Guest post written by In Case You Read This author Edward Underhill
Edward Underhill grew up in the suburbs of Wisconsin, where he could not walk to anything, so he had to make up his own adventures. He studied music in college, spent several years living in very small apartments in New York, and currently resides in California with his partner and a talkative black cat. He is the author of two young adult novels, Always the Almost and This Day Changes Everything, and a book for adults, The In-Between Bookstore. Visit him on Instagram @edwardunderhill.
About In Case You Read This: From acclaimed author Edward Underhill comes a trans rom-com about serendipity, chance encounter, and the ultimate missed connection. This joyful celebration of queer love and found family is perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli, Emery Lee, and Julian Winters.
The past ten or so years have seen an explosion of queer fiction, in the best way, especially in the young adult space. Books by trans authors still make up only a sliver of what’s being published, but that’s slowly starting to change. Now more than ever, it’s important to read books by trans authors and books featuring trans characters—not just during Pride month, not just to diversify your TBR, but because they’re just great books!
So without further ado, here are a few of my personal favorites, in case you enjoy reading about trans people being awesome as much as I do.
FELIX EVER AFTER by Kacen Callender
This book is practically a classic at this point, and it remains one of my favorite books by Kacen Callender. It’s full of nuance, complexity, messiness, and romance, and one of the few YA books I’ve read where the main character’s understanding of their own identity continues to shift over the course of the novel.
OKAY, CUPID by Mason Deaver
All right, we’re in the middle of Pride month and not Valentine’s Day, but you should read this book anyway and pretend it’s Valentine’s Day. A sweet and cute romp with a magical twist about a cupid named Jude who thinks they know everything about love…until they end up with a tricky assignment to infiltrate a high school and help mend a broken relationship between two human teenagers.
THE WICKED BARGAIN by Gabe Cole Novoa
If pirates and the high seas are your jam (or you watched Our Flag Means Death and your favorite character was Jim), this is the book for you. It’s a Latinx pirate historical fantasy YA about a transmasc nonbinary teen with magical abilities on a mission to save their father and escape a deal with El Diablo made long ago. This is a thrilling adventure with dashes of swashbuckling romance.
WE CAN NEVER LEAVE by H.E. Edgmon
Okay, so admittedly I haven’t actually read this book yet (it JUST came out!), but I am a big fan of H.E. Edgmon’s previous books, and I expect this one will be just as good. This queer young adult fantasy is for fans of The Raven Boys, and if you like found family, dystopia, and strange creatures, this book should be on TBR ASAP.
LINUS AND ETTA COULD USE A WIN by Caroline Huntoon
I’ve been so happy to see trans representation start making its way to middle grade books, so if there’s a young person in your life who loves to read, Linus and Etta Could Use a Win is a funny, heartfelt book about a cynical girl with green hair who befriends the new kid at school—a trans boy named Linus—when she makes a bet that she can get him elected student body president. This story is full of everything that makes middle grade fiction great: changing friendship dynamics, earnest first crushes, and delightful pops of humor.
WORLD RUNNING DOWN by Al Hess
On the adult side and solidly in the dystopian/science fiction realm, this is a romantic, inventive book that deserves far more attention. It’s basically Mad Max except cozier, a road trip across a wasteland with characters you can’t help but fall in love with and root for. Trans guy Valentine is a salvager who dreams of being able to afford citizenship in Salt Lake City, which would also mean access to the transition he’s been hoping for. A job finding stolen androids might finally make that dream come true…except the androids are becoming self-aware and have no desire to return to their old lives.
