Just Happy to Be Here

(Hardback)

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Description

In this YA standalone perfect for fans of Tobly McSmith and Meredith Russo, the first out trans girl at an all-girls school must choose between keeping her head down or blazing a trail.

Tara just wants to be treated like any other girl at Ainsley Academy.

That is, judged on her meritsnot on her transness. But theres no road map for being the first trans girl at an all-girls school. And when she tries to join the Sibyls, an old-fashioned Ainsley sisterhood complete with code names and special privileges, shes thrust into the center of a larger argument about what girlhood means and whether the club should exist at all.

Being the figurehead of a movement isnt something Taras interested in. Shed rather read old speeches and hang out with the Sibyls who are on her sideespecially Felicity, a new friend she thinks could turn into something more. Then the clubs sponsor, a famous alumna, attacks her in the media and turns the selection process into a spectacle.

Taras always found comfort in the power of other peoples words. But when it comes time to fight for herself, will she be able to find her own voice

Reviews

"A staggering achievement. Naomi Kanakia sweeps aside decades of clich and sanctimony toweave a compelling, suspenseful, and sweetly romantic coming-of-age tale." Peyton Thomas, award-winning author ofBoth Sides Now Timely, bold, and engrossing, Just Happy to Be Here balances sharp social commentary, giddy romance, and a truthful coming of age story for all readers. NaomiKanakia says exactly what so many of us need to hear. -Camryn Garrett, author of Friday I'm in Love "Messy, raw, heartfelt, and deeply humane. Just Happy to Be Here is atriumph." Rob Costello, contributing editor of We Mostly Come Out at Night: 15 Queer Tales of Monsters, Angels and Other Creatures "Real and tangible and full of heart in all its messy contradictions, Just Happy to Be Here and its protagonist Tara are both affirming and challenging all at once. This book is as beautiful and moving as it is overdue." Elle Grenier Praise for We Are Totally Normal: "A touching novel about all the confusions and intensities of high school, from sexuality to peer pressure...The novel deftly negotiates the complexities of teenage friendships and relationships with insight and compassion." Teen Vogue "We Are Totally Normaldownplays its literary sensibility with lighthearted humor and smart, bantering dialog. This book is a great choice for readers interested in LGBTQ+ and QPOC romance and post-Millennial coming-of-age stories." them.us "With its fast, dialogue-driven pacing, humor, and finger on the youthful pulse, this book will find an eager audience in queer and questioning teens, especially those of color." Booklist