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Penelope, or "Pen" as she prefers to be called, is a sixteen-year-old Canadian girl living in the outskirts of Toronto with her old-fashioned Portuguese parents and her older brother, Johnny. Her mom wants her to stop wearing boys' clothes and dress more like a princesa (a princess). Her dad is constantly reminding her - and Johnny - to show respeito (respect). Her best friend Colby wants her to just be one of the guys - or to be exact, one of ''his guys'' - increasingly demanding that she show her loyalty. Pen just wants to be herself - whatever that is - without the constant pressure from everyone to be something else.
And as Pen discovers, respect and loyalty are empty words. Old-world parents, disintegrating friendships, and strong feelings for her crush and fellow kick-ass gamer girl Blake, drive Pen to see the truth — that in order to be who she truly wants to be, she’ll have to man up.
This is a fascinating novel about a gender-nonconforming teen who likes her brother's clothes, working out and gaming - she doesnt want to be a boy or identify as trans, but rather just doesn't connect to the gender-coded ideas people have about women.
Paperback, 392 Pages, Orig. Publ. 2017, This Edition Publ. 2018
Author: M-E Girard
“Pen is an inspiration to anyone who’s struggled to be understood, and a vital addition to the growing world of genderqueer protagonists.” – The New York Times Book Review
Lambda Literary Award Winner. Entertainment Weekly Best YA Book of 2016. Children’s Book Council Books Best Book of 2016. Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Coming-of-Age Novel of 2016.