Linus and Etta Could Use a Win

by Caroline Huntoon

Linus is the new boy at school, and he’s trying to keep it quiet. After coming out as trans last year and managing the attention that came with it, he’s more than happy to fade into the background of his new middle school.

Etta isn’t like other kids at school, and she’s proud of it. The class misanthrope and the owner of the greenest hair at Doolittle Middle School, she's still reeling from a painful friendship breakup, making her more than happy to burn middle-school bridges before she heads off to the local alternative high school next year.

When Etta’s over-it-all attitude sparks a challenge from her ex-best friend, Marigold, to get Linus elected student body president, Linus is thrust back into the spotlight. But what started out as a bet quickly turns into a true friendship between Linus and Etta, one that could be in jeopardy if Linus finds out the real origins of his and Etta’s connection. Can Linus and Etta’s friendship withstand the betrayal of the bet?

Genres: Middle Grade, LGBT, Contemporary, Queer, Realistic Fiction, Transgender, Audiobook

224 pages, Hardcover

First published May 7, 2024

About the author

Caroline Huntoon (they/them) is a nonbinary storyteller and educator and the author of SKATING ON MARS, LINUS AND ETTA COULD USE A WIN, and GOING OVERBOARD (spring 2025), all from Feiwel and Friends/Macmillan. They grew up in Michigan but spent time in New York City to earn their B.A. at Barnard College and see as much musical theater as possible, Walt Disney World to fulfill a lifelong dream of working on The Great Movie Ride, and Vermont to earn their M.A. from The Bread Loaf School of English and eat their weight in maple creemees. Now back in Michigan, Caroline lives with their headstrong and hilarious child, Winnie, and their adorable and needy dog, Oscar David. By day they work as an English teacher and theater director, and by night they write stories for young people about loss, identity, and friendship that validate their messy and wonderful lives. Find out more about Caroline and their work at carolinehuntoon.com.

Reviews

[Mimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Linus and Etta so much 😭

[Anniek · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a solid middlegrade contemporary, but it didn't stand out to me, and I don't think it will really stay with me. I liked both main characters, but I felt like I got to know Linus a lot better throughout the book, and he just felt more fleshed out. I gave Skating on Mars 3 stars too, so maybe Caroline Huntoon's books aren't entirely for me, which is absolutely fine since I'm not the target audience. I would absolutely recommend this to kids who want to read about trans main characters!

[Anna]

My final read of 2024 and it was cute. I don't think that it was anything crazy or super memorable but I did enjoy it. I think it could be longer to get a little bit more development into the friendships and I like more discussion about the family elements but overall it's cute, it's queer, you'll probably like it.

[Deke Moulton · Rating 5 out of 5]

First part I'm going to say that I wildly appreciate about LINUS AND ETTA COULD USE A WIN is that this is one of the few books featuring a trans boy that I've read where the main character has crushes on girls. It's such a relief to see (and that there are different ways to be trans!) -- sorry, so much of what I read when there are trans boys are gay romances (which is fine and awesome, but when it's the majority of what you read, it's just nice to see one where the trans boy likes girls!). So right away, definitely a lot of points for that perspective!

I loved that this book allowed its characters to be messy. Etta annoyed me SO MUCH through out the book, for the way that she continued to pester and force Linus to do things he didn't want to do. From running for Student Council to watching horror movies, it was always her pushing him to do these things. The student president thing comes to bite her in the butt, when it's revealed that the entire thing was a bet with a former best friend. And while Etta annoyed me to no end, she actually learns that her behavior was less than stellar and makes a move to change. WHICH IS why we NEED messy characters in middle grade!! Kids HAVE to see all their selfish, self-centered, shitty behavior presented, and see a route to change. So definitely stick with this book if you also find some characters annoying!

The end was tear-jerking with the running-for-president-speech but also a bit rushed--some of the biggest things the book leads to happens 'off the page' (no spoilers!), but it happens at least twice. So for a book that the entire plot is about winning student council/president. . . it's so strange that the big moments are alluded to having happened after the fact. That threw me for a bit of a loop (though I do appreciate books with minimal falling action, so huge plus for that!) Linus literally tells the entire student boy that he is trans, and we never hear about what anyone thinks of it? There's no reaction at all? And it's just a bit weird because the ENTIRE book is about how he moved because he wanted to start over going stealth, and his greatest fears are people misgendering him/making mistakes. . . enough that it compelled his family to move states. . . and then he comes out to his new school and it's never really mentioned? How anyone reacts? How LINUS reacts to this?

All in all, this was a great book that I recommend a lot!! I like that this was more or less a 'slice of life' book where being trans wasn't the focal point for Linus wanting to be a part of student council (even though he never really wanted to do it in the first place but was pressured by his two friends but hey!) It's a short, sweet, quick read.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends, and Caroline Huntoon for the opportunity to read Linus and Etta Could Use a Win in exchange for an honest review.

After absolutely adoring Huntoon's debut middle grade LGBTQ novel, Skating on Mars, I knew that this novel would be just as fun, inclusive, and loveable.

New School, New Friends
Linus moves, meaning he gets to have a fresh start for his eighth grade year. Nobody at Doolittle Middle School knows he is trans, and he is happy to be seen just as who he is: a boy. Etta shows Linus to his first class, and while goth-style and seemingly anti-social, she seems interested in the new kid. A fast friendship ensues.

Reasons for Revenge
Etta's former best friend, Marigold, also seems to be interested in being Linus' friend. When Marigold claims she is applying for the same high school school Etta wants to go to, a school with limited spots, Etta realizes she needs to do more extra-curricular activities. Marigold offers a bet: get Linus voted into student council. This is a perfect way for Etta to get something great for her high school application, as Linus' campaign manager, also while getting revenge on her former best friend.

Friendship Matters
As Etta helps Linus with reasons to run for student council, they become fast friends. He even shares that he is trans, but he struggles with his grandmother misgendering him and his parents not standing up for him either. Etta provides support in that he has the strength to stand up for himself, to think of the qualities that make him great for Doolittle MS student council, even president! Linus must find courage, but so must Etta, for her bet may just lose her a new  best friend.

Final Thoughts
I absolutely adore this novel. It shows an inside look of some of the familial struggles someone who is transgender may face. It also demonstrates the courage it takes to tell someone about themself as well as being comfortable enough to share with everyone, and how frightening that might be. I also appreciate Linus' crush on Marigold and his exploration of those feelings.

The cover art is a perfectly adorable depiction of the two perspective characters, and I just love the artwork. The characters are dynamic and relatable, especially for middle school readers who may see themselves in similar situations and experiences. This novel is a well-written, thoroughly enjoyable exploration of the eighth grade trans experience, as well as a testament to the power of friendship.

[Rapunzel Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly loved Linus and Etta Could Use a Win! Fast-paced, quirky, and unique, I will hands-down be rereading and recommending this book widely. Linus, Etta, and even Marigold could all easily have fallen into stereotypical, tropey characters, but instead they all quite literally shine; I particularly love Linus, whose relationships and struggles gave the story such dimensionality. The tension within his family over his grandmother rang so true, and the development of that plotline was one of my favorite parts of this book! I couldn’t stop reading this book, and I certainly didn’t want to—when it ended, I truly wished there were another hundred pages to go.

Read Linus and Etta if you love:
- Queer MG books
- Friendship stories
- Incredibly relatable characters!

​Thank you to Caroline Huntoon and NetGalley for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

[Lisa Pineo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This middle grade LGBTQ story really hits you in the feels. Linus is a sweet trans boy who starts eighth grade at a new school after moving to Ohio with his parents. He wants a fresh start where no one knows his deadname and he can blend in. He meets Ella, a gloomy girl with a black wardrobe and green hair, who convinces him to join student council. All this centers around a bet with Ella's ex-best friend Marigold who ditched her at the beginning of summer. Linus and Ella grow closer, Linus has to deal with misgendering from his grandmother, Ella tries to bottle up her guilt about manipulating Linus, and it all comes to a head at Marigold's pool party.
I enjoyed messy, hormonally charged, emotional Linus and sarcastic, vulnerable, lovable Ella and how they came to care for and protect each other. The story had a lot of depth with good side characters, lots of humor, and some weighty issues. This should be a great read for any tween/teen who likes buddy/LGBTQ/emotional novels.

[Ettak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I couldn't resist a book with my name in the title!
This middle grade title is full of middle school emotions which I felt were mostly realistic and thankfully not too mean.
The only un-realistic thing to me was how fast Linus and Etta became fast friends, like in the span of days.
But it was a pretty heartfelt, sometimes humorous, story with LGBTQ+ themes, emo/goth rep, new kid blues, changing friendships, family relationships, and 1980's and movie references which I'm not sure a middle schooler would appreciate, but I did.

[Raaven💖 · Rating 5 out of 5]

First book for the Trans Rights Readathan🏳️‍⚧️

This was such a cute little book. It actually felt like being 13. Linus and Etta were so sweet and even though Marigold had some not nice motives I don’t think she was a bad person either. Friendships come and go so quickly especially at this age. I’m glad that these 2 were able to find each other.

I also loved how Linus was able to stand up to his family and his grandmother finally started understanding how he felt. This story was so heartwarming and funny and I enjoyed it so much. The duo were cuties and they deserve the world.

[Jesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet friendship story between new kid Linus and resident weirdo (affectionate) Etta. I loved their friendship, their quirks, and their hand signal 😍, but struggled with the bet storyline. Normally, that setup would prevent me from reading the book at all. Its resolution wasn’t unexpected, but it did fit the characters well.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

You’ll fall in love with Linus and Etta! A beautiful middle grade read about friendship and finding your place in the world. A great read!

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Linus and his family have moved from New York to Ohio to be near his grandmother, who is getting older and need support. He is apprehensive about his new school, but glad for a fresh start. He has recently come out as trans, and was tired of answering questions that people had. At his new school, he can just be himself. On the first day, he meets the outspoken Etta, who has died her hair green and wears black nail polish. Her former best friend, Marigold, accuses her of being "anti everything", but Etta is just tired of middle school and looking forward to next year, when she hopes to get into the Nova alternative high school. When Marigold points out that she'll need extra curriculars, Etta brags that she could get anyone elected to a student council position, and Marigold dares her to get Linus elected. Linus is struggling with having to see his grandmother twice a week; his dead name is the same as his grandmother's, and she is unwilling to see Linus as a boy. Wanting to make his only friend happy, he agrees to run. Eventually, the fact that he is trans is shared, and Etta is okay with this fact, even though she doesn't react to it in an optimal way. She's more upset by the fact that Linus is friendly with Marigold. After he is even more friendly with Marigold at a party, that fact that Marigold dared Etta to get Linus elected comes out. Will the two be able to repair their friendship, and will Linus use the platform of student council to promote LGBTQIA+ acceptance at his new school.
Strengths: This addresses the issue of transitioning in a way similar to Salazar's The More and More or medina's The One Who Loves You Most; those are the only two I can think of that address boys getting periods, as well as the use of chest binders. Although Etta is prickly, and is very hurt by her friendship with Marigold coming to an end, she has a good heart, and welcomes Linus to the school. Linus' parents are very supportive, and his grandmother eventually comes around. There is other diversity as well; Linus' friend Olive in New York has two fathers, and there is a math teacher, Mx. B., who identifies as non-binary.
Weaknesses: I always have trouble with books that feature school elections, and found it odd that the school would state that there would be two girls and two boys elected to serve as 8th grade representatives. Middle grade books also seem to have more school assemblies than I have ever seen; my school doesn't have its own auditorium, so that only assemblies we have are twice a year behavior assemblies, and pep assemblies.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed Gino's Green, Polonsky's Gracefully Grayson, or Riley's Jude Saves the World, but also would like the intrigue of middle school politics and elections.

[Gabriel Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 out of 5 stars!!!!

Truly such a wonderful middle grade book about friendship and transness!! I loved this a lot, and I want Linus and Etta to be besties forever. Oh the trials and tribulations of eighth grade. All of that plus the stress of everything Linus was going through, yeesh!

At first, I was having difficulty with the book's narrative choice of basically being stream-of-consciousness of these wholesome young teens, because at times a lot of the inner monologue of either Linus or Etta felt very cheesy and Disney Channel in the humor and characterization, but once I realized that this was the vibe of the book, I ended up warming up to it a lot and not minding after a certain point.

I think the simple, familiar setup of a friendship initially founded with questionable motives is actually a pretty good one. Very reliable, and the continual, mounting dread of the inevitable fallout is a trope that feels comfy to me. Predictable friend drama is not a bad thing, and I'm glad that there's a really enjoyable, explicitly queer middle grade book that does that!

One thing that I think was pretty cool is that we never got closure on why Marigold suddenly turned on Etta prior to the story proper. I think that's a very interesting choice that can help readers sort of fill in the blanks as to why they think that happened, and I do in fact have a headcanon about this: I think that Marigold realized she was queer and was developing a crush on her oldest childhood friend but had a lot of internalized homophobia about it so she pulled a classic "get out of town" heel-turn that resulted in the friend breakup. I further headcanon that Marigold continues a friendly but non-romantic friendship with Linus and he teaches her about how normal it is to be queer and it jumpstarts her motivation to properly apologize to Etta and they can squash their beef. Maybe they're all friends again, but I kinda doubt it because that bridge does feel like it's been burned pretty badly, but at least they can have closure on their own personal relationships with one another. I dunno!

Anyway, I'm just so proud of my boy Linus, man. Great job, kiddo!! You did it!!! Also thanks for being yourself, Etta. We stan a goth punk weirdo because frankly, aren't we all a goth punk weirdo in the end......

[M. Lauritano · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe more of a 2.5. Picked this one up in my ongoing exploration of queer middle grade. Linus and Etta are cute characters. Their friendship is sweet and fun. I guess I wish that were more the focus of the book. The student council material wasn’t super compelling as Linus had no meaningful competition. And coming out as trans in your final presidential stump speech? Dramatic, but I wish we had gotten more of a sense of how that impacted everything going forward. Worse was the big bet trope and the withheld information used to drive the story.

I’m mostly curious as to how younger queer readers receive this text. Are the mild gender dysphoria and misgendering scenes relatable? Affirming in their own grounded way? I have read material that approach these sort of moments in a crueler, more painful style that I felt awful reading. But these beats with Linus felt less impactful. Not sure if there is a perfect approach. But ultimately, it’s what the young questioning readers feel that really matters.

One final nitpick—Linus’ big move to push the student council to be purely democratically vote based, rather than a mandated 50/50 boy/girl split made me feel sort of weird. In this particular instance, it made complete sense. But what if that same policy lead to zero girls being elected in a year with more interested male candidates? Feels off, somehow. If you really extrapolate the logic, it almost reads like an anti-affirmative action or anti-DEI stance. I mean, yes, this is middle school. I’m not insane. I mean… what if the US government required equal male and female identifying candidates? Think of how many more women we would have helping to shape feminist policy! I don’t know! I’m not a constitutional scholar.

TLDR- cute, but tropey

[Winnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so sweet and I finished it with the biggest grin on my face. Huntoon has done a stellar job of creating two tweens that will live in my heart eternally. Linus and Etta are our main protagonists and the book oscillates between their POVs every other chapter. I was cautious about how impactful this book would be with its size, but I was glad to be proved wrong by the character development in the end.

The main "conflict" of our novel centers around the new friendship blossomed between our protags, and a third character, Marigold. Marigold is Etta's ex-bestie, and it just so happens that Linus has a crush on her. The bulk of the story centers around Etta helping Linus campaign for representative of the 8th grade student body.

As their friendship grows, we learn more about Linus' experience being a Trans Boy (the NEW boy in town, specifically) and his complicated family dynamics with his coming out. The way that Huntoon approaches the experience of being a Trans tween is thoughtful, realistic, and to be honest, hopeful. It was healing to read this MG book - I felt like if I had read this in middle school, it would have cracked open a ton of eggs for me and my identities.

My favorite parts of this book was seeing Linus growing more into his identity and learning how to stand up for himself, both from his friends and family. I'm looking forward to reading more works from Huntoon in the future!

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the book Linus and Etta Could Use a Win both main characters are dreading the first day of 8th grade. Linus not only because he just moved, but also because he is worried that his recent-ish trans status is going to get out and be an issue. Etta is dreading it because she was ghosted by her best friend over the summer and was now starting school alone. When a rash bet with her ex-best friend involves getting Linus elected for Student Council brings them closer, Etta starts to find that she may have found her new best friend and Linus may be discovering his voice both at school and at home.

This was a cute story. I liked both Etta and Linus as characters. They were fun and had a good push-and-pull dynamic that showed how to truly be a friend. Their relationship, honestly, was just amazing. This is a nice quick read if someone wants a feel-good story.

Overall, I struggled with a few points in this story. First, Linus and Etta seemed to exist in a bubble. Other than mean-girl Marigold, there were no real interactions with other students. For as unsure and awkward as Linus originally felt on the first day to running for student council president of a small school a week later seemed like a bit of a stretch. I also was unsure of the interactions with Linus and his family. For parents that have been supportive for a year they seemed a bit... hesitant... to be supportive of him in regards to grandma. I just didn't feel the realism in this story.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 out of 5 stars

Rep: Trans main character, non-binary secondary character, side character with two dads

Content warnings: Misgendering, microaggressions, menstruation, past friendship breakup

This is such a cute book! Linus is adorable and Etta is such a genuinely cool person. She comes across as realistic but not annoying, which I assume is a difficult line for writers to walk. I enjoyed watching Linus learn to stick up for himself -- I was horrific at that when I was his age too (and well into adulthood). While I didn't care for his little romance with Marigold, it's always nice when authors write about crushes in true-to-life ways, awkward blushing and all.

The part about Linus listening to see if his parents would correct his grandma's misgendering is *incredibly* relatable. He describes it as feeling like they're "guilty by association" and that's exactly how I feel in my own life too. It made me so happy to see them grow, though. There are some really great adults in this book. I love Etta's mom and, despite his faults, Linus's dad. I love how much grace they're willing to give their kids and how they don't seem patronizing.

All in all a very sweet book, and I'm dying for more trans middle grade stories like this one!

**HUGE thank you to Macmillan Publishers for granting me an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!**

[Sally Kruger]

Who knew when Linus and Etta collided in the hallway the first of 8th grade a friendship would be formed? Linus knew he was nervous about his first day at Dolittle Middle School. Etta knew a negative attitude was the best she could summon up as she was already counting down the days until the end of her middle school career.

For Linus everything was new - this school, this town, dealing with an aging grandmother, and living openly as a transgender boy. His parents were supportive, but it wasn't easy for them or his grandmother to call him by his new name and use the appropriate pronouns. He was pleasantly surprised that his new classmates seemed to be recognizing him as a boy with no problem.

Etta was trying to adjust to life without her best friend. She and Marigold had had a falling out leaving Etta alone on the first day of school. She never would have thought crashing into the new kid would turn out to be lucky.

Linus and Etta begin to form a unique friendship that has Linus taking on challenges and Etta feeling she can actually be helpful to someone else. This odd pair are out to make changes in the way things are run at Dolittle.

Author Caroline Huntoon's LINUS AND ETTA COULD USE A WIN will have readers rooting for these two quirky characters. Filled with laugh out loud humor, middle school discomfort, and family issues, this middle grade novel is sure to be a hit.

[Justine Korson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know this is a Middle Grade novel and it's really not for me as a grown adult but I LOVED IT. LINUS AND ETTA WERE INCREDIBLE. Etta is honestly how I felt (but didn't look because I went to Catholic school) when I was her age and Linus was so incredibly funny in this story. The banter these two had together was unmatched. They were really great friends together and I was glad when they were able to makeup.

The family aspect of the novel was great too. I enjoyed watching Linus learn to stick up for himself and his pronouns with his grandma. I also enjoyed how open and caring his parents were ( even though they didn't stick up for him like they should have on multiple occasions with his grandma). It gave the story a lot of depth and feeling.

Unfortunately I never really liked Marigold as a character. Inherently, I don't think she's a bad person but because of that first conversation with Etta I disliked her instantly. She said some very mean things to Etta and I don't think they were warranted in the end. That's middle school for you though really so I guess it's pretty accurate. Regardless, I felt no real sympathy or camaraderie for her throughout the novel

Because this is an ARC some of the plot points felt a bit rushed but I'm sure that's more ironed out in the full draft. Regardless this was still a really fun and enjoyable read about Trans pride and friendship!!!

[Glenna Coleman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Linus isn't happy about moving from New York to Ohio because of his grandmother, whose health is failing. He especially isn't happy because she just seems to not care about his transition or remember about using correct pronouns around him. The only good thing about the move is that he doesn't have to explain any of this to anyone at his new school because it has been exhausting to explain and reexplain. So, why, then, does Linus tell Etta, his first real friend at his new school? Etta has a hard summer--her best friend Marigold stopped being her friend in the space of a day without any explanation. Etta has spent the summer wondering what went wrong. Now, she just wants to be left alone. Except, the new boy, Linus, is pretty funny. And then, there is the stupid bet she made with Marigold, that Etta could get Linus voted in as student government president. Add to the mix that Marigold likes Linus and Linus likes Marigold, and there is a disaster waiting to happen. Personally, I would have loved to know what was going on in Marigold's mind since the reader was granted extraordinary views into the minds of both Linus and Etta.

[Amanda Shepard (Between-the-Shelves) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Linus is the new kid at school and trying to fly under the radar. After recently coming out as trans at his previous school and dealing with all of the attention that came with it, he’s looking forward to being an anonymous teenager. Etta has always been the odd one out at school, and she’s fine with being a loner ever since breaking up with her best friend. At least, that’s what she keeps telling herself.

After an encounter with Etta’s ex-best friend Marigold, Linus is now a part of a (unknown) bet to get elected as student body president. But as Etta spends more time with Linus, she realizes she genuinely likes him as a friend. And she’s afraid that friendship will disappear when she tells him the truth.

Thanks to Feiwel & Friends and NetGalley for an advanced copy of Linus and Etta Could Use a Win by Caroline Huntoon! It’s my year of focusing on reading more middle grade, and this one sounded absolutely adorable. I am happy to say that the story and the writing definitely didn’t disappoint.

I believe this is Huntoon’s second book, and I think I’m definitely going to have to go back and read their first one! The writing style of this hits the tone of a middle grade book right on, and all of the emotions and interactions absolutely felt so genuine. I can see middle grade readers of all kinds relating to both Linus and Etta.

Middle school feels like such a tumultuous time for friendships, and that’s captured in this book as well. There’s that feeling of loneliness that feels unique to middle school in the fact that you don’t know where you fit in. It’s a time of so many changes, and adding extra changes on top of that? It just compounds the loneliness.

If you love middle grade books, especially queer middle grade books, definitely check this one out when it comes out this May!

[Sarah]

One sentence summary: Linus and Etta form an unlikely friendship during the start of their eighth grade year.

My thoughts: I really enjoyed this MG book. It felt like a teen romcom but in the platonic sense. There even a grand gesture or two of friendship! I felt like the characters were relatable to a 13 year olds experiences. I loved Etta’s obsession with horror movies and Linus’s nerdy T-shirts.

On a slightly deeper level I really loved that Linus was already out as trans prior to the start of this book and while there was some focus on that amongst his family, there was just lots of every day preteen/teenage stuff happening from crushes to navigating school to friendship drama. I am always in for trans joy and acceptance especially in MG stories!

Overall I would recommend this one to fans of MG and anyone looking to add more queer reads to their MG collection or tween/teen libraries. Not a new favorite, but a nice enjoyable read.

[HaileyAnne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though Linus is nervous about starting at a new school, he's excited to start fresh as a boy, rather than having to come out and transition like he did at his old school. Etta is angry and determined to get into a special high school next year so she doesn't have to face her ex-best friend any more. This unlikely pair comes together after Etta's ex-bff challenges her to get Linus elected student council president. But as their friendship grows, will Etta's motives be uncovered and ruin their bond?

Y'all, I LOVED this book. Linus is such an endearing character. We get a lot of his inner struggles with wanting to correct people who misgender him vs not wanting to upset anyone (which is super relatable). Etta is trying so hard to seem tough, but she's actually a sweetie. And probably my favorite part of this book is that the main focus is on their platonic relationship. It was just so so good.

[Patti · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 7th grade kid said to me the other day, "why aren't there any books about non-popular but normal kids with a small but fun friend group who just hang out together? I would read that."

And it made me think, kids don't always need to have an epic fantasy adventure, or a tragic tearjerker, or a sob worthy family drama. Sometimes they just want a book with some regular kids with regular friend drama and some awkward teenage interactions.

This is what I think makes this book so special.

At the heart, it's about friendship. Being the new kid at school. Trying to fit in. Trying to make friends. Linus is trans, and the acceptance of his grandmother is important to him. But since he's new at school, his new friend Etta just accepts him for who he is.

I appreciated the alternating POV chapters between Linus and Etta, and enjoyed seeing their friendship blossom, and experience highs as well as lows.

Recommended for ages 9+.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

The representation was good, but some of the characterization and setting was bland.

The author did a good job with Linus and making his lived experiences, concerns, and aspirations real. A lot of this should resonate with young trans guys and should help inform kids the same age about what their peers are going through. By contrast, Etta as a baby Goth felt dated and more stereotypical.

The two main plots - family acceptance and running for student council - are good for the intended audience, but not amazing. I wish the author had leaned in more to the family acceptance story-line, because there are a lot of young people with lukewarm families who could really benefit from seeing more people in their situation.

Overall, not the best, but adds to a growing list of trans reads that are only partially about the main character being trans.

[Jasmine Shouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 stars rounded up.
This is such an adorable story about a trans boy moving to a new school and the outcast girl he befriends.

Linus and his family moved to Ohio to be closer to his grandmother, who seems to struggle with misgendering Linus. Etta gets a dare from her ex best friend to make Linus run for student council.

I love the friendship between Etta and Linus, and how Linus realizes his voice in and out of school. It was a fun, lighthearted read that treated a couple of serious topics with grace and determination.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review!

[Vicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Linus, a trans boy, is starting at a new school and wonders if anyone will like him. He figures he doesn’t have to come out because he’s a boy there. Linus accidentally meets Etta who thinks she likes talking to him. Marigold, Etta’s former best friend, meets Linus and gives him her number. Etta thinks she can’t have Linus too. The two girls make a bet and Etta says I can get Linus elected as student body president after he signed up to be on the student council. When Linus finds out about the bet he can’t believe it, but Etta apologizes and asks for his forgiveness. Does Linus forgive her? Does Linus become student council president?

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Linus is new to the school. Etta wants to prove to her ex-best friend that she's worthy to apply for a fancy high school. After making a bet with said ex-BFF that she can get elected to student council, Etta becomes Linus's campaign manager.

I think this is everything a middle grade contemporary story should be. It was short and the plot moved quickly. It had real middle grade emotions and thoughts. It showed characters who were outside of the norm in some way. Not super memorable for me but it might be for specific kids.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
This is fun middle grade contemporary. Linus has recently come out as trans prior to moving, and I appreciate how the story delves into the issues he dealt with due to the scrutiny he received, and how he views the move as a chance to start fresh. Etta is equally charming, in her own prickly way, and I loved how these two got on together. It’s very low-stakes, with some friendship drama, but I liked that it was ultimately rather sweet, as well as being affirming for trans kids.

[Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't say I loved this book as much as Huntoon's debut, but I still really enjoyed it. In the first few chapters, I worried the tone would feel a little too juvenile for the age of the character, but I soon fell into the book and felt that the tone and narrative voice was a great portrayal of eighth grade. I really appreciated Linus' arc of learning to stand up for himself, as well as Etta's development. I really liked their friendship here, it was so sweet and overall, just a really nice light-hearted middle-grade read.