Over the past two decades, YA fiction has not only grown in popularity but also become more diverse in its LGBTQ+ representation. Once left to the outskirts, the category has embraced inclusivity and nuance in its exploration of queer themes, characters, and experiences.
It’s a wonderful development for readers and writers alike, especially since queer teens can struggle to explore their identities, let alone find representation. Here are nine queer teen romances that offer LGBTQ+ young adults a well-deserved love story—and a happy ever after.
A Million Quiet Revolutions
For as long as they can remember, Aaron and Oliver have only ever had each other. In a small town with few queer teenagers, their journeys as trans men have been a joint experience. They’ve done it all together, from buying binders to falling in love.
But Aaron and his family are moving away. As the distance between them grows, they find solace in exploring America’s past. When they discover the story of two Revolutionary War soldiers they believe were trans men in love, they’re inspired to pay tribute to them by adopting their names.
By engaging with the past, the pair tries to find their future and claim their stories as their own.
Anger Is a Gift
Six years ago, Moss Jefferies’s father was murdered by an Oakland police officer. His grief was exacerbated by the press attacks on his family and the lack of justice in his name.
Now, as high school sophomores, Moss and his classmates find themselves increasingly treated like criminals by their own school. He’s constantly intimidated by cops, has his locker searched, and is forced to follow rules none of the white kids have to.
Moss just wants a normal life, but the world won’t let him or other marginalized kids have it, so they must decide whether or not to fight back.
Dead Little Mean Girl
Quinn Littleton was a mean girl, the queen bee in stilettos who terrorized the school halls. Emma MacLaren is a geek and an outsider who never wanted to be the center of attention.
The two of them become stepsisters, much to their mutual horror. But then Quinn dies suddenly, and Emma is forced to uncover the truth. Who was Quinn beneath the bitchy exterior? And who wanted her dead?
Going Off Script
Bex lands the internship of her dreams working on her favorite TV show, Silver Falls. Alas, instead of working in the writer’s room, she’s mostly dashing back and forth on endless errands and coffee runs.
Determined to prove her worth as a writer, Bex drafts her own script and shares it with the head writer. But then he steals it and passes it off as his own work! To make matters worse, he rewrites her lesbian character as straight.
Now Bex has to get revenge, and luckily, she’s got her crush on her side for the fight!
Last Night at the Telegraph Club
It’s the 1950s. Queer bars operate in the margins, inhabiting a half-legal status that could be discarded at any moment. Lily Hu is 17 and asking questions about her identity.
When she meets Kathleen Miller, they turn to the Telegraph Club for sanctuary. The lesbian bar is a lifesaver, but in the time of the Red Scare, anti-Asian sentiment, and homophobic attacks, Lily and Kath find themselves going up against a cruel world to keep their love alive.
The Gravity of Us
Cal is a teen with a love of space and a massive social media following. When his pilot father is selected for a highly publicized NASA mission to Mars, Cal and his family relocate from Brooklyn to Houston to prep for his journey.
It casts their entire family into a harsh spotlight, leaving Cal feeling adrift. That’s when he meets Leon, another “Astrokid,” and finds himself falling fast in love.
As the frenzy around the mission grows, so does their connection. But the mission is not as it seems, and Cal must choose between exposing the truth and protecting those he loves.
Icebreaker
Mickey James III is a college freshman from a family of iconic hockey players. His father and grandfather have both gone down in NHL history, and everyone expects him to do the same.
He’s sure he’ll be the league’s top draft pick, as long as Jaysen Caulfield doesn’t get in the way. They’re teammates, rivals, and maybe something else. But as their relationship shifts from adversarial to loving, both boys will have to decide what matters most to them.
Cemetery Boys
Yadriel is a young trans boy trying to find his way in a traditional Latinx household, one where magic runs through their lineage. He’s determined to prove himself as a brujo, and with the help of his cousin and best friend, Maritza, he decides to perform the ritual himself and free the ghost of his murdered cousin.
But the ghost he ends up summoning is that of Julian Diaz, one of his classmates, whom he didn’t even know was dead. Julian doesn’t want to leave this realm, not without finding out how he died and who’s responsible.
Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian so that they can both get what they want. The longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave, but how can love last between the living and the dead?
I Wish You All the Best
When Ben De Backer comes out to their parents as nonbinary, they find themselves thrown out of their home and forced to move in with their estranged older sister, Hannah.
Anxiety-ridden and fearful for their future, Ben decides to keep a low profile at their new school. They’re thrown to the forefront by Nathan Allen, a fellow student who takes Ben under his wing.
As Ben and Nathan’s friendship grows, their feelings for each other begin to change. Maybe Ben has found someone who truly understands them.
Featured image: Canva
