Description

A powerful novel in verse told from the points of view of a genderqueer teenager, the teen’s girlfriend, and a trans woman

“An important story, written with compassion and startling insight.” –Ellen Hopkins, The New York Times-bestselling author of the Crank trilogy

From the outside, Brendan Chase seems to have it pretty easy. Brendan is a star wrestler, a video game aficionado, and a loving significant other to seemingly perfect match, Vanessa.

But Brendan feels so wrong. Why does Brenan sometimes fantasize having long hair, soft skin, and gentle curves? Is there even a name for people like Brendan? People who are assigned male at birth but who sometimes want to be girls? Or is Brendan just a freak?

In Freakboy‘s razor-sharp verse, Kristin Clark folds three narratives into one powerful story: Brendan’s exploration of gender; Vanessa, who fights to keep her and Brendan’s relationship alive; and Angel, a woman who’s struggling to confront her own demons.

Praise for Freakboy

“Debut novelist Clark uses free verse to write a gripping story about a complex topic: the challenges of growing up transgender or genderqueer.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“This gutsy, tripartite poem explores a wider variety of identities–cis-, trans-, genderqueer–than a simple transgender storyline, making it stand out.” —Kirkus Review, starred review