Overview

Starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist * YALSA Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers * ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults List * 2017 Rainbow A sharply honest and moving debut perfect for fans of The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Ask the Passengers. Riley Cavanaugh is many things: Punk rock. Snarky. Rebellious. And gender fluid. Some days Riley identifies as a boy, and others as a girl. But Riley isn't exactly out yet. And between starting a new school and having a congressman father running for reelection in über-conservative Orange County, the pressure--media and otherwise--is building up in Riley's life. On the advice of a therapist, Riley starts an anonymous blog to vent those pent-up feelings and tell the truth of what it's really like to be a gender fluid teenager. But just as Riley's starting to settle in at school--even developing feelings for a mysterious outcast--the blog goes viral, and an unnamed commenter discovers Riley's real identity, threatening exposure. And Riley must make a choice: walk away from what the blog has created--a lifeline, new friends, a cause to believe in--or stand up, come out, and risk everything. From debut author Jeff Garvin comes a powerful and uplifting portrait of a modern teen struggling with high school, relationships, and what it means to be a person.

Full Product Details

9781504695299

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Reviews

""An important introduction for readers who know little about gender fluidity and a welcome nod to those who may be experiencing similar feelings."" -- ""Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books"" ""Garvin is skilled at truly encapsulating the feeling of being completely without allies in high school. The isolation is palpable in every scene...Very few YA titles have featured protagonists like Riley, who don't fit into the black and white of the gender binary. Verdict: Recommended for any library that serves a teen population."" -- ""School Library Journal"" ""Narrator Tom Phelan deftly conveys all the emotion and angst in Riley's journey...Phelan's ability to deliver an authentic voice for a teen who is exploring non-binary gender identity while coping with the fear of being outed lends truth to this powerful story of self-discovery."" -- ""AudioFile"" ""One of the first YA books to deal with the complex issue of gender fluidity...Riley's emotional life and personal growth shed welcome light on a hitherto obscure subject."" -- ""Booklist (starred review)"" ""Readers never learn Riley's birth-assigned gender, but there's no question that Riley is a smart, funny, sharp-eyed force. Debut author Garvin clearly wants to teach his readers about gender and gender fluidity, but the knowledge he imparts buoys this rewarding story, never weighing it down."" -- ""Publishers Weekly (starred review)"" ""Riley is a character who's deeply needed in young adult fiction, and this book is a beautiful new addition to the queer YA canon."" -- ""Robin Talley, author of Lies We Tell Ourselves"" ""Riley Cavanaugh is a sharp, funny, powerful voice for those who haven't quite found theirs yet. Both highly entertaining and highly necessary, Symptoms is the kind of book that makes you a better human for having read it."" -- ""Dahlia Adler, author of Last Will and Testament"" ""Riley's family relationships and growing friendships...are vibrantly imagined, and the panic attacks are well-illustrated. Overall, a welcome mirror for gender-fluid teens and a helpful introduction for others."" -- ""Kirkus Reviews"" ""With a main character who truly deserves to be called unique, combined with heartbreak and triumphs that are universal, this unforgettable book made me laugh and also cry."" -- ""Lissa Price, internationally bestselling author of Starters""

Author Information

Before becoming a writer, Jeff Garvin acted in films and TV and was the front man of a nationally touring rock band. He is the author of Symptoms of Being Human, which was a Lambda Literary Award finalist and was also named one of the YALSA Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, was an ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults selection, and was on the 2017 Rainbow Book List, and The Lightness of Hands. Jeff lives in Southern California, surrounded by adorable, shedding beasts. Tom Phelan, voice artist and audiobook narrator, is the breakout young actor on ABC's The Fosters who, at seventeen, was one of the first transgender teens on prime-time television and an instant role model for many other trans teens. He manages a Tumblr account on which people can ask questions and look for support regarding their own questions of sexual identity.

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