July 26, 2021
In Bailar’s earnest debut, set near Boston, 13-year-old Obie Chang, who is Korean and white, has been out as a trans boy for about a year. His family and favorite teacher are supportive, but he’s been kicked off the swim team by his transphobic coach, his best friend is growing distant, and another childhood friend bullies him mercilessly. Obie wonders if he’s “man enough” to succeed both in the pool and out, but with the help of new teammates, his therapist, and his first crush, Charlie, who has brown skin, gradually learns to believe in himself. Obie’s journey can be difficult to read—he is misgendered and deadnamed as well as physically and verbally assaulted—but he’s also allowed moments of quiet as he examines both gender constructs and his connection to Korean history and culture. This self-reflection, combined with his burgeoning self-confidence, make for a thoughtful, eventually triumphant story that demonstrates the importance of a solid support system and the ways in which transphobia, homophobia, and toxic masculinity are often intertwined. Includes an author’s note, mental health resources, and a glossary of gender-related terms. Ages 10–up. Agent: Marietta Zacker, Gallt & Zacker.
August 1, 2021
An aspiring transgender Junior Olympian swimmer finds the strength and pride in his identity to race toward his dreams in this debut coming-of-age novel by groundbreaking trans athlete Bailar. Starting over after his abusive and discriminatory swim coach excluded him from the team, Obie Chang, a biracial (White/Korean) transgender boy worries about catching up to the other boys and proving that he is "man enough." Although his family supports him, one of his best friends at school and the pool has turned into his biggest bully, and the other is drifting away toward the mean, popular girls. As he dives from the blocks into the challenging waters of seventh grade and swims toward his goal of qualifying for the Junior Olympics, Obie discovers belonging in his community and in himself. Affirming adults--including his parents and grandparents, a new swim coach, and his favorite teacher--play significant supporting roles by offering encouragement without pressure, centering Obie's feelings, and validating Obie's right to set his own boundaries. Vulnerable first-person narration explores Obie's internal conflict about standing up for himself and his desire to connect to his Korean heritage through his relationship with Halmoni, his paternal grandmother. A romance with Charlie, a cisgender biracial (Cuban/White) girl, is gentle and privacy-affirming. Short chapters and the steady pace of external tension balance moments of rumination, grounding them in the ongoing action of Obie's experiences. Energizing and compassionate. (author's note, resources, glossary) (Fiction. 10-13)
COPYRIGHT(2021) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
September 1, 2021
Gr 6 Up-Seventh-grader Obie Chang just wants to swim competitively and get through middle school unbothered. This becomes increasingly difficult when his coach kicks him off the team for being trans, and when Coach Bolton's son Clyde (Obie's former teammate and childhood best friend) verbally and physically assaults him for trying to use the boys' bathroom. Obie tries to build the life he wants after the attack: he joins a new swim team with a supportive coach and teammates, all with their eyes on the upcoming Junior Olympics; his teacher Mrs. Salmani encourages him to enter an essay about his multifaceted identity into a national contest; and he's dating Charlie, the cute girl who works at his favorite sandwich shop. But the pain of broken friendship lingers, both with Clyde and with former bestie Lucy, who avoids Obie now and hangs with the mean popular girls. Fortunately, he has amazing people in his corner, and while the outcome of the JO competition isn't first place, Obie finds victory in becoming the young man he wants to be. Penned by trans athlete Bailar, this novel is a powerful, often difficult read. Depictions of transphobic bullying do not hold back in their severity-an opening note cautions readers, especially those who are trans. Inclusion of homophobic and transphobic slurs sting in their authenticity, as do references to past suicidal ideation. The dialogue is stilted at times-characters occasionally feel like didactic mouthpieces for broader cultural statements. There are expressions of maturity and introspection that seem optimistic for many 11-14 year olds, and for a bigoted coach-but these moments help shape a hopeful narrative for an empathetic and endearing character. Obie's parents are Korean and white, and Obie's mixed heritage is embraced throughout the text; secondary characters come from a range of ethnic backgrounds. Also included are closing messages to cis and trans readers, mental health resources, a glossary, and further reading. VERDICT A heartfelt coming-of-age tale about a young trans athlete; readers will be rooting for every one of Obie's wins, in and out of the pool.-Ashleigh Williams, School Library Journal
Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
September 1, 2021
Grades 5-8 When 13-year-old Korean American Obie, a transgender boy, expresses his desire to swim with the boys' team, his coach--saying, "You're never going to be a real man"--kicks him off the team. To make things worse, the coach's son, Clyde, once Obie's best friend, has now become his worst enemy. But not all is bleak, for Obie meets a soul mate in Charlie, the new girl in town, and the two become boyfriend and girlfriend. But what will happen when Clyde cruelly outs Obie to her? In the meantime, Obie has joined a new swim team and made supportive friends in Mikey and Pooch, who are aware of his transgender identity. A gifted swimmer, Obie then qualifies for the Junior Olympics and, to make things even better, makes the final round in a nationwide essay contest. Bailar, himself a transgender man and an accomplished collegiate swimmer, writes with authority, compassion, and emotional integrity. This, his first book, is extremely well done and will be a valuable reading experience for all.
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