Despite what some would have you believe, queerness isn’t a modern development. Though the language surrounding it has evolved over the years, queerness and queer people have always existed. This week’s Three to Read Teen picks dive into the obscured history of the queer community, showing us how we can empower ourselves in the present by looking toward the past.
Trigger warning: The books discussed in this article contain depictions of or references to queerphobia, antisemitism, and the Holocaust. Please exercise care while reading.
FIRE READ
The Rebel Girls of Rome by Jordyn Taylor
SUMMARY:
As college student Lilah Tepper mourns her mother’s death, she hopes to grow closer to her grandfather, Ralph Mosseri, a Holocaust survivor who remains tight-lipped about his past. Her opportunity arrives in the form of a letter from Tommaso Reni, a student in Rome. Tommaso seems to have discovered a lost family heirloom — and a note from Lilah’s long-lost great-aunt.
Decades earlier, in 1943, Ralph and his older sister, 19-year-old Bruna, lived in Rome’s Jewish Quarter, occupied by the Nazis. While the rest of her family was sent to Auschwitz, Bruna escaped, channeling her guilt into joining the underground resistance movement. But Bruna has more than danger to contend with when she encounters Elsa, her childhood crush, on a mission.
WHY:
Following her debut, The Paper Girl of Paris, Jordyn Taylor weaves a gripping dual narrative intertwining the stories of two queer Jewish women across generations. In the present, openly bisexual Lilah reckons with the brutal past her grandfather fought hard to leave behind. Meanwhile, in the past, Bruna fights for survival and liberation from fascist oppressors, her identity leaving her vulnerable on two fronts. The powerful interplay between these two time periods reminds readers that for people like Bruna and Lilah, the battle to exist, and do so freely, continues nearly a century after the war’s end. At a time when the safety of both queer and Jewish people is continually threatened, these Rebel Girls inspire resilience, persistence, and the determination to forge a better future.
TEA TIME READ
Hey, Mary! by Andrew Wheeler, Illustrated by Rye Hickman
SUMMARY:
Model Catholic student Mark has a problem: He has a crush on another boy. How can he accept this new truth about himself when, his whole life, the Church has told him it was a sin? For guidance, Mark finds help from friends, clergy, and drag performers — but also from some important faces from Catholic history.
WHY:
Many queer teens struggle to reconcile their identity with their faith, as certain organized religions often condemn queerness of any kind as immoral. While some disengage from religion altogether, Hey, Mary! offers an alternative: Find representation and kinship within the faith itself. This graphic novel spotlights the queer stories embedded within a religion otherwise hostile to the community, from the popularly depicted St. Sebastian and Joan of Arc to more obscure figures such as St. Sergius and St. Bacchus. It’s perfect for Catholic teens seeking encouragement and support as they figure out their identity — or any reader fascinated by saints and queer history.
HEAR ME OUT
King’s Legacy by L.C. Rosen
SUMMARY:
After reconciling with his celebrity archaeologist father, Tennessee Russo is riding high. He’s about to shoot a season of his treasure-hunting reality show, and he’s got the perfect score in mind: a long-lost lyre that King David gifted to Jonathan. But not everyone is on board with Ten’s queer approach to Biblical history. His producer — and the Vatican — want to slam the brakes on his ideas, even though Ten knows his research is solid. With help from his dad and his best friend, Gabe, Tennessee embarks on a cross-country journey through Europe to prove what he knows in his heart to be true.
WHY:
Readers first met Tennessee Russo in Lion’s Legacy, which sent him on a journey to uncover the secrets of a troop of gay soldiers in Ancient Greece. This sequel promises the same excitement and adventure, this time with a queer take on Biblical history. Many have debated the nature of King David and Jonathan’s relationship: Was the strong love they felt for each other platonic, or something more? For Tennessee, finding the lyre is about more than claiming a piece of history. It’s about finding himself in that history, proclaiming his truth and the truth of so many others like him: We are queer, and we’ve always been here.
That’s it for this week’s Three to Read Teen! Join us next week for more great new reads to add to your TBR.
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