14 YA Novels With Bisexual Characters You'll Love No Matter Your Age
| 09/08/23
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Young adult books are bringing some awesome bi representation to the table.
Bisexual representation isn’t always awesome. Sometimes it’s full of stereotypes. Sometimes bisexual characters are one-dimensional plot devices. Fortunately, there’s a lot of great representation in books—especially in young adult novels. Here are 14 YA books with bisexual characters (some of which don’t even deal primarily with coming out or love stories) that you’ll love no matter your age.
1. Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli
Imogen Scott is an ally to the LGBTQ+ community, but doesn't identify as a member herself. Two of her best friends, however, are queer, and when her friend Lili goes off to college, Imogen finds out she's told all of her new friends that the two of them are dating. While Imogen is conflicted at first, when she meets a girl named Tessa, she realizes there may be more to her sexuality than she originally thought.
2. We Are Totally Normal by Naomi Kanakia
When Nandan heads into his junior year of high school, he never thought he would fall for his friend Dave. He's never been into men before, and his anxiety grows as he explores what these new feelings around his sexuality are.
3. Not Otherwise Specified by Hannah Moskowitz
Etta never seems to fit into her label-obsessed small town. She feels like she’s not gay enough for her lesbian friends because of a recent relationship with a guy, not white or tiny enough for ballet, and thanks to recovery, not sick enough to look anorexic. When she meets Bianca, a straight, white, Christian girl in her therapy group who is also auditioning for a prestigious theater group in Nebraska, the girls become each other’s salvation.
4. Bi-Normal by M.G. Higgins
Brett is a football star and a high school bully, but his world is turned upside down when he meets Zach. He’s heard the word bi before but is convinced that can’t apply to him—except he has a crush on a guy and no idea what to do about it.
5. Over You by Amy Reed
Max is Sadie’s best friend, confidant, and protector, so when Sadie decides to run away to Nebraska for the summer, of course, Max follows. When they meet Dylan, he awakens something in Max that she didn’t know existed, but Sadie isn’t happy with her friend’s new interest.
6. Far From You by Tess Sharpe
Sophie has been drug-free for over nine months, but four months ago her best friend, Mina, died in what everyone thinks was a drug deal gone wrong—and they blame Sophie for setting it up. When she’s forced back into rehab for an addiction she’s already beaten, Sophie tries to track down Mina’s killer before they come for her.
7. Otherbound by Corrine Duyvis
Amara, who is forced to protect a princess against her will, is never alone. A boy from another world experiences everything with her, looking through her eyes. Every time Nolan blinks, he is yanked from his Arizona town into Amara’s mind in a completely different world. All they want is to be free of each other, but they have to learn the truth about their connection first.
8. Boyfriends with Girlfriends by Alex Sanchez
Boyfriends with Girlfriends follows four teens: Lance, Sergio, Kimiko, and Allie. Lance has always known he was gay but has never had a boyfriend. He meets Sergio, who is bisexual but has only ever had a girlfriend. Allie has been in a relationship with a guy for two years, but when she meets Kimiko, she falls for her. Kimiko is also falling for Allie, but she can’t believe Allie is actually into her.
9. Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith
This sci-fi novel follows Austin, who interweaves the story of his Polish heritage with the story of how he and Robby, his best friend, brought about the end of humanity with an army of six-foot-tall praying mantises. To make things worse, Austin is in love with his girlfriend but is confused about his sexual orientation, since he also has feelings for Robby. Ultimately, it’s up to him to save the world.
10. Love in the Time of Global Warming by Francesca Lia Block
Pen has lost everything in the earthquake that destroyed Los Angeles. She sets out into the wasteland to find her family, guided by a copy of Homer’s Odyssey. She has to face cloned giants who feast on humans, and a madman who wants her dead, but she and her fellow survivors do their best to navigate the dangers ahead.
11. Cut Both Ways by Carrie Mesrobian
At seventeen Will is still waiting for his first kiss from a girl, but when his first kiss happens it’s a drunken make-out session with his best friend Angus—and Will didn’t exactly hate kissing a guy. Will meets Brandy but keeps seeing Angus on the side, even though he knows he has to choose who he wants to be with.
12. The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson
Nina Bermudez, Avery, and Mel have been best friends forever, but when Nina goes away for the summer before their senior year, she returns and finds Mel and Avery have fallen for each other.
13. Adaptation by Malinda Lo
Birds are acting strangely. Flocks of them hurl themselves into airplanes and cars. That’s what causes Reese and her longtime crush David to crash. Reese can’t remember the time between the accident and waking up a month later, but she’s different now. She’s miraculously healed after a stay in a military hospital in Nevada. When she returns to San Francisco things only get stranger. Police are enforcing a curfew and hazmat teams are collecting dead birds. When Reese meets the beautiful Amber, her search for the truth threatens to expose a global conspiracy.
14. Coda by Emma Trevayne
Music has always been a part of Anthem’s life. He’s a conduit whose energy feeds the main power in the Grid. The Corp encodes music with mind-altering elements to control citizens. Anthem finds comfort in his underground rock band, but when a band member suspiciously dies, he knows his time is limited. Anthem is bisexual, but for all the crappy things about this dystopian future world, sexual orientation is a nonissue.
