Ten books about alienated women in their 20s

Alexandria Juarez is a Chicanx lesbian writer, editor, and pop culture enthusiast from Southern California. A recent graduate of the BFA Writing Program at Pratt Institute, they are currently an assistant editor for Electric Literature.

At Electric Lit Juarez tagged ten novels "that capture the uneasiness of young womanhood in a patriarchal society," including:

Sketchtasy by Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore

The queer scene in 1990s Boston was highly divided among race, sexuality, and gender. Angel, an early 20s “Queen,” is desperate to find a place free of the hatred and discrimination that plagues her daily life. She finds herself captivated by the club scene and begins using heavy drugs to evade her past traumas. Overflowing with parties, failed attempts at sobriety, and the ever-present threat of contracting HIV, Sketchtasy grieves for a community few even acknowledged.

Read about the other entries on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue