Leaving the Station

Two white-cued teens find love on a cross-country train ride in this captivating romance by Arlow (The Year My Life Went Down the Toilet) that examines queer, religious, and personal identity. Jewish college freshman Zoe was initially excited for the fresh start that university would afford. Now, Zoe struggles to make sense of everything that happened during the previous few months, including conflicting feelings about ex-boyfriend Alden: did Zoe want to be with him, or did the teen want to be him (“I might not be who I thought I was... in regard to my gender”)? On the Amtrak ride home to Seattle from New York City for Thanksgiving break, Zoe meets cool, intelligent, and attractive Oakley, also heading home to Washington. Oakley reveals that, despite navigating trauma related to her Mormon upbringing, she misses the community her religion offers, which she hasn’t been able to find in N.Y.C. As the teens nurture a budding romance, narrative interstitials chronicle the events leading to Zoe leaving for Seattle. The contained, liminal-feeling Amtrak setting and the vibrantly rendered characters Zoe finds therein further enrich this propulsive volume anchored by the protagonist’s resolute and retrospective first-person POV. Ages 14–up. Agent: Jim McCarthy, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (Aug.)