Queer Girls YA Book Recommendations #1

As a queer girl I’ve certainly read too few books where women love women (wlw). Complete reviews I’ve written are linked.

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We Are Okay by Nina LaCour

• Marin leaves her old life behind without telling anyone. She’s already chosen her college for fall, so she leaves early and stays at a run down motel until it opens. The book starts with Marin staying behind at the college dorm as everyone leaves for winter break. She’s anxiously awaiting the visit from her “old” friend Mabel and that her lives, which she’s managed to keep seperated until now, are going to clash.
• The lesbian relationship was so cute in that they had history, both fucked up and now have no idea how to talk to each other. There’s this whole mystery about why Marin left her old life so abruptly, which it’s obvious Mabel is trying to figure out too. It slowly unfolds until it both doesn’t matter and you kind of understand it. It’s a weird feeling, but I adored it.
• Snowed-in scenes like it’s an actual fanfic, where the couple just spends large parts of the book alone at the college

The Miseducation of Cameron Post

• A SAD STORY, but also about being brave and sticking up for others
• The main character is finding themselves as a lesbian, growing up in Montana
• At one point in the story her family sends her to a religious conversion therapy camp – which I think you should be prepared for going into this book
• Queer people bonding together and becoming friends
• Has a movie adaption with the same name, which conveys some of the same messages, but not so in-depth and emotion as this book. For example there’s this huge betrayal that happes, wrecking Cameron Post’s life for a while, and in the movie she just seems generally depressed for a while because of her circumstances. Also the movie is worth it simply because Chlow Grace Moretz is the lead *hearteyes*.

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Girl Mans Up by M-E Girard

• Penn is 16 years old and struggling with her gender identity, especially with hanging around tougher boys that doesn’t leave her alone to figure it out. Definitely a lot of unwelcome questions and harassment about it.
• Loves video games
• She seems to go towards idenitifying as a butch lesbian and the parts where she’s figuring out her attraction to girls and going into her first relationship are so cute. The balance between the cute and ugly parts in this book is really special.
• Dealing with family that doesn’t understand or accept non-hetero sexualities

Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour

• It’s a lovely story of a girl who works with decorating movie sets falling in love with a mystery and then the girl underneath it. 
• Entertaining, sweet and filled with special moments

Which queer books (especially with queer girls) have you read?