Diverse YA Fiction

Guest Post by Karah M. Garcia.

More than anything, Felix Love wants to know what it feels like to be in love, to create meaningful art, and to secure a scholarship to Brown University. When someone puts up old photographs of Felix labeled with his deadname at school and begins sending him transphobic messages, Felix gains a new goal—uncovering the culprit and getting even. This journey of revenge sends Felix down a path that leads him to a better understanding of who he is, what he wants in life, greater self-love, and maybe even his first love.

I am absolutely in love with the piece of literary art. One of the greatest strengths of this book is that Felix actually sounds like a teenager and not an adult attempting to use a teen’s voice. Felix is an intricate individual and not free from fault, sometimes making the wrong choices and constantly questioning things. He is not perfect but is willing to apologize and learn from his mistakes, and I love that Callender allows for the characters within this book to be beautifully messy. This book is also one of tremendous value in that it is representative of #OwnVoices, being written about a Black, queer, trans teen written by a Black, queer, trans individual.

This book is great for any reader looking for diverse YA fiction. Trigger warning: there are instances of transphobia, cyber-bullying, deadnaming, misgendering, homophobia, and racism.  Read it before it becomes an Amazon series!

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender. Balzer + Bray, May 2020.

Reviewer bio: Karah M. Garcia is a Certified Educator, Teen Services Librarian, and Co-Founder of the Antiracism Activation Kit. https://www.antiracismactivation.com/

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