6 must-read LGBTQ+ YA stories to celebrate Pride Month
Sonora Reyes' The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School is about a young girl trying not to fall in love with the only openly queer girl at her new Catholic school. It was inspired by the author's own experiences as a queer Catholic school survivor. This Pride Month, we invited Sonora to recommend their favourite LGBTQ+ young adult books.
"Below is a list of my favourite LGBTQ+ YA stories for Pride Month. To all the lovely LGBTQ+ creatives out there, especially my trans siblings, our stories are worth telling and our lives are worth living. We are worthy of joy and acceptance and love and love and love. May our collective screaming and shouting and whispering and loving be loud enough to drown out all the hate. May we always remember we are not alone. We are worthy. We are here." Sonora Reyes
Ander & Santi Were Here by Jonny Garza-Villa
Have you ever found yourself in one of those moods where you just need a good cry, but you don’t know how exactly to get it out? Look no further than this beautiful book. It will break your heart and then put it back together with gentle care.
Lakelore by Anna-Marie McLemore
I never felt so seen as a neurodivergent trans person as I did with Lakelore. This book perfectly encapsulates the mystique of the unknown while keeping secrets from the reader until just the right moment.
Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee
Alternatively, if you’re looking for a lighthearted escapist rom-com to get you through any rough time, Meet Cute Diary is the perfect fit! It’s hilarious, it’s swoony, and it turns a couple of tropes on their heads, which kept me on my toes!
Ophelia After All by Racquel Marie
Absolutely loved this contemporary YA, so much so that I devoured it in two sittings! Each page had me falling in love with every single character, including Ophelia herself.
The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas
This Mexican-inspired queernormative fantasy had me rolling laughing one second and then sitting on the edge of my seat biting my nails the next!
Transmogrify! 14 Fantastical Tales of Trans Magic edited by G. Haron Davis
This anthology is full of trans magic stories by trans and nonbinary authors. It’s such a breath of fresh air to find an entire collection of stories where trans people get to be the magical ones who are front and centre in their own narratives.
About The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes
No one knows Yami is gay, least of all her mum, and Yami intends to keep it that way . . . Until, uh oh, she’s falling in love again.
Yami prefers to be known for her killer eyeliner, not for being one of the only Mexican kids at her new, mostly white, rich Catholic school – or for being gay. So after being outed by her ex-best friend, before transferring to Slayton Catholic, Yami decides to lie low, make her mum proud and definitely NOT fall in love. The thing is, it’s hard to fake being straight when Bo, the only openly queer girl at school, is so annoyingly perfect. And smart. And cute. So cute.
Told in a captivating voice that is by turns hilarious, vulnerable, and searingly honest, The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School explores the joys and heartaches of living your full truth out loud.
