Adopted Protagonists

Last Updated: March 5, 2024

Dead Things Are Closer Than They Appear by Robin Wasley

Seventeen-year-old Sid lives in a tourist town where magic lies buried beneath the earth, but other than that, has a completely ordinary existence, until one day her brother goes missing and the ground opens up, unleashing the magic and zombies within.

Epically Earnest by Molly Horan

Epically Earnest
by Molly Horan

Jane Worthing’s claim to fame is that she was one of the first viral internet sensations…discovered as a one-year-old in an oversized Gucci bag by her adopted father in a Poughkeepsie train station. Now in her senior year of high school, Janey is questioning whether she wants to look for her bio family due to a loving, but deeply misguided push from her best friend Algie, while also navigating an all-consuming crush on his cousin, the beautiful, way-out-of-her-league Gwen Fairfax.

Full Disclosure Camryn Garrett

Full Disclosure
by Camryn Garrett

Simone Garcia-Hampton is starting over at a new school, making real friends, making a name for herself as student director of Rent, and making a play for Miles. The last thing she wants is for word to get out that she’s HIV-positive, because last time things got ugly. As Simone and Miles start going out, as shy kisses escalate into much more, she knows she has to tell him that she’s positive. But she’s terrified of how he’ll react. When she finds an anonymous note in her locker that threatens to expose her, she begins to wonder if the only way to rise above is to face the haters head-on.

How to Be Remy Cameron by Julian Winters

How to Be Remy Cameron
by Julian Winters

Everyone on campus knows Remy Cameron: he’s the out-and-proud, super-likable guy who friends, faculty, and fellow students alike admire for his cheerful confidence. Under pressure to write an A+ essay defining who he is and who he wants to be, Remy embarks on an emotional journey toward reconciling the outward labels people attach to him with the real Remy Cameron within.

Into the Light by Mark Oshiro

Into the Light
by Mark Oshiro

Seventeen-year-old queer adoptee Manny, now homeless, sets out to find his sister Elena, who is still enmeshed in Christ’s Dominion, the community that abandoned him, but the journey is fraught with danger, as he is forced to confront the religious trauma from his past.

Love Blind by C. Desir and Jolene Betty Perry

Love Blind
by C. Desir and Jolene Perry

Shy high schooler Kyle Jamieson forms an unusual friendship with Hailey Bosler, a girl rocker with degenerative blindness; they partner together to tackle a bucket list of greatest fears and in the process discover the painful reality of bad timing.

Meet Me in Mumbai by Sabina Khan

Meet me in Mumbai
by Sabina Khan

Seventeen-year-old Mira Fuller-Jensen was adopted by her moms at birth. All she knows about her biological mother is that she was a high-school student from India who went back to India after giving birth. Although Mira loves her moms, she’s always felt like a misfit in her mostly white community. That starts to change when Nikhil Verma transfers to her school from Mumbai. They become fast friends and he helps Mira connect to her heritage through his family and their love for Indian cooking and Bollywood. Despite this new connection, Mira still feels left out of the Indian community, and like she will never fully belong anywhere. So when Mira finds an old box with letters addressed to her from her birth mother, she finally sees a way to fully capture that feeling of belonging. Her mother writes that if Mira can forgive her for having to give her up, she should find a way to travel to India for her 18th birthday and meet her mother at a designated place and time. With her birthday approaching, Mira knows she’ll always regret it if she doesn’t go. But is she actually ready for what she will learn? And in unlocking the secrets of her past, is Mira also unlocking her true feelings for Nikhil?

The Beauty That Remains by Ashley Woodfolk

The Beauty That Remains
by Ashley Woodfolk

Music brought Autumn, Shay, and Logan together. Autumn is a talented artist and a loyal friend. Shay was defined by two things: her bond with her twin sister, Sasha, and her love of music. And Logan has always turned to writing love songs when his real love life was a little less than perfect. But death might pull them apart– when tragedy strikes each of them, music is no longer enough.

The Bridge by Bill Konigsberg

The Bridge
by Bill Konigsberg

Aaron is a gay misfit struggling with depression and loneliness. Tillie isn’t sure what her problem is, only that she will never be good enough. They arrive at the George Washington Bridge at the same time. There are four things that could happen: Aaron jumps and Tillie doesn’t. Tillie jumps and Aaron doesn’t. They both jump. Neither of them jumps. Or maybe all four things happen. Includes resources about suicide prevention and suicide prevention for LGBTQIA+ youth.

You Have a Match by Emma Lord

You Have A Match
by Emma Lord

When Abby signs up for a DNA service, it’s mainly to give her friend and secret love interest, Leo, a nudge. After all, she knows who she is already: Avid photographer. Injury-prone tree climber. Best friend to Leo and Connie…although ever since the B.E.I. (Big Embarrassing Incident) with Leo, things have been awkward on that front. But she didn’t know she’s a younger sister. When the DNA service reveals Abby has a secret sister, shimmery-haired Instagram star Savannah Tully, it’s hard to believe they’re from the same planet, never mind the same parents – especially considering Savannah, queen of green smoothies, is only a year and a half older than Abby herself. The logical course of action? Meet up at summer camp (obviously) and figure out why Abby’s parents gave Savvy up for adoption. But there are complications: Savvy is a rigid rule-follower and total narc. Leo is the camp’s co-chef, putting Abby’s growing feelings for him on blast. And her parents have a secret that threatens to unravel everything. But part of life is showing up, leaning in, and learning to fit all your awkward pieces together. Because sometimes, the hardest things can also be the best ones.