Opting Out

A tween reconciles puberty’s effects on her body with shifting feelings about her gender identity in an empathic graphic novel from Kobabe (Breathe: Journeys to Healthy Binding) and debut creator Srikumar. Navigating seventh grade proves challenging for Saachi, especially since her best friend, Lyla, seems more interested in talking about boys than the fictional worlds the pair used to bond over. Saachi’s confusion surrounding recent dreams in which she is a boy, pressure from her parents to take on a more active role in managing the household, and mental and bodily discomfort from her first period manifest in emotional outbursts, which she channels into physical altercations with a classmate. Concerned about Saachi’s changing demeanor, her mother gives Saachi a book about puberty, and sections about nonbinary and transgender kids prompt personal reflection (“How would I know if I’m not a girl?... I think I prefer things that fall in the middle”). Saachi’s internal monologue, journal entries, and poetry provide multiple avenues across which the creators reflect on themes of identity and adolescence. Character expressions and body language rendered in rich jewel tones take center stage in this tender and intimate portrait. The protagonists are depicted with various skin tones. Ages 10–12. Agent: (for Kobabe) Emily Mitchell, Wernick & Pratt. (May)