Riley is worried about friendship issues and fitting in, especially now that her best friend has moved away and she’s dealing with mean girls in middle school. She daydreams about her celebrity crush, Joy Powers, gives herself a haircut that feels more like “her” and is confused by the mean girls who call her a lesbian. Eventually, Riley learns to be a good friend and accept and appreciate her own identity, even if she’s not yet sure what that is.
The art style is very young and cartoonish, but the content is solidly upper middle grade and middle school, dealing with crushes, identity, and mean kids. There are confrontations with kids who harass Riley because she is perceived as gay but Riley herself makes missteps with her friends, speaking before she thinks and getting into arguments and fights.
Verdict: This is a great addition to LGBTQ-friendly books for younger readers, with both an enjoyable story and a thoughtful presentation of the issues and what it feels like to figure out your identity on top of “regular” school issues.
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