Where You’ll Find Us

St. Jude (If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come) dazzles with a layered, cathartic story about a transgender teen’s discovery of a magical liminal space that empowers them to be their most authentic self. Indiana-born Cal feels trapped in their body. After drunkenly confessing “I don’t think I’m a girl” to their girlfriend, Ramona, who balks at the idea of dating a trans guy, Cal longs for more time—to figure themself out, to change Ramona’s mind, and to forestall their seemingly inevitable breakup. Soon Cal and Ramona stumble upon an isolated farmhouse sheltering five queer strangers. Time doesn’t pass in the refuge, called Amaranth, and some of the teens have been living there for decades. Cal believes they’ve found the perfect place to be themself until Amaranth’s stopped clocks suddenly start ticking, forcing the group to reckon with the pasts they’ve been avoiding and return to the outside world. Intimate and graceful prose renders Cal’s first-person narration punctuated by intermittent sections that chronicle the personal histories of Amaranth’s residents, deftly portraying multiple facets of queer identity. As Cal reflects on their relationship with time, they learn that while its passing can incite feelings of overwhelm, it can also be a gift, one that brings opportunities to heal, transform, and move on. Cal reads as white; supporting characters are intersectionally diverse. Ages 14–up. Agent: Erin Harris, Folio Literary Management. (June)