Three LGBTQ+ YA books worth checking out

Young adult fiction is a large genre that includes many other genres beneath it. A romance is one of these genres, but what about a romance that features two people of the same gender? The following three books are LGBTQ+ romances that have all earned good reviews, including four star ratings on Good Reads for all three.

• What If It’s Us by Adam Silvera and Becky Albertalli 

• What If It’s Us is about two teen boys, Arthur and Ben, who meet at a post office, but get separated by a flash mob before they find out each others’ names. The book switches perspectives between Arthur and Ben as they attempt to find each other and start a successful relationship.

• • My review:

I loved how this novel invoked so many emotions for me while I was reading it. This book was just generally very entertaining. I especially liked the contrast between Arthur and Ben’s characters. I really felt like I connected with both of them for different reasons.

• If This Gets Out by Cale Dietrich and Sophie Gonzales 

• If This Gets Out is about two members of the popular boy band, Saturday. Ruben, one of the members, is gay and is forced into the closet by Saturday’s management. Ruben confides in Zach, his fellow member, and soon their friendship turns into something more.

• • My review:

I really enjoyed how this book created the friendship between all of the boys. It really showed the ups and downs of the life they lead while they were in Saturday, and how the strain on them both strengthened and weakened the friendships between them.

• The Summer I Wasn’t Me by Jessica Verdi 

• The Summer I Wasn’t Me is about Lexi, a 17-year-old lesbian. Lexi’s religious mom finds about about her secret crush and sends her to a summer camp that specializes in conversion therapy. Lexi is determined to make her mom happy by learning to like boys until she meets a girl who seems to be just as interested in Lexi as Lexi is in her.

• • My review:

I liked the book’s setting a lot. I thought it was really cool to see how the characters responded to the setting, like how Matthew resisted while Daniel complied with the program