Skip To Content
BuzzFeed Homepage
Sign In
Search BuzzFeed

    We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed collects a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.

    18 LGBTQ YA Books To Add To Your Reading List

    Let's Get Books Today Queens.

    Isabel Daly
    by Isabel Daly

    BuzzFeed Staff

    1. Pet by Akwaeke Emezi.

    Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk

    Jam is a trans girl in the city of Lucille. Redemption is Jam's best friend. Pet is a creature made of horns who crawls out of one of Jam's mother's paintings. When Pet starts to hunt a hidden monster in Redemption's house, Jam must confront a difficult truth that the grown-ups in her life would rather ignore. This remarkable book explores injustice, love, gender, and race.

    Price: £6.50

    2. They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera.

    Simon & Schuster / Via amazon.co.uk

    Mateo and Rufus meet through "Last Friend," an app designed to connect people who are both going to die in 24 hours. The two teens decide to spend their last day together. Warning: do not read without a nearby box of tissues.

    Price: £6.55

    3. The Falling In Love Montage by Ciara Smyth.

    Andersen Press / Via amazon.co.uk

    After a catastrophic breakup with her girlfriend Hannah, 17-year-old Saoirse has become rather cynical about romance. Enter Ruby, a rom-com enthusiast and also the most beautiful girl Saoirse has ever seen. The Falling In Love Montage is Ciara Smyth's debut novel and it's a total delight.

    Price: £6.55.

    4. Loveless by Alice Oseman.

    Harper Collins Children's Books

    Georgia loves romance – well, she loves romantic fanfiction. In her real life, she's never had so much as a crush on another person. At university, Georgia tries to find love, but it never quite works out. When she's introduced to terms like "asexuality" and "aromatic", Georgia begins a relatable, funny, and poignant journey towards self-discovery.

    Price: £5.49

    5. It's Not Like It's A Secret by Misa Sugiura.

    Harper Collins / Via amazon.co.uk

    Sana has lots of secrets. For example, her feelings towards her best friend might go beyond platonic. She's content to keep her secrets, especially that secret, to herself – until she meets Jamie. Unfortunately, Jamie's friends seem to hate her, Sana's father might be having an affair, and a perfectly nice boy named Caleb might have fallen in love with her. It's Not Like It's A Secret is a brilliant and bittersweet coming-of-age story about two girls of colour falling in love

    Price: £7.99

    6. Find Me by André Aciman.

    Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk

    Find Me, AKA the long-awaited sequel to Call Me By Your Name, alternates between the perspectives of Sami (Elio's father), Elio, and Oliver. The book is a thoughtful reflection on parenthood, ageing, and nostalgia.

    Price: £6.99

    7. Once and Future by Cory McCarthy.

    Rock the Boat / Via amazon.co.uk

    Ari is the 42nd reincarnation of King Arthur. Accompanied by an awkward teenage Merlin, Ari has to save the galaxy. Once and Future is an epic story with LGBTQ heroes, and it's well worth a read for any fantasy/sci-fi fan.

    Price: £7.37

    8. As I Descended by Robin Talley.

    Harper Collins / Via amazon.co.uk

    Maria and Lily are the ultimate power couple, and they will do anything to achieve their ambitions – anything. As I Descended is a fantastic queer retelling of Shakespeare's Macbeth that's sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.

    Price: £6.55

    9. Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir.

    Tor / Via amazon.co.uk

    If George R.R. Martin and Agatha Christie ever co-wrote a book together, Gideon The Ninth would be that book. Part epic fantasy, part murder mystery, this saga is bound to be your next obsession. Plus, it has lesbian necromancers. What more could you possibly want?

    Price: £11.18

    10. Dreadnought by April Daniels.

    Diversion Publishing / Via amazon.co.uk

    Dreadnought, the most powerful superhero on Earth, has just passed all of his abilities onto the young Danny Tozer. These inherited superpowers transform Danny's body into what she always knew it should be. But while Danny's body finally feels right, it's making her friends and family act weird. Her father is fixated on "curing" her girlhood, the other superheroes aren't sure where Danny fits in, and Dreadnought's murderer is still out there. It's one girl against the world in the thrilling first instalment of the Nemesis series.

    Price: £9.61

    11. The State of Us by Shaun David Hutchinson.

    Harper Collins

    Dre’s mother is the Republican nominee for President. Dean’s father is the Democratic nominee. Although their families are political rivals, Dean and Dre develop an unlikely friendship that quickly develops into something more. The book thoughtfully explores the intersections between race, homosexuality, and asexuality.



    Price: £10.65

    12. Autoboyography by Christina Lauren.

    Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers / Via amazon.co.uk

    When Tanner Scott, a bisexual 17-year-old boy, moves from liberal California to the more conservative Utah, he makes the executive decision to go back in the closet. Enter Sebastian Brother, a writing prodigy from a conservative Mormon family. Autoboyography isn’t a coming out story, but it is a coming-of-age story.

    Price: £7.10

    13. If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo.

    Usborne Publishing / Via amazon.co.uk

    Amanda Hardy has just started a new school, a school where nobody still thinks of her as Andrew. And she wants to keep it that way. Partially inspired by author Meredith Russo's own experiences, If I Was Your Girl is a YA book that will delight teen and adult readers alike.

    Price: £4.08

    14. The Love Interest by Cale Dietrich.

    Square Fish / Via amazon.co.uk

    The Love Interest is a spy novel about two teenage boys locked in a deadly competition – whoever wins the affections of "the girl" will live, while the other will die. Dylan has every intention of winning the game, but as the competition intensifies, he begins to have feelings for his rival Caden. Feelings that could get them both killed. It's a queer love triangle with very high stakes.

    Price: £6.99

    15. Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo.

    Hot Key Books / Via amazon.co.uk

    Camino and Yahira are half-sisters, but they've never met. In fact, neither is even aware of the other's existence. But when their father dies, Yahira and Camino discover each other (alongside a few more of their father's secrets). Told in dual narratives, Clap When You Land is a story with queer central characters that tackles loss, ethnicity, and identity.

    Price: £6.49

    16. Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron.

    Bloomsbury YA / Via amazon.co.uk

    200 years after Cinderella's death, the kingdom has become a dystopia where teenage girls must attend balls until they are chosen by a prince. Those who are not chosen by the age of 18 disappear. Protagonist Sophia doesn't want to get chosen because she's already in love with her best friend Erin, but she has little choice.

    Cinderella is Dead is a feminist and queer subversion of a classic fairytale.

    Price: £6.55

    17. Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender.

    Balzar and Brey

    Felix is trans, queer, and black. While he's proud of his identity, Felix has begun to wonder if being himself means he has less of a chance of getting a happily ever after. After being harassed online by an anonymous student, Felix plots an elaborate catfishing scheme to get revenge. However, his attempt to get even thrusts him into an unexpected love triangle that will send Felix on a journey of questioning and self-discovery.

    Price: £13.75

    18. The Boy in the Red Dress by Kristin Lambert

    Viking Books / Via amazon.co.uk

    Millie's lesbian aunt runs the Cloak & Dagger, a speakeasy in New Orleans known for its drag performances. Marion is the star drag queen (and Millie's best friend), until he's framed for murder. Millie becomes an amateur sleuth to prove Marion's innocence, and along the way she begins to develop feelings for both Olive, a waitress at the Cloak & Dagger, and Bennie, a handsome bootlegger. The Boy in the Red Dress is a rare example of historical fiction with multiple queer central characters.

    Price: £10.99