| Holloway by Elana K. ArnoldIn August 2021, Nora, an autistic Jewish teen, travels to France with the remains of her mother, who died of COVID-19. There, Nora time travels to 1946, where she begins to understand the connections between the post-World War II era and contemporary times. This poignant novel explores complex family dynamics. |
|
|
|
Checking You Out
by Jennifer Chen
A rom com about two teens falling in love via letters left in their favorite library books - even if in real life they think they have nothing in common. Checking You Out is a contemporary romance about being true to yourself and celebrating what you love, because you just might find the perfect person to share it with.
|
|
| Change of Plans by Sarah DessenFinley’s annual visit with her mom unexpectedly turns into a stay at a lake house with estranged family members. As Finley gets a job, makes new friends, and bonds with new-to-her family, she finds her whole outlook shifting. Fans of author Sarah Dessen’s big-hearted novels will appreciate this moving story. |
|
| As I Dream of You by Jennifer Lee and LeUyen PhamSam and Franny share an all-encompassing love, until an untimely death drives them apart. Although they know the tragic myth of Orpheus and Euridyce, they meet on the astral plane and pit the power of their love against death itself. Read-alikes: R.M. Romero’s Death’s Country; Dani Diaz’ Dreamover. |
|
| The Fight of Our Lives: AIDS in America by David LevithanIn the 1980s and 1990s, the AIDS epidemic tore through the United States, creating an atmosphere of fear and subjecting victims to stigma and discrimination. Drawn from a variety of primary sources, this powerful nonfiction work chronicles the history of the epidemic and traces the work of prominent activist groups.
|
|
| Shards of Silence by Brian Lee YoungA scholarship to an elite boarding school is a huge opportunity for Derrick, who grew up in Navajo Nation. While rocked by culture shock and academic pressure, he learns more about his beloved great-grandmother’s experience at a brutal residential school. This authentic coming-of-age story traces an engaging search for truth.
|
|
|
|
You Pierce My Soul
by Jessica Mary Best
In the utopian city of New Ionia, everyone gets a soulmate and Zada can't wait for hers. Now that she's eighteen, it's her turn to meet her destiny with the help of Heartsong, an algorithm that chooses your perfect match for you. Then Zada crashes into her soulmate, setting off their shared Heartsong, and the unthinkable happens: She feels nothing for him. But the program doesn't make mistakes, so Zada is engaged to a man she doesn't love. Desperate, Zada turns to a surprising ally: her daringly beautiful former best friend, Daphne. Can Zada find the courage to choose what she believes--and who she loves?
|
|
|
|
Bad Queer
by Gayathiri Kamalakanthan
A luminous and romantic debut novel in verse about navigating first love as a non-binary teenager. Surya knows exactly who they are. Coming out as non-binary to their queer parents and best friend? A total non-event. Catching feelings for Blessing - the boy in drama club whose smile makes their heart race? That's trickier. As their final year of school unfolds and the two of them grow closer, Surya starts to question: Does Blessing really see them? Or just a version of them that doesn't exist? They'd ask their best friend for advice, but she's busy falling in love too.
|
|
|
|
The Last Best Quest Ever
by F. T. Lukens
Seventeen-year-old Ellinore has the best questing record in the kingdom. Not even Aven--the infuriatingly charming royal who's become her fiercest rival--can compete. But every one of Ellinore's triumphs is a lie. The monsters she's slain? Staged. The treasures she's claimed? Planted. Tired of the charade, she shocks the realm by retiring during a royal feast. Her hopes for a quiet life vanish when her reckless twin brother, Zig, bets his life on her ability to retrieve the horn of the mythical Elder Beast. To save him, Ellinore must return to the spotlight for one final quest. She's joined by a ragtag crew of unlikely questers with big dreams, questionable skills, and a knack for trouble.
You might also like: The Book of Murmurs by Candice Purwin.
|
|
|
|
We Could Be Anyone
by Anna-Marie McLemore
Two sibling con-artists must execute an almost impossible scam at an exclusive mansion in this thriller that's White Lotus meets Mexican Gothic for teens. As Lola and Lisandro are drawn deeper into the strange world of and tensions rise, one question looms over them. Will they be able to pull off their act?
|
|
|
|
Coming Out Perfect #1: A Graphic Novel
by Richard Mercado
From Ignatz-nominated cartoonist Richard Mercado comes a refreshingly honest and moving YA graphic novel perfect for fans of queer coming-of-age stories like Heartstopper. When Kevin's parents ignore his attempts to come out of the closet, he devises a plan to become more like Raymond, the popular gay kid at his high school. But life under Raymond's wing isn't easy: a dress code, new things Kevin can and can't do, and even abandoning his old uncool friends. Perfection comes at a cost, and Kevin must decide whether it's worth the sacrifice.
You might also like: Encore! by Miles Toriko Burks or A Smile Like Yours by Emily Thomas.
|
|
|
|
This Must Be the Place
by Kelly Quindlen
Inheriting a gay bar from your secretive great-uncle? Awkward. Trying to save it while catching feelings for the wrong girl? Complicated. From the author of She Drives Me Crazy comes a YA novel story about queer joy, found family, and standing your ground.
|
|
|
|
Buried Feelings
by Kit Rosewater
When a San Francisco treasure hunt ropes two ex-besties back together, they'll end up digging into their own complicated, buried feelings in this queer YA rom com. A bonus is the inclusion of LGBTQ+ history giants, like Harvey Milk and Gilbert Baker.
|
|
|
|
Smash or Pass
by Birdie Schae
For 16-year-old Ellie, beach volleyball camp is a disaster until she's paired with Sierra, an athletic prodigy who teaches her that volleyball and love are about taking the right shot in this sporty sapphic romance.
You might also like: Lake Life by Tanya Boteju.
|
|
Contact your librarian for more great books for age 14 and up!
|
|
|