LGBTQ issues in new YA Novels

Sexual identity issues have always been a problem for teens, but today's society is more tolerant and students are more comfortable discussing them. Many schools have curriculums that include counseling students about being open to diversity in people’s sexual preferences.  Reflective of this tolerance is the growing body of young adult literature that focuses on this issue or includes it in a subplot. LGBTQ characters are routinely included in new young adult novels, regardless the genre.  A wildly popular new realistic novel, Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston focuses on the bi-sexual son of the U.S. President, who falls in love with a British prince, who is a closeted gay.  Exile from Eden, Andrew Smith's sequel to the sci/fi award winner Grasshopper Jungle, finds Austin and Robby still living in the underground bunker with their son Arek and his best friend Mel. Kiersten White's new fantasy novel, The Guinevere Deception, reimagines the Arthurian legend where Lancelot is a gay female. 

In Red, White and Royal Blue Alex Claremont-Diaz, the half-Mexican son of the first female president of the United States, meets Prince Henry, backup heir to the English throne and it's hate at first sight.  After their verbal sparring at an international wedding leads to a scuffle and them falling into the wedding cake, they are required to pose as best friends on a publicity tour.  Not surprisingly, their hate turns to attraction and after their first kiss, they contrive to find ways to be together.  Of course, their bromance is eventually discovered and leaked to the press during Alex's mom's reelection campaign.  Strategizing how to handle their relationship evolves from denial to breakup to acknowledgement in this clever take on the rom/com genre.  The sexual encounters are fairly explicit, so I would recommend this for high school readers.

Exile from Eden: or, After the Hole, the post-apocalyptic sequel to Grasshopper Jungle, finds Arek, the son of Austin and Robby, crushing on his best friend Mel and living in the underground bunker with her, his two dads, mother and grandmother.  Ten-foot-tall praying mantises have wiped out most of the human population, but they are dying off. Austin and Robby set off in a small plane to find other survivors and when they don't come back, Arek and Mel go on their own RV road trip to find them.  Meanwhile in alternating chapters readers learn about earlier years in the hole, as well as the tale of a 12-year-old wild boy "Breakfast" and his chimpanzee friend, Olive.  Philosophical passages and reflection on the paintings of Max Beckmann mix with Arek's longing for Mel and his fear of his hyper-religious grandmother's threat to circumcise him. As with the first book, sexual longing is explored in detail, making this also a book for more mature readers. 

The Guinevere Deception, the first book in the Camelot Rising trilogy, alters many details in the Arthurian legend.  Lancelot is a woman, Mordred is Arthur's right hand man and Guinevere is an impostor sent by Merlin to protect Arthur.  Magic has been banned in Camelot, so Guinevere must wield her magical powers in secret, as she strives to discover threats to Arthur's well-being. Meanwhile, Arthur is out fighting battles, trying to save his kingdom. This fresh take on the Arthurian legend has a decidedly feminist twist and will appeal to fans of the original, if only to see how this very popular author changes it up.