Category Archives: Queer Lit

Pumpkin by Julie Murphy

Pumpkin by Julie Murphy

Waylon Russell Brewer is a fat, openly gay boy stuck in the small West Texas town of Clover City. His plan is to bide his time until he can graduate, move to Austin with his twin sister, Clementine, and finally go Full Waylon, so that he can live his Julie-the-hills-are-alive-with-the-sound-of-music-Andrews truth. So when Clementine deviates from their master plan right after Waylon gets dumped, he throws caution to the wind and creates an audition tape for his favourite TV drag show, Fiercest of Them All. What he doesn’t count on is the tape accidentally getting shared with the entire… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

  • Lesbomisia & lesbomisic slurs
  • Homomisia & homomisic slurs
  • Blood & physical injury depiction (broken bone)
  • Physical assault

Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy

Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy

Since then, it’s been Ramona and her family against the world. Standing over six feet tall with unmistakable blue hair, Ramona is sure of three things: she likes girls, she’s fiercely devoted to her family, and she knows she’s destined for something bigger than the trailer she calls home in Eulogy, Mississippi. But juggling multiple jobs, her flaky mom, and her well-meaning but ineffectual dad forces her to be the adult of the family. Now, with her sister, Hattie, pregnant, responsibility weighs more heavily than ever. The return of her childhood friend Freddie brings a welcome distraction… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

  • Lesbomisia & lesbomisic slurs
  • Alcohol consumption

Puddin’ by Julie Murphy

Puddin’ by Julie Murphy

Millie Michalchuk has gone to fat camp every year since she was a girl. Not this year. This year she has new plans to chase her secret dream—and to kiss her crush. Callie Reyes is the pretty girl who is next in line for dance team captain and has the popular boyfriend. But when it comes to other girls, she’s more frenemy than friend. When circumstances bring the girls together over the course of a semester, they will surprise everyone (especially themselves) by realizing they might have more in common than they ever imagined.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

  • Fatmisia & body shaming
  • Dieting discussed

Secret by Brigid Kemmerer

Secret by Brigid Kemmerer

Nick Merrick is stretched to breaking point. He’s trying to keep his grades sky-high or he won’t get into college. He’s trying to keep his brother’s business afloat or the Merricks will be out on the street. He’s trying to keep the secret of where he’s going in the evenings from his twin brother Gabriel – or he fears he’ll lose his family. And he’s trying to keep his mind off the hot, self-assured dancer who is his ‘girlfriend’s’ partner.

And then Quinn takes to hanging around his sworn enemy, and an Elemental Guide is counting the hours until he can try again to kill the Merrick brothers. Storms are brewing. On all sides.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

  • Child abuse
  • Coming out themes
  • Parent with alcoholism
  • Grief & loss depiction

Faith: Greater Heights by Julie Murphy

Faith: Greater Heights by Julie Murphy

Faith Herbert can finally admit that she’s not a regular teen. Thankfully, her two best friends, Matt and Ches, are now in on her superhero secret. But after the chaos of her first semester, Faith just wants to end her senior year on a normal note—enjoying all the hallmarks of graduating high school—like prom! And, possibly, getting to attend college in the fall. A new teacher has taken over journalism class, and Faith is only occasionally reminded of the empty spot left by Colleen Bristow, the quiet nerd-turned-supervillain. That is, until Faith hears from Peter that other psiots have been… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

  • Strangulation
  • Physical assault
  • Fire
  • Loss of autonomy (mind control)

Faith: Taking Flight by Julie Murphy

Faith: Taking Flight by Julie Murphy

Faith Herbert is a pretty regular teen. When she’s not hanging out with her two best friends, Matt and Ches, she’s volunteering at the local animal shelter or obsessing over the long-running teen drama The Grove. So far, her senior year has been spent trying to sort out her feelings for her maybe-crush Johnny and making plans to stay close to Grandma Lou after graduation. Of course, there’s also that small matter of recently discovering she can fly. When the fictional world of The Grove crashes into Faith’s reality as the show relocates to her town, she can’t believe it when… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

  • Gun violence
  • Physical assault
  • Fire

Take Me with You When You Go by Jennifer Niven and David Levithan

Take Me with You When You Go by Jennifer Niven & David Levithan

Ezra Ahern wakes up one day to find his older sister, Bea, gone. Nothing but an email address hidden somewhere only he would find it. Ezra never expected to be left behind with their abusive stepfather and their neglectful mother – how is he supposed to navigate life without Bea?

Bea Ahern already knew she needed to get as far away from home as possible. But a message in her inbox changes everything, and she finds herself alone in a new city – without Ez, without a real plan – chasing someone who might not even want to be found.

Together and apart, broken by abuse but connected by love, this brother and sister must learn to trust themselves before they can find a way back to each other.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

  • Child abuse & neglect
  • Sibling abuse mentioned
  • Death of a parent
  • Gun violence recounted

Needlework by Julia Watts 

Needlework by Julia Watts 

While other sixteen-year-old boys in Morgan, Kentucky, love hunting and football, Kody prefers to spend his time quilting with his grandmother (“Nanny”), watching Golden Girls reruns, and listening to old Dolly Parton albums. Nanny is Kody’s main caregiver, but it takes both Nanny and Kody to take care of Kody’s mother, whose drug problem is spinning out of control. Between looking after Mommy and trying to survive in a place that doesn’t look kindly on feminine boys, Kody already has a hard time making sense of his life. But then he uncovers a family secret that will change everything in his life.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

  • Religious homomisia
  • Parent with a substance addiction
  • Death of a parent

Love Somebody by Rachel Roasek

Love Somebody by Rachel Roasek

Sam Dickson is a charismatic actress, ambitious and popular with big plans for her future. Ros Shew is one of the smartest people in school–but she’s a loner, and prefers to keep it that way. Then there’s Christian Powell, the darling of the high school soccer team. He’s not the best with communication, which is why he and Sam broke up after dating for six months; but he makes up for it by being genuine, effusive, and kind, which is why they’re still best friends.

When Christian falls for Ros on first sight, their first interaction is a disaster, so he enlists Sam’s help to get through to her. Sam, with motives of her own, agrees to coach Christians…. Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

  • Queermisia mentioned
  • Sexual assault (nonconsensual kiss)
  • Child abandonment
  • Death of a parent from cancer mentioned

The Kindred by Alechia Dow

The Kindred by Alechia Dow

The Kindred by Alechia Dow

Joy Abara knows her place. A commoner from the lowly planet Hali, she lives a simple life—apart from the notoriety that being Kindred to the nobility’s most infamous playboy brings.

Duke Felix Hamdi has a plan. He will exasperate his noble family to the point that they agree to let him choose his own future and finally meet his Kindred face-to-face.

Then the royal family is assassinated, putting Felix next in line for the throne…and accused of the murders. Someone will stop at nothing until he’s dead, which means they’ll target Joy, too.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

  • Body-shaming & fatmisia
  • Alcohol use
  • Blood depiction
  • Physical injury
  • Death
  • Murder
  • Torture
  • Captivity
  • Poverty themes
  • War themes
  • Mind control & loss of autonomy