Important YA story

filled star filled star filled star filled star star unfilled
whatstephisreading Avatar

By

The story follows Spencer who recently transferred to a new school and just wants to play the sport he loves -- soccer. But no one at his new school knows he is trans so he must hide his identity. When the soccer league questions an error on his birth certificate, Spencer must decide if he wants to take the bench or publicly fight for his rights.

This is such a powerful coming-of-age story. With LGBTQ rights being stripped across the country, this book is so timely and beautiful to read. Spencer just wants to play the sport he loves, but his transition has put a lot of strain on his family so he sneaks around to join the team. We get to see amazing friendships and a team and community rally together around Spencer. The book explores allyship, the importance of standing up for what you believe in, and the importance of acceptance versus tolerance. There's also a bit of romance along the way that was sweet.

Highly recommend picking this one up!