Teens are the reason that Young Adult literature exists. The adult members of the YA community write, edit, publish, blog, buy, and organize so that teens can have excellent books to read. And yet, it can be easy to lose sight of this, the reason we are doing it all. This issue reconnects us with that reason, reminding us all why we are here and doing this work– for teens!
This issue was headed up by our fantastic team member Kaitlin (@writerkaitlinm). She conducted interviews with five excellent authors on the power of teens and how teens influence their work, as well as three interviews with teens on what they’d like to see more of in LGBTQIAP+ YA literature. Our December issue is rounded off by an essay from a teen author and a book list curated by Kaitlin.
It was only a few years ago that I was a teen. At that time, I was an avid reader of YA and an active member in the YA community. I had a lot of thoughts, and I liked sharing them. Unfortunately, my thoughts were either not taken seriously or, sometimes, they were taken too seriously with no regard for my age, and I was attacked by adults for not phrasing everything perfectly. It was frustrating to feel like I had no safe space to start sharing my perspective. Although I believe things have gotten better, teen voices still go unacknowledged far too often in this community. I’m extremely honored to be able to feature four pieces from teens in this issue, to recenter their perspectives.
I also think adults forget why the work we are doing is so important. When I was a teen, advocating for better representation in YA books came so naturally. It was vital to me. Books were a huge part of how I was coming to understand myself and the world around me, so I was desperate for more diverse stories and representation. And I was just as passionate, if not more so, to make sure that other teens had access to the affirming stories that already existed. I knew firsthand how important those stories were.
But now, as an adult (albeit a very young one!), with a firmer grasp on who I am, the immediacy has diminished. Sometimes I lose touch with the why of the work– and I know I’m not alone in that forgetting. Reading the interviews from Adiba Jaigirdar, Mason Deaver, and other fantastic authors reminded me why it’s such an honor to write for and advocate for teens.
Reading this issue was a delight, and I hope everyone finds it just as joyful and affirming, whether you are adults or teens. I hope that teens will find it refreshing to listen to other teens’ perspectives, and I hope that adults will find it helpful to remember why we are doing this work (whether you’re a writer, editor, blogger, publisher, librarian, teacher, or someone else in the community). LGBTQIAP YA+ books impact teens profoundly. And it is a delight, honor, and privilege to write and advocate for those books!
-Vee
Ryan: Part of it is because I’m just starting to feel like an adult myself, and I write retroactively, so the themes I feel most comfortable tackling have to do with coming of age rather than adult world stuff. But I love having the opportunity to give young people representation, because I think they’re the ones who need it most. My experience as a teen felt very isolating and lonely and books kept me company while opening my mind up to different worlds and different ways of seeing the world. The freedom that comes with being an adult gives us more a sense of how big the world is, and how much is out there, but teens are still confined by rules and curfews, which feel stifling. I like giving them an opportunity to venture past those feelings and explore new things, and I like having a chance to impart in them the worldly wisdom I’ve gained as an adult.
How do today’s teens inspire your writing?
I think today’s teen generation is one of the most socially conscious ever, which is endlessly inspiring to me. They’re unafraid to open sociopolitical conversations and state their opinions while keeping a sensitive approach in mind. I’ve been so impressed by young activists, from Greta Thunberg to Emma Gonzalez to Mari Copeny. It’s really moving how they keep their pulse on the importance of ethics, and aren’t afraid to stand tall in their belief systems and fight corruption. They push the world to be a more ethical place, and that is what I want to do in my writing and in my action.
Adiba: When I was a teen, there were no books that came close to representing me. As a result of that and just general lack of representation in the media, along with stereotyping of people like me, I grew up with a lot of insecurities surrounding who I was. Most of it was specifically to do with my culture, my faith, and my sexuality. In fact, even as an adult I feel like I’m still unlearning a lot of the negativity that I had internalised about myself when I was a teen.
I write for teens because I hope that the teens of today and of the future won’t have to go through the same kind of thing that I did. I hope that they will be able to find themselves, or at least parts of themselves, in the books they read. I hope that they will learn to accept and love themselves and their differences.
How do today’s teens inspire your writing?
I think today’s teens are very brave in a way that I never quite remember being, and I don’t remember a lot of my peers being when I was a teen. They are very aware of the world around them and they’re determined to effect change.
All of these things inspire my writing because I want to write about teens who play a part in effecting change—whether these are small changes within themselves and people that they know, or big changes in the world around them.
I primarily write for queer brown girls, so I hope that they will finally be able to see a reflection of themselves in my books—because they are so rare to find. But mostly, I hope that teens will be able to find joy and hope in my books.
What do you think adult writers can learn from teens?
Honestly, there is so much to learn from teens. As adults we can’t see the world in the way that younger people do. Most teens are experiencing a lot of things for the first time, and as a result, they’re always learning and growing. I think that’s the most important thing we can learn from them: that it’s important to learn and grow, no matter your age, and all the ways in which we can do this. The world and people are always shifting around us, and the moment we become stagnant in our learning and our perceptions of the world is the moment that we kind of become outdated ourselves.
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Zack: Well, I wrote my first manuscript in eighth grade, so back then I wrote about teens because I was one! But now it’s ten years later, and I think the YA genre has stuck with me because I still believe that teens are the most important readers to reach. This is the age when we all decide who we want to be…it’s confusing, it’s emotional, and it’s transformative in a way I feel no other phase of life can match. You remember the four years of high school a lot more clearly (for better or worse) than you remember age 34-38, or 52-56, or whatever. My goal is to help contribute to the conversation…not in telling teens what to think, but helping them to question how they think.
How do today’s teens inspire your writing?
Oh my gosh…by doing the amazing things they’re doing. By facing some of the worst economic, social, cultural, and environmental challenges of the modern era. When I sit down to write, I try to write characters that emulate this behavior; characters who have complex, informed opinions and passion for conquering the challenges society is throwing at them today. Nothing annoys me more in YA than teen characters who are presented as reactionary, angsty, and self-centered. Obviously we all go through phases like this, but the teens of today are so much more than that. And they’re the ones who really inspire me.
As mentioned above, my goal isn’t to tell teens what to think, but rather, to help them question how they think. My first book, Deposing Nathan, tackles the discussion of queerness coexisting alongside religion, specifically Christianity. Each of my characters has their own views on this issue. My goal in writing this was to throw a lot of different ideas and arguments at the reader, in the hopes of helping anyone who may be having this discussion with themselves internally.
What do you think adult writers can learn from teens?
In addition to everything mentioned above, I think 90% of adult-aged writers–myself included, at times–could do to learn how teenagers actually talk when writing dialogue.
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Find out more about Deposing Nathan!
Mason: I think I write for teens because I remember those being some of the most formative years of my life. I also remember just how confused I was when I was that age, so I want to write books that can help teenagers. There’s no way for me to go back in time, for me to give these answers to my younger self, so if I can give them to a teenager struggling today, then I’ve done my job.
How do today’s teens inspire your writing?
Teens are smart, they know what’s going on. You can’t (and shouldn’t) trick them, or try to pull a fast one. I think that makes my writing honest, I know who I’m writing for, and what they know, and I feel like that makes my writing more truthful.
Lots of things, but mostly I want to tell teens that forgiveness isn’t always necessary. Even if they’re a part of your family, your own relatives, you don’t have to forgive them if they’ve hurt you. Take your anger, feel it, and move on, but forgiveness doesn’t have to be a part of that equation.
What do you think adult writers can learn from teens?
Well, I said it before. Teens are smart, and I think that there are some adult writers out there that need to learn that.
Lyla: I write for teens because I was an avid reader when I was a teen that rarely saw myself in the books I read. I actually gave up on YA for a bit when I was in my late teens because I couldn’t relate with much of the stories. Now as an adult, I strive to write books with the POC/LGBTQ+ representation that I desperately needed as a teen with the hope that it’ll help teens today feel less alone.
How do today’s teens inspire your writing?
When I’m not writing, I work with teens every day for my day job. I greatly enjoy my job because today’s teens are always onto the next biggest thing or know the best new jokes and memes. I try to keep up, but as someone who is currently in my mid-twenties, I’m definitely not getting any younger, lol. I do have moments when I feel lost and really old but I like to laugh along all the same! And interacting so much with teens in real life helps me keep my writing as up to date as I can make it.
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by Alex Higgins
When people think of YA writers, they probably think of the big name authors. There are tons of interviews and guests posts out there where writers talk about what it’s like to be a YA author, but a lot of this content is from adults. There isn’t much talk about the writers sneaking in some writing time during a lecture, the writers drafting a chapter before after school sports, the writers staying up late to work on their stories after they’ve finished their homework.
We know what it’s like for adult writers—but what’s it like to be a teen writer in YA?
The obvious—writing while you’re in school!
All teen writers know this struggle well. Writing is hard enough without adding the demands of school to your plate. You have to learn how to balance readings, essays, tests, and writing when there are only so many hours in the day. This doesn’t even take into account things like extracurriculars, sports, and jobs. I think all teen writers know what it’s like to write into the dead of night because that’s the only free time you have.
Sleep? I hope to capture that elusive creature one day.
Nailing the teen voice
One of the most important aspects of YA stories is the teen voice, and it is really hard to nail. Every teen has picked up a book and thought, “Do authors really think teenagers sound like this?” There’s no one specific teen voice, but you know it when you read it. Teen writers are in a unique position—we can totally nail the voice! Our characters feel authentic and realistic because we’re the target demographic for YA. We’re surrounded by other teenagers every day so writing about them is second nature.
Sidebar, but you’ll find that teen writers make the best memes for their books. Shoutout to Chloe Gong (@thechloegong) for truly revolutionizing the way YA books should be marketed to teens.
Placing a lot of emphasis on hitting career milestones by a certain age
A lot of writers set writing goals, but I find that teen writers are the ones who place the most importance on hitting a milestone by a certain age. For me, I was absolutely determined to get an agent by the time I was eighteen. Teen writers feel like they have to hit these milestones by a certain deadline or they’ll “fall behind” in publishing and lose their chance. I used to think the thing that set me apart from other writers was my age, and I feared that once I got older, I’d lose that special something.
I was wrong. My writing is what sets me apart from other writers, and that doesn’t have an expiration date. A lot of these goals—getting an agent, getting a book deal—are out of your hands and based partially on luck and timing. Other teen writers, I promise that you won’t ever lose your chance. If you forget about those looming deadlines and focus on making your writing the best it can be, you’ll be well on your way to meeting those goals you set for yourself.
Navigating a balance between life and writing
All writers have heard some variation of this advice: to write good stories, you have to experience life. Your writing will suffer if you never hang out with your friends or if you pass up an opportunity to go out in favor of staying home to write. For teens, this advice is especially hard to follow. These are supposed to be some of the best years of our lives, but it’s tough to choose between hanging out with friends or drafting a new chapter. I still haven’t quite learned how to master this balance, but I try to remember that you don’t improve your writing just by practicing. Getting out there and living a full life has a positive impact your work, too.
Being underestimated
One of the downsides to being a teen writer is that you will inevitably run into people who don’t take you seriously. No matter how much you know about craft and the industry, they’ll assume you don’t know what you’re talking about simply because of your age. The best way to show them otherwise is to excel with your writing. When you finally finish that first book, or sign an agent contract, or hold your published book in your hands, you’ll feel that sweet satisfaction that comes with proving them wrong.
Finding other teen writers
It can be hard to find other teen writers who share similar writing goals. Even after trying three creative writing clubs and a creative writing class, I couldn’t find someone who shared the same interests as me. This is where the internet, Twitter in particular, saved me. I’ve met a bunch of other teen writers online, and I find that it’s easy to connect with them because we’re going through similar things. There’s nothing like meeting another person who understands the pain of NaNoWriMo falling during one of the busiest times of the semester. I love all my writing friends, but the camaraderie I feel with other teen writers is unlike anything else.
Writing queer characters when you’re unsure of your own identity
Being a queer teen writer is amazing—the community is so supportive and wonderful—but it can be hard, too. When I was younger, I struggled to write queer characters who were proud of their identites because they made me feel like a fraud. My characters knew who they were, but I was confused about my own sexual orientation. Through writing their stories, I came to realize who I was. My novel was a way for me to explore my own messy thoughts and feelings about sexuality without any pressure on me to decide one way or another. Writing gives teens a safe place to work through their own identity without any expectations or judgments.
To other teen writers that are like me—I see you, and you are valid.
Growing up with We Need Diverse Books
Teens today are growing up with an industry that has changed for the better because of We Need Diverse Books. I know it had a huge impact on me and my writing. I grew up surrounded by books that represented a wide spectrum of people. Stories that centered on queer characters in particular had the biggest impact on me because they helped me figure out my own complicated thoughts about my sexual orientation.
WNDB also helped improve my writing. Because I was constantly reading books that featured people of color, queer characters, neurodiverse characters, disabled characters, that became my normal. Teens today write some of the most diverse, authentic stories, and they should be celebrated!
Writing with a mental illness
It’s hard enough to balance school, a social life, and writing, but everything is ten times harder when you have a mental illness. Teenagers already have intense emotions—add a mental illness to that and things get tricky. I have Seasonal Affective Disorder and depression, so the end of the fall semester is always rough for me, and I struggle to get writing done during that time of the year.
I wish I had a magic answer for how to deal with it all, but I think having supportive writing friends who understand what you’re going through is the most important thing. As long as you have your people around you, you’ll be okay. The writing will still be there when you feel better.
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Teen writers are an important part of the YA community. I think it’s important to highlight the voices of teen creators in a community that centers teen voices—we bring a unique viewpoint to the table and we’re actively trying to make literature better for people like us.
To all the teen writers out there wondering if anyone notices them, the writers struggling to fit writing time into their busy schedules as they juggle homework and a social life—keep going! I can’t wait to buy your books someday soon.
LGBTQIAP+ Books That Highlight the Power of Teens
Our mission to uplift LGBTQIAP+ YA books might be a giveaway, but we REALLY love books that don’t shy away from the truth of the teen experience. Getting through the teenage years takes incredible strength and resilience. While many pare down being a teenager to attending high school (which is difficult enough in and of itself), teens confront social issues head on to build a better world and fight to love themselves in hate-filled environments. Whether the power of the teens in this list stems from starting or joining a social movement, saving a kingdom, or learning to accept and love themselves, we can’t get enough. Here are some amazing LGBTQIAP+ YA books that highlight the power of teens.
I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver
When Ben De Backer comes out to their parents as nonbinary, they’re thrown out of their house and forced to move in with their estranged older sister, Hannah, and her husband, Thomas, whom Ben has never even met. Struggling with an anxiety disorder compounded by their parents’ rejection, they come out only to Hannah, Thomas, and their therapist and try to keep a low profile in a new school.
But Ben’s attempts to survive the last half of senior year unnoticed are thwarted when Nathan Allan, a funny and charismatic student, decides to take Ben under his wing. As Ben and Nathan’s friendship grows, their feelings for each other begin to change, and what started as a disastrous turn of events looks like it might just be a chance to start a happier new life.
At turns heartbreaking and joyous, I Wish You All the Best is both a celebration of life, friendship, and love, and a shining example of hope in the face of adversity.
We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia
At the Medio School for Girls, distinguished young women are trained for one of two roles in their polarized society. Depending on her specialization, a graduate will one day run a husband’s household or raise his children, but both are promised a life of comfort and luxury, far from the frequent political uprisings of the lower class. Daniela Vargas is the school’s top student, but her bright future depends upon no one discovering her darkest secret—that her pedigree is a lie. Her parents sacrificed everything to obtain forged identification papers so Dani could rise above her station. Now that her marriage to an important politico’s son is fast approaching, she must keep the truth hidden or be sent back to the fringes of society, where famine and poverty rule supreme.
On her graduation night, Dani seems to be in the clear, despite the surprises that unfold. But nothing prepares her for all the difficult choices she must make, especially when she is asked to spy for a resistance group desperately fighting to bring equality to Medio. Will Dani cling to the privilege her parents fought to win for her, or to give up everything she’s strived for in pursuit of a free Medio—and a chance at a forbidden love?
Death Prefers Blondes by Caleb Roehrig
Teenage socialite Margo Manning leads a dangerous double life. By day, she dodges the paparazzi while soaking up California sunshine. By night, however, she dodges security cameras and armed guards, pulling off high-stakes cat burglaries with a team of flamboyant young men. In and out of disguise, she’s in all the headlines.
But then Margo’s personal life takes a sudden, dark turn, and a job to end all jobs lands her crew in deadly peril. Overnight, everything she’s ever counted on is put at risk. Backs against the wall, the resourceful thieves must draw on their special skills to survive. But can one rebel heiress and four kickboxing drag queens withstand the slings and arrows of truly outrageous fortune? Or will a mounting sea of troubles end them — for good?
The Grief Keeper by Alexandra Villasante
Seventeen-year-old Marisol has always dreamed of being American, learning what Americans and the US are like from television and Mrs. Rosen, an elderly expat who had employed Marisol’s mother as a maid. When she pictured an American life for herself, she dreamed of a life like Aimee and Amber’s, the title characters of her favorite American TV show. She never pictured fleeing her home in El Salvador under threat of death and stealing across the US border as “an illegal”, but after her brother is murdered and her younger sister, Gabi’s, life is also placed in equal jeopardy, she has no choice, especially because she knows everything is her fault. If she had never fallen for the charms of a beautiful girl named Liliana, Pablo might still be alive, her mother wouldn’t be in hiding and she and Gabi wouldn’t have been caught crossing the border.
But they have been caught and their asylum request will most certainly be denied. With truly no options remaining, Marisol jumps at an unusual opportunity to stay in the United States. She’s asked to become a grief keeper, taking the grief of another into her own body to save a life. It’s a risky, experimental study, but if it means Marisol can keep her sister safe, she will risk anything. She just never imagined one of the risks would be falling in love, a love that may even be powerful enough to finally help her face her own crushing grief.
The Grief Keeper is a tender tale that explores the heartbreak and consequences of when both love and human beings are branded illegal.
Shatter the Sky by Rebecca Kim Wells
Raised among the ruins of a conquered mountain nation, Maren dreams only of sharing a quiet life with her girlfriend Kaia—until the day Kaia is abducted by the Aurati, prophetic agents of the emperor, and forced to join their ranks. Desperate to save her, Maren hatches a plan to steal one of the emperor’s coveted dragons and storm the Aurati stronghold.
If Maren is to have any hope of succeeding, she must become an apprentice to the Aromatory—the emperor’s mysterious dragon trainer. But Maren is unprepared for the dangerous secrets she uncovers: rumors of a lost prince, a brewing rebellion, and a prophecy that threatens to shatter the empire itself. Not to mention the strange dreams she’s been having about a beast deep underground…
With time running out, can Maren survive long enough to rescue Kaia from impending death? Or could it be that Maren is destined for something greater than she could have ever imagined?
The Black Veins by Ashia Monet
In a world where magic thrives in secret city corners, a group of magicians embark on a road trip—and it’s the “no-love-interest”, found family adventure you’ve been searching for.
Sixteen-year-old Blythe is one of seven Guardians: magicians powerful enough to cause worldwide panic with a snap of their fingers. But Blythe spends her days pouring latte art at her family’s coffee shop, so why should she care about having apocalyptic abilities?
She’s given a reason when magician anarchists crash into said coffee shop and kidnap her family.
Heartbroken but determined, Blythe knows she can’t save them alone. A war is brewing between two magician governments and tensions are too high. So, she packs up her family’s bright yellow Volkswagen, puts on a playlist, and embarks on a road trip across the United States to enlist the help of six strangers whose abilities are unparalleled—the other Guardians.
All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout the Ages edited by Saundra Mitchell
Take a journey through time and genres and discover a past where queer figures live, love and shape the world around them. Seventeen of the best young adult authors across the queer spectrum have come together to create a collection of beautifully written diverse historical fiction for teens.
From a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood set in war-torn 1870s Mexico featuring a transgender soldier, to two girls falling in love while mourning the death of Kurt Cobain, forbidden love in a sixteenth-century Spanish convent or an asexual girl discovering her identity amid the 1970s roller-disco scene, All Out tells a diverse range of stories across cultures, time periods and identities, shedding light on an area of history often ignored or forgotten.
Anger Is a Gift by Mark Oshiro
Six years ago, Moss Jefferies’ father was murdered by an Oakland police officer. Along with losing a parent, the media’s vilification of his father and lack of accountability has left Moss with near crippling panic attacks.
Now, in his sophomore year of high school, Moss and his fellow classmates find themselves increasingly treated like criminals by their own school. New rules. Random locker searches. Constant intimidation and Oakland Police Department stationed in their halls. Despite their youth, the students decide to organize and push back against the administration.
When tensions hit a fever pitch and tragedy strikes, Moss must face a difficult choice: give in to fear and hate or realize that anger can actually be a gift.
Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett
Keeping her viral load under control is easy, but keeping her diagnosis under wraps is not so simple. As Simone and Miles start going out for real–shy kisses escalating into much more–she feels an uneasiness that goes beyond butterflies. She knows she has to tell him that she’s positive, especially if sex is a possibility, but she’s terrified of how he’ll react! And then she finds an anonymous note in her locker: I know you have HIV. You have until Thanksgiving to stop hanging out with Miles. Or everyone else will know too.
Simone’s first instinct is to protect her secret at all costs, but as she gains a deeper understanding of the prejudice and fear in her community, she begins to wonder if the only way to rise above is to face the haters head-on…
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki
Laura Dean, the most popular girl in high school, was Frederica Riley’s dream girl: charming, confident, and SO cute. There’s just one problem: Laura Dean is maybe not the greatest girlfriend.
Reeling from her latest break up, Freddy’s best friend, Doodle, introduces her to the Seek-Her, a mysterious medium, who leaves Freddy some cryptic parting words: break up with her. But Laura Dean keeps coming back, and as their relationship spirals further out of her control, Freddy has to wonder if it’s really Laura Dean that’s the problem. Maybe it’s Freddy, who is rapidly losing her friends, including Doodle, who needs her now more than ever. Fortunately for Freddy, there are new friends, and the insight of advice columnists like Anna Vice to help her through being a teenager in love.
Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell bring to life a sweet and spirited tale of young love that asks us to consider what happens when we ditch the toxic relationships we crave to embrace the healthy ones we need.
Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan
Each year, eight beautiful girls are chosen as Paper Girls to serve the king. It’s the highest honor they could hope for…and the most cruel.
But this year, there’s a ninth girl. And instead of paper, she’s made of fire.
In this lush fantasy, Lei is a member of the Paper caste, the lowest and most oppressed class in Ikhara. She lives in a remote village with her father, where the decade-old trauma of watching her mother snatched by royal guards still haunts her. Now, the guards are back, and this time it’s Lei they’re after–the girl whose golden eyes have piqued the king’s interest.
Over weeks of training in the opulent but stifling palace, Lei and eight other girls learn the skills and charm that befit being a king’s consort. But Lei isn’t content to watch her fate consume her. Instead, she does the unthinkable–she falls in love. Her forbidden romance becomes enmeshed with an explosive plot that threatens the very foundation of Ikhara, and Lei, still the wide-eyed country girl at heart, must decide just how far she’s willing to go for justice and revenge.
TW: violence and sexual abuse.
