My older teen is in that exploring and questioning phase. They are frustrated all recommended books are fluffy teen hetero romance. Other highly recommended books like Heartstopper is very sweet and my kids loves the series but would like a little more tasteful graphic description. Is there a good series out there that has a story, light on the physical romance, not hetero, with mature-ish characters?
by Colodagh
8 Comments
Hey there! I totally get where you’re coming from. It can be tough finding the right LGBTQ+ YA romance with a bit more depth. I’d recommend checking out “[The Gravity Between Us](https://wydgetlabs.com/?red=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2F190949013X%3F%26tag%3Damznwydget-20%26linkCode%3Dur2%26creative%3D9325%26th%3D1%26language%3Den_US)” by Kristen Zimmer. It’s a beautifully written romance with mature characters and a well-developed story. You can find it on Amazon. Hope your teen enjoys it!
Products:
Maybe *We Set The Dark On Fire* by Tehlor Kay Mejia? It’s a duology that I think has what you are looking for.
Plain Bad Heroines by Emily Danforth is a fun read.
The “Darius the Great” duology by Adib Khorram or “What They Always Tell Us” by Martin Wilson. I especially appreciated the way the former handles consent
This High School has Closets by Robert Joseph Greene
The magic fish is lovely.
I’m not sure if there’s any physical stuff in *Charm Offensive*, by Alison Cochrun. The characters are adults but it’s very wholesome.
ETA *Two Boys Kissing*. It’s listed as YA but it’s so…..deep? Powerfull? I don’t know the right words, but it was fantastic and will also resonate with anyone who remembers the AIDS crisis. It’s a lovely book.
ETA again: *The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue* by Mackenzi Lee – this one is not pure. There’s no actual sex but one character is a “loveable bisexual mess” and very horny, so there’s probably dick jokes and definitely lots of innuendo. Read the reviews on goodreads, they are pretty funny, trying to describe a goofy historical-fiction queer adventure story with magical realism that deals with feminism, ableism, pirates, and parental expectations.
For a love story that’s as thought-provoking as it is romantic, ‘Normal People’ by Sally Rooney is a novel I often suggest. The complex dynamic between Connell and Marianne as they weave in and out of each other’s lives is a modern look at love, power, and the subtleties of class.