This is such an important read. The Hate U Give is told by Starr, a 16 year old, who witnesses the murder of her friend Khalil in the hands of the police. It mirrors so many tragedies that have taken place and gives the important perspective of the witness, her feelings, and the importance of speaking up for injustice. It addresses the hypocrisy in our society and the excuses that are made for murdering people of color.

This book took me much longer to read than I'd like to admit. It's slow but eventually gains some speed and just when you think it's done and are like "why are there still 100 pages left?" you find out why! It's not done! I'll admit I didn't figure this one out and did enjoy the twists at the end. I guess I'll have to watch the movie now.

I'm so glad I didn't give up half way through. The book has a very slow start but is an important story about growing up black and gay and becoming okay with both. It's written very informally but will be an important memoir for young adults who do not have someone to look up to or to learn from.

While I really enjoyed Dread Nation, Deathless Divide was slow and a drag to get through. While it sped up towards the end and I didn't hate it, I would say it was just "ok". It took me forever to get through. I particularly disliked the alternating narration between Jane and Katherine. I did appreciate the addition of LGBTQ+ characters and wish they would have been explored a bit more but alas, this was not a romance. (Thank God!) A little predictable, I wish a few of the events would have been worked into the story differently *spoiler* for example, Jane not turning undead...that could have been much more dramatic.

Caroline is a 12 year old who doesn't feel that anyone loves her, her mother abandoned her, her school mates are cruel to her, and her teacher is just as mean as her class mates until she meets Kalinda. Caroline is an important voice for young adults that feel the way Caroline feels because it is something that many are afraid to talk about.

The Black Flamingo was a quick read. It’s written in verse in the protagonists voice (he’s a poet). It’s another coming of age story about a young, half Jamaican, half Greek names Michael. Michael is gay and struggles with his identity throughout the story.

Pen is a masc. lesbian in a old-world Portuguese family who is struggling for people to understand who she is and not try to change her. She faces quite a few challenges in the story and it all comes to a head before she makes the changes she needs to so she can be herself.

While it’s no longer International Transgender Visibility Day, this is an important story for YAs and adults alike. This story is about a transgender young lady (MTF) written by a transgender woman. Whether or not you’re a part of the LGBTQ+ community, this story is important for visibility, understanding, and empathy towards people we are not and an important representation for those that share Amanda’s story.