{"id":1870,"date":"2015-02-20T14:57:07","date_gmt":"2015-02-20T22:57:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.glbtrt.ala.org\/reviews\/?p=1870"},"modified":"2021-12-02T13:00:10","modified_gmt":"2021-12-02T21:00:10","slug":"column","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.glbtrt.ala.org\/reviews\/column\/","title":{"rendered":"Column: Less & More: Spring\/Summer 2015 Trends in YA LGBTQIA fiction"},"content":{"rendered":"

Less & More: Spring\/Summer 2015 Trends in YA LGBTQIA fiction<\/strong><\/p>\n

With the beginning of 2015 come a lot of changes from previous years in YA literature. Being a fan and avid reader of YA titles, I?m used to seeing a few standout titles here and there, but this year looks more promising. Here?s why you need to be excited:<\/p>\n

Less Emphasis on ?Coming Out? Stories<\/strong>
\nA lot of the titles being published this year are not focusing on the coming out process (thank goodness!) While it?s an important milestone in someone?s life, it isn?t the mandatory experience that all LGBTQIA teenagers must have in their stories. Some young adults struggle with their sexuality or gender throughout their lives and do not reach that point of coming out until later (think Transparent<\/em>) or some teens just know early on how they feel and want to identify. Plus, after a certain point, doesn?t the same plot point get old?<\/p>\n

A lot of the titles that we?ll see coming out will home in on how LGBTQIA characters deal with life situations. The focus is on how they react to the event themselves (tragedy, death, relationships, etc.) and their growth as a person rather than their LGBTQIA lifestyle, which is refreshing. The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley<\/em>, for example, deals with a gay teen who must deal with death and loss. Guilt, pain, death, and relationships are the focus, not his sexual preference. These characters will also be easier to relate to for teens because they are not constantly coming out of the proverbial closet. <\/p>\n

More (and Bigger) Publishers Want In<\/strong>
\nMore stories with LGBTQIA themes and characters are being published by bigger publishers and their imprints. I applaud this, mainly because with a bigger publisher, the book can get out there and make its way into the hands of teens and librarians everywhere a lot easier. St. Martin?s Griffin, Atom, Simon Pulse, Dutton Juvenile, and others are hopping on the diversity train, and hopefully they won?t leave anytime soon. But we shouldn?t forget about smaller, independent publishers, too! They are the ones who paved the way for more published LGBTQIA YA lit in the first place. <\/p>\n

More Diversity<\/strong>
\nMore and more of the featured characters are not only LGBTQIA but also nonwhite. In Not Otherwise Specified<\/em>, the protagonist Etta is bisexual, black, and being treated for an eating disorder. She doesn?t know where she fits in, and her journey of dealing with multiple issues at once makes for an excellent narrative. We also have stories featuring more categories of the LGBTQIA spectrum, especially intersexed and transgendered individuals. The Art of Being Normal<\/em> explores a boy named David who secretly wants to be a girl and the trouble that follows him.<\/p>\n

Hopefully these trends continue to improve over the year. But for now, here?s a list of titles to watch out for and add for your TBR list: <\/p>\n

\"McCarry<\/a>About a Girl<\/em> by Sarah McCarry
\nKudos to the publishers at St. Martin?s Griffin! It?s not every day that we see a cover of a YA book where two young women are publicly displaying affection, and I hope over time that this changes. About a Girl<\/em> is the third in the Metamorphoses<\/em> series where Tally, daughter of Aurora, learns about her mother and herself as she falls in love with Maddy. Fantasy fans will like this book for its magic, romance, and detailed narrative. Releases 7\/14\/15. <\/p>\n

\"Hutchinson<\/a>The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley<\/em> by Shaun Hutchinson
\nThis is an LGBTQ meets John Green meets Gayle Forman novel. Our main character, Andrew, is the lone survivor of a terrible accident. He is dealing with survivor?s guilt, pain, and other emotions on top of being a teenager. But when he finds solace and hope with a burn victim named Rusty, Andrew wants to see what his future will bring. It?s dark, and even Hutchinson has stated that ?this is probably the darkest [he?ll] ever write.? However, do not let that deter you. Bonus: there?s a mini graphic novel inside! Released 1\/20\/2015.<\/p>\n

\"Freeman<\/a>Honey Girl<\/em> by Lisa Freeman
\nIt?s 1972. Nani has moved from Hawaii to Santa Monica with her alcoholic mother. Being a surfer, she desperately tries to get on the good side with the mean girl squad of State Beach, and falls for the leader, Rox. Secrets abound and Nani tries to keep her head above water. Issues of race and sexuality are heavily explored, and the premise sounds great (who didn?t love the 70s?) Releases 3\/17\/15.<\/p>\n

\"Silvera<\/a>More Happy Than Not<\/em> by Adam Silvera
\nIf you were lucky to attend ALA Midwinter this past month, you may have heard Silvera talk about this book and received a copy of the galley. But if you didn?t, let?s play catchup: Aaron?s life changes when he meets Thomas. His whole world literally gets thrown upside down. This leads to Aaron wanting to erase his memory via methods of the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind variety. In reviews, Silvera is constantly praised for his raw characters and vivid descriptions of the Bronx, as well as his storytelling ability. This means you should probably pre-order this NOW. Releases 6\/16\/15.<\/p>\n

\"Gregorio<\/a>None of the Above<\/em> by I.W. Gregorio
\nKristin has everything going for her: a scholarship, a great boyfriend, and she was even voted homecoming queen. But when she learns at a doctor?s visit that she?s intersexed, her whole world starts to crumble as her new secret is revealed. Acceptance, bullying, intersexed persons, romance, and gender identity are just some of the several topics explored. I think it?s great that an intersexed teen is the main character, since normally we don?t see a lot of stories from this point of view in YA literature. Releases 4\/7\/15.<\/p>\n

\"Moskowitz<\/a>Not Otherwise Specified<\/em> by Hannah Moskowitz
\nAs mentioned before, Etta is black, bisexual, and suffering from an eating disorder. But she doesn?t know where she fits in since she?s not gay enough for the gay clique or skinny enough for the teens with other eating disorders. I think that while some may question the plausibility of such an intersectional character, I applaud and embrace it. Adolescence is a stage of life where you learn not everything is in black and white, which includes sexuality, race, and class. This book will probably resonate with teens who might deal or cope with multiple issues growing up. Releases 3\/3\/15.<\/p>\n

Other titles to note:
\nAlex as Well<\/em> by Alyssa Brugman
\nAnything Can Happen<\/em> by Will Walton
\nThe Art of Being Normal<\/em> by Lisa Williamson
\nBleeding Earth<\/em> by Caitlin Ward
\nThe Darkest Part of the Forest<\/em> by Holly Black
\nThe Girl at Midnight<\/em> by Melissa Grey
\nHold Me Closer: The Tiny Cooper Story<\/em> by David Levithan
\nMe and You and Hi<\/em>m by Kris Dinninson
\nPlaying a Part<\/em> by Daria Wilke
\nThe Porcupine of Truth<\/em> by Bill Konigsberg
\nPromposal<\/em> by Rhonda Helms
\nUnder the Lights<\/em> by Dahlia Adler<\/p>\n

Happy reading!<\/p>\n

– Judi Tichacek<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Less & More: Spring\/Summer 2015 Trends in YA LGBTQIA fiction With the beginning of 2015 come a lot of changes from previous years in YA literature. Being a fan and avid reader of YA titles, I?m used to seeing a few standout titles here and there, but this year looks more promising. Here?s why you […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1197,"featured_media":1875,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[65,52,21],"tags":[112],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.glbtrt.ala.org\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1870"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.glbtrt.ala.org\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.glbtrt.ala.org\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.glbtrt.ala.org\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1197"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.glbtrt.ala.org\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1870"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.glbtrt.ala.org\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1870\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.glbtrt.ala.org\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1875"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.glbtrt.ala.org\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1870"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.glbtrt.ala.org\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1870"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.glbtrt.ala.org\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1870"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}