Overview

IndieFab Young Adult Fiction Book of the Year 2015! Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Books 2015! In the podunk town of Hawthorne, North Carolina, seventeen-year-old geeks Lula and Rory share everything-sci-fi and fantasy fandom, Friday night binge-watching of old X-Files episodes, and that feeling that they don't quite fit in. Lula knows she and Rory have no secrets from each other; after all, he came out to her years ago, and she's shared with him her ""sacred texts""-the acting books her mother left behind after she walked out of Lula's life. But then Lula discovers that Rory-her Rory, who maybe she's secretly had feelings for-has not only tried out for the Hawthorne football team without telling her, but has also been having an affair with his middle-aged divorcee boss. With their friendship disrupted, Lula begins to question her identity and her own sexual orientation, and she runs away in the middle of the night on a journey to find her mother, who she hopes will have all the answers. Meagan Brother's piercing prose in this fresh LGBT YA novel speaks to anyone who has ever felt unwanted and alone, and who struggles to find their place in an isolating world. Ages 14up.

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9781941110270

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Reviews

This is a novel that transcends the LGBTQ genre, and it holds universal lessons for all. It is reminiscent of Judy Bloom's Are You There God, It's Me, Margaret and Tiger Eyes in the way it tackles somewhat taboo subjects within a smoothly written narrative. It has all the makings to become a classic of this generation. --Foreword Reviews The characters are wonderfully likable, the story is smartly written, and--what's this?--there's a possibility for a happy ending? Read and find out. --Booklist (Starred Review) Voices are crisply and intimately drawn. Minor characters are equally vibrant ... Carefully and subtly imagined. --Kirkus Reviews Effectively mixes past and present ... real, evolving ... --Publishers Weekly Brothers's pitch-perfect dialogue and well-polished prose make her an author to watch. --School Library Journal Say hello to one of my new benchmarks for great YA fiction. Weird Girl and What's His Name is absolutely wonderful, heartbreaking, and utterly engaging stuff. --Manhattan Book Review Readers who enjoy coming-of-age stories will enjoy this powerful novel. --BuzzFeed What really shines in Meagan Brothers' novel is the voices and the characters; they feel authentically human and vibrant and you'll be glad to spend 300-odd pages with the both of them. --Bustle This new LGBT YA novel is as gripping as it is heartfelt. --Brit+Co Brothers burrows deep into her characters' hearts and minds as they struggle with unruly sexual urges, family issues, and their own ruptured friendship. A welcome addition to the growing canon of LGBTQ-themed teen literature. --Chronogram Meagan Brothers is a force to be reckoned with ... she reminds us of the exquisite pain of unrequited love and of the absurd loyalty and drama we're all capable of. --Book Jawn A great story about how gender roles are not always clear cut, and how self-expression is all about letting go of your fears and doubts. --YA, Why Not? A satisfying breath of fresh air. --Lambda Literary Rory is another great LGBTQ teen, whose gayness does not define him as a person. --Forever Young Adult A wonderful story about family, love, and fan fiction. Brothers does an excellent job of showing that true friendship can survive anything, including football, sexuality, and government coverups. --Brian Katcher, author, Almost Perfect Rory and Lula might bond over out-there sci-fi, but their relationship is as real as it gets. To paraphrase their favorite show: The truth is in here. --D.C. Pierson, comedian and author, The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep and Never Had To Gorgeous writing, real characters I could give my heart to, and a huge-hearted exploration of being a fan of something specific (music! X-Files! football!)... I'm certainly now a huge fangirl of Meagan Brothers! -- Kim Culbertson, Northern California Book Award Winner of Instructions for a Broken Heart and Catch a Falling Star I fell in love with both narrators of WEIRD GIRL AND WHAT'S HIS NAME, and found their story meaningful, original, and truthful. As someone who's been both a weird girl and a what's her name, I heartily endorse this book. --Janice Earlbaum, author, I. Liar and Girlbomb I wish I could go back in time, when I was Lula and Rory's age, so I could feel like I finally had someone who spoke my language... This is a book for anyone that has ever binge watched on a TV show or fallen in love with their best friend or searched for a way out of redundancy or dreamed of an adventure. --Aimee Herman, author, To Go Without Blinking As an avid reader and writer, there is rarely a novel that makes me think I have never read a book like this before. WEIRD GIRL AND WHAT'S HIS NAME is one of the occasional exceptions ... An innovative piece of young adult fiction, and I definitely would recommend to both young adult and adult fiction readers. --Annabelle Jay, author, Caron High News Fanboys and fangirls, rejoice! This wise and witty book is pure teen-geek heaven. With laugh-out-loud moments, smartly drawn characters, and a platonic love story that rivals Scully and Mulder's, this book perfectly captures the joys and heartaches of all-consuming fandoms and 'it's-complicated' friendships. I loved it. --J.C. Lillis, author, How to Repair a Mechanical Heart and We Won't Feel a Thing A bold, funny and touching story for anyone who has experienced the heartache of an unrequited crush, whose sexual identity is a work-in-progress, and whose journey to self-discovery represents not so much a straight line as a meandering path. --Melissa Keil, author, Life in Outer Space

Voices are crisply and intimately drawn. Minor characters are equally vibrant ... Carefully and subtly imagined. --Kirkus Reviews A unique exploration of how trauma can change someone - and an inspiring message of how an individual has some say in the world. --ElleGirl Groundbreaking YA fiction. --School Library Journal Will keep readers fully engaged. --Publisher's Weekly, starred review This compelling and ultimately uplifting novel fills a niche in the growing body of GLBTQ literature for teens. --Booklist Meagan Brothers is a force to be reckoned with ... she reminds us of the exquisite pain of unrequited love and of the absurd loyalty and drama we're all capable of. --Book Jawn A great story about how gender roles are not always clear cut, and how self-expression is all about letting go of your fears and doubts. --YA, Why Not? A satisfying breath of fresh air. --Lambda Literary A wonderful story about family, love, and fan fiction. Brothers does an excellent job of showing that true friendship can survive anything, including football, sexuality, and government coverups. --Brian Katcher, author, Almost Perfect Rory and Lula might bond over out-there sci-fi, but their relationship is as real as it gets. To paraphrase their favorite show: The truth is in here. --D.C. Pierson, comedian and author, The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep and Never Had To Gorgeous writing, real characters I could give my heart to, and a huge-hearted exploration of being a fan of something specific (music! X-Files! football!)... I'm certainly now a huge fangirl of Meagan Brothers! -- Kim Culbertson, Northern California Book Award Winner of Instructions for a Broken Heart and Catch a Falling Star I fell in love with both narrators of WEIRD GIRL AND WHAT'S HIS NAME, and found their story meaningful, original, and truthful. As someone who's been both a weird girl and a what's her name, I heartily endorse this book. --Janice Earlbaum, author, I. Liar and Girlbomb I wish I could go back in time, when I was Lula and Rory's age, so I could feel like I finally had someone who spoke my language... This is a book for anyone that has ever binge watched on a TV show or fallen in love with their best friend or searched for a way out of redundancy or dreamed of an adventure. --Aimee Herman, author, To Go Without Blinking As an avid reader and writer, there is rarely a novel that makes me think I have never read a book like this before. WEIRD GIRL AND WHAT'S HIS NAME is one of the occasional exceptions ... An innovative piece of young adult fiction, and I definitely would recommend to both young adult and adult fiction readers. --Annabelle Jay, author, Caron High News

Author Information

Meagan Brothers is a writer, poet and musician best known for her young adult novels Supergirl Mixtapes, a 2012 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults nomination, and Debbie Harry Sings in French, an ALABest Book for Young Adults, which won a GLBT Round Table ALAAward, and was named a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age. She was founder and lead guitarist for the punk rock band Steel Pier Sinners. A native Carolinian, Meagan currently lives in New York City.

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