Romance | Queer Books for Teens

M Or F

By Lisa Papademetriou

Frannie enlists the help of Marcus, her gay best friend, to speak to her crush, Jeffrey, online. However, Marcus starts impersonating Frannie in conversations with Marcus, and the more Jeffrey and Marcus chat, the more Marcus is convinced that Jeffrey likes him and not Frannie. But nothing is as it seems.

Publisher’s Description:

Frannie is desperate to get the attention of her crush, Jeffrey, but too shy to make a move. Frannie’s gay best friend, Marcus, advises her to get the ball rolling by chatting with Jeffrey online, but Frannie won’t type a word. Marcus takes over at the keyboard, and soon his plan is a success! But the more he chats, the more it seems Jeffrey is falling for Marcus, not Frannie. Whose romance is this, anyway?

Genre: Contemporary

Representation:
Gender:
Cis girls: Frannie
Cis boys: Marcus, Jeffrey

Sexual Orientation:
Heterosexual: Frannie
Gay: Marcus

Romantic Orientation:
Not explicitly addressed.

Race/Ethnicity:
White: Frannie, Marcus

Trigger Warnings:

Ownvoices: Queer

A Really Nice Prom Mess

By Brian Sloan

Cam’s boyfriend has what he thinks is a brilliant idea–he and Cam should go to prom with fake female dates, and the two couples will hang out together. But by the end of the night, Cam’s date is drunk, Cam and his boyfriend have broken up, and the police are involved.

Publisher’s Description:

Well, in summary, your fake date’s in the bathroom with a hangover and a crispy hairdo, while my fake date is out wandering the Willard, searching for his heterosexuality or something.

High school senior Cameron Hayes gets coerced into going to the prom with a girl, even though he’d rather be with his boyfriend. The evening goes from bad to worse when his fake date gets sloshed, his boyfriend slugs him when he sees Cam kissing his fake date, and Cam flees the prom in disguise with a drug dealer. Then things really spin out of control. Over the course of one harrowing and hysterical night, Cameron’s life comes undone, leading to accidental revelations, criminal adventures, and an unlikely romance.

Brian Sloan’s madcap romp is a hilarious take on a teenage rite of passage — with a decided twist.

Genre: Contemporary, romance

Representation:
Gender:
Cis boys: Cam, Shane

Sexual Orientation:
Gay/Queer: Shane
Bisexual: Cam

Romantic Orientation:
Homoromantic: Shane
Biromantic: Cam

Race/ethnicity:
White: Shane, Cam

Religion
Christian, Jewish

Disability
Minor character: deaf dancer at a club

Trigger Warnings: alcohol and substance use

The Hookup Artist

By Tucker Shaw

Lucas is well-known at his high school for his matchmaking abilities. He tries to set his friend Kate up with new student Derek, but it seems that Derek is more interested in Lucas than in Kate.

Publisher’s Description:

Lucas is a genius matchmaker, and everyone at Thomas Jefferson High School seems to need his expertise. When it comes to finding his own true love, things aren’t so easy. He’s just had his heart broken and the prospects aren’t promising.

But Lucas has bigger worries–his best friend, Cate, has just been dumped, and he has to find her new Mr. Right. And right on schedule, on the first day of their senior year, a new guy shows up at TJHS. Derek is friendly, athletic, and the hottie of the century.

As the matchmaker tries to work his magic, it seems like Derek is flirting with Lucas more than with Cate. Which makes everyone wonder–who is Derek interested in, anyway?

Genre: Contemporary

Representation:
Gender:
Cis boys: Lucas, Derek
Cis girls: Cate

Sexual Orientation:
Gay/Queer: Lucas
Heterosexual: Cate

Romantic Orientation:
Not explicitly addressed.

Race/Ethnicity:
White: Lucas, Cate, Derek

Finding Ashlynn (Being True #1)

By Zoe Lynne

Jenna is out, along with her trans friend, and has all the support she needs from her family. Attending the local LGBTQ youth meeting, she gets to know Ash. Ash is hiding from her family, from her poverty, but the two want to find love together.

Publisher’s Description

Every Friday night, Jenna and her best friend, Stella, attend their local LGBTQ youth group meeting. It’s a great place for support and friendship, but Jenna wants to fall in love. In walks Ashlynn, a purple-haired girl who wants to know how bad coming out of the closet can be.

Living in two different worlds, Jenna and Ash have vastly different ideas about the difference between sex and love, the definition of virginity, and how to face a world out in the open where they can admit their true feelings… whatever they may be.

Genre: Contemporary, romance

Representation:
Gender:
Cis girls: Jenna, Ash
Trans girl: Stella

Sexual Orientation:
Lesbian/Queer: Jenna, Ash

Romantic Orientation:
Homoromantic: Jenna, Ash

Race/Ethnicity:
Multiracial: Jenna
White: Ash

Spy Stuff

By Matthew J. Metzger

After being outed and tormented at his old school, Anton is just starting at a brand new high school. As a trans guy, he thinks he’ll never find a boyfriend– until he meets Jude Kalinowski. A sweet, contemporary romance.

Publisher’s Description:

Anton never thought anyone would ever want to date him. Everyone knows nobody wants a transgender boyfriend, right? So he’s as shocked as anyone when seemingly-straight Jude Kalinowski asks him out, and doesn’t appear to be joking.

The only problem is … well, Jude doesn’t actually know.

Anton can see how this will play out: Jude is a nice guy, and nice guys finish last. And Anton is transgender, and transgender people don’t get happy endings. If he tells Jude, it might destroy everything.

And if Jude tells anyone else … it will.

Genre: Contemporary, Romance

Representation:
Gender:
Trans boys: Anton
Cis boys: Jude (side character)

Sexuality:
Gay: Anton and Jude

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

Race/Ethnicity:
White: Anton, Jude

Trigger Warnings:
Flashbacks to a past forcible outing and bullying
Unsupportive parent
Transmisia/transphobia

Additional Notes:

Ownvoices: Ownvoices for trans rep.