Twelve-year-old Sparrow Malone’s mother struggles with addiction and changes jobs a lot, requiring Sparrow to start over and over again at new schools. Sparrow tries to be perfect and not stand out, however, so as not to unsettle Mom and to convey that all is right with their family. Increasingly, though, Sparrow is realizing that the identity that Mom tries to impose does not fit.
When Sparrow’s mom overdoses and causes a car accident, Sparrow is sent to live with Aunt Mags, whom Mom had always referred to as her brother. Mags is actually a trans woman, and has made her sprawling home a haven for queer folks and others. As Sparrow meets the other residents and begins to make friends at school, they finally have the space and support to figure out that they are nonbinary. This self-realization is aided by Sparrow’s animate shadow, who, in a touch of magical realism, seems to be trying to encourage them to explore things outside their comfort zone. Will Sparrow have to suppress this newly found identity, however, in order to get her mom out of care and keep the family united? And while Sparrow has a crush on a girl in their class, the girl (perhaps under the influence of her overbearing mother) wants Sparrow to “act like a normal girl.” As Sparrow is navigating all this, they also discover a secret from their mom’s past that forces them to reevaluate what they thought they knew.
Author Ash Van Otterloo writes thoughtfully of Sparrow’s personal journey, the impact of intergenerational trauma, and the importance of queer mentors. The first-person narrative allows readers to see things closely from Sparrow’s perspective, while excerpts from Sparrow’s school essays about different animals and their environments offer reflective analogies with what Sparrow is experiencing. More than just a coming-out story, this novel should find many fans.
Sparrow, their mom, and Aunt Mags are White; some secondary characters are people of color. One friend is asexual, but this is mentioned only in passing. Sparrow also indicates that they are bi/pan, although no label is used.
