First published 2009
A teenage lesbian stands at her bedroom mirror, practicing the words she'll use to tell her parents who she really is. Across town, two girls catch each other's gaze on a crowded train and feel an instant spark. Another young woman stares at her reflection, seeing a boy trapped in the wrong body, while down the hall, her neighbor has built walls around her heart to survive her father's cruelty. These ten stories follow different young women as they wrestle with questions that have no easy answers. Some are taking their first tentative steps toward coming out. Others are learning what it means to love someone who sees the world differently. Each girl faces moments that will shape who she becomes. Peters captures the intensity of teenage relationships and the courage it takes to be honest about desire. These stories explore the messy reality of growing up when your heart doesn't fit the expectations others have for you.
Genres: fiction, coming-of-age, contemporary, adolescence, young-adult, lgbt
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, identity-exploration
Kindle Edition · Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Content warnings: anxiety, depression, homophobia, mental-illness