By Sasha Laurens
Razorbill, 2022. 304 pages. Young Adult Fantasy
This book is a classic boarding school mystery, just make it vampiric and sapphic. The queer representation is varied and stunning, with Taylor exploring her gender expression and Kat just now discovering she might not be straight. I also loved the way they addressed issues of classism and discrimination within the framework of a completely new society. The mystery is interesting without being overly dark and stressful, which made it perfect for someone like me who wanted a cozy read but dislikes contemporary fiction as a general rule. I would suggest this book for anyone who enjoys mystery with good banter and a happy ending.
If you like Youngblood, you might also like:
By Maya MacGregor
Astra Young Readers, 2022. 352 pages. Young Adult Fiction
A nonbinary autistic teen realizes they must not only solve a 30-year-old mystery but also face the demons lurking in their past in order to live a satisfying life. Sam Sylvester has long collected stories of half-lived lives—of kids who died before they turned nineteen. Sam was almost one of those kids. Now, as Sam’s own nineteenth birthday approaches, their recent near-death experience haunts them. They’re certain they don’t have much time left. . .. But Sam's life seems to be on the upswing after meeting several new friends and a potential love interest in Shep, their next-door neighbor. Yet the past keeps roaring back—in Sam’s memories and in the form of a thirty-year-old suspicious death that took place in Sam’s new home. Sam can’t resist trying to find out more about the kid who died and who now seems to guide their investigation. When Sam starts receiving threatening notes, they know they’re on the path to uncovering a murderer. But are they digging through the past or digging their own future grave? The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester explores healing in the aftermath of trauma and the fullness of queer joy.
By Ashley Poston
Hyperion, 2023. 341 pages. Young Adult Fantasy
By Aiden Thomas
Swoon Reads, 2020. 344 pages. Young Adult Fantasy
Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can't get rid of him.
When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his true gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free. However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school's resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He's determined to find out what happened and tie off some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.
KJ
