The 12 Best Queer YA Books Since 2000, According to Kirkus

Chee’s A Thousand Steps into Night had me thinking how maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to live freely as a blue-skinned she-demon in a Japan-inspired world. Here, she’s meted out another action-packed YA fantasy that features powerful, magic-wielding femmes and nonbinary teens. Instead of demons, there are the kindling—magical youth who were once used as weapons by the elite in their wars. Now that kindling warfare has been made illegal, the kindlings themselves have been made obsolete and, therefore, aimless. But there is still violence, and when a village is about to be set upon, a group of seven kindlings takes a stand (this has been likened to the films Seven Samurai and The Magnificent Seven, if you weren’t already picking up on those vibes.) —Erica Ezeifedi

Listen, this book had me staying up all night. This is Emezi’s young adult work, and it feels so different from everything else they’ve written. This National Book Award finalist puts readers in a utopian world (or so we think). In Jam’s near-future society, there are no monsters anymore. Society has healed from its wounds, and equality and justice flourish. Why, then, does a creature named Pet tell Jam that there is a monster lurking in her friend Redemption’s house? This is a truly brilliant fable about what happens when people refuse to admit that monsters can be all around us. In addition, how often do we get to see utopias in literature, rather than dystopian horror? Emezi’s groundbreaking novel will have you envisioning a new world after you speed through its pages. —Mya Nunnally

Marin hasn’t spoken to anyone from her old life since she left everything behind. Nor has she dealt with the truth herself. But when her best friend Mabel comes to visit her in college, Marin will finally be forced to confront the tragedy, grief, and truth from the life she’s been trying to escape. Told in Nina LaCour’s beautiful and evocative prose, We Are Okay is a novel that will leave you in tears but with hope in your heart. It’s a profound novel about grief, tragedy, and love. —Adiba Jaigirdar

Elatsoe is an asexual Lipan Apache teenager with an affinity for the ghosts of dead animals, including her best pal, her ghost dog Kirby. When her cousin is murdered, Elatsoe and Kirby set out to figure out what happened—a quest which leads them into a whole lot of danger and mystery. This book is brimming over with fun and joy, despite its underlying seriousness. Elatsoe is an irresistible narrator — smart, resourceful, confident, and absolutely sure of who she is and what she wants. I would follow her anywhere. —Laura Sackton

A young Chinese American girl fears for her family’s place in San Francisco’s Chinatown as the wave of McCarthyism and anti-Chinese sentiment threatens her father’s hard-won citizenship. It’s not an easy time to be different in America. But it isn’t only the racism surrounding her that threatens Lily’s happy life; it’s also her growing feelings for a fellow classmate, Kathleen Miller. As the two explore San Francisco’s lesbian nightlife, a whole new world opens up to Lily. But is it worth risking her family’s place here—and Lily’s place in her family? —Rachel Brittain

Everyone knows Miel and Sam are odd, and they generally stay away from the pair. But Miel and Sam know they aren’t the real threats—that’s the Bonner girls, four sisters in town who everyone says are witches. The rumors circulate that the witches are after Miel, who can grow roses out of her wrist. They want the roses for their power, and they’ll stop at nothing to get to Miel. —Cassie Gutman

This graphic novel series full of heart and personality is sure to capture your attention from the very first page. Charlie is a highly-strung, openly gay overthinker. Nick is a cheerful, soft-hearted rugby player. The boys meet at a British all-boys grammar school. Friendship blooms quickly, but neither of them can deny that there’s room and desire for something more. They quickly become friends, and soon Charlie is falling hard for Nick, even though he doesn’t think he has a chance. But as both boys are about to learn, love and human attraction work in mysterious ways. —Jeffrey Davies

Randy lives for the annual musical production at Camp Outland, a place where queer teens can experience both kinds of camp at once. But to accomplish his dream, he is willing to give it all up, adopt a new masc persona, Del, and try to start a relationship with his longtime crush, Hudson. You see, Hudson is known to date around the masc campers, and Randy knows fitting Hudson’s type is his best chance at love. But as the role of Del brings him closer to Hudson, Randy begins to realize the major flaw in his plan. No one can fall in love with a fake persona. —R. Nassor

You’ve probably seen this book everywhere, but it truly is worth all the hype. The vibes are immaculate. It follows two boys, Aristotle and Dante, who are each wonderful in their own way. Ari is an angsty teenager who is full of care but hasn’t learned how to express it. Dante is a teen who is unrestrained with all the care and affection he feels, and boy, does he feel a lot. They meet and learn to navigate this life thing together. I have literally used this book as a test of friendship. If you don’t like this book, we might not get along. You could be so great, but I might have to pass. —Yashvi Peeti

Have you ever sobbed on an airplane while reading a book? Well, I have done so several times, most recently at Adam Silvera’s talented hands. The title tells you what you’re in for, but there’s still no way not to fall in love with the two main characters. A mysterious system called Deathcast notifies people at midnight on the day of their death. Mateo and Rufus meet on their death day and spend it together, trying to live it to its fullest. You will cry. —Mikkaka Overstreet

Young shapeshifter Nimona wants nothing more than to be supervillain Lord Blackheart’s sidekick. They are determined to reveal that law enforcement heroes like Sir Goldenloin aren’t nearly as good as they would like everyone to believe. But will Nimona’s impulsiveness and mysterious past get in the way of their revenge? This is a deeply sincere, award-winning graphic novel that questions everything from the government to the gender binary in elegant and hilarious ways. —R. Nassor

(The queer content in the graphic novel is strong subtext, but it’s made canon in the movie adaptation.)

Courtney Summers returns with a groundbreaking queer thriller that you won’t be able to stop thinking about even after turning the last page. In I’m the Girl, Georgia Avis discovers the dead body of 13-year-old Ashley James, kickstarting a game of cat and mouse with one vicious killer. She teams up with Ashley’s older sister, Nora, in order to find the killer before he murders again. —Silvana Reyes Lopez