In honor of The Hate You Give being back on the New York Time’s Bestsellers List, we’re bringing you five books with important representation that have been lingering in the background of pop-culture for a little while. Each of these books is different from one another in the representation that they portray, but all are important.
Every Heart A Doorway
By: Seanan McGuire
There is so much representation here! One of the most important points to note is the love interest, he’s a trans boy but nobody focuses on that. It’s a known fact but he’s utterly accepted by all of those who love him! Who is he the love interest for? Nancy, who is the protagonist as well as being asexual. Thirdly, one of the main characters is a lesbian (elaborated on in the next paragraph).
Down Among The Sticks And Bones
By: Seanan McGuire
This is the second in the series of the previously mentioned book, but it is worth a look anyway. There is a different representation here. One of the main characters is a lesbian who is in a loving relationship with her girlfriend. Both of the main characters suffer from slightly abusive parents and, as the book goes on, we can see what effect that has had on each daughter.
The Female of the Species
By: Mindy McGinnis
Perfect in capturing the very real struggles that young girls and women have to go through, this book has an amazing insight into how difficult it is to be told that you’re not good enough. As a bonus, it also addresses being catcalled and preyed on in your teenage years. To my enjoyment, McGinnis also details and renounces girl-on-girl hate: something that is of the upmost importance to resist.
The Epic Crush of Genie Lo
By: F. C. Yee
A demon invasion is looming in the distance, and Genie Lo is the only person who can stop it. Struggling with getting into college and a mother who pushes her, it’s a terrible time for an invasion. It’s an ever worse time to figure out that she plays part in an Ancient Chinese myth. This book is a brilliant break from the more common genre of Greek mythology, however, it is equally, if not more, entertaining.
She Is Not Invisible
By: Marcus Sedgwick
This book leans closer to the target age of middle grade, but it’s a lovely book to read nonetheless. Readers follow a young girl who is blind but does not let that stop her in any shape or form. In fact, she drags her brother on a plane to go and find her missing dad.
Despite most of these being placed firmly in the age grouping of “young adult,” they can be just as important to read in your 20s as it might be for someone in their teens. The amount of representation in the young adult community is ever growing, and we hope that it continues down that very positive path.
