Rated YA-MA discussion

This thread is specific to Gay-Lesbian-Bi-Teen fiction. This is a growing catagory in YA fiction, and we would like to offer a place where our members can explore and chat about these amazing books.

I recently purchased , which I'm pretty excited to read. And I also marked as to read. They both look pretty amazing.

I recently read - I probably never would have heard about it if not for the NBA controversy, when it was "accidently" nominated, and then the author was asked to withdraw the next day

I'm also planning on picking up I Am J at the library tonight which is about a FTM youth (female to male)

i've learnt so much about this recently, and November 20th is National Transgender Day of Rememberence (which I never knew existed until this year)

I thought would have been a good rec for this thread but in the end it fell short of wow for me. Others I did enjoy were

Hushed looks good though... will have to find a copy.

I'm going to try to get my hands on a copy of Hushed. I'll have to wait until later this week to purchase it though, payday!

I've heard mixed reviews about Shine, I'll have to go read your review, Dee.

i don't know if i wrote a full review...

I have not yet read it yet but I plan to soon:

Sister Mischief looks good.

Wendy F wrote: "I'm going to try to get my hands on a copy of Hushed. I'll have to wait until later this week to purchase it though, payday!"

That's one I've been trying to get ahold of too.

Here's one that would fit if you're looking for something pnr instead of realistic, but I haven't read it.

There are several GLBT books mentioned in this topic as well. http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/6...

I'll cut and paste them later if I'm motivated (unless someone else wants to beat me to it).

I loved the classic

I liked Shine. I read it before the NBA controversy, for what that's worth. (I'm glad so many people found the book becuase of it--what happened was really crappy.)

I found at least one part fairly predictable but that didn't change my enjoyment. What I really liked about it is that while hate-crime is the framework of the story, it's really about a small town and the people and the problems. And by problems, I don't really even mean homophobia.

I had no idea was a GLBT book. Interesting.
I haven't read anything in this category yet, hopefully will soon.

turned out to be a mind f*ck, but I liked it for the most part. Even with the few complaints I had about one of the characters, I felt like the author had some fresh ideas and I'm glad I read the book.

Ash and Shine are both ones I'd like to get to at some point, along with (this one fits, right?)

I'm eager to get Hushed.

I read , ut I didn't like it much.

Boyfriends with Girlfriends This is a great book for these topics. Has anyone else read this one. I read the ARC but it was worth it.

I also have this one but I haven't read it. I think this is one covers this topic as well. Luna

i picked up Kiss the Morning Star which looks like it is going to have some GLBT themes in it - its f/f from what I can tell

Stacia ~ mistress of mediocrity wrote: " turned out to be a mind f*ck, but I liked it for the most part. Even with the few complaints I had about one of the characters, I felt like the author had some fresh ideas and I'..."

I have Will Grayson Will Grayson from the library. I'll be reading it soon.

WG, WG was decent. It wasn't my favorite JG book though. I actually liked Hushed better, come to think of it.

I haven't picked up any JG Books yet. It will be my first. Wow. How often do you get to say it is going to be your first when you are in your 30's? I like that feeling ;)

I liked WG, WG. And I want to read Hushed. I read more LGBT books that are adult, but I've been trying to pick up more YA ones too.

Yeah, I liked WG, WG but it didn't quite match up for me with LFA and TFioS. At least in referencing John Green's part. I actually was unimpressed with JG's writing in that book and loved David Levithan's sections so much more.

Funny because I liked both parts equally. I especially liked the differences between them and they way that the feel of them contrasted with each other. I know that everyone loved Tiny, but I personally much preferred both WG's.

Ladies, what about Papertowns? I hear that its good.

All of John Green's books are good. If I had to order them from favorite to least favorite, though, it'd go The Fault in Our Stars > Looking for Alaska > An Abundance of Katherines > Paper Towns > Will Grayson.

I haven't read Paper Towns or An Abundance of Katherines yet.

So if you take out those, my order is exactly like Jenny's.

Tbat means I will probably be opposite. Ha ha!

Paper Towns is sort of a redo of Looking for Alaska, in much the same way that Villette is to Jane Eyre. Critically speaking, PT makes more sense and is probably a better constructed novel. I just enjoyed the characters in LFA more.

In what way is it a redo? I've never read Villette or Jane Eyre (though I plan on reading the latter soon, since it's my Grandma's favorite). Do you mean that they are similar stories?

I loved the characters in LFA, especially Chip and Takumi.

Both LFA and PT essentially tell the same story. They both have the geeky boy who is infatuated with this Manic Pixie Dream Girl. But the way that the stories play out are different.

deals with a transgendered teen character. The story is told from the point of view of the sister of the trangendered character. The first chapter is rather breathtaking.

I, too, am a big John Green fan. I didn't like Paper Towns as much, partly becuase I think it was almost too literary, and partly becuase by then, he seemed to have a pattern and by the third go-round, it wasn't as fresh. I liked WG, WG, but I also had different expectation for it becuase it was co-written. I like David Levithan's sections just as much, if not more. I still plan to listen to it at some point becusae I understand they basically create the musical on the recording.

If I was ranking John Green books from my favorite to least favorite, I would probably say: Fault in Our Stars > Looking for Alaska > Will Grayson, Will Grayson An Abudance of Katherines > Paper Towns.

Bahaha, we were so off topic that I didn't even realize this was the GLBT thread.

I haven't read many GLBT books, but these are some of the ones that I've seen around:

I want to read The Miseducation of Cameron Post.

ohh Luna sounds interesting Emily

JOHN GREEN! I love all of his books, but if I had to rank them:
PAPER TOWNS is my all time fave of his.
Then KATHERINES(because it never fails to make me snort laugh)
Then LOOKING which tied with FAULT.
Last is WGWG (whose opening line is still stuck in my head two years in- it goes something like you can pick you friends and you can pick your nose but you can't pick you friend's nose...)
He has a short in called zombicorns which was pretty good too; told from a girl's POV (though she sounded identical to his male MC's...)
I'm still planning to read his bit in LET IT SNOW... but I'm saving it :)

Paper Towns is the only one I don't own yet, but I plan on getting it so I'll have all John Green books!

(Totally off topic, lmao)

Apparently I need to get on my reading of JG's books so I can jump into the convo I started. :)

I have a signed coy of Huntress. Perhaps I need to get going on that one too!

Stacia (the hype killer) wrote: "Here's one that would fit if you're looking for something pnr instead of realistic, but I haven't read it.

There are several GLBT books mentioned in this topic as well. htt..."

I have read the prequel to Ash, called "The Huntress" it wasn't bad but was very different. The approach to the GLTB thing was very nonchalant. It made hardly any difference to the characters. Which, ideally I would like a world like that, but our world is so NOT like that I found myself constantly distracted to the lack of reaction to the female to female romance. It was only briefly commented that one of the "noble" women would need to marry to birth an heir before she could go on to have her relationships with women.
However I did like it so I do plan on reading Ash.

Not a new book, but I loved when I was growing up.

I agree that wasn't entirely as engaging as I'd hoped, but I appreciated that it opened up the conversation into much more complex subjects about identity, and less of a "What are these feelings I have for my best friend" style GLBTQ books.

Has anyone else read ? That one underwhelmed me. I wanted to like it more, but the writing style took a while to get into and then the story itself fell sorta flat.

Another one where the writing style takes a moment to get into is . However, this one was a really fun ride for me - very ra-ra girl power Yay! stuff which I wish I could go back in time and gift to my 13 year old self.

Three great or at least good books, though they're not recent...all of them are about coming out and/or accepting oneself:



I gave them respectively 5, 4 and 3 stars.

I rated it ☆☆☆☆

Recommended for those seeking a deep, yet PG story of love and finding out who you are.

I'e looked at that one before - glad you liked it Regan

I just finished up Pink which was different

Dee wrote: "I'e looked at that one before - glad you liked it Regan

I just finished up Pink which was different"

It does sound different.

I've also read which I enjoyed as well!

Just finished reading this:


It was quite enjoyable! Definitely a traditional "getting to know yourself/coming out" story - but the main character was quite charming and smart. This book felt honest, when it comes to highschool experiences. Recommended.

I just read yesterday and it was fantastic! I loved the way the author handled the romance between the two boys. It was very subtle and she never made a huge deal about them being gay. In fact, they're never referred to as gay at all. Just two boys falling in love. :D

I recently read and it is really beautifully written!

Glad to see this thread going again, love getting suggestions for new books related GLBT

i just finished reading reviewing Caught in the Crossfire and Searching for Grace which are GLBT coming of age with a religious theme - I thought the author did a good job of balancing the discovery, with religious beliefs and alternate perspectives