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Imagine you’re back in high school. Imagine you’re fearful of your well-kept secret getting out. Imagine you have no one to turn to, and feel completely isolated. You believe that no one understands you and you’re beginning to think there is something wrong with you. Where do you turn to for help?

Your teen years are also your formative years, and having a place that shows you solace is a necessity. For me, the library was comforting with its booths and infinite books that showed me I wasn’t alone. Several books kept me relatively sane while I endured the rest of high school with them at my side.

The first book I ever read that had a gay protagonist was The Geography Club from Brent Hartinger. Russel Middlebrook was an average teen who happened to be gay and is slowly getting involved with his school’s popular jock, Kevin. In a small town where being different is bullied (Brian, a classmate of Russel’s, is subject to abuse repeatedly because the others believe he’s gay), Russel tries his best to keep it a secret until his friend Min discovers his relationship. Luckily for him, Min admits she also has a secret — Min is bisexual and is seeing a girl. Things progress to where they form a gay-straight alliance group under the illusion of it being a geography club with other kids. After Russel’s outing, and a falling out with his friends after several incidents, he is banished to the unpopular table with Brian. Eventually several things are resolved, but Russel is left heartbroken when Kevin decides to remain in the closet to protect himself. Russel’s story is continued on in four installments and a short story that talks about HIV/AIDs.

You can read an excerpt of The Geography Club here.

The Rainbow Boys trilogy from Alex Sanchez is a treat. It starts off with three high school seniors, each chapter being devoted to one boy, with the start advancing from Jason’s point of view as he tries to phone a gay youth hotline. Throughout the first book, Jason tries to come to terms with being bisexual, Kyle eventually comes out to his parents after a gay magazine is found in his bedroom, and Nelson, who serves as the comedic relief, entertains the readers while trying to be independent from his PFLAG mother. Towards the end of the trilogy, Jason’s scholarship is revoked after kissing Kyle on a televised event, but word gets out that Jason becomes a hero to the community and is invited to speak at an event for a LGBTQ school. Jason also experiences problems with his boyfriend and their friend Nelson, all while enduring a wild trip across the country. The Rainbow Boys series is a perfect read for those struggling to accept themselves, and will shed light on its sometime uncomfortable, sometime joyful moments.

You can read an excerpt of Rainbow Boys here.

David Levithan’s Boy Meets Boy is the classic romance fairy tale: boy meets boy, boy screws up, boy tries to win boy’s heart again. The entire novel is mainly set in the idyllic town where any LGBTQ activity is accepted and even welcomed; the town is so embracing that when the Boy Scouts banned homosexuals from its activities, the town banned the Boy Scouts and formed their own scouts. The narrator for the story, Paul, falls in love with a new student, Noah, and tries to start a relationship with him. The book also introduces additional characters and storylines such as Paul’s best friend, Tony, who comes from a town over with religious parents who are not as tolerant; Paul’s ex-boyfriend who is attracted to both genders but hates the word bisexual; and Infinite Darlene, the school’s quarterback and homecoming queen. Levithan’s 2003 novel is simply cute and romantic and doesn’t offer much more than longing for an ideal town that is friendly towards the LGBTQ community.

You can read an excerpt of Boy Meets Boy here.

The first book I ever read that dealt with transgender issues was from Julie Anne Peters. Her 2004 novel, Luna, focused on sixteen-year-old Regan and her life, including an older sibling, the titular Luna, who is in the process of transitioning from male to female. Regan observes her family as it is falling apart, including a mother who is aware of Luna’s transformation and ignores her family, choosing to focus on her career as a wedding planner. The siblings’ father believes Luna is a homosexual, and confides to Regan about his thoughts on his son. Luna makes Regan promise to keep her secret, which places pressure on the younger sibling as Luna begins to come out during the daytime instead of the night. Please note, this is not exactly meant for any transgender people specifically but for those who may know some personally. It is unique to note that Peters later stated she couldn’t write from Luna’s perspective because she is not a transgender person and never will be, and writing from Regan’s perspective offered a differing view of having someone in their life that is transitioning.

You can read an excerpt of Luna here.

An honorary mention goes to The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Stephen Chbosky’s wallflower Charlie is a loner starting his first year of high school, who eventually befriends an eccentric bunch of characters, including the very queer Patrick and his sister Sam. Charlie later causes a falling out with his new friends and is only welcomed back to the group after defending Patrick from his closeted boyfriend and friends who instigate a fight. Perks is a true coming-of-age story that will leave most readers relating towards Charlie and his chaotic life that is slowly explained throughout letters told to an anonymous person. I fully recommend watching the film as well, because Logan Lerman, Emma Watson and Ezra Miller do an outstanding job bringing fictional characters to life.

You can read an excerpt of The Perks of Being a Wallflower here.

Most stories never have a happy ending, and those that do leave many questions unanswered. Every book listed is completely different but is aimed at a younger audience. The complicated lives in Perks, Luna and Geography Club, the ideal Boy, and coming to terms with who you are in the Rainbow trilogy all encompass the spectrum of a different lifestyle. If you are ever alone and find solace in reading, pick up one of these books and let someone else live in your head for a time and know you are not alone.

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