rep: mlm; trans man mc; gay LI; LI from religious family; enby sc; trans sc
----
tags: sports; soccer; religious bigotry; fighting transphobia; coming out
----
ratings: funny: 2 // ease: 4 // plot: 5 // romance: 4 // representation: 5 // total: 5
----
This book is a gem; I'm so glad it exists for trans youth to read and feel inspired by. It would also be a great read for anyone who doesn't quite *get* the human-level emotional harm done by transphobia and transphobic legislation policing where trans people are allowed to exist. This book does an outstanding job of making readers feel the tangible daily harm of banning trans kids from playing sports, and it highlights how it's not just trans kids who suffer -- it's cis kids, it's coaches, it's parents. It's everyone.

Despite so clearly communicating that harm, this book manages to be happy and joyful and full of wonderful characters who support each other even when their identities differ. Justice, the love interest, comes from a religious family and it was so comforting to read about him getting to explore safe queer spaces. The team's and coach's reactions to Spencer coming out as trans, and to queerness in general, was like a warm hug. Transphobia definitely exists in this book, but the author did such a great job of making that transphobia shrink in comparison to the outpouring of love for queer folks.
-----
TW explanations:
religious bigotry: the love interests family is religious and homophobic. We see his struggles living in this type of home as a young gay kid & hear some of the shitty things his family says and believes. Of note, there is a particularly visual scene of religious bigotry where Spencer and his friends

go to the church's haunted house for Halloween & the horror is very Christain "values" inspired -- graphic antiabortion sentiments, gay folks going to hell, etc

bullying: Spencer was bullied at his previous school and it's why he's now at a new school, but we don't see any on page bullying.