Full Disclosure--"To find someone who gets it, who loves you, and to lose them because no one cares about what you're going through--there aren't any words for that

Title: Full Disclosure

Author: Camryn Garrett


LGBTQ+ Representation: Main character lives with her two dads and has dated boys and girls; secondary characters are gay, bisexual, lesbian, and asexual.


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Simone was born HIV-positive and keeps this a secret due to harassment she received at her previous school when everyone found out. She's having a successful year in school, with great friends, a job student-directing Rent, and a love interest, Miles, a lacrosse player who encourages her love of musicals. But then Simone receives threatening letters in her locker, stating that if she doesn't break up with Miles because of her HIV, she'll be sorry.


What I think: Last year, I reviewed several books about AIDS and interviewed family and friends for their memories of the AIDS crisis during the 1980s. I was an elementary school student at that time with only memories of Ryan White and no understanding of why people were so scared and so mean to those who were HIV-positive.

How to Be Remy Cameron--"Discovery is in the journey, not the destination"

Title: How to Be Remy Cameron

Author: Julian Winters


LGBTQ+ Representation: Main character is gay.


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Remy Cameron is pretty well-known at school: he is out and proud, surrounded by friends, and is confident that he wants to attend Emory after he graduates. However, when he is asked to write an essay defining himself, Remy does not know where to start. Gay? Black? Adopted? Single? When he meets a surprising new person and starts a new romance, Remy is more confused than ever. How should he define himself?


What I think (in 250 words or fewer): I read a lot of young adult literature--years of working with teenagers and happy memories of reading as a teenager fuel my love of books for teenagers. Every once in a while, I read a book in which the character's voice is extremely realistic: it hits that happy, confusing, hormonal, mature-yet-immature medium of teenage-hood.

How to Be Remy Cameron is that book.

Social Intercourse--"If I had known losing my virginity would be so nerve-wracking, I would've stayed home and watched the Golden Girls marathon with my dad"

Title: Social Intercourse

Author: Greg Howard


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): High school seniors openly-gay Beckett and star quarterback Jaxon have little in common, but then Beck's dad starts dating one of Jax's moms. Beck is afraid that his dad will get his heart broken again, and Jax wants his moms to get back together and be a family again.  Meanwhile, Beck is planning the Rainbow Prom, Jax is struggling with his bisexuality, and all have to deal with homophobia in their small Southern town.


What I think (in 250 words or fewer): My summary doesn't reflect the tone of this book--it is absolutely hilarious!  Sure, it deals with some serious subjects, but the voices of each narrator are so down-to-earth that Social Intercourse is delightful to read.

My Most Excellent Year: A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins & Fenway Park--"& brothers, JFK, sign language, divas, & extreme fabulousness!"

Title: My Most Excellent Year:  A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins & Fenway Park

Author:  Steve Kluger

What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): TC, Augie, and Alè tell stories of their freshman year in high school.  When TC was six, his mother died, and TC and Augie became close friends and "brothers."  Alè is new in school, the daughter of the US ambassador to Mexico, and secretly taking singing and dancing lessons. TC develops an instant crush on her. Meanwhile, Augie comes into his own as a fabulous, singer-dancer-actor, taking the school by storm in Kiss Me Kate.

What I think:  Wow, I am not sure I can adequately describe how much I loved this book.  I think I will just list some of the awesome parts of the book below:

Lizard Radio--"Life is about ambiguity" OR "The Lizard People were just a red herring!"

Title: Lizard Radio

Author: Pat Schmatz


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Kivali is sent to CropCamp, a place where the SayFree government sends teenagers go to become productive adult members of society.  Gender-neutral Kivali (nicknamed Lizard) feels different from the other campers, but she knows she must either try to fit in or accept her place as an outcast, which would send her to Blight, a government-sanctioned area for criminals and other non-conforming citizens.  Lizard also wonders: was she sent here from another planet?

What I think (in 250 words or fewer): At the beginning of Lizard Radio, I thought of Scott Westfeld's Uglies because slang was used immediately by the main characters and readers had to figure it out as they read, such as mealio (cafeteria), cleezies (chores), and jazzing (messing around).  Another similarity to the Uglies dystopia was when teenagers came of age, they would be controlled by the government: Uglies with plastic (and brain) surgery and CropCampers with the kickshaw.

The Other F-Word--"Leaving the shire to face the dragon"

Title: The Other F-Word

Author: Natasha Friend

What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Hollis and her mother, Leigh, are grieving the loss of Pam, Leigh's wife and Hollis's parent. Milo suffers from food allergies and wants to know his medical history. Hollis has never met her sperm-donor father, but when Milo, who has the same sperm donor, contacts Hollis, she agrees to help him connect with their biological father.  Together they meet two additional half-siblings, come to terms with their parentage, and learn to appreciate their families.

What I think (in 250 words or fewer): The concept for this story fascinated me so much that I did some Internet research.  The Donor Progeny Project described in this book does not exist--but a Donor Sibling Registry does, so a story like The Other F-Word is theoretically possible.

Far from the Tree--"A fantastic book, but a tear-jerker for sure"

Title: Far from the Tree

Author: Robin Benway


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Sixteen-year-old Grace has just given her baby up for adoption.  Desperate to connect with someone who knows how she feels, Grace decides to search for her birth mother and finds two half-siblings, Joaquin (who has spent his life in foster care) and Maya (whose volatile parents are getting divorced). Together, the newly-united siblings search for their mother but also learn about love, belonging, and what it means to be a family.


What I think (in 250 words or fewer): I downloaded this e-book to give me something happier to read while I took a break from the intense angst of Call Me by Your Name.  Ha, ha, ha, the joke was on me--I read Far from the Tree--and cried and cried and cried.  A fantastic book, but a tear-jerker.