IN CASE YOU READ THIS

Two trans teens find, then lose, then find each other.

Arden doesn’t want to leave Los Angeles for his mom’s tiny hometown of Winifred, Michigan, but after his mom loses her movie industry job, he has no choice. Meanwhile, Gabe is excited to leave Shelby, Illinois, for the sunnier pastures of Pasadena, but he worries about making new friends. Both the white 17-year-olds are out as trans to their supportive families and some friends, and each boy worries about how he’ll fare with his identity in his new locale. A chance meeting at a Motel 6 in Nebraska allows them to bond over their favorite queer band, Damaged Pixie Dream Boi (which has broken up but still has “a niche but very dedicated fan base”). Their meeting also gives them each something to search for once they reach their respective destinations. Arden is grumpy and jaded, Gabe is shy and insecure, but they both slowly find their people, who help them reconnect after each one drops breadcrumbs through different corners of the DPDB internet fandom. Although the story somehow feels incomplete, driven more by each character’s sense of dissatisfaction and disruption than anything else, it’s nevertheless a sweet, idealistic romance with a refreshing lack of transphobia that will serve as a pleasantly escapist read.

A satisfying balance of angst and heart.