From the publisher, Scholastic, Published May 5, 2026.
From the award-winning
author/illustrator of GENDER QUEER and a bright new talent, the story of a kid
named Saachi, who is navigating friendship woes, sister issues, a new crush,
and a resistance to blue-and-pink binaries.
Bodies are the worst. I wish
I didn't have a body.
Saachi is a storyteller. At
school, she's surrounded by kids she's known forever -- including her best
friend, Lyla, who shares Saachi's love of fantasy novels and creating new
worlds.
But as seventh grade starts,
kids are changing. Suddenly, it matters who you like and if you can find a
boyfriend or girlfriend. Even Lyla seems more interested in hanging out with
her new boyfriend than in writing and drawing with Saachi anymore. Saachi's not
interested in any of that boy/girl stuff. Why can't things just stay the way
they were?
Saachi also doesn't love all
the ways her body is changing. What if she doesn't feel like a girl -- or like
a boy, either? In a world where there is so much either/or, Saachi is going to
need to find her own options . . . and create her own story.
I found this graphic novel
to be relatable and important and the main character, Saachi, felt real. She
questions her gender and how she fits in, when her friends don’t have the same issue.
It brings to light how different people struggle while figuring themselves out.
I believe this novel has a home and will be beneficial to countless kids dealing
with similar concerns.
There are many themes in
this story: growing up is hard enough with just physical changes, but
friendships change and school changes, too; finding your passion and people who
support you; and not judging a book by its cover.
