by Tanya Boteju
First published 2025
At Catholic school, she has perfected the art of separation. Straight A grades, perfect attendance, rules followed to the letter. Her private thoughts and feelings stay locked away where no administrator or parent can find them. When a classmate reaches out for help, she makes a choice that changes everything. She begins organizing an underground GSA, meeting in secret with students who need a safe space to be themselves. The careful boundaries she has maintained for years start to crumble. Her double life becomes harder to sustain as the group grows and her own feelings surface. She faces questions about faith, identity, and what happens when the real you refuses to stay hidden. This is a story about the courage it takes to let others see who you really are, even when everything you have built depends on keeping that person secret.
Genres: coming-of-age, contemporary, young-adult
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: double-life, found-family
Period: 21st-century
400 pages · Hardcover · Quill Tree Books
Content warnings: homophobia