ya contemporary – Just Read It

The Weight of the Stars

I picked this book up because I enjoyed The Wicker King and it was the best decision of mine in a long time.

Felix Love has never been in love, but he really wants to. Felix is a transboy attending a prestigious art program during the summer. He has his best friend Ezra and he knows who he is. He is a black, queer, transboy, and no one can take that away from him. But Felix isn’t workingContinue reading “Felix Ever After”

Love is for Losers

Phoebe thinks love is stupid. She thinks that falling in love is stupid. She thinks being in love makes you stupid. Basically, she’s over the whole love thing and wishes people would get on her level.

Here the Whole Time

A queer story taking place in Brazil focusing on Felipe, a fat teenager that struggles with self-love and confidence. When his school break is crashed by the attractive neighbor who is staying for the whole week, Felipe must figure out how to not only talk to Caio, but also make him his friend (or maybeContinue reading “Here the Whole Time”

Only Mostly Devastated

In this queer Grease retelling, we follow Ollie as his life gets uprooted to North Carolina after he had a summer romance while there, and while the boy he spent his days and nights with isn’t texting him back, he still thinks about him. Will, the dream boy from summer who somehow ends up goingContinue reading “Only Mostly Devastated”

The Henna Wars

When I tell you that this book has heart, great discussions on racism and cultural appropriation, familial bonds, friendship, and romance, I mean it. For such a seemingly innocent ya contemporary, this book packs a lot into it and all of it is handled with nuance and care. I mean this is exactly the kindContinue reading “The Henna Wars”

The Falling In Love Montage

I’m always down for a cute, summery, ya contemporary romance when it’s sapphic. In this story, we have Saoirse, a girl who has become jaded towards love. Not only has the love of her life broken up with her, her (former) best friend lied to her, and her father is with another woman. Things areContinue reading “The Falling In Love Montage”

Watch Over Me

Nina LaCour is the author of one of my favorite books of all time, Everything Leads to You. I’ve been anxious about picking up her other books because I was worried that it wouldn’t live up to what I had experienced before. The synopsis of this book was interesting enough that I thought I wouldContinue reading “Watch Over Me”

Perfect On Paper

Darcy is all about love and relationships. She watches YouTube videos about types of attachment styles, how to communicate your needs, basically everything to do with relationships. All of this research to help her with her own secret service: Locker 89. In an abandoned locker at school, Darcy operates a love life advice service toContinue reading “Perfect On Paper”

I Think I Love You

Emma believes in big romantic love, Sophia believes that love is fake and only ends in heartbreak. They hate each other. This story is about Sophia coming home from a year abroad and entering into a friend group that has lived on without her. To make it worse, her relationship with Emma is just asContinue reading “I Think I Love You”