LGBTQ+ Books for Young Adults

When we were young, we only (mainly?) had books with straight characters. We didn't see any representation of LGBTQ+ characters. Luckily, we see an increasing number of queer books these days—for adults, for younger readers, and for kids. And although we aren't that young anymore, we occasionally enjoy reading a YA book. Here are three books we enjoyed:

Amy Feltman's Willa & Hesper (2019) is not a typical love story. Studying Creative Writing, Willa and Hesper meet at Columbia and quickly fall in love with each other. But their love is not meant to be and soon, they break up dramatically. To mend their broken hearts, both leave on trips to find their roots: Willa goes on a trip for young Jews to Germany and visits places of the Holocaust. Hesper and her family visit her grandfather's family in Tbilisi, Georgia, and she begins to uncover her family's hidden history.

What If It's Us (2018) by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera brings us romance, friendship, and—again!—heartbreak. Jewish Arthur is a summer intern in New York and believes in fate and the universe. He recently came out and can't wait to experience his first romance. Puerto Rican Ben and his boyfriend just broke up and he doesn't believe in love. When Arthur and Ben meet at a post office, fate is challenged. With it's very diverse set of characters, this book makes you laugh and makes you cry. Apparently, there will be a movie as well and the authors just announced a sequel, Here's to Us!

Lies We Tell Ourselves (2014) by Robin Talley was a surprise: we didn't expect a lesbian story line. The story centers on Sarah, among the first Black students at a previously all-white high school, and Linda, the white daughter of a father who opposes school integration. The point of view alternates between Sarah and Linda (and, at the end, Sarah's sister Ruth). A school project forces them to work together—and they fall in love with each other. And while we believe that the white author wrote this novel with the best intentions, we also understand the criticism this book has faced: a book on racism, white supremacy, and an interracial love should probably not be written by a white author.

As always: let us know what you think about these books and/or add your YA recommendations in the comments! We would love to read books with trans and/or non-binary characters and see more representation of queer characters who are not homosexual.

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Else & Ilse | LGBTIQ+ adventurers

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