7 of the Best YA Books by Trans Authors To Read in 2024

This bloody YA historical/fantasy/horror book was one of my favorite reads of last year, despite horror not usually being my genre! Silas is a 16-year-old trans autistic guy in a fantasy version of 1883 London. He was born with violet eyes, which means he can see spirits — and that he’s a valued “bride.” When he’s sent to Braxton’s Finishing School and Sanitorium, the misogyny, transphobia, and ableism is torturous enough — then spirits contact him to let him know girls are dying here, and he’ll have to take the school down before he’s next. Silas’s special interest is surgery, so he sees everything through that lens, making for a blood- and viscera-soaked read even outside the actual surgery scenes. I recommend check out the content warnings first, but this is an incredible read, especially as an audiobook.

Tara just wants to fit in at Ainsley Academy, but as the only trans girl and one of the few students of color there, that’s a challenge. When she applies to join the Sibyls, an exclusive society of girls whose membership comes with a scholarship, Tara finds herself at the middle of a firestorm of controversy around who is allowed into the Sibyls, and whether it should exist at all. This is an often infuriating read, because Tara faces so much transmisogyny in her life, including from “well-meaning” “allies” who steamroll over her to suit their own agendas. She also faces anti-trans legislation that is especially dangerous for her family because of their immigration status. The Sibyls is the one place she feels like she’s seen as herself, not just as “the trans girl.” This one also has a sapphic romance subplot!