Cover Story: LGBTQIA+

Here are our librarians' picks of the best teen reads in the LGBTQIA+ genre.

You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight 

Kalynn Bayron

Charity and her friends are spending the summer in the Camp Mirror Lake Experience, acting out a gory horror story for paying guests. But the summer fun takes a sinister turn when a mysterious figure is seen in the woods and Charity’s friends start going missing. As Charity tries to find them she discovers that the camp is concealing some terrible secrets. An undeniably gory horror story. 

9781526658463 Bloomsbury: 2023 ebook available

Just Like Everyone Else 

Sarah Hagger-Holt

Thirteen year-old Aidan can feel overwhelmed in his busy family home. He has four younger sisters and parents who want to discuss EVERYTHING. Aidan doesn't want to talk, especially about the fact that he thinks he might be gay. When Aidan’s mum tells him that she is going to have another baby, this time as a surrogate for a gay couple, Aidan is mortified by his expanding family, but also worried that his confusion about his own sexuality might be revealed. 

9781801315784 Usborne: 2023 ebook available 

The Do's and Donuts of Love

Adiba Jaigirdar

Perfect for baking fans, this romance centres around Shireen who has just broken up with her girlfriend. Luckily, she has also earned her spot on a popular baking show and she couldn’t be more excited. The only problem is that her ex is another contestant. Can Shireen win the competition and drive up business for her parent’s struggling donut shop? Or will her ex, or new crush and fellow competitor Niamh, distract her? 

9781444967579 Hodder: 2023 

Rhubarb Lemonade

Oskar Kroon

Vinga is spending the summer with her Grandpa, playing chess, building boats and exploring the beach on the isolated but beautiful island he calls home.  Then cool, confident Ruth arrives, like a flash of lightning, and everything changes. Vinga learns to embrace the unexpected and make peace with her tumultuous family life. This dreamy, lyrical novel is a beautiful coming-of-age story that explores all the magic and pain of first love, first loss and self-discovery.   

9781471413124 Hot Key: 2023 ebook available 

Fake Dates and Mooncakes

Sher Lee 

This sweet romance follows the story of Dylan who wants to win a mooncake-making competition and drum up business for his aunt’s Chinese restaurant. Then a distraction appears in the form of Theo Somers. He is charming and handsome and Dylan can’t help but be drawn to him, even agreeing to act as his date for a family wedding. Their relationship is supposed to be fake but Dylan can’t help his emerging feelings. Does Theo feel the same? 

9781035028313 Macmillan: 2023 ebook available 

Friendship Never Ends

Alexandra Sheppard

Told over the span of one summer, this book is about a group of four friends growing up and trying not to grow apart. Sunita is off to France with her step-family, Gifty is going to Scotland to see her grandparents, Dawn is heading to Musical Theatre school in London and May is staying behind to work in her parents’ Chinese takeaway. But will their friendships last whilst they are all apart? A laugh-out-loud, heartwarming story, told in four relatable perspectives.   

9781913311414 Knights of: 2023 

Never Trust a Gemini

Freja Woolf 

Cat is ready to fall in love. Annoyingly, however, she has got a crush on her best friend Alison who is more interested in chatting with boys. Cat decides that it is time to get over her and begins dating Jamie but she soon discovers that having a boyfriend is hard work. Then Cat notices Morgan, and she can’t help the growing attraction towards her. Will Cat get her love story after all? Funny and relatable. 

9781529509991 Walker: 2023 ebook available