HIV/AIDS | Queer Books for Teens

Dryland

By Sara Jaffe

Set in Portland, Oregon in 1992, Julie Winter is ignoring the HIV/AIDS epidemic as she is encouraged to join the swim team by flirtatious Alexis. Julie explores the secrets left by her older brother, who moved to Germany after failing to qualify for the Olympics in swimming.

Publisher’s Description

It’s 1992, and the world is caught up in the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the Balkan Wars, but for fifteen-year-old Julie Winter, the news is noise. In Portland, Oregon, Julie moves through her days in a series of negatives: the skaters she doesn’t think are cute, the trinkets she doesn’t buy at the craft fair, the umbrella she refuses to carry despite the incessant rain. Her family life is routine and restrained, and no one talks about Julie’s older brother, a one-time Olympic-hopeful swimmer who now lives in self-imposed exile in Berlin. Julie has never considered swimming herself, until Alexis, the girls’ swim team captain, tries to recruit her. It’s a dare, and a flirtation—and a chance for Julie to find her brother, or to finally let him go. Anything could happen when her body hits water.

Genre: Historical

Representation:
Gender:
Cis girls: Julie, Alexis

Sexual Orientation:
Lesbian/Queer:Julie, Alexis

Romantic Orientation:
Homoromantic:Julie, Alexis

Race/Ethnicity:
White: Julie, Alexis

Disability
HIV/AIDS

How Beautiful the Ordinary: Twelve Stories of Identity

By Michael Cart (editor)

Anthology of YA short stories about gender and sexuality including authors like David Levithan, Jacqueline Woodson and Gregory McGuire. Six stories feature gay males, 3 about lesbian girls, 2 about trans guys and one about a trans girl.

A girl thought to be a boy steals her sister’s skirt, while a boy thought to be a girl refuses to wear a cornflower blue dress. One boy’s love of a soldier leads to the death of a stranger. The present takes a bittersweet journey into the past when a man revisits the summer school where he had “an accidental romance.” And a forgotten mother writes a poignant letter to the teenage daughter she hasn’t seen for fourteen years.

Poised between the past and the future are the stories of now. In nontraditional narratives, short stories, and brief graphics, tales of anticipation and regret, eagerness and confusion present distinctively modern views of love, sexuality, and gender identification. Together, they reflect the vibrant possibilities available for young people learning to love others—and themselves—in today’s multifaceted and quickly changing world.

Genre: Short stories

Representation:
Gender:
Cis girls
Cis boys
Trans girls
Trans boys

Sexual Orientation:
Lesbian/Queer
Gay/Queer

Romantic Orientation:
Homoromantic: Kavita

Race/Ethnicity:
East Asian
White

Disability
HIV/AIDS

With or Without You

By Brian Farrey

Evan has a boyfriend, Erik, who he keeps secret from everyone, including his childhood friend, Davis, who is also gay. However, when Evan and Davis are recruited to join the Chasers, a deceptively dangerous group that promises protection for queer teens, Evan has to choose between his loyalty to Davis and his love for Erik.

Publisher’s Description:

Eighteen-year-old Evan and his best friend, Davis, get beaten up for being loners. For being gay. For just being themselves. But as rough as things often seem, at least Evan can take comfort in his sweet, sexy boyfriend Erik – whom he’s kept secret from everyone for almost a year.

Then Evan and Davis are recruited to join the Chasers, a fringe crowd that promises them protection and status. Davis is swept up in the excitement, but Evan is caught between his loyalty to Davis and his love for Erik. Evan’s lied to keep his two worlds separate. Now his lies are about to implode…and destroy the very relationships he’s been trying to protect.

Genre: Contemporary

Representation:
Gender:
Cis boys: Evan, Davis, Erik, Sabel

Sexuality:
Gay/Queer: Evan, Davis, Erik, Sabel

Romantic Orientation:
Not mentioned in the book. Presumed to be the same as the characters’ sexual orientation.

Race/Ethnicity:
White: Evan, Davis, Erik, Sabel

Disability:
HIV/AIDS

Trigger Warnings:
Violent bullying/hate crime
Substance use

Additional Notes:

Ownvoices: Ownvoices for gay rep.

Tilt

By Ellen Hopkins

This novel is told from the perspective of three teens, one of whom is gay. Shane learns that his new boyfriend, Alex, has HIV. Shane’s parents disapprove of their relationship, and on top of that, Shane’s sister is slowly dying from a chronic illness.

Publisher’s Description:

Love—good and bad—forces three teens’ worlds to tilt in a riveting standalone novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Ellen Hopkins.

Three teens, three stories—all interconnected through their parents’ family relationships. As the adults pull away, caught up in their own dilemmas, the worlds of the teens begin to tilt.

Mikayla, almost eighteen, is over-the-top in love with Dylan, who loves her back jealously. But what happens to that love when Mikayla gets pregnant the summer before their senior year and decides to keep the baby?

Shane turns sixteen that same summer and falls hard in love with his first boyfriend, Alex, who happens to be HIV positive. Shane has lived for four years with his little sister’s impending death. Can he accept Alex’s love, knowing his life, too, will be shortened?

Harley is fourteen—a good girl searching for new experiences, especially love from an older boy. She never expects to hurdle toward self-destructive extremes in order to define who she is and who she wants to be.

Genre: Contemporary

Representation:
Gender:
Cis boys: Shane

Sexual Orientation:
Gay/Queer: Shane

Romantic Orientation:
Not explicitly mentioned.

Race/Ethnicity:
White: Shane

Trigger Warnings:
Alcohol/Substance abuse, Abuse, Harley is taken advantage of and assaulted and videoed by an older boy.

Additional Notes: Written in verse

Two Boys Kissing

By David Levithan

In this short novel based on a true story, Harry and Craig are determined to break the Guinness World Record for the longest kiss. Their story also has an impact on the lives of several gay teens.

Publisher’s Description:

New York Times bestselling author David Levithan tells the based-on-true-events story of Harry and Craig, two 17-year-olds who are about to take part in a 32-hour marathon of kissing to set a new Guinness World Record—all of which is narrated by a Greek Chorus of the generation of gay men lost to AIDS.

While the two increasingly dehydrated and sleep-deprived boys are locking lips, they become a focal point in the lives of other teen boys dealing with languishing long-term relationships, coming out, navigating gender identity, and falling deeper into the digital rabbit hole of gay hookup sites—all while the kissing former couple tries to figure out their own feelings for each other.

Genre: Contemporary

Representation:
Gender:
Cis boys: Harry, Craig, Peter, Neil, Ryan, Cooper, Tariq
Trans boys: Avery

Sexuality:
Gay/Queer: Harry, Craig, Peter, Neil, Ryan, Cooper, Tariq, Avery

Romantic Orientation:
Not mentioned in the book. Presumed to be the same as the characters’ sexual orientation.

Race/Ethnicity:
Black: Tariq
White: Harry, Craig, Neil, Ryan, Avery, Cooper
Asian: Peter

Disability:
Cooper has depression.
The story is told from the perspective of two men who died from AIDS related complications.

Trigger Warnings:
Homophobic bullying
Physical Assault
Suicidal ideation
Suicide attempt
Parental abuse

Ownvoices: Ownvoices for gay rep.

The Porcupine of Truth

By Bill Konigsberg

Carson wasn’t expecting to spend his summer in Billings, Montana, caring for the dying father he’s never really known. But when he meets Aisha, a homeless, queer teen living at the zoo, they set in motion a journey that will take them all the way to California, to learn about family, religion, friendship, queer history and what it means to be alive.

Publisher’s Description:

Carson Smith is resigned to spending his summer in Billings, Montana, helping his mom take care of his father, a dying alcoholic he doesn’t really know. Then he meets Aisha Stinson, a beautiful girl who has run away from her difficult family, and Pastor John Logan, who’s long held a secret regarding Carson’s grandfather, who disappeared without warning or explanation thirty years before. Together, Carson and Aisha embark on an epic road trip to find the answers that might save Carson’s dad, restore his fragmented family, and discover the “Porcupine of Truth” in all of their lives.

Genre: Contemporary

Representation:
Gender:
Cis girls: Aisha
Cis boys: Carson

Sexual Orientation:
Lesbian/Queer: Aisha
Heterosexual: Carson

Romantic Orientation:
Not explicitly addressed.

Race/Ethnicity:
Black: Aisha
White: Carson

Trigger Warnings:
Carson tries more than once to get Aisha to date/hook up him despite her being clear about her sexuality.

Rainbow High (Rainbow Trilogy #2)

By Alex Sanchez

Jason and Kyle are in love, but with Jason on his way to his dream college, Kyle isn’t sure he’s willing to follow. Nelson might be HIV positive, but the boy he loves definitely is, and the two of them have to figure out where they stand.

Check out this book and more on our best of list for books with Latinx characters.

Publisher’s Description:

Jason Carrillo, the best-looking athlete in school, has had his eyes on the prize from day one: a scholarship for college.

But then his eyes turn to love — and Kyle.

Kyle Meeks, swim team star and all-around good guy, is finally in the relationship he wanted. Being in love feels so good, in fact, that he can’t imagine giving it up to go to Princeton.

Something he’s worked for his entire life.

Nelson Glassman, outgoing and defiant, might be HIV positive. Jeremy, the boy he loves, is HIV positive. Although Nelson fears testing positive, if he is infected Jeremy might stop protecting him and pushing him away.

They can be together.

High shool’s almost over. Graduation is ahead. Life’s a bowl of cherries, right? Right…

Genre: Contemporary/Historical

Representation:
Gender:
Cis boys: Jason, Kyle, Nelson

Sexuality:
Gay/Queer:Jason, Kyle, Nelson

Romantic Orientation:
Not mentioned in the book. Presumed to be the same as the characters’ sexual orientation.

Race/Ethnicity:
White: Kyle, Nelson
Latinx: Jason

Disability:
AIDS/HIV

Trigger Warnings:
Bullying

Additional Notes:

Ownvoices: Ownvoices for gay Latino rep.

7 Days at the Hot Corner

By Terry Truman

It’s Scott’s senior year of high school, and he’s stressed out about the future of his baseball career. When he finds out that his best friend, Travis, is gay, he feels devastated and betrayed. He’s also afraid that he might have HIV because he came into contact with Travis’s blood six months ago.

Publisher’s Description

In baseball, fielding your position at third base is tricky—that’s why third is called “the hot corner.” You have to be aware that anything can happen at any time.

This should be the best year of Scott’s life: It’s his last season of varsity ball, his team is about to go to the city championship, and a pro career is on the line. Instead, everything he always counted on comes crashing down at the same time, and his whole life is like one blazing hot corner—full of deadly line drives and crazy “bad hops.”

Scott can’t believe the awful stuff coming his way, but it’s time to find out whether he has what it takes to play the hot corner—on the baseball diamond and off it.

Genre: Contemporary

Representation:
Gender:
Cis boys: Travis

Sexual Orientation:
Gay/Queer: Travis

Romantic Orientation:
Homoromantic: Travis

Race/Ethnicity:
White: Travis

Trigger Warnings:
Homophobic violence and bullying

Disability:
HIV/AIDS

Changing Jaime

By Dakota Chase

Billy is everything Jamie isn’t: out, loud, and meeting lots of men. Jamie notices Billy’s been acting weird lately, and when he learns that he’s trying to catch HIV, it tests their freindship to the limits.

Publisher’s Description

Jamie’s pretty much your average gay teenager. He’s not out with his folks, he’s got a crush on a fellow high school athlete, and his life isn’t perfect. It’s a good thing he has his friend, Billy, to take his mind off things, and to show him that all things are possible.

Billy seems to be all Jamie isn’t. Billy’s openly gay, he has enough money to follow fashion trends, and he’s got dates all the time. Lots of them. With older men. When Billy starts acting weird and hiding things from him, Jamie’s whole life seems to tilt off its axis.

His stepfather, who has never been the greatest role model, escalates his behavior until Jamie dreads going home. His English teacher assigns him tutoring sessions with the object of his crush, the gorgeous track star Dylan. Jamie’s not even sure he can talk to Dylan, let alone tutor him, but it’s impossible to talk to Billy about it. Billy’s too wrapped up in a very dangerous game they call bug chasing: trying to catch HIV.

Learning about Billy’s risk-taking nearly shatters their friendship, and forces Jamie to look at the world in a whole new way. Can Jamie try to keep Billy safe and still stay on top of homework, a new boyfriend, and keeping his step-father in line?

Genre: Contemporary

Representation:
Gender:
Cis boys: Jamie, Dylan, Billy

Sexual Orientation:
Gay/Queer: Jamie, Dylan, Billy

Romantic Orientation:
Homoromantic: Jamie, Dylan, Billy

Race/Ethnicity:
White: Jamie, Dylan, Billy

Disability:
HIV/AIDS

Trigger warning: ‘Bug chasing’ – intentional attempts to be infected with HIV. Homophobia.

Just Between Us

By J. H. Trumble

Lucas is falling for Curtis, a college student, and he doesn’t understand why Curtis is pushing him away. It turns out that Curtis has been recently diagnosed with HIV, and though he returns Luke’s feelings, he thinks Luke deserves someone better.

Publisher’s Description

Seventeen-year-old Luke Chesser is trying to forget his spectacular failure of a love life. He practices marching band moves for hours in the hot Texas sun, deals with his disapproving father, and slyly checks out the new band field tech, Curtis Cameron. Before long, Luke is falling harder than he knew he could. And this time, he intends to play it right.

Since testing positive for HIV, Curtis has careened between numbness and fear. Too ashamed to tell anyone, Curtis can’t possibly act on his feelings. And Luke–impulsive, funny, and more tempting than he realizes–won’t take a hint. Even when Curtis distances himself it backfires, leaving him with no idea how to protect Luke from the truth.

Confronting a sensitive topic with candor and aplomb, acclaimed author J. H. Trumble renders a modern love story as sweet, sharp, and messy as the real thing, where easy answers are elusive, and sometimes the only impossible thing is to walk away.

Genre: Contemporary

Representation:
Gender:
Cis boys: Luke, Curtis

Sexual Orientation:
Gay/Queer: Luke, Curtis

Romantic Orientation:
Homoromantic: Luke, Curtis

Race/Ethnicity:
White: Luke, Curtis

Disability
HIV/AIDS