It may feel as if summer is ending depending on where you are in the world. For some, it can’t end soon enough. Or, at least, cool down a little! Whatever the case, here are some young adult books to get you through to the fall. Check out our list and tell us which ones you’ll be reading!

Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl by Joya Goffney

Monique is a preacher’s daughter, coming-of-age in a small Texas town. Her family’s religious views include abstaining from sex until marriage, which she must comply with. However, when she discovers she is physically unable to have sex; she has no one to turn to. Monique’s boyfriend breaks up with her after two years of unsuccessful sex. To win him back, she teams up with straight-laced church girl Sasha, and misunderstood bad boy Reggie. Together, they embark on a cure. On their quest, Monique discovers the value of true friendship, the wonders of unconditional love, and learning to live for herself.

 

 

Just Your Local Bisexual Disaster by Andrea Mosqueda

Maggie Gonzalez has always been a little messy, but she’s okay with that. After all, she’s got a great family, a goofy group of friends, and dreams of becoming a music photographer. But, Maggie must face reality when choosing an escort to her little sister’s quinceanera. Her feelings about her friends and future are not as simple as she’d once believed. Forced to confront new and old feelings for three of her friends plus the uncertainty of her plans for her future and what that means for her family, Maggie finds herself more confused. When her beloved medium causes more chaos than calm, she’ll have to figure out how to avoid certain disasters or dive right in.

 

 

How to Live Without You by Sarah Everett

When her effervescent, caring, and strong-willed sister, Rose, disappeared, seventeen-year-old Emmy lost a part of herself. She’s determined to uncover the truth behind Rose’s disappearance and refuses to believe she simply ran away.
But once Emmy embarks on this journey, she reveals unfathomable secrets, casting the person she thought she knew best in a new light. She retraces Rose’s last steps, leading to heart-wrenching consequences.

 

 

 

The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes

Yamilet Flores was outed by her crush and ex-best friend at her previous school. So now, she’s determined to lay low at Slayton Catholic. But, if word gets out, it could mean more than just rejection from her mom. So her new priorities include: keeping her brother out of trouble, making her mom proud, and, most importantly of all, not falling in love.
But it’s hard to fake being straight when Bo, the only openly queer girl at school, is so smart, talented, and cute. So cute. Either way, Yami is determined not to make the same mistake again. So she’ll have to start asking, WWSGD: what would a straight girl do?

 

Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle

Seventeen-year-old Prince Jones has his segment on Detroit’s popular hip-hop show, Love Radio, where he dishes out advice to the brokenhearted. He’s also the primary caretaker for his little brother and mother, who has multiple sclerosis. As a result, pursuing his dreams and his first love seems out of reach. Then he meets Dani Ford. But she ain’t checking for anybody. Instead, Dani’s focused on earning a scholarship, graduating, and moving to New York City to become a famous writer. But writer’s block isn’t the only reason she’s stumbling over her college entrance essay. When the romantic DJ meets the ambitious writer, things get exciting, and Prince has only three dates to convince Dani to fall for him. But, will the love expert take his own advice and change both their lives?

 

 

The Signs and Wonders of Tuna Rashad by Natasha Deen

Despite what her older brother Robby says, Tuna Rashad is not “stupidstitious.” She’s an aspiring screenwriter who is cool with her Caribbean heritage, so she’s always on the lookout for messages from her ancestors. But ever since Robby became a widower, he’s been mocking Tuna at the house and meddling in her life. She’s desperate to break free from her overbearing brother and for him to get a life of his own. She’s also trying to catch the eye of her crush, Tristan Dangerfield. According to the signs, her ancestors are supportive of both endeavors. But there’s only one hiccup; she’s got to make things happen before she leaves for college in the fall.

 

 

 

Zyla & Kai by Kristina Forest

On a high school trip to the Poconos Mountains, Zyla and Kai run away together, and everyone is left scratching their heads. They’ve been broken up for months, and the break-up surprised no one. They’re complete opposites. The cynic Zyla witnessed the dissolution of her parent’s marriage, and it left a heavy impression. At the beginning of the previous summer, she was only focused on graduation and going to fashion school abroad.

But then she met Kai. A serial dater and hopeless romantic, Kai had hit pause on dating to focus on his senior year and getting into an HBCU. And then he met Zyla.

The love story unfolds in alternating perspectives between Zyla and Kai. From becoming the unlikeliest of friends during the summer to falling in love during the school year to their break-up, the pair will keep readers guessing until the end.

We Weren’t Looking to be Found by Stephanie Kuehn

Dani and Camila form an unlikely friendship when they find themselves, roommates, at Peach Tree Hill, a treatment facility in rural Georgia.

Both girls come from very different families but seem to be struggling with similar self-destructive behaviors. Both girls think they’ll never get better. And then, they find a mysterious music box filled with letters from a previous resident at the treatment center, which leads them to investigate who the girl was and who she became. The investigation brings the girls together, and what they uncover might bring them hope.

 

 

 

What’s Coming to Me by Francesca Padilla

Minerva Gutiérrez’s sexist boss makes each day worse than the last. But she needs money. She’s been kicked out of school and stranded after her mom’s previous hospitalization. She dreams of leaving the dead-end seaside town of Nautilus. After an armed robbery at her ice cream stand stirs up rumors about money hidden on the property, she and her neighbor CeCe team up to find it.

Min hopes she can do something right for once. As long as the painful truths she’s been running from don’t catch up to her first.

 

 

 

How to Grow Wings by Rimma Onoseta

Cheta is the sharp-tongued sister while Zam is the quiet one. Cheta is stubborn and never shies away from conflict, even if it’s their mother firing off the abuse. Zam flies under the radar, escaping most of their mother’s anger and avoiding her sister as much as possible. Zam is invited to live with her aunt’s luxurious family in a sudden stroke of luck. Jealous, Cheta decides to leave home, but her options will lead her toward a series of terrible decisions. Zam will have Cheta’s fate in her hands when the sisters reunite.

Set in Nigeria, the story of these two sisters explores classism, colorism, and cycles of abuse.