novels I found were all about the angst and trials of coming out. Which is all well and good, but those can’t be the only narratives queer people see themselves in. So, I compiled this list.
I had three criteria:
- Coming Out could be a part of the plot but could not be the whole focus (which is why Ask the Passengers, even though it’s good, isn’t on here, before you ask)
- The protagonist/MC had to identify as queer/LGBT. No sidekick stories here.
- The story could not be known to be biphobic or transphobic (which is why The Bermudez Triangle isn’t on here, also before you ask. Also bisexual-books has a great response to that book in particular, but this is not the place for that discussion.)
If you believe a novel on this list falls into the categories of bi- or transphobic or otherwise, please message me and I’ll look into it/remove it.
This is by no means a comprehensive list–feel free to message me with suggestions so I can keep updating!
The List is also on Goodreads!!
-Nita
Realistic Fiction: Lesbian MC
- The Summer I Wasn’t Me by Jess Verdi
- The Miseducation of Cameron Post by emily m. danforth
- Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour
- Scars by Cheryl Rainfield (huge trigger warning for self harm and sexual abuse for this book, FYI. It is a wonderful book, though.)
- If You Could Be Mine by Sara Farizan
- Starting from Here by Lisa Jenn Bigelow
- A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend by Emily Horner
- Gravel Queen by Tea Bendhun
- Fat Angie by E.E. Charlton-Trujillo
- Lies My Girlfriend Told Me by Julie Anne Peters
- What We Left Behind by Robin Talley (also contains genderqueer MC)
Realistic Fiction: Gay MC
- Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
- Gone Gone Gone by Hannah Moskowitz
- Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg
- Sprout by Dale Peck
- One Man Guy by Michael Barakiva
- Here’s to You, Zeb Pike by Johanna Parkhurst
Realistic Fiction: Transgender MC
- Parrotfish by Ellen Wittlinger
- Beautiful Music for Ugly Children by Kristin Cronn-Mills
- Just Girls by Rachael Gold
Realistic Fiction: Bisexual MC
- Far from You by Tess Sharpe
- Empress of the World by Sara Ryan
- Not Otherwise Specified by Hannah Moskowitz
Speculative Fiction: Lesbian MC
- Huntress by Malinda Lo
- Bleeding Earth by Kaitlin Ward
Speculative Fiction: Bisexual MC
- Love In the Time of Global Warming by Francesca Lia Block
- The Island of Excess Love by Francesca Lia Block
- Ash by Malinda Lo
- Adaptation by Malinda Lo
- Inheritance by Malinda Lo
- Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith
- Coda by Emma Trevayne
- Otherbound by Corinne Duyvis
- Pantomime by Laura Lam
- Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr
Speculative Fiction: Gay MC
- Proxy by Alex London
- More Than This by Patrick Ness
- Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan
- Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner
- More Happy than Not by Adam Silvera
Historical Fiction: Lesbian MC
- Wildthorn by Jane Eagland
- Silhouette of a Sparrow by Molly Beth Griffin
- Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley
Queer/Not Otherwise Specified MC:
- The Mermaid in Chelsea Creek by Michelle Tea - Speculative Fiction
- Santa Olivia by Jacqueline Cary -
- Brooklyn Burning - Steve Brezenoff
Reblogging because I’ve updated this list to include some more recent releases!! :) Please let me know if there’s a title you think should be on here and I’ll look into adding it!