Ben De Backer’s plan to comes out to their parents as nonbinary on their eighteenth birthday result in devastating results: they are thrown out of the house and stumble barefoot looking for a phonebooth to call an estranged older sister. Surprisingly, the sister and her husband welcome Ben to come live with them, and Ben sets out to build a new life with the help of a therapist. Trying to overcome anxiety disorder and keeping a low profile at school to avoid confrontation, Ben’s days drag and the reader feels this slow drag in the writing. But then Ben draws the attention of outgoing and attractive Nathan. As Ben’s spirits improve, a zest for live builds and the writing reflects the accelerated pace.

This is a powerful coming of age story.