These two books have teen LGBTQ+ representation and you get to experience other worlds, but things aren’t always easygoing.
Burn Down, Rise Up by Vincent Tirado
Raquel's mother gets infected with a spreading black mold and in order to save her, Raquel must find Francisco, a friend's cousin, who has gone missing. Raquel and her friends learn that they must take a train at 3AM and play a three-rule game called Echo to find him. If they don't last an hour on the train, they'll become a part of a never ending journey filled with burning ghosts, a sinister overseer, and a creepy crawly monster. Part thriller, horror and historical fiction, this will have you on the edge as you learn about the lengths family and friends will go through for each other and Raquel's supernatural connection to the land of Echo.
Lakelore by Anna-Marie McLemore
Bastián makes alebrijes to help with his emotional regulation and cycles of fixation. He releases them into a world under the lake but soon, it becomes too full and starts to manifest itself and the alebrijes in the real world. Lore is trying to start over from a incident at their last school. Both are hiding their true selves but are drawn to each other. They learn about the ups and downs of making friends, being truthful and accepting each other for who they are, and that it's ok to ask for help. What makes this a unique read is that you get to see the inner going-ons in Bastián and Lore as they cope and come up with ways to live with ADHD and dyslexia. It's a reality check for many that you can't and don't always have to figure things out by yourself.