Book suggestions for teen lesbian

[ghostlyghoulie]

Hi, Newbie here so be gentle with me. My 13 year old DD is questioning her gender at the moment. This is a sudden onset of gender dysphoria and I am racking my brains as to what may have prompted it. She also came out as lesbian at about the same time. I can't help thinking that she is suffering from fairly common teenage angst about her body, becoming a woman etc, but I also wonder if she has issues about being lesbian too. As she isn't being very communicative about it all I am wondering whether it would be a good idea to find her a few (inspiring) books to read that feature strong lesbian characters . Anyone get any suggestions? Anything that I can get her to read to give her other ideas to resolve her anxieties (other than becoming a boy) would make me feel at least I was doing SOMETHING....

Just bumping for you.
I read a book called "golden boy" which is a YA book with an intersex main character, it explores gender a lot so she might find it interesting.
Will have a think if any more come to mind

No specific books but our local library has an LGBT books (rainbow spines) in the teen section.

Sugar rush?

Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson.

YY to steering her towards 'strong women' fiction rather than encouraging or validating trans stuff.
The Girl with all the Gifts is a great dystopian yarn. Don't think the main characters are lesbians but they're mainly female and very strong.

Hmm ... I don't read many "problem books", so can't help you with that. What I do read is fantasy and sci fi.

The Celaeno Series by Jane Fletcher takes place in an universe where, due to apocalypse or something in the past, there are only women, and getting pregnant is achieved by science disguised as magic, acquired at the local temple. (Every person has a gene mother and a birth mother)
Since being a lesbian is normal in this setting, this is not much dwelt on; the plots are about rangers and militiawomen fighting criminals. (There is some sex, but I think 13 is old enough to read about that, and it is not very detailed, anyway, as far as I remember. I found it inoffensive.)

What I could also recommend would be the "Imperial Radch" Series by Ann Leckie, starting with Ancillary Justice. It takes place in a world without gender, where the default pronoun is "she".

The girl with all the gifts is amazing.

Interesting thread....watching. Growing up and knowing I was gay from a similar age I never had access to fiction with a lesbian lead (or even character!).

The closest thing I had was a reading list from our English teacher which focused on female writers and strong female characters - I ploughed my way through that in our local central library and loved most. That scrap of paper was possibly the most valuable part of my education and opened me up to viewpoints, personalities and possibilities I would never have known existed. Can't remember many of the names but Margaret Atwood, Sylvia Plath, Virginia Woolfe were definitely there.
Poss I was a bit older though, ie starting my GCSEs.

Found this via Google and it has amazing reviews
www.goodreads.com/book/show/20886492-her-name-in-the-sky

Devi gwatg is incredible isn't it? There's been a film recently- not seen it, I will but I so enjoyed being inside the world created by the author.
OP is generally a reader? I think at the moment she needs distraction and strong role models- where from is less important iyswim.

Fault in our Stars is another absorbing big big picture read.

If she likes science fiction and zombies Adam Baker's second novel Juggernaut has a lesbian couple who also happen to be mercenary soldiers looking for Iraqi gold.

Thank you all for your wonderful suggestions. I am looking forward to working through them.

Heirhelp – I am slightly scared of approaching the teen LGBT section of the library in case I bump into the likes of Juno Dawson…..

Thanks IminaPickle - I think you’ve hit the nail on the head, I shouldn’t be necessarily looking for lesbian protaganists, but strong female characters. DD used to be an avid reader until she became addicted to YouTube and Tumblr. However, I have noticed that the lure of a good book can sometimes still distract her – hence my quest!

I loved your post DailyMail – that piece of paper your teacher gave you is the sort of scenario I’m trying to achieve (maybe in vain – but you can’t fault me for trying!)

Also Fried Green Tomatoes At The Whistlestop Cafe by Fannie Flagg. It's got a lesbian couple as 2 of the main characters but their sexual orientation is not particularly an issue. I like that it's a story featuring lesbians but not about lesbianism, iykwim?!

Also, as PP has said, books by women featuring strong women, regardless of their sexual orientation.

Val mcDermit, Tracey Chevalier, Anita Shrieve, the Brontes,

imina my 12yo is desperate to see the film, he also loved the book. We are waiting for the age rating

The "Demon Road" triology by Derek Landy. Mostly about fighting supernatural evil and being betrayed by your parents but also bits about realising you are a lesbian and body image.

Annie On My Mind - don't recall the author and I'm on my phone or I'd google it for you, but a quick google will bring it up.