by Kathe Koja
First published 2011
A teenage girl finds herself caught between the demands of her school, her church, and her family, each pulling her in different directions. Across town, a boy discovers new love at the same moment he confronts the harsh reality of injustice and prejudice. When a young person dies, the community reels from shock, but one person carries the terrible knowledge of what really happened. Meanwhile, a solitary teenager wages an internal war, paralyzed by fear of society yet desperately wanting acceptance and respect. These four young voices intersect in moments both heartbreaking and hopeful, revealing the complex struggles of LGBTQ teens navigating a world that often refuses to understand them. Their stories weave together themes of identity, belonging, and survival in a narrative that moves from tragedy to moments of unexpected joy.
Genres: coming-of-age, contemporary, young-adult, lgbt
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, social-injustice
218 pages · Paperback · Cheyenne Publishing
Content warnings: homophobia