Reading With Pride - Young Adult, Rainbow Female Character

Need a hand finding pukapuka for the Reading With Pride challenge? Look no further!

This is a list of books that will help you complete the first section of the challenge - reading a book with a rainbow female character.

This is the Young Adult list.

Updated May 11, 2026
Drag items up and down to your preferred order then select the "Save Order" button.
Tonight, I burn
Adams, Katharine J.
Paper Book
From one of the most exciting new voices in romantasy comes the tale of a thorn witch with the power to walk between the realms of Life and Death who finds herself at the center of a magical rebellion--and a dangerous romance--that could destroy her coven and her soul in this dark and decadent...
Going bicoastal
Adler, Dahlia
Paper Book
A SYDNEY TAYLOR BOOK AWARD MEDALIST "This is what it looks like when a brilliant high concept is executed to perfection. It's got all the Dahlia Adler trademarks--romance, wry humor, specificity, and genuine emotional depth." - Becky Albertalli, New York Times...
Amelia, if only
Albertalli, Becky
Paper Book
#1 New York Times bestselling author Becky Albertalli (Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda and Imogen, Obviously) is back with another novel of crushes, friendships, and finding love in unexpected places. A 2026 Rainbow Book List pick! Amelia Applebaum isn...
Leah on the offbeat
Albertalli, Becky
Paper Book
#1 New York Times bestseller! Goodreads Choice Award for the best young adult novel of the year! In this sequel to the acclaimed Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda--now a major motion picture, Love, Simon--we follow Simon's BFF Leah in a heartfelt...
Bad things happen here
Barrow, Rebecca
Paper Book
I Killed Zoe Spanos meets The Cheerleaders in this "atmospheric and multi-layered mystery" (Kara Thomas, author of The Cheerleaders) about an island town with a history of unsolved deaths--and a girl desperate to uncover the mystery behind it all. Luca Laine...
The good girls
Bartlett, Claire Eliza
Paper Book
One of Us Is Lying meets Sadie in this twisty, feminist thriller for the Me Too era. The troublemaker. The overachiever. The cheer captain. The dead girl. Like every high school in America, Jefferson-Lorne High contains all of the above. After the...
Cinderella is dead
Bayron, Kalynn
Paper Book
"Wholly original and captivating." - Brigid Kemmerer, New York Times bestselling author of A Curse So Dark and Lonely Girls team up to overthrow the kingdom in this unique and powerful retelling of Cinderella from a stunning new voice that's perfect for fans of...
You're not supposed to die tonight
Bayron, Kalynn
Paper Book
Instant New York Times bestseller! At Camp Mirror Lake, terror is the name of the game . . . but can you survive the night? This heart-pounding slasher by New York Times bestselling author Kalynn Bayron is perfect for fans of Fear Street...
The last bookstore on Earth
Braun-Arnold, Lily
Paper Book
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Two teen girls fall in love and fight for survival in an abandoned bookstore as they prepare for the end of the world in "the snarky sapphic dystopian of our dreams" (Jennifer Dugan, author of Some Girls Do). A YALSA BEST FICTION FOR...
So let them burn
Cole, Kamilah
Paper Book
An INSTANT National Bestseller! Whip-smart and immersive, this Jamaican-inspired fantasy follows a gods-blessed heroine who's forced to choose between saving her sister or protecting her homeland--perfect for fans of Iron Widow and The Priory of...
This ends in embers
Cole, Kamilah
Paper Book
Perfect for fans of Raybearer and Fourth Wing, this astonishing sequel to the bestselling novel So Let Them Burn, follows sisters Faron and Elara as they fight on opposite sides of a war that could redefine their world.   ...
Gwen & Art are not in love
Croucher, Lex
Paper Book
An Instant New York Times Bestseller! "A total, rollicking delight. Gwen & Art gave me the same cheeky, swoony, giddy, irresistible high of the first time I saw A Knight's Tale. Lex Croucher is one of my favorite romcom authors, and they should be yours...
The summer of bitter and sweet
Ferguson, Jenny
Paper Book
In this complex and emotionally resonant novel about a Métis girl living on the Canadian prairies, debut author Jen Ferguson serves up a powerful story about rage, secrets, and all the spectrums that make up a person--and the sweetness that can still live alongside the bitterest truth. A William...
When we were magic
Gailey, Sarah
Paper Book
A moving, darkly funny novel about six teens whose magic goes wildly awry from Magic for Liars author Sarah Gailey, who Chuck Wendig calls an "author to watch." Keeping your magic a secret is hard. Being in love with your best friend is harder. Alexis...
These violent delights
Gong, Chloe
Paper Book
An Instant New York Times Bestseller! A BuzzFeed Best Young Adult Book of 2020 Perfect for fans of The Last Magician and Serpent & Dove, this heart-stopping debut is an imaginative Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shanghai...
We deserve monuments
Hammonds, Jas
Paper Book
"An absolute must read." --Buzzfeed "A gripping portrayal of the South's inherent racism and a love story for queer Black girls." --Teen Vogue Family secrets, a swoon-worthy romance, and a slow-burn mystery...
The henna wars
Jaigirdar, Adiba
Paper Book
"Impossible to put down." - Kirkus, starred review Nishat doesn't want to lose her family, but she also doesn't want to hide who she is, and it only gets harder once a childhood friend walks back into her life. Flávia is beautiful and charismatic, and Nishat falls for...
A million to one
Jaigirdar, Adiba
Paper Book
2024 Rainbow Book List Adiba Jaigirdar, author of one of Time's Best YA books of all time, gives Titanic an Ocean's 8 makeover in this nail-biting heist set onboard the infamous ship. Josefa is an unapologetic and charismatic thief who loves the thrill of the chase. She has her eye...
You should see me in a crown
Johnson, Leah (Young adult author)
Paper Book
A TIME Magazine Best YA Book of All Time A Stonewall Honor Book A Reese's Book Club YA Pick Liz Lighty has always believed she's too black, too poor, too awkward to shine in her small, rich, prom-obsessed midwestern town. But it's okay -- Liz has a...
Death at Morning House
Johnson, Maureen
Paper Book
An instant New York Times and Indie bestseller! From the bestselling author of the Truly Devious books, Maureen Johnson, comes a new stand-alone YA about a teen who uncovers a mystery while working as a tour guide on an island and must solve it before history repeats itself.<...
Lady's knight
Kaufman, Amie
Paper Book
An undeniably fierce, unforgettably funny, unapologetically queer feminist romp through the England of medieval legend. Bestselling and acclaimed authors Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner bring readers along on an epic quest for valor, freedom, and, above all, love. A Knight's Tale meets...
Now, conjurers
Kölsch, Freddie
Paper Book
Following the murder of their leader and friend, a tight-knit coven of queer teens takes on a wish-granting demon lurking in their town, weaving together murder mystery with the occult in this YA horror novel perfect for fans of V. E. Schwab and Leigh Bardugo books. ...
I'll be the one
Lee, Lyla
Paper Book
Diverse book recommended by The Today Show * A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year * Bank Street Best Book of the Year * YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults * ALA's Rainbow Book List Top 10 for Teen Readers The world of K-Pop has never met a star like this. Debut author Lyla Lee delivers...
She gets the girl
Lippincott, Rachael
Paper Book
She's All That meets What If It's Us in this New York Times bestselling hate-to-love YA romantic comedy from the coauthor of Five Feet Apart Rachael Lippincott and debut writer Alyson Derrick. Alex Blackwood is a little bit headstrong, with a dash of...
A snake falls to Earth
Little Badger, Darcie 1987-
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER In this breathaking work of Indigenous futurism, Darcie Little Badger weaves an unforgettable tale of monsters, magic, and family. Nina is a Lipan girl in our world. She's always felt there was something more out there. She still...
Last night at the Telegraph Club
Lo, Malinda
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD AND STONEWALL BOOK AWARD * From acclaimed author Malinda Lo comes a gripping, tender coming-of-age novel exploring identity, queerness, and historical upheaval set in San Francisco's Chinatown during the 1950s. ...
I kissed Shara Wheeler : a novel
McQuiston, Casey
Paper Book
*INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER* *INSTANT #1 INDIE BESTSELLER* *INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER* From the New York Times bestselling author of One Last Stop and Red, White & Royal Blue comes a romantic comedy about chasing down what you...
Summer's edge
Mele, Dana
Paper Book
"Absolutely enthralling and genuinely terrifying." --Kit Frick, author of I Killed Zoe Spanos and Very Bad People I Know What You Did Last Summer meets The Haunting of Hill House in this "psychologically chilling and unforgettable" (Kirkus...
Girls of paper and fire
Ngan, Natasha
Paper Book
A New York Times Bestseller! Uncover a riveting story of palace intrigue set in a sumptuous Asian-inspired fantasy world in the breakout YA novel that Publisher's Weeklycalls "elegant and adrenaline-soaked." "Queer...
A bánh mì for two
Nguyen, Trinity
Paper Book
In this sweet sapphic romance about two foodies in love, Vivi meets Lan while studying abroad in Vietnam and they spend the semester unraveling their families' histories--and eating all the street food in Sài Gòn. In Sài Gòn, Lan is always trying to be the perfect...
The deep dark
Ostertag, Molly Knox
Paper Book
From Molly Knox Ostertag, writer-illustrator of the New York Times and ABA Indie bestselling The Witch Boy trilogy and The Girl from the Sea, comes a darkly beautiful story of identity, family, love, loss, and magic. Everyone has secrets. Mags's has teeth. Magdalena...
The girls I've been
Sharpe, Tess
Paper Book
A New York Times Bestseller * A USA Today Bestseller * In this feminist, suspenseful thriller the daughter of a con artist is taken hostage in a bank heist--and will need to tap into all her skills in order to survive. "If you're looking for a queer YA contemporary book...
Cold
Tamaki, Mariko
Paper Book
A boy, a murder, a girl, a secret. From award-winning author Mariko Tamaki comes Cold, a haunting YA novel about a shocking crime, told by a boy who died--and a girl who wants to know why. Who was Todd Mayer, and why don't any of his fellow students at...
Celestial monsters
Thomas, Aiden
Paper Book
A New York Times-Bestseller! A Kids' Indie Next Pick! A B&N Best YA Book of the Year! New York Times-bestselling author Aiden Thomas returns to the beloved world of The Sunbearer Trials in Celestial Monsters, a heart-stopping duology...
Cemetery boys
Thomas, Aiden
Paper Book
Longlisted for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature! A New York Times Bestseller! A YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Top Ten pick! "Goundbreaking." -Entertainment Weekly A trans boy determined to prove his gender to...
The Sunbearer Trials
Thomas, Aiden
Paper Book
A New York Times-Bestseller! Welcome to The Sunbearer Trials, where teen semidioses compete in a series of challenges with the highest of stakes, in this electric new Mexican-inspired fantasy from Aiden Thomas, the New York Times bestselling author of...
Squad
Tokuda-Hall, Maggie
Paper Book
An IndieBound Bestseller "Squad is a fast-paced and feminist horror story for every girl who's ever felt like prey, and asks how far a girl should go to hunt the hunters."--Laura Ruby, author of National Book Award Finalist Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All<...
They bloom at night
Tran, Trang Thanh
Paper Book
Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth NPR Books We Love Pick New York Public Library Best Book of the Year The author of the New York Times bestselling horror phenomenon She Is a Haunting is back with a novel...
Navigating with you
Whitley, Jeremy
Paper Book
Neesha Sparks is a disabled, vocal community activist with a passion for costume design. Gabby Graciana is an optimistic surfer - and, like Neesha, a new kid at school. When the two girls discover that they like the same manga series, Navigator Nozomi, they become more than just fellow new kids. But...
Where sleeping girls lie
Ŕbíké-Íyímídé, Faridah
Paper Book
A girl new to boarding school discovers dark secrets after her roommate disappears, in this "beautifully written coming-of-age mystery that should appeal to fans of Tiffany Jackson, Kara Thomas, and Jumata Emill." (Shelf Awareness, starred review) ...

Library staff! You can create and contribute to lists. Contact your catalog administrator or log in here.