The existence of people in the LGBT community is a prominent fact of life and the media is starting to introduce characters that represent the acronym more frequently and openly. In honor of Pride Month, I’ve compiled a list of books with prominent queer characters across the spectrum of genres, ranging from fantasy and thriller to slice-of-life stories that depict the presence of LGBT characters as what they are: normal.

“The Fever King” by Victoria Lee

“The Fever King” is a young adult novel set in an urban fantasy world where a magical virus runs rampant. We follow the story of Noam Álvaro, an openly bisexual teenager who struggles with his new reality as a witching after an outbreak at his apartment complex. He has to adjust to a new normal while learning to harness his power, uncovering government plots, and getting to know the mysterious – and attractive – minister’s son. 

It’s rated almost four out of five stars on Goodreads and is certain to draw you further into its world with each chapter.

“This Is Where It Ends” by Marieke Nijkamp

“This Is Where It Ends” follows the event of a harrowing school shooting over the course of 54 minutes from the perspectives of four characters, cycling through to a different perspective each chapter. All of the characters are connected to the shooter in some way, including his sister Autumn and her girlfriend Sylvia, both of whom we get to see from the eyes of as the story progresses. 

It’s rated nearly four out of five stars on Goodreads and is guaranteed to have you on the edge of your seat, rooting for the characters’ lives all throughout the story. 

“One Of Us is Lying” by Karen M. McManus

“One Of Us is Lying” is another multi-person perspective story, following four high schoolers after a boring evening detention ends up with a peer of theirs dead. After it’s discovered that the Boy, Simon, planned to reveal life-altering secrets about each one of them the day before his death, they all become suspects in the case of his murder. All four are determined to keep their secrets and reputations intact while uncovering the mystery, with one even at the risk of having their sexual identity exposed. Who? You’ll have to read the book to find out. 

It’s rated a solid four out of five stars on Goodreads and pulls its readers in with its heightened suspense and an intense conclusion. 

“Loveless” by Alice Oseman

“Loveless” follows the story of 18-year-old Georgia as she transitions from high school to a university, the first pivotal change in a series of pivotal changes she experiences as a young adult. Seeing other people interact with one another and express their sexual desires so openly both confuses and enables her to seek answers of why she doesn’t feel the same. Over the course of the story, she learns to love herself for who she is, even if she doesn’t experience ‘traditional’ love.

It’s given a 4.3 out of five stars on Goodreads and provides a hilarious and heartwarming story of a girl who discovers she’s aro-ace on a casual level that others can relate to. 

“Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe” by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

“Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe” is a young adult coming-of-age novel set in the 1980s that takes us along for the ride as two boys, Aristotle ‘Ari’ Mendoza and Dante Quintana, learn to grapple the increasingly difficult concepts of racial and ethnic identity, sexuality in a time where heteronormativity was ever present and the give-and-take of familial relationships. 

It’s rated 4.4 out of five on Goodreads and the contrasting yet complementing personalities of the two main characters is sure to keep readers hanging around until the end.

“This is Our Rainbow – 16 Stories of Her, Him, Them, and Us” by Nicole Melleby and Katherine Locke

“This is Our Rainbow” is a multi-author anthology of stories from the perspective of those under every letter of the LGBT+ acronym, connected by the topic of identity. Although aimed at middle schoolers with some of its stories leaning towards fantasy in their concepts, “This is Our Rainbow” can be read by anyone wishing to see someone like them in a book or by anyone wanting to understand the community better by experiencing it through the perspective of someone in it. 

It’s rated 4.2 out of five stars on Goodreads and is sure to warm the hearts of many who read these stories and see themselves in the characters, as well as others who are looking to experience the community from the other side. 

Please be aware that all of these stories contain some trigger warnings, including but limited to: child abuse, death, sexual activity and violence. Not all of these stories contain the specific warnings mentioned, but the books mentioned at the start of the list are definitely heavier reads. 

Happy Pride Month and happy reading!