Out of all of the gay characters that I’ve read about, I’ve connected the most with Dade from The Vast Fields of Ordinary. I don’t know if it’s because Dade and I are so alike—that his actions in the novel are believable—or if it’s because Nick Burd’s writing is dreamy. It’s probably a mix of the two. (Dial)

Alex is the first gay character I’ve read who I’m completely different from. For one, he likes to run—like, track, for fun. Uhm, never in my life will I sweat and enjoy it. Alex kind of made me realize that being gay doesn’t define your identity. Before reading What They Always Tell Us, I thought all gay boys dressed well and did good hair, just like me. Alex doesn’t dress as well as me (or do good hair!), but I can definitely relate to his story and voice. (Delacorte Books for Young Readers)

I read The Sixth Form about a month before coming out to my friends. That was when I started appreciating my friends more. And I realized that at one point, if I wanted to continue my relationships with these people, I’d have to tell them about my sexuality. And after I did, I got nothing but support and “Uhm, obviously; you’re a cheerleader and you watch Gossip Girl” back. In the novel, Todd has trouble with telling his friends he’s gay. Todd had mislead his friends. He created this image for himself that made him come off as a womanizer. After reading The Sixth Form, I’ve realized how gifted I am with amazing, supportive friends. It’s not something a lot of people have. Todd didn’t. (Kensington)

When I first heard of A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend, I was very, very excited. There aren’t really that many books that explore the relationship between a lesbian and her best friend. When you hear the phrase “gay best friend,” you tend to think of a fashionista straight girl and her sassy gay friend. I never really thought about lesbian teens and their straight best friends, and I love how Emily Horner’s debut novel explored that. Cass’s voice spoke out to me; I feel the same way about my friends as she does hers. (Dial)

The Carrie Diaries takes place in the 80’s. And people are way harsher on Walt then they ever were on me. Walt’s character made me happy to be in 2010. Even though being a teenager (gay or straight, in 2010 or in the 1980’s) sucks in so many ways, you have to appreciate the progress, despite the imperfect things, like marriage equality. I’m living in the best time to be gay in America. Walt made me realize that. (Balzer + Bray)

I started reading Marked oblivious to the fact there was a gay vampire dude in it. And when Stevie Rae, one of the protagonists of P.C. and Kristin Cast’s House of Night series, introduced Damien as the token gay of the school, I was thrilled. Damien is gorgeous and smart. He represents the gays well! (St. Martin’s Griffin)

Jordy is a character that stuck with me for a while after reading the last page of Becoming Chloe. His passion for life and dedication to the people he loved inspired me to be a better person (I cuss too much!). In the novel, Jordy is on his own, living homeless in New York City, because of his parents’ reaction to his sexuality. So many bad things happened to Jordy, yet he always remained optimistic. The book is really about his search for beauty in the terrible, otherwise ugly world he lives in. Jordy made me grateful that my experience with coming out was positive. (Knopf Books for Young Readers)

Magnus is the funnest gay wizard I have ever read. I loved reading him. He’s all about having fun and not caring what anyone thinks. He’s like a child, pre-war. He has that sense of happiness that we feel as children, before we know what homophobia and racism and murder are. His ability to push all of these things out of his head amazes me. (Margaret K. McElderry)

The majority of my friends are straight teen girls, and they’re totally cool with me being gay. But, if you put them around a lesbian, they get tense. I see this a lot: my girlfriends are okay with gays, yet timid with lesbians. And I really hate that. Pretty Little Liars focuses on friendships, and one the main characters, Emily, is a closeted lesbian. Her friends and classmates don’t really look at her the same when they find out. Which is ridiculous. I love how Emily, as a character, shows that your sexual orientation doesn’t define your personality, or who you are. It’s just one of the many traits that you have. I also love how she breaks stereotypes. (Harper Teen)

Ahh, Mason! A gay werewolf! Whenever I see a paranormal gay character, I can’t help but grin. It’s a good break from the usual depressed gay kid who has problems finding boyfriends and acceptance and all that stuff that I read in contemporary fiction. In Nightshade, it’s not really a big deal that Mason is gay. Like, oh, there’s a blonde werewolf, a werewolf with blue eyes, and werewolf who’s gay. So, Andrea Cremer definitely hits the fact that sexuality is just like race and gender and eye color. Which I love. (Philomel)