Jen Ferguson's Constellation of Minor Bears is a young adult novel following a Métis teen navigating grief, identity, and first love at a wilderness camp. Through a story that refuses to simplify Indigenous identity or queer experience, Ferguson creates characters dealing with real trauma and real joy. The novel becomes both tender romance and honest exploration of what it means to be mixed-race and queer, proving that YA can handle complexity and that Indigenous teens deserve stories about more than just cultural trauma.

WHY WE PICKED IT: Because Ferguson writes Indigenous and queer teens as whole people with complicated lives, not symbols or victims. This novel reminds us that YA literature is at its best when it trusts young readers with difficult truths, and that first love matters even when everything else is falling apart.

DETAILS: • Author: Jen Ferguson • Publisher: Heartdrum • Format: Hardcover • Publication Date: September 24, 2024 • ISBN: 9780063334229 • Ships direct from distributor in 3–7 business days