In this novel-in-verse sequel to author Meg Grehan’s The Deepest Breath, 13-year-old protagonist Stevie still gets anxious, but is learning to trust herself, find comfort in her supportive mother, and understand “That not all bad things/Are big bad things.” She’s mostly excited about starting secondary school (junior high), along with her friend Andrew and her crush Chloe. Stevie is thrilled that Chloe seems to reciprocate her feelings and also wants to join the school’s Rainbow Club for LGBTQ students and allies. Andrew, however, is reluctant to join as an ally, and seems not even to want to hang around with Stevie and Chloe anymore. Is there still a place for him as the two of them grow closer? And who is he, really?
The story is still mostly told from Stevie’s perspective, interspersed with passages from Andrew’s viewpoint to help us better understand the fractured friendship and his own arc of personal growth. Grehan carefully and compassionately shows us the shifting sands of tween friendships and “like likes” and the importance of giving each other—and ourselves—patience and space. The joy that Stevie and Chloe find in their deepening relationship is sweet and affirming, and the setting of the Rainbow Club underscores the value of queer community and safe spaces both for queer youth and for those who are still figuring themselves out.
Indeed, that is perhaps the most important message of this volume, that it’s okay for young people not to know exactly who they are yet. In this age of ever-expanding terminology for LGBTQ identities, there may be increased pressure (real or imagined) to label oneself—but Grehan, through her characters, emphasizes that “We don’t need to be sure of anything/We just need to feel.” There is a hint that Andrew might be asexual/aromantic, but it is only a hint, and the terms are never used. (I am tagging the book that way, not to dictate, but so that interested readers can find it and read the character as they will.)
Grehan’s verse is as lovely and insightful as always, making this a highly recommended volume.
All of the characters read as White. (The book was originally published in Ireland, although most of it should feel familiar and relatable for readers in the U.S. (and probably elsewhere); I’ll offer just two minor vocabulary notes that aren’t key to understanding or enjoying the book: “Football” means soccer, and “grinds” means private tutoring.)
