10 queer YA books to add to your TBR this Pride Month

I Kissed Alice – Anna Birch

A subtle and modern queer YA retelling of You’ve Got Mail, I Kissed Alice follows Rhodes and Iliana, who both attend a highly competitive art school. In their day-to-day life, they are nemeses, with only art and their mutual best friend, Sarah, to tie them together.

What they don’t know is that they share something deep in common—they are in love with each other’s fanfiction alter egos. Cloaked under the secrecy of online usernames, they unknowingly work together on an Alice in Wonderland fanfiction webcomic.

As the real-life competition heats up, they grow closer to learning the truth about each other, and the two have to decide what they’re willing to sacrifice in order to make the leap from online to IRL. I Kissed Alice is a sweet, queer romance that will have you swooning on every page.

As a bonus, you can read our interview with the author where we discuss the book’s art references, relationship dynamics, and fandom as a whole.

The official synopsis reads:

"Rhodes and Iliana couldn’t be more different, but that’s not why they hate each other. Rhodes, a gifted artist, has always excelled at Alabama’s Conservatory of the Arts (until she’s hit with a secret bout of creator’s block), while Iliana, a transfer student, tries to outshine everyone with her intense, competitive work ethic. Since only one of them can get the coveted Capstone scholarship, the competition between them is fierce. They both escape the pressure on a fanfic site where they are unknowingly collaborating on a webcomic. And despite being worst enemies in real life, their anonymous online identities I-Kissed-Alice and Curious-in-Cheshire are starting to like each other… a lot. When the truth comes out, will they destroy each other’s future?"

I Kissed Alice is available now wherever books are sold.