One of the greatest things about YA these days is the amount of diversity that is being brought to the characters. When I was in high school, it was almost non-existent. I could have been reading the wrong books, but I was a pretty big reader back then. And it’s not only the diversity aspect, but the variety of fantasy and sci-fi and even contemporary books blows my mind most days. I look back now at the books I used to be obsessed with and they almost seem bland in comparison. I wanted to write a post about how grateful I am that these new diverse books exist now, not just because I get to read them but then younger people (and even older ones!) who are part of these groups have the opportunity to see themselves in books like I did. So here is a selection of books that I wish had existed when I was in high school, but since they didn’t, I’m so proud that they are being written now:
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
rep: poc main character
Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
rep: lgbt main character
From Twinkle, With Love by Sandhya Menon
rep: poc main character
They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
rep: lgbt + poc main characters
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
rep: poc #ownvoices non-fiction
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
rep: lgbt + poc main characters
The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth
rep: lgbt main character
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
rep: poc main character
Dear Martin by Nic Stone
rep: poc main character
Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore
rep: lgbt + poc main characters
Love, Hate, & Other Filters by Samira Ahmed
rep: poc main character
Mirage by Somaiya Daud
rep: poc main character
Honourable Mentions
Heart Berries: A Memoir by Terese Marie Mailhot
rep: poc #ownvoices non-fiction
Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden
rep: lgbt main characters
Are there any books you wish were around when you were younger? Let’s chat about it in the comments!
*Note: some of these books I haven’t read yet, so if I am wrong in any of the reps listed, or I’ve missed any, please let me know!
Pages of Milk and Honey 
I wish I’d read History Is All You Left Me when I was in high school. I think the way it explores first love and how it can’t always last forever is really important, and I hope I would’ve learned something from it. Also, it would’ve been nice to be aware that LGBT+ books exist!
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I wish I would have been aware of them too! Honestly, I look back and wonder how on Earth I could have been satisfied with what I was reading.
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