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

Surrender Your Sons – Adam Sass

Connor Major knew that coming out to his mom would be a mistake–he just didn’t realize how big of a mistake it would be. Living in a small, conservative town in Illinois, Connor’s main lifeline is his boyfriend, who thinks his mom will be more understanding than Connor imagines.

But Connor’s mom, like the rest of the town, is captivated by a brooding and charismatic Reverend and his church. And as far as the Reverend is concerned, there’s only one thing to do with boys like Connor–steal him away in the dead of night to a conversion therapy camp on a desert island.

When Connor arrives, he’s desperate to escape and make it back home to his boyfriend. But as he gets to know the other campers, he realizes there’s a larger conspiracy and mystery to untangle that leads all the way back to the Reverend and his hometown.

Surrender Your Sons is a heartbreaking fast-paced thriller and mystery perfect for fans of horror and genre looking for more queer narratives.

The official synopsis reads:

"Connor Major’s summer break is turning into a nightmare. His SAT scores bombed, the old man he delivers meals to died, and when he came out to his religious zealot mother, she had him kidnapped and shipped off to a secluded island. His final destination: Nightlight Ministries, a conversion therapy camp that will be his new home until he “changes.” But Connor’s troubles are only beginning. At Nightlight, everyone has something to hide—from the campers to the “converted” staff and cagey camp director—and it quickly becomes clear that no one is safe. Connor plans to escape and bring the other kidnapped teens with him. But first, he’s exposing the camp’s horrible truths for what they are—and taking this place down."

Surrender Your Sons is available now wherever books are sold.