2020 YA LGBTQ+ Books That Deserve Netflix Adaptations

Tired of seeing all these teen romcom/drama films in Netflix featuring str8s?

Me, too.

I mean, all these other (very straight) Young Adult books are being adapted to Netflix films. But what if they tried to adapt LGBTQ+ books instead? Feature and amplify various stories from the LGBTQ+ community, rather than making another very straight movie?

What if… instead of making another Kissing Booth movie, Netflix adapts You Should See Me in a Crown instead… 😳

— alexx 🦊📚 is listening to Dynamite (@lxndrnae) July 29, 2020

So, I put together a small list of 2020 YA LGBTQ+ books that deserve to be adapted by Netflix! (Which in a way, also doubles a recommendation list!) Scroll down below and tell me if you agree!

You Should See Me in a Crown

Listen, okay. This book added 10 years to my lifespan. You Should See Me in a Crown has all the makings of a great teen romcom movie (prom, friendships, family, Sapphic love interest, humor, and more!). It’s cute and wholesome, and above all, it’s a beautiful book that celebrates Black joy!

Add to Goodreads | Buy the book | Read my review

Only Mostly Devastated

Only Mostly Devastated is a fun and hilarious book about summer love, yet it also touches you with emotional moments and true to life conflicts within families, friends, and even one’s self. This book would make the perfect summer romance movie!

Add to Goodreads | Buy the book | Read my review

Felix Ever After

Honest, beautiful, emotional. Felix Ever After is an exploration of self-identity, a story about families and friends (both old and new), and a story about experiencing love for the first time. A story like this needs to be created into a movie and shown to the world.

Add to Goodreads | Buy the book | Read my review

Edit: WOOOHOOOOO. Just a few weeks ago, my twitter feed was filled with the amazing news that Felix Ever After is getting a TV adaptation! How awesome is this?! It’s what Felix deserves!

Cemetery Boys

I don’t know how Aiden Thomas did it, but he is a mastermind. Cemetery Boys blends paranormal, mystery, romance, adventure, the struggles of the transgender community, and Latinx culture all in one book! It would be amazing to see this as a movie!

Add to Goodreads | Buy the book | Read my review

I’ll Be The One

Disclaimer, I haven’t read I’ll Be The One yet (an unfortunate crime I hope to rectify soon!). But the synopsis sounds promising and from what I’ve heard from other readers, this book is, in fact, a great read! I can imagine it now, too: all the romcom feels and all the K-pop songs!

Add to Goodreads | Buy the book

Edit: Okay book nerds, you’re going to have to forgive me. I forgot that I’ll Be the One is already heading to the big screen! It’s being adapted by HBO Max and being the forgetful person I am, it totally slipped my mind as I was writing this post. I’m still super excited though!

Bonus: The House in the Cerulean Sea

Now, The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune is not Young Adult. But I wanted to include this masterpiece in this list because it deserves a Netflix film of its own! This was wholesome, heartwarming, and beautiful! With found family trope and a touch of magic, this book was just a delight.

Add to Goodreads | Buy the book | Read my review

---

So, have you read these books before? What did you think? Do you think they would make great Netflix films as well?

And of course, this list is limited to what I’ve recently read. I know there are other great new YA LGBTQ+ books out there that deserve their own adaptations! So I ask you this, what other YA LGBTQ+ books do you think Netflix should adapt next?

Note: This article has been updated on 9/13/2020.