Loved!

filled star filled star filled star filled star filled star
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First off, this book is mismarketed. It's not Bend It Like Beckham meets Love, Simon (though all are undeniably queer); it's Check, Please! with a dash of Felix Ever After and a healthy dose of Ted Lasso -- that's how pure and lovey the vibes are throughout. The Passing Playbook is YA at its finest, filled with lovable underdog characters, delightful surprises, and a deft handling of social issues. Fitzsimmons delves into identity from a multitude of perspectives, writing transgender, queer, lower class, religious, biracial, Black, and autistic characters with nuance and intersectionality, effortlessly reflecting the diversity of experiences we see everyday in our communities. Reading his debut (which felt like it was coming from a much more experienced writer) made me excited for what comes next. Fitzsimmons is a writer whose career I will be following with eager anticipation.