Just in time for the end of June - LGBTQIA fiction!

Okay! Time for another roundup of interesting and well-crafted YA fiction. As the month of June draws to a close and the dog days of summer begin, I believed it is a perfect time to seek shelter with a fan or an AC and get some good reading in! While love stories are the go-to book for this time of year, I try to keep my lists as diverse as possible - there are too many good stories to just stick with one genre!

This week's focus is centered around Pride, with great works featuring LGBTQIA characters or authors. I tried to pick stories that work to "normalize" characters who are LGBTQIA, and spoke from a wide variety of circumstances and identities. There's a lot of ground to cover this week, so let's get to it!

First up, a superbly written thriller, The Truth About Keeping Secrets by Savannah Brown. Starring Sydney, whose father, the town psychologist, dies in a definitely-not-suspicious crash and June, the town beauty who inexplicably shows up at his funeral. The Truth About Keeping Secrets is an emotive book about grief and a slow-burn mystery that builds through the whole story. Full of intelligent details and little clues, this is a book I found myself thinking about well after I closed the cover, and realizing little things about it days later. The characters are realistically multi-dimensional - a true standout of YA literature which tends to rely on tropes and cardboard standees for people too often. Mix in a bumbling and slow romantic element, and an excellent, excellent book is born.

This is not, however, one of those thrillers that is going to make you nervous to turn the page (well, mostly...) but does some really great things to keep the plot unfolding! One of my favorite reads of the year so far!

Next on the list this week is The Henna Wars, by Adiba Jaigirdar. This is a very cool book, in that it takes a well-worn idea - business rivals falling in love - adds compelling contemporary ideas (prejudice, cultural appropriation, and the difficulties of coming out in different places and families) and strikes the perfect balance between them. The end result is a light, lovely read, in which main character Nishat, who is stubborn and not always likable, grows and develops into herself, complete with a better understanding of the culture she has been raised with and her sexuality. And, while this is a romance story at heart, it touches on so many important themes at great length and detail that the romantic components don't overpower the lessons and ideas it contains. It's the sort of book a person can step into and experience another world - the best kind of story.

Oh, and there's tons of descriptions of delicious food! Bonus!

While we're on the topic of well-worn ideas given new life, check out Date Me, Bryson Keller by  Kevin van Whye. A cute story built on a neat gimmick in which Bryson Keller, through a dare he cannot back out on, must agree to date someone new each week - the first person to ask him any given Monday. When a closeted guy, Kai, asks him out, Bryson agrees, and the familiar trope of fake-dating returns once more. However, Date Me, Bryson Keller is set apart from being a trite Hallmark movie by the strength of the writing, especially Kai's character. Correctly angsty but still relatable, Kai's experiences, thoughts, and humor elevate the book and give it a great deal of depth. While superficially cutesy, the book explores the difficulties of being gay and dealing with coming out with a voice that is surprisingly sophisticated from a love story. Fans of Simon vs. the Homo Sapians Agenda will find a lot to love about this book!

Alright, this next book is something of a cheat, as it's the second book in a series. But, it was so good, I had to include it. It is Sword in the Stars, by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy, the second of two books in the Once and Future series. Normally, I would recommend the first book to get started, but...well, I didn't care for the first book much at all! Thankfully, in the sequel the authors have corrected most of the things I didn't like, making it a great choice for people who like science fiction and fantasy! I really enjoyed the retelling of the myths of King Arthur and company from the perspective of their time-hopping reincarnations, but even someone who hasn't read Le Morte d'Arthur will get a genuine kick out of this book. This is a loudly-written book with a funny and intelligent main character in Ari, and a great take on Merlin. Just self-aware enough to be humorous about itself, Sword in the Stars accomplishes the rare feat of a time travel story that doesn't get overly mired in the consequences and keeps a blistering pace towards the end. Seriously, this is a book where things happen and quickly, which just makes it a fun way to spend a summer afternoon.

Will you be lost if you don't read the first book? A little, maybe, but get a couple chapters in and it no longer matters. Personally, I'd Google a synopsis of the first book and save yourself the time (and headache...) and get right to the fun part!

Okay, time for something of a tone switch. My next recommendation, Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender, is a story about the titular and artistic Felix, who is a demiboy examining his gender and sense of identity. The conflict of this story - dealing with the aftermath of being deadnamed and being forcibly outed - is impactful and insightful, especially for someone like me who has no practical point of experience by which to compare. However, what really makes this story impactful is the immaculate way that we are put in Felix's head. His internal monologue is so incredibly apt and creates a powerful experience, even when age and experience tell us that what Felix is thinking or planning on doing is only going to make the problem worse. His deepest thoughts and fears are exposed and laid bare, and at times I almost felt like I was trespassing just by reading the book. An incredible book that explores with earnest majesty and potent acumen the experience of being trans in a world that does not know how to deal with it. A true masterpiece.

Speaking of masterpieces, my next recommendation stands right in that same good company! Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo is another story-in-verse that examines the story of two step-sisters, Camino and Yahaira, who only find out about one another after the tragic death of their father in a plane crash. Based on real events, this book is less about romance and more about the compelling power of grief and the holes that people create in the lives of those they leave behind. Like all good stories told in verse, Clap When You Land uses the best parts of poetry to create a story that is raw and tender, with lines and ideas that literally take your breath away as you read them. Full of different plot twists, incredible characters, and a villain that won't be forgotten, this book keeps its readers in constant motion with its power and poise. Readers of my booklists will know by now my adoration for Acevedo's works, and this is my favorite of hers by far. Take a Sunday and read this book.

Okay YA fam! That's it for this week's list. Next week, I'm going to share some of my favorite graphic novels from the year so far! Remember that even though the NFPL is closed for renovations, these books can be checked out electronically through Libby and enjoyed on any e-reader or phone. I hope to see you again next week!