In this humorous but thoughtful graphic novel, Ollie Herisson and her family have moved a lot because of her dad’s job as a diplomat. She’s been to school in Singapore, Korea, France, and Germany, and is now starting seventh grade in the U.S. Ollie usually doesn’t care about making a good impression—she’s happy to embrace and express her geeky, anime-loving self, and can escape awkward, embarrassing moments—because she knows she and her family will move again soon, allowing for a complete reset.
But when Ollie unexpectedly gets her first period at her new school, in a potentially embarrassing incident, she learns that there won’t be any escape this time—her parents (an Asian mom and White dad) are determined to stay settled now that Ollie and her younger sister Cat are getting older.
The incident aside, Ollie is finding life challenging. Her mom sees her as “not Thai enough,” while her new classmates see her as “not White.” Her mom wants her to wear dresses; Ollie wants to wear what she likes (often pants and a t-shirt or hoodie, frequently honoring her favorite anime). “‘What’ am I?” she wonders. “How am I supposed to know?”
With humor, zest, and insight, author/illustrator Gale Galligan explores that question as Ollie tries to embrace her new home, new friends, new activities—and most importantly, her growing self. Ollie’s high-energy personality leaps off the page, and her balance of confidence about some things and insecurity about others will likely resonate with many readers. Also notable is the nuanced sibling relationship between Ollie and Cat, antagonistic at times but strongly supportive at others.
While Ollie is not explicitly stated to be queer, her short hair and traditionally boyish clothing seems at the very least gender creative. Additionally, the publisher’s blurb notes that the book is “semi-autobiographical,” and Galligan is nonbinary, so to see Ollie as someplace along the queer spectrum doesn’t seem like a stretch. At the same time, the absence of any clarity about a possible queer identity doesn’t feel like avoidance, but rather simply that Ollie herself does not have such clarity yet. Would it be too much to hope for a sequel that explores this more?
All told, this is a highly recommended coming-of-age story, with an engaging protagonist and strong secondary cast. Backmatter includes photos from Galligan’s own middle school years and more about the aspects of Thai culture mentioned in the book.
