Biromantic | Queer Books for Teens

Sawkill Girls

By Claire Legrand

Three teenage girls face off against an insidious monster that preys upon young women.

Who are the Sawkill Girls?
Marion: The newbie. Awkward and plain, steady and dependable. Weighed down by tragedy and hungry for love she’s sure she’ll never find.
Zoey: The pariah. Luckless and lonely, hurting but hiding it. Aching with grief and dreaming of vanished girls. Maybe she’s broken—or maybe everyone else is.
Val: The queen bee. Gorgeous and privileged, ruthless and regal. Words like silk and eyes like knives; a heart made of secrets and a mouth full of lies.
Their stories come together on the island of Sawkill Rock, where gleaming horses graze in rolling pastures and cold waves crash against black cliffs. Where kids whisper the legend of an insidious monster at parties and around campfires. Where girls have been disappearing for decades, stolen away by a ravenous evil no one has dared to fight…until now.

Representation: one character is Black, asexual and biromantic; other characters are bisexual and sapphic.

Can a girl who risks her life for books and an alien who loves forbidden pop music work together to save humanity?

Two years ago, a misunderstanding between the leaders of Earth and the invading Ilori resulted in the deaths of one-third of the world’s population.

Seventeen-year-old Janelle “Ellie” Baker survives in an Ilori-controlled center in New York City. Deemed dangerously volatile because of their initial reaction to the invasion, humanity’s emotional transgressions are now grounds for execution. All art, books and creative expression are illegal, but Ellie breaks the rules by keeping a secret library. When a book goes missing, Ellie is terrified that the Ilori will track it back to her and kill her.

Born in a lab, M0Rr1S (Morris) was raised to be emotionless. When he finds Ellie’s illegal library, he’s duty-bound to deliver her for execution. The trouble is, he finds himself drawn to human music and in desperate need of more. They’re both breaking the rules for love of art—and Ellie inspires the same feelings in him that music does.

Ellie’s—and humanity’s—fate rests in the hands of an alien she should fear. M0Rr1S has a lot of secrets, but also a potential solution—thousands of miles away. The two embark on a wild and dangerous road trip with a bag of books and their favorite albums, all the while making a story and a song of their own that just might save them both.

Representation: biracial/Black biromantic demisexual MC; nonbinary and bisexual side characters.

Ownvoices: biracial/Black representation.

The Birds, The Bees, and You and Me

By Olivia Hinebaugh

Seventeen-year-old Lacey Burke is the last person on the planet who should be doling out sex advice. For starters, she’s never even kissed anyone, and she hates breaking the rules. Up until now, she’s been a straight-A music geek that no one even notices. All she cares about is jamming out with her best friends, Theo and Evita.

But then everything changes.

When Lacey sees first-hand how much damage the abstinence-only sex-ed curriculum of her school can do, she decides to take a stand and starts doling out wisdom and contraception to anyone who seeks her out in the girls’ restroom. But things with Theo become complicated quickly, and Lacey is soon not just keeping everyone else’s secrets, but hers as well.

Representation: asexual/biromantic best friend; bisexual side character.

Anger Is a Gift

By Mark Oshiro

Six years ago, Moss Jefferies’ father was murdered by an Oakland police officer. Along with losing a parent, the media’s vilification of his father and lack of accountability has left Moss with near crippling panic attacks.

Now, in his sophomore year of high school, Moss and his fellow classmates find themselves increasingly treated like criminals by their own school. Despite their youth, the students decide to organize and push back against the administration.

When tensions hit a fever pitch and tragedy strikes, Moss must face a difficult choice: give in to fear and hate or realize that anger can actually be a gift.

Publisher’s description:

Moss Jeffries is many things—considerate student, devoted son, loyal friend and affectionate boyfriend, enthusiastic nerd.
But sometimes Moss still wishes he could be someone else—someone without panic attacks, someone whose father was still alive, someone who hadn’t become a rallying point for a community because of one horrible night.
And most of all, he wishes he didn’t feel so stuck.
Moss can’t even escape at school—he and his friends are subject to the lack of funds and crumbling infrastructure at West Oakland High, as well as constant intimidation by the resource officer stationed in their halls. That was even before the new regulations—it seems sometimes that the students are treated more like criminals.
Something will have to change—but who will listen to a group of teens?
When tensions hit a fever pitch and tragedy strikes again, Moss must face a difficult choice: give in to fear and hate or realize that anger can actually be a gift.

Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award for Teens (2019) and Lambda Literary Award Nominee for LGBTQ Children’s/Young Adult (2019).

Ownvoices: for queer, nonbinary, and Latinx representation.

Puddin’

By Julie Murphy

Told from the POV of two different girls, Puddin’ is the story of Millie Milcachuk and Callie Reyes. Millie aspires to be a news anchor, while Callie’s whole life is devoted to her dance team. When Millie’s uncle’s gym is trashed by the dance team, Millie identifies Callie as one of the culprits, and Callie has to work at the gym, forcing her and Millie to start talking and eventually become friends.

Publisher’s Description:

Millie Michalchuk has gone to fat camp every year since she was a little girl. Not this year. This year she has new plans to chase her secret dream–and to kiss the boy she’s crushing on.
Callie Reyes is the pretty girl who is next in line for dance-team captain and has the popular boyfriend. But when it comes to other girls, she’s more frenemy than friend.
When circumstances bring the girls together over the course of a semester, they surprise everyone (especially themselves) by realizing that they might have more in common than they ever imagined.
A story about unexpected friendship, romance, and Texas-size girl power–this is another winner from Julie Murphy.

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Representation:

Gender:
Cis girls: Millie, Callie, Amanda, Hannah, Courtney
Cis boys: Malik, Bryce

Sexuality:
Gay: Claudia (main character’s older sister)
Lesbian: Hannah, Courtney
Heterosexual: Millie, Callie, Malik, Bryce
Gray-Asexual: Amanda

Romantic Orientation:
Biromantic: Amanda
Heteroromantic: Millie, Callie, Malik, Bryce

Disability: One of Amanda’s legs is shorter than the other.

Location: American South

Trigger Warnings: Fatphobia

Additional Notes: Male principal is mentioned to be married to a man briefly.

Ending: Happy

Year of the Guilty Soul

By A.M. Leibowitz

In 1991, fifteen-year-old Antonia (Toni) Moskowitz is beginning to understand her religion, identity, and relationships.

Publisher’s Description:

Antonia Moskowitz is caught in the middle, always having to pick a side. Whether it’s between her family’s two religions or in her relationships, she has choices to make. But learning who she is has a price, and every decision has consequences. Sometimes it’s hard to choose between being good and being right. Four seasons. Four kisses. One year to figure out what her heart wants.

Genre: Contemporary

Representation:
Gender:
Cis girls: Cari, Hannah
Cis boys: Noah, Elliot
Genderqueer/Nonbinary: Antonia

Sexuality:
Gay: Elliot
Lesbian: Cari
Bisexual: Antonia
Asexual: Hannah
Heterosexual: Noah

Romantic Orientation:
Biromantic: Antonia
Not mentioned in the book.: Cari, Hannah, Elliot, Noah

Race/Ethnicity:
Not mentioned.

Religion:
Christianity: Antonia’s family, Cari, Hannah, Noah, Elliot
Judaism: Antonia’s family
Other: Antonia (agnostic/mixed faith)

Location: Upstate NY

Trigger Warnings: reference to homophobia/homomisia, ex-gay conversion, bullying, and HIV-related death

Additional Notes: Takes place in 1991. No on-page or explicit sex, but there is reference to masturbation, off-page mild sexual activity, and marijuana use

Ownvoices: Bisexual, genderqueer, interfaith family

Our Bloody Pearl

By D.N. Bryn

After a year of voiceless captivity, a bloodthirsty siren with a paralyzed fin fights to return home while avoiding the lure of a suspiciously friendly and eccentric pirate captain. Prepare for a voyage of laughter, danger, family, and forgiveness with this #ownvoice fantasy, while your heart is stolen – if not eaten – by sirens.

Publisher’s Description:

The ocean is uncontrollable and dangerous. But to the sirens who swim the warm island waters, it’s a home more than worth protecting from the humans and their steam-propelled ships. Between their hypnotic voices and the strength of their powerful tails, sirens have little to fear.

That is, until the ruthless pirate captain, Kian, creates a device to cancel out their songs.

Perle was the first siren captured, and while all since have either been sold or killed, Kian still keeps them prisoner. Though their song is muted and their tail paralyzed, Perle’s hope for escape rekindles as another pirating vessel seizes Kian’s ship. This new captain seems different, with his brilliant smile and his promises that Kian will never again be Perle’s master. But he’s still a human, and a captor in his own way. The compassion he and his rag-tag human family show can’t be sincere… or can it?

Soon it becomes clear that Kian will hunt Perle relentlessly, taking down any siren in her path. As the tides turn, Perle must decide whether to run from Kian forever, or ride the forming wave into battle, hoping their newfound human companions will fight with them.

Genre: Fantasy, steampunk.

Representation:
Gender:
Cis girls: Murielle (Dejean’s sister)
Cis boys: Dejean (love interest),
Genderqueer/Nonbinary: All sirens, including the protagonist Perle. (Humans are known to be canonically nonbinary too, though no nonbinary main human characters appear; it’s not just a siren identity.)
Trans girls: Simone (Dejean’s second mate, and Murielle’s fiance.)

Sexuality:
Asexual: Dejean
*Sexuality not mentioned in book but in a happy wlw relationship: Murielle and Simone.

Romantic Orientation:
Biromantic: Dejean
Not mentioned in the book. : Murielle, Simone, Perle.
** Perle has no canon sexual or romantic orientation but could easily be read as asexual and aromatic.

Race/Ethnicity:
Black: Murielle
Multiracial: Dejean
South Asian: Simone
Not mentioned: Sirens do not have human features, but all originate from a Caribbean-like setting.

Disability: Paraplegia, PTSD, minor motor impairment.

Location: Fantasy setting inspired by the Caribbean.

Trigger Warnings: Side character death, near drowning, implied past abuse, minor in-text emotional abuse by antagonist.

Additional Notes: Simone has vitiligo.

Ownvoices: Disability and nonbinary identity.

Rainbow Briefs

By Kira Harp

Have you ever looked at a picture, perhaps a photo of two guys in a tight hug, or two girls holding hands, and wondered, What happened before that moment? What will they do next?

These fifteen stories were inspired by images from the Young Adult LGBT Books Group. In these pages you’ll find LGBTQ teenagers living their lives – experiencing first encounters and long relationships, coming out, staying closeted, questioning, loving, having adventures, dealing with family, with prejudice, with magic. Author Kira Harp provides this collection of Young Adult romantic, fantasy, and contemporary short stories.

Genre: YA short stories – contemporary, paranormal, fantasy

Representation:
Gender:
Cis girls: Adara, Candice, Hayley, Bri, Nicola, Kim
Cis boys: Julio, Mark, Toren, Baylor, Vic, Justin, Colby, Jerrod, Tommy, Con, Nick, Zeke, Spencer, Mitch, Adam, Joe, Lance
Trans girls: Lisa
Trans boys: Sam

Sexuality:
Gay: Julio, Mark, Sam, Toren, Baylor, Vic, Justin, Con, Nick, Zeke, Spencer, Mitch, Adam, Joe, Lance
Lesbian: Adara, Candice, Hayley, Bri, Nicola, Kim
Bisexual: Jerrod
Heterosexual: Lisa
Questioning: Colby

Romantic Orientation:
Homoromantic: Julio, Mark, Adara, Candice, Sam, Toren, Baylor, Hayley, Bri, Vic, Justin, Nicola, Kim, Con, Nick, Zeke, Spencer, Mitch, Adam, Joe, Lance
Biromantic: Jerrod:
Heteroromantic: Lisa
Poly Romantic: Spencer, Mitch, Adam

Race/Ethnicity:
White: Mark, Adara, Candice, Hayley, Bri, Vic, Justin, Con, Nick, Zeke, Lisa, Joe, Lance
Latinx: Julio

Disability:
Mark – club foot
Tommy – Down’s Syndrome

Location: various

Trigger Warnings: homophobia/homomisa, grieving, depression, kidnapping/imprisonment

Additional Notes: free ebook on many sites

Ending: all happy endings

The Devil’s Trill Sonanta (Vivaldi book 2)

By Matthew Metzger

Three years after that first meeting in a theatre storeroom, Jayden Phillips and Darren Peace are separating for the first time, trading in school for the trappings of adult life. Jayden has achieved his dream of a place at Cambridge University; Darren has achieved his own of escaping the Cold War of home and tasting true independence for the first time.

A hundred miles apart and embarking on two very different paths, Jayden feels it is inevitable that time and distance will slowly pull them apart. School relationships, after all, don’t last. Darren disagrees — at first. Love is all they need, and they have weathered harder storms than chasing dreams.

That is until the separation, and the encroaching influence of Jayden’s new friends, begins to take its toll on Darren’s mental state. Alone, he descends in a rapid downward spiral that is finally arrested by one night and a drastic course of action. In the wake of a single unanswered phone call, Jayden learns that time and distance have the power to do much more than break a relationship.

The dream is over — and the reality is far, far worse.

Genre: contemporary, romance

Representation:

Gender:
Cis boys: Darren, Jayden

Sexuality:
Gay: Jayden
Bisexual: Darren

Romantic Orientation:
Homoromantic: Jayden
Biromantic: Darren

Race/Ethnicity:
White: Darren, Jayden

Disability: Darren – major depression

Location: England

Trigger Warnings: mental health issues, self harm, suicide attempt, suicidal ideation, homophobia

Ending: happy for now

Vivaldi in the Mirror