Happy Pride Month, friends 🌈 Whether you’re out and proud, quiet or loud, questioning or completely comfortable with yourself, I hope you all know how valid and incredible you are.
A lot of readers are looking for great YA books to read for Pride Month. Obviously, books with LGBTQ+ characters that will make them feel seen, incredible stories they’ll cherish forever. While there are a lot of recommendations lists like that out there, today, I wanted to share a couple of underrated titles I think deserve a little bit more love.
Please note that this is, obviously, a personal list: you might have heard more of these titles, or less, depending on your circles, and that’s alright! I still hope I can make you add some books to your TBR as, we all know, that’s my ultimate goal with this blog 🙂
Please shout your recommendations for pride month in comments!
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10 Underrated YA Books To Read For Pride Month
Between Perfect and Real, Ray Stoeve
Between Perfect and Real is a moving story about Dean, realizing he’s a trans boy and slowly understanding and seeing his life change as he starts to finally understand himself. It’s deeply emotional at times, yet it’s also wonderful and warm with a cast of characters and friendships that will leave you smiling. Such an important and lovely story!
Find on Goodreads ☂️ Buy on: Amazon – Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
Spellbook of the Lost & Found, Moïra Fowley-Doyle
Moïra Fowley-Doyle writes such atmospheric books, I don’t even know how to explain them, really. It’s about three girls, slowly losing each day personal items until they find a spellbook that might help them bring them back… If you enjoy very atmospheric stories that transport you and don’t mind a bit of weird magic, you’ll love this one for sure. We also have two bisexual main characters and a lesbian side character, so perfectly fitting here!
Find on Goodreads ☂️ Buy on: Amazon – Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
Look, Zan Romanoff
After accidentally going viral with a video of her hooking up with a girl at a party, Lulu shuts herself off from the world, pretending that everything’s alright. This is such an interesting look at social media’s influence in our lives and how we portray ourselves on there, it’s about finding yourself and coming to terms with your bisexuality as well. A lovely read!
Add to Goodreads ☂️ Buy on: Amazon – Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
Going Off Script, Jen Wilde
I’m such a huge fan of Jen Wilde’s books, I can’t stop recommending them okay. Going Off-script is severely underrated and you should read it and here’s why: it’s about Bex, interning at her favorite TV show set, sharing her work and getting it stolen by her boss… who also happens to re-write her lesbian character as straight. It’s a book that makes you want to scream and fight, it’s such a fun read and the characters, oh, I love them.
Find on Goodreads ☂️ Buy on: Amazon – Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
This Is What It Feels Like, Rebecca Barrow
Three former best friends, tentatively coming back together for a musical contest, that’s the plot of This is what it feels like. I adore the focus on friendship in this wonderful, way too underrated read and each of these characters are absolutely FANTASTIC. We also have a Black lesbian main character and a soft f/f romance here, so YAY!
Find on Goodreads ☂️ Buy on: Amazon – Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
The Black Veins, Ashia Monet
The Black Veins is a rollercoaster of a read, that’s for sure! It’s about a group of magicians embarking on a road trip to save their world. You’ve got two bisexual main characters, a trans male main character and I really fell for this little group and all of their adventures. This is perfect if you’re looking for an action-packed read!
Find on Goodreads ☂️ Buy on: Amazon – Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
Miss Meteor, Tehlor Kay Mejia & Anna-Marie McLemore
I don’t think I can ever stop screaming about Miss Meteor and hope you all will read this book. This has two ex-best friends, entering a beauty contest, the found family trope I adore, a pansexual and a trans main character, friends to lovers romance, small town vibes and I just adore this book okay.
Find on Goodreads ☂️ Buy on: Amazon – Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
By Any Means Necessary, Candice Montgomery
By Any Means Necessary was such a lovely read. It’s about Torrey, faced with a hard choice as he starts college: keep on this path or go back, to stop his uncle’s bee farm from being demolished. It has a Black, gay main character, explores toxic relationships, gentrification, friendships and found family and has such a lovely romance, as well.
Find on Goodreads ☂️ Buy on: Amazon – Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
Final Draft, Riley Redgate
I need everyone (and I’m saying, everyone) to read Final Draft because it’s brilliant. Aside from the fat pansexual Ecuadorian writer main character (!!!!), this book is about perfectionnism as a writer (hello, relatable), anxiety, it has a lovely f/f romance and you’ll love this, just read it?
Find on Goodreads ☂️ Buy on: Amazon – Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
We Used To Be Friends, Amy Spalding
Storied about friendship break-ups always hit me really hard and We Used To Be Friends was no exception. Told in dual timelines, this book tells the story of Kat and James, inseparable best friends slowly growing apart. It’s heartbreaking and yet rings so, so true and we have a bisexual main character, as well. 200% recommending this cruelly underrated read.
Find on Goodreads ☂️ Buy on: Amazon – Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
Enjoyed this list? See a book you’d like to read? Order them through these retailers below!
For more YA book recommendations, check out these blog posts:
- 20 YA books to read for Pride Month
- 18 YA Books Like Heartstopper To Read Next (ft. Soft Romances, Great Characters & More!)
📌 Pin 10 Underrated YA Books To Read For Pride Month on Pinterest!
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What are you reading this Pride Month? Any recommendations for me?
Did you read any of these books? I’d LOVE to hear from you in comments!!
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I haven’t heard of a single one of these, but they all sound so good! Thank you for sharing this list!
Oh thank you so much for reading, so happy you liked it! 🙂
Loved reading through this list Marie, such a great variety! I loved your blurb’s for each of these, they are making me want to read these right now. Candice Montgomery and Riley Redgate’s books are on my to-read list, the summary’s have continuously caught my attention! 💕
Thank you so much!! I hope you’ll love these books! 🙂
I 100% agree with Miss Meteor! I cannot believe it hasn’t received more attention!
Right? It’s such an incredible read, I hope more people will fall in love with it!
Great recommendation list 💕 I have been meaning to read Between Perfect and Real because it sounds like a great book! I also love Jen Wilde’s books so much and I’m very hyped that she has a new one coming out next year 🥰 I need to check out Final Draft, I have seen this one around!
Thank you so much, Caro! Oh my god Jen Wilde has a new book soon?? I’m SO excited ahh this is such great news, thank you for letting me know!! And I have a feeling you’d love Final Draft! 🥰
Yes!! There’s nothing concrete but her Twitter bio says a new book is coming next year 🥰 I definitely have to check out Final Draft, my library has the audiobook 🙂
Ahh I’m so excited, I can’t wait to read it!! thank you for letting me know! 🥰
i’ve been meaning to read going off script for so long now!! i honestly can’t believe i haven’t seen more people read it, since i feel like the premise is something a lot of people would love. and i definitely agree with your recommendation of final draft! it makes me so sad that still so many people haven’t read it after all these years 😭 excellent post, i love how you always make an effort to promote underhyped books!!
Final draft is such a fantastic read, I can’t believe it’s not more hyped. It deserves all the love! Thank you so, so much, May! 🥰 I hop eyou can read Going off Script sometime soon!
i am currently reading between perfect and real and loving it so much! i love reading about theatre in books and this one is giving me soooo much!! plus, self-discovery journeys are always great imo. i can’t see myself ever getting tired of them heheh.
i desperately need to read final draft as well, it’s been in my TBR for ages and maybe reading a book about a writer is what will finally kick in my motivation to go back to writing.
Ahh I’m so happy you’re enjoying it! It’s such a lovely read and I feel like it deserves way more love. <3 AND YES please read Final Draft! I adore this book with all of my heart. <3
I’ve heard really good things about Miss Meteor and I think I need to read We Used to Be Friends ASAP. Friendship breakups are the worst and I can’t think of any books I’ve read that centered on that?
Great list, as always!
We need WAY more books about friendship breakups, they’re really the worst. I loved We Used To Be Friends on that theme so much! There’s also When You Were Everything (Ashley Woodfolk) that deals with this theme brilliantly. I cried ahah. Definitely recommending both! 🙂