The Passing Playbook

by Isaac Fitzsimons

Love, Simon meets Friday Night Lights in this feelgood LGBTQ+ romance about a trans teen torn between standing up for his rights and staying stealth.

'A sharply observant and vividly drawn debut. I loved every minute I spent in this story' - Becky Albertalli

Fifteen-year-old Spencer Harris is a proud nerd, an awesome big brother and a Messi-in-training. He's also transgender. After transitioning at his old school leads to a year of bullying, Spencer gets a fresh start at Oakley, the most liberal private school in Ohio.

At Oakley, Spencer seems to have it more accepting classmates, a decent shot at a starting position on the boy's soccer team, great new friends, and maybe even something more than friendship with one of his teammates. The problem is, no one at Oakley knows Spencer is trans - he's passing.

So when a discriminatory law forces Spencer's coach to bench him after he discovers the 'F' on Spencer's birth certificate, Spencer has to make a cheer his team on from the sidelines or publicly fight for his right to play, even if it means coming out to everyone - including the guy he's falling for.

Perfect for fans of Red, White and Royal Blue.

Genres: LGBT, Romance, Young Adult, Queer, Contemporary, Sports, Transgender

302 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2021

About the author

Isaac Fitzsimons is an acclaimed author, sought-after speaker, and dedicated educator, known for his commitment to writing inclusive and quietly radical queer joy.

His debut novel, The Passing Playbook, has garnered numerous accolades, such as being named a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection, a Summer/Fall 2021 Indies Introduce title, a Kirkus Best Young Adult Book of 2021, and a 2022 Lambda Literary Award Finalist.

A lifetime dabbler in the arts, Isaac has performed sketch comedy and can proudly play three songs on the banjo. In addition to his artistic pursuits, he is also a water fitness prodigy. When he’s not immersed in writing, you’ll likely find him at the pool, either taking classes or sharing his expertise as a water fitness instructor.

His dream vacation would be traveling around Europe via sleeper train to watch every top-tier soccer team play a home game.

Reviews

[Kai Spellmeier · Rating 5 out of 5]

a trans boy falling in love with his super Christian team mate sounds exactly like the kind of gay disaster I need in my life right now

[Aiden Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

With a sweet romance on the backdrop of high school, soccer and first loves, THE PASSING PLAYBOOK is a big heart of a book about how acts of courage — both small and large — can be so empowering. Fitzsimons explores complicated relationships and family dynamics that many trans and queer kids experience with care. While this book doesn’t shy away from heavy topics and hard conversations, it’ll leave readers feeling both loved and hopeful.

[theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been putting off writing this review because I don’t know how to put into words how much I loved this book. The Passing Playbook is a new favourite but, unfortunately for this review, has fallen into the ‘I love this too much to talk about it coherently’ category. However, I’ll do my best to do this stunning book justice.

The Passing Playbook is joyful, comforting and absolutely brimming with love. From Spencer’s relationship to his parents, his friends, Justice and himself, there is never a moment where love doesn’t shine through the pages of this book. This is undoubtedly a book written for LGBTQ+ teenagers above anyone else and reading it felt like a warm hug.

The synopsis of this book makes it sound as if it’s going to be a lot more activism focused as Spencer has to fight for his right to play and although this element is definitely present, it comes secondary to the characters and romance. The main focus of The Passing Playbook is not a revolutionary outcry for trans rights, rather it’s a romance – heartwarming in its simple sweetness and, really, just as revolutionary as Spencer’s fight for the right to play. I adored Spencer and Justice together; they had great chemistry and were honestly just a joy to read about.

I am a sucker for sports team dynamics in books and The Passing Playbook gave me everything I wanted (read: found family vibes). All of the team members are so lovely and supportive and I loved reading about how Spencer fit in with them and his relationships both with the team as a whole and with individuals. The coach was an unexpected favourite character and I really loved seeing everything he did to support Spencer and his teammates. I won’t pretend I understand football or, indeed, exactly what was happening in the games in the books but it had such a fun energy to it and it was clear that Spencer was in his element whenever he played.

I also really admired the narrative surrounding coming out in this novel. Spencer decides to go stealth when starting at his new school following previous transphobia and I appreciated the narrative and thought processes surrounding this decision and the value placed on his own safety and comfort above all. Even as he grapples with coming out in order to play and the idea that his visibility could help other trans people, there is still no pressure or idea that he has to come out.

The Passing Playbook is brimming with trans joy and love and all of the warm, squishy, comforting feelings you could ever want, while also exploring coming out and the importance of your own safety even as it conflicts with what you want. This book is a new favourite of mine and a must read for all contemporary lovers!

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*eARC received in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley*

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book so much 😭😭😭😭😭😭

"Being an introverted child of two extroverts was exhausting."

Did you just quote my life?!

"It was an interesting assignment, listening to music, examining the lyrics, and working out hidden meanings." I need this assignment. Seriously.

I really like how the adult characters are playing their roles in this book!

That's all I'm asking for in a good young adult read (except in some rare cases).

I love how fun are the parents, the teachers and even the teen characters are. But the mom is so dramatic, you know. And the dad with his bad lines. Too much for the reader I say!
"Dad glanced around the room as if Mom might pop out from behind a bookshelf."
(Why does the Mom sound like the future me...🤣😆)

I love, love, love how good the writing is. The humour. The good vibes. It's so much fun right from page one. The book is just so easy to read. Feeling blessed!

It's the story of a transgender teen, Spencer, who just shifted to another school because of some unpleasant incidents that happened.

And talking about the characters, I love Aiden so much. His "Are we talking YouTube, music, or memes?" got me! You rock!

Justice. How I misjudged you.
"If you have something to cry about, you come crying to me. Understand?"
(Yes, I do. Spencer does too.)

You. Spencer. We are both short. I can relate with all the small physique stuffs they said about you. But this little human doesn't know how to give up. Be a rebel. The one who doesn't give up on their likes and needs.

They are so freaking cute together! I love this OTP! I ship them.

Theo. Spencer's younger brother. He's such a riot. A science geek. Love him. He's too darn cute.

I love the other side characters Riley, Grayson, Macintosh, Cory, Travis, even the coach. Damn. I felt too attached to the story and the characters. All the good sides of these characters. It made me cry...all the feels. I love them.

I really appreciate the discussion on gender-neutral bathrooms. Why are we still talking about this? Make it happen already. Everywhere possible. It's high time to stop the discrimination and the harassment.

It also presented transgender killings and the obsolete rules that still exist.

"The people he was honoring had already been silenced in life. He couldn't let them be silenced in death as well."


Reps: LGBTQIAP, autism, multicultural

A sports, young adult romance done right!
One of the best ya books ever. I cried buckets. I turned into a marshmallow. It's so good.

All the love, support and understanding here.


Psst... I am already waiting for the next book by the author.

[☆Pelumi☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

OUT OF FIVE
RATING: 5
PLOT: 4
CHARACTERS: 4.5
ROMANCE: 4
REPRESENTATION: 4

Content warnings: transphobia, homophobia, misgendering, religious bigotry, ableism, medical content, references to school shootings

This hit way too close to home and yet it felt like comfort to my soul
I'm so happy I got to read this because it's so relatable and well, quite emotional to get through and that's just what I needed.

I think that the more people who are out and visible, the safer it is for everyone. BUT, and this is a big but, you need to make sure that you're safe first. Physically safe, yes but also emotionally and psychologically

This book follows transgender main character, Spencer Harris. He transfers from his old school to a new one in Oakley because in his previous school he got hated on for being transgender. He walks into this new school with doubt in his mind because, he doesn't want to be outed and two, he wants to really fit in with the other boys. He meets religious Justice Cortes and he knows then that he's doomed. Why? He is certainly having a crush on Justice and worse, Justice might be homophobic.

Now when you look at this, it's so easy to see why Spencer would be afraid. Even I get skeptical when I meet Christians on GR because most of them turn out to be very bigoted.

I'm Christian so of course, there will be others who don't show hatred because of sexuality or gender. As a matter of fact, I've met really friendly ones on here but I've also met the bad ones as well. It's very easy to be afraid if you're in Spencer's shoes.

I love how the whole thing played out at the end. It was quite redeeming for me.

The plot is very easy to follow and the pacing is just right! I love the beginning, middle and the end. I don't know if this sounds biased but I'm so in love with this book. It was consistent from beginning to end. It wasn't so fast that you'd wonder why everything is happening so fast. It was not so slow either that you'd get bored. I finished this in one sitting at 3 am in the morning so yeah. Its very interesting.

The characters were everything!! The representation was obviously own voices as it was accurate. I loved the diversity of the book ad how different spectrums of the LGBT community were represented as well.
I liked how supportive Spencer's parents were and even though there were a few moments when they argued, I still think they have the best relationship.
Also, Spencer's brother is so cute. He's also supportive ad he is a true example of the fact that no one is born homophobic or transphobic, it's learnt either from parents or friends
The way he didn't need any explanation as to why his sister is suddenly his brother is just everything and yes we need more people like him. His obsession with nature, relatable af!

Rep: biracial black trans mc, gay li, nonbinary sc, autistic sc, trans sc, bisexual sc and so on... THIS BOOK BASICALLY SCREAMS QUEER!!!!

I loved how it wasn't a big deal when Spencer came out, I loved the support he received and everything was so wholesome.

As a sports person, I have to say, I enjoyed the football aspect.
I loved the religious aspect as well. Growing up gay in a homophobic atmosphere especially one caused by religion is hard. It's so easy to see how much Justice had suffered because I could relate so much to it.
I remember the bit where he mentioned that he and his family went to the park and left his brother, Steadfast, somewhere and they were looking for him. When they eventually found him, they were happy. However, the next day his brother gave his life to Christ which means, he answered the altar call for salvation. When Justice asked him why, he stated that when he didn't find them in the park, he thought rapture had happened and he'd been left behind and to be honest, I cried.
I cried so much because I'd been in that situation before, I'd thought i was going to hell and it was so sad for me. So when that part came up, i closed the book and sobbed.

Justice's upbringing played an important role in this book and I was glad because we need to show how hard it is to grow up in a religious homophobic household. It ain't easy at all!!

Justice is my favorite character. I didn't like the moments when he felt like he had to stand up to his parents to prove himself because honestly, I would never do that especially as I'm still depending on my parents. It irked me out a bit. Victim blaming is a real life issue and I hate when people are put in positions like that but then, I guess the resolution at the end was the saving grace.

To every LGBTQ+ individual living with homophobic parents, I feel you, I understand you and I am with you. Its not easy but we keep moving because eventually, we can't change who we are...

I loved every single bit, I love and I love and I love it!!!!

I enjoyed this book way too much and I want to give it all the stars in the world. Unfortunately, we have just five so...FIVE STARS IT IS!

pre review thoughts
THANKS NETGALLY I FORGIVE YOU!!!

EDIT: I didn't know this book about a trans boy and his religious Christian crush would be what I needed....I hope my baby is happy at the end.

EDIT 2: Just finished this OMG....
I'm shaking rn, this one hit way too close to home! Homophobic religious parents?? No one can relate more than me. Having a book character struggle like me is just too overwhelming.
RTC when I stop crying..

[hillary · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t care a lot about this book and I’m v sad about it. I am always on the lookout for a lgbtq+ book that can give me the same feels Simon vs did, but I end up disappointed every time.

I really liked following Spencer around. Reading from his perspective gave me a lot to think about. The trans rep was my favorite thing about this book, I can see it comes from a personal place. I can’t find anywhere if this is an ownvoices book, but nevertheless, I feel like Spencer was a very realistic character with very realistic struggles.

Unfortunately, that’s the only positive thing I can say about this book. For the most part I was neutral towards everything, I never connected with the story. I’m pretty sure the main issue was the writing style. You can tell this is a debut from how sentences are constructed. Once I realized that every sentence was a subject-verb-object/complement of choice, I could not unsee it. With the overall tone, the book read so immature I couldn’t get past it.

Plotwise, there’s not that much going on from my perspective. I was really bored throughout. Lately I’m struggling to find new YA contemporaries to love because they are all so similar, and this one is no exception. Apart from the trans rep it had nothing new to add.
Also, it doesn’t help that the synopsis spoils a pretty big chunk of the book. I spent 60% of the book waiting for the thing in the synopsis to happen, and I can see how that hindered my enjoyment.

Well, at least I tried? I wasn’t liking this one from the very beginning but I pushed through the same. I thought I would get attached to the characters or something, but that didn’t go as planned.
Honestly, I can see why people would love this book, so take this review with a pinch of salt. I’m probably just too old for it lol 🥲🤧


I received an advanced reader copy through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

[Adri · Rating 5 out of 5]

CWs: Allusions to past bullying, death threats, and school lockdown; religious fanatacism and homophobia in the guise of religious rhetoric; misgendering; transphobia and outdated transphobic terminology (from side characters); and some brief (non-graphic) references to overdose and child death

I love trans lit so much, and this book serves as perfect reminder as to why that it is.

The Passing Playbook is a much needed story, not simply because of the time we find ourselves in with anti-trans legislation at an all-time high, but because it explores transness in ways that we rarely get to see, even with the growing influx of queer books being published every year. Stories like this remind me of why we need trans fiction, and how much more about the quote-unquote "trans experience" there still is to explore.

Rarely do we get to see younger trans protagonists, and especially those who are medically transitioning with the full support of their parents. I have never read a story with main character who's on hormone blockers, who uses testosterone gel, who is actively trying to be stealth at school and pass for his own safety. And what I love most is that the story doesn't linger on those aspects of transitioning or passing, but gives the reader enough information to know why these things are at the forefront of Spencer's mind while also giving just enough detail to allow readers to do their own research if they're curious to know more. It's a story that doesn't subject its hero to being under a microscope for the sake of cis readers, but that also acknowledges the very real obstacles that trans people face, especially in academic settings.

I also loved the relationship between Spencer and Justice. There were some interesting parallels between them with how Spencer is "passing" as a cis guy while Justice is "passing" as both straight and as a non-religious person most of the time, so to speak, before Spencer learns more about him and his family. They both have this tumultuous past that's difficult to understand without the lived experience, and they're both trying to hide it so that they can walk through the world without having to constantly explain these potentially fraught experiences. While those experiences are definitely not one and the same, they're both coming from that place of wanting to protect themselves and wanting to be seen as more than just their labels, which connects them on a deeper level.

More importantly, the story reconciles Spencer and Justice being in two different places in terms of their identities in such a nuanced way. Spencer is out as trans to his close friends and family, and he has the support of his family, while Justice is completely closeted. While this presents a challenge for their relationship as it develops, the story never once villainizes being closeted. I think that's a trap a lot of queer stories unknowingly fall into, where the narrative seems to (unintentionally) imply that not coming out means you're not proud of yourself, you're not being true to yourself, or you're not being "authentic"—when that's not true at all. This story understands that not everyone is at the same point in their journey, and that there is no shame in keeping yourself safe and prioritizing your own protection and readiness, especially in a world that doesn't universally accept or protect queer people.

Related to that, there's a really great conversation about the connection between privilege and visibility. Passing is a privilege. Being visible and feeling confident in that visibility is a privilege. Being incorrectly assumed as cis or straight doesn't make you any less queer, and doesn't make you any less a part of the community. How then do we balance being visible and providing hope to those who might need it with also keeping ourselves safe? If we have passing privilege, how do we then use that privilege to continue uplifting our community, especially in public spaces and forums where others might be overlooked or silenced? How can we protect and support people who can't be out or who don't want to be out without demanding their visibility or performance as a prerequisite for community or respect?

Those are ultimately the questions Spencer is facing in this book. Should he come out as trans so that he and his family can publicly challenge the anti-trans law that prohibits him from playing on the boys' soccer team or should he keep his head down and protect himself in a world that has already proved itself to be unsafe for him? How does he weigh his own readiness and safety with making a stand against something that profoundly impacts his community? There is no right or wrong answer, no clear-cut solution that doesn't constitute some kind of sacrifice on our part, and sometimes that's the line we have to walk. Again, the story never villainizes or glorifies either choice, but understands on a profound level the validity and reality of both.

While I can't comment on the Autistim representation we get with Spencer's brother, my one minor note is that there were a few times where it got close to feeling like Theo's Autism was "just another thing that complicates Spencer's life." While Theo is never once positioned as a burden, nor made to perform Autism in a way that neurotypical audiences have come to expect, it did occasionally seem like he was brought into the story especially when there needed to be some additional tension. Again, I can't speak to the representation itself, and while overall I really enjoyed the loving relationship dynamic between Spencer and Theo, I did want to share that one note. I don't think the story ever quite crosses that line, but it does get close a few times.

All in all, this in an incredible and much-needed story that brilliantly balances hardship with hope. It's a book that complicates and adds to the conversations about transness that still need to happen, both within the queer community and outside of it. You should read it as an antithesis to the recent anti-trans sports laws, yes, but even MORE than that you should read it because it celebrates a trans hero navigating how to advocate for his community and himself. It's a story about soccer, friendship, first love, and learning how to be yourself, which is exactly the kind of story we need.

[charlotte, · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that the more people who are out and visible, the safer it is for everyone. BUT, and this is a big but, you need to make sure that you're safe first. Physically safe, yes but also emotionally and psychologically.

basically. i cried.

read my review on reads rainbow

rerated 20/8/22

also the blurb does coach so dirty, it's not him who's transphobic it's the league!!

Rep: biracial Black mlm trans mc, gay li, bi side character, autistic side character, Black side characters, nonbinary side character

CWs: mentions of past transphobic violence, religious homophobia

[LTJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Passing Playbook” by Isaac Fitzsimons is actually a historic book for me. Oh yes, ladies and gentlemen, I’m more of a horror reader as this was a first for me. I’ve been reading horror novels for over 25 years now and when a unique opportunity came to read a novel in a genre I’ve never ever read before, I was genuinely excited!

I did a book swap with a co-worker as she never reads horror and I never read romance. We thought it would be hilarious to recommend a book from the genre we love to the other and this idea was born for the month of August. She asked to be light on her so I gave her “Carrie” by Stephen King which is one of my all-time favorite horror novels and she gave me this to read.

This is a historic novel for me since it’s the first time I’m reading a transgender young adult queer romance novel. This is also the first novel I’ve ever read by Fitzsimons and I have to admit, I love his writing style. It’s fantastic and really had me hooked from beginning to end.

What I enjoyed the most about “The Passing Playbook” is looking through the lens of a transgender student having to deal with potential bullying, targeting, misgendering, and all sorts of nonsense in school. It was so interesting to me as I truly felt what the main protagonist Spencer had to deal with throughout this journey.

I got many flashbacks of being in high school from this novel as regardless of what your sexual orientation is or the pronouns you use, everyone can relate to just wanting a sense of acceptance and belonging. Especially in school, you know? I totally related to that since I’ve been there too in a way. I’m not transgender or gay but I was that nerdy metalhead that was also looking for acceptance and belonging as this was brilliantly written to capture those emotions of just being welcomed in school and well, society.

Don’t worry, I won’t ruin anything for you in this novel but this was such a genuine pageturner that I simply could not put it down. I loved all the soccer references, field breakdowns, and of course, the mention of Pep Guardiola! It was all authentic and just the overall story was very captivating.

I loved reading about Spencer’s journey and how everything fell into place thanks to kindness, understanding, and again, acceptance. Those are the themes I got while reading as I’ve said for many years now, kindness and understanding go a very long way in life.

All the other characters were pretty awesome with Theo being another favorite of mine. I’m talking about such memorable characters that helped flesh out a powerful story that honestly, I will remember for many years to come. Especially since it also deals with sports as I’ve loved sports practically my whole life so that made it an even better read.

I can tell you firsthand that the power of being on a team with great coaches and teammates is a beautiful thing. To see that also reflected in this novel was a nice touch because it’s so very true. Sports can heal anything thrown your way, especially if you play on a team and grow as a family. Another big thing I loved was how Fitzsimons also showed how music can also be therapeutic.

I also related big time to this since music can help anyone get through all kinds of tough events and situations life throws their way. I honestly don’t know where I’d be in life if it wasn’t for music helping guide and mold me along the way.

The ending was epic and a perfect way to end this novel. It just checked all the boxes for me and wrapped everything up nicely. It’s a nice, feel-good moment that will make your soul smile since these are the kinds of endings I’d expect those that love romance novels would want. LoL this is all new territory for me so that’s at least what I think about how romance novels would probably end.

I give “The Passing Playbook” by Isaac Fitzsimons a 5/5 as this was such a fun, heartwarming, touching, and inspiring novel. It’s a great story that is memorable and shows the power of acceptance. Even though this didn’t have the usual demons, murderers, ghosts, haunted houses, possessed dolls, or all the usual things I love reading in horror, I had a blast reading this novel! I highly recommend it if you’re looking for an awesome transgender young adult queer romance novel that is excellent and if you also love soccer, this would be a perfect read for you.

Love is love <3

[Marieke (mariekes_mesmerizing_books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aw, loved the writing, the diversity, Spencer and Justice, just everything! Although this story deals with some hard hitting topics, I read it with a constant smile on my face.

Reading this story during the European Championship soccer (hey USA: it’s actually called football here!!) made it even more special! Hoping my own country would win the match and hoping Spencer would get through the tryouts. Cheering when my country scored a goal and cheering when Spencer was selected. The disappointment when the opponent scored and feeling Spencer’s disappointment when he was benched.

Of course this story is not only about soccer. Spencer is a Black trans boy and he’s dealing with being trans. I loved how Isaac Fitzsimons focused on the joy instead of the pain in this story. The friendship, the love, the team spirit, acceptance and so much more. The story is about going stealth, being out and not being able to come out. It’s such an easy and heartwarming read, I flew through the pages, feeling shocked when I found out I already finished the book.

Last week, I listened to a podcast about a professional gay soccer player who’s not out and doesn’t want to come out because of the atmosphere in locker rooms and reducing his chances to play in an important competition (for the Dutch: De Schaduwspits). I felt angry and defeated like I lost a match. Although we’ve made so much progress, we still haven’t in some parts of the sports world. Why are queer female soccer players accepted and queer male not? Therefore, I’d like every (professional) soccer player in the world to read this story, acknowledge it, and make the soccer environment safe for everyone to come out, whether they’re gay, bi, pan, trans etc. I’d love them to play wonderful matches together, accept another for who they are, queer and straight! We’ve got so much to win here! Wouldn’t it be great if the next Virgil van Dijk’s or Lionel Messi’s are queer players?

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[luce (cry bebè's back from hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

❀ blog ❀ thestorygraph ❀ letterboxd ❀ tumblr ❀ ko-fi ❀

3 ½ stars

“He wasn't sure if parents had limits to their love, but he was worried that one day something would push them too far and he'd find out.”

After a horrible experience at his old high school Spencer Harris is ready to turn a new leaf. He's Black, fifteen, a bit of a nerd, and good at soccer. His new private school offers him the chance to start over, and, despite his initial desire to 'lay low', he finds himself joying the school's soccer team. No one at Oakley knows he's trans, and while Spencer is not ashamed of who he is, he doesn't want to re-experience the bullying and harassment he was subjected to at his old school.
While Spencer becomes friends with the other boys on the team, his budding crush on a fellow team member and the fact that he joined the team after his parents explicitly forbade him...well, these make his life a bit more complicated.
Things take a downward turn when Spencer is benched due to a discriminatory law.

Isaac Fitzsimons' prose is the classic YA coming-of-age kind of fare, simple and readable, only occasionally coming across as a wee bit green (some lines of dialogue here and there, maybe a phrase or two: “They lost the game that day, but Spencer gained a lesson he'd never forget”). I appreciated how inclusive this book was. In addition to Spencer being trans, we have queer, gay, autistic, and non-binary characters.
Spencer comes across as a realistic teenager, sometimes prone to angsting over this or that, being a bit self-involved, or giving his parents a hard time,. We can also see how hard it is for him, how anxious he is about people accepting him for who he is. He was a really sweet kid and I really admired that he speaks up about the gender-neutral bathrooms and for being so supportive towards his younger brother.
I also liked how uplifting the story was. It made me smile more than once and I am so happy that Fitzsimons didn't let his story follow the path of many other lgbtq+ YA book (usually a character is outed) and that he actually made his mc's parents into more than one-dimensional characters. The authors keeps a good balance between Spencer's character arc and the romance subplot.

This was a really wholesome book. We have a cute romance, as well as good family and friendship dynamics, and the author includes realistic and current issues in his storyline. There may be the odd cheesy moment but I could have not cared less (if I wanted 100% realistic stories I would not be reading anything ever).
This is clearly a novel with a big heart. The author treats his characters and their struggles with empathy and understanding. If you are a fan of Kacen Callender or Julian Winters you should definitely consider giving The Passing Playbook a chance.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Larry H · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Isaac Fitzsimons' debut YA novel, The Passing Playbook , is an emotional, hopeful story about finding your voice and being true to yourself.

Spencer is starting over. After a threat of violence against him put his old high school in lockdown, he’s about to start at a progressive private school, and a liberal one—the most liberal one in Ohio, in fact. But while he’s ready to tell his fellow students he is queer, he’s not ready to share the truth: that he’s transgender, because that's where the trouble arose at his last school.

It’s not long before Spencer’s athletic prowess lands him a spot on the soccer team. Despite his parents’ concerns, he’s happy to be part of a team, to have friends, and the possibility of even more with one of his teammates.

When the soccer league enforces a discriminatory rule, Spencer finds himself on the bench. He realizes he has two choices—he can keep silent and let discrimination win, or he can reveal the truth about himself and fight for his rights and the rights of other transgender students. But what price will he and his family pay for the truth?

I really enjoyed The Passing Playbook . I have to give Fitzsimons so much credit—there were so many times when I expected the book to go a certain way, to follow the “typical” plot lines—and nearly every time, he did something else. I loved these characters, from Spencer and his brother Theo to the coach and Spencer’s friends and teammates.

Living your truth isn’t easy, especially when you face the possibility of ostracism, violence, and rejection. Thanks to Fitzsimons for a book that focused more on the joy that comes from being who you are rather than the pain.

Check out my list of the best books I read in 2020 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2020.html.

See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.

Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.

[⛅ Sunny (sunnysidereviews) ⛅ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this during the Euro Cup was one of the best decisions I ever made.
3.5 stars

What I Liked
-The representation
-The talk on soccer
-The fight for transgender equality
-The supportive family
-The MC's best friend

What I Disliked
-The writing felt juvenile (I'm not a writer, so this is purely just my opinion.)
-The ending was rushed
-The pacing was off at times
-The main character -- the mc was rude at times, and for no reason too.

[Bon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aw, this was great. A story of intersectional struggle of a Black trans boy, framed by his love for playing soccer.

I hadn't yet read a YA book that examined the trans experience in such depth - being a millennial raised in a conservative community, things like hormone blockers and other options were foreign concepts to me until a few years ago. It was super interesting to learn a bit about those and the other medical stuff Spencer deals with as a trans high schooler. At the same time, he's a normal kid; Spencer otherwise lives a typical teen life, with a father making terrible dad jokes, homework, and fitting in soccer practice, and that's important.

It's a pretty short book, clocking in around seven hours audiobook length, so it cuts to the chase quickly and there isn't much filler material. Besides Spencer's storyline, I found Justice a compelling romantic interest, a gay boy in a very Christian, homophobic family. It's easy enough as an adult to move states, cut off family etc., but when the bigots and harmful ideology are "inside the house" and you're a minor, what do you do? I think the book resolved Justice's side of the story as tidily as it could without making it unrealistic at the same time.

There were a lot of precious side characters, including Theo, Spencer's autistic younger brother, who was charming and relatable in every scene. The coach was also a refreshing character, and many of the secondary, supportive team members too.

The Passing Playbook has a triumphant ending in more than one way, and I was metaphorically in the stands, cheering for it. Fitzsimons is an author I'll be watching.

[anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

rep: biracial Black mlm trans mc, gay li, bi side character, autistic side character, Black side characters, nonbinary side character, mlm side character
tw: mentions of past transphobic violence, religious homophobia, mentions of past overdose

The Passing Playbook is a lot of love & care packed into one little book.It’s very clearly a book for LGBT youth, and especially for trans kids. A book showing them with every page that they are loved and deserve every ounce of that love.

Plot-wise it’s not a complicated book. But a book’s worth is not measured with its outline, rather - with the emotions it evokes in the reader. And The Passing Playbook understands that very well. It knows which strings to pull on to make the reader smile or cry.

And the one it pulls the hardest is the string of love. That is in abundance in The Passing Playbook. Spencer’s parents’ love for him, Spencer’s love for his brother, Spencer’s teammates’ love for him, his love for his crush… Every possible shade of the emotion, with all its highs and lows.

[A.R. Vale · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was really excited for this book so I’m sad to say it ended up being a disappointment.

I will start off with the positives. This book had a strong start. It was fast-paced and I liked the writing style. I really liked Spencer’s character at first and it’s always good to see some well-written trans characters in books.

That said I had some significant problems with this book. Firstly the portrayal of Spencer’s autistic brother. I wouldn’t normally refer to him like that but that’s all he was to the narrative: Spencer’s autistic brother. He felt like a prop, used first as something for Spencer to feel guilty about (a plot point that never really got resolved) and then to make Spencer look like a good person for loving him. He was also a flat character; the only things I could tell you about him are that he’s autistic, he likes animals and he has an ipad he takes everywhere. If he had more character development and relevance in the narrative he could have been good representation but as an autistic reader I’d rather he wasn’t included than be portrayed like this. It wouldn’t make any difference to the overall story if he was left out entirely.

My next issue is something of a sensitive subject: religious bigotry, abuse and victim-blaming. If you haven’t grown up surrounded by religious bigotry and with abusive and controlling parents you may not understand the issue I have here. As someone with personal experience with these things I was very uncomfortable with the way Justice’s family was portrayed and Spencer’s reaction to them. Justice comes from a conservative family who are part of a cult-like right-wing Church. His father is emotionally abusive and controlling. Spencer breaks up with Justice for not standing up to his abusers for their homophobic bigotry and is depicted as in the right with Justice apologising and begging Spencer to take him back at the end of the book.

Thousands of queer people are subjected to conversion therapy, abuse and even exorcisms by abusive family members for coming out. Justice is a 15/16 year old kid. Expecting him to stand up to his family and Church is victim-blaming and the narrative shows little empathy to the situation Justice, and many very real queer young people, find themselves in.

In addition to these things there were some amateur writing mistakes in this book that became more and more grating to me as it went on. I may have been able to ignore these issues if it weren’t for the other issues I had with the book.

I’m sorry to say that I found this book to be a disappointment. I won’t tell anybody not to read it if they’re still interested but it gets a no from me.

Content warnings: transphobia, homophobia, misgendering, religious bigotry, victim-blaming, ableism, medical content, references to school shootings

[Anniek · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of this, please!! Queer sports books are my kryptonite, and this was a particularly good one. It reminded me of Julian Winters' books with how soft it was, and I so loved reading a YA contemporary with a trans MC that wasn't centered around transphobia, or at least not mainly. I think this is one of those books I'll enjoy even more on a reread, but this was already really great! Special shoutout to the way the autistic brother was written, because authors tend to rely heavily on stereotypes and write harmful rep, but this was done really well!

[literarylesbian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book as a physical ARC from Penguin Teen in exchange of a honest review.

Overall, this book was good. I felt like the mature storyline didn’t match up with the juvenile writing. The author’s inexperience was apparent when it came to a lack of continuity. It also seemed like the author was in a rush to wrap everything up in the end. Additionally, the summary felt inaccurate to the actual book when it came to the conflict.

I gave this book a 3 star rating out of generosity. I loved the representation within this book, but it definitely could’ve been handled better in some cases. Especially with the violent homophobia and transphobia. I personally live very close to the town this book was set in, so I can tell you how very real these issues are. For anyone intending on reading, please be aware of this going in.

[laurel [the suspected bibliophile] · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it. And I'm kicking myself that I didn't read it sooner.

That's it. That's the review.

[Mallory · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m in a little bit of awe that this is a debut novel. The emotion was woven into the words so seamlessly that I know Isaac Fitzsimons will go on to write more books (books I will be reading). This book is about a lot of things layered together to tell a story. This book is about soccer and with that how to be a team and support each other through winning and losing. This book is about being transgender and with that how brave you must be. This book is about how to be an ally and with that how silence and passive acceptance can hurt just as much as rejection. This book is about figuring out who are you and being that person proudly and with that how to articulate what you are thinking and need to those that love you. The main character Spencer (and can I say that I was so pleased to find that Spencer’s dead name was not mentioned once time) has had a lot of support in his transition to helping the world see him the way he was meant to be seen. His parents supported him getting on hormones quickly, seeking their own support in how to best support him, and a general acceptance of who he is (this does not mean they got everything right, no one gets everything right). But despite that support Spencer has faced bullying and has intense anxiety if he comes out he will no longer be safe. Let that sink in a minute. This book realistically describes a teenager who has all the best built in support and their safety has been threatened and he is afraid his safety will be threatened if people in his new school find out. This is not a stretch, this is a reality. Spencer’s parents are able to swing sending him to a very liberal private school in hopes that will keep him safe. But being an adolescent is inherently full of trouble and Spencer’s new school is no different. Spencer joins the soccer team but not without major struggles and in the end he has to decide if he can safely advocate for himself or give up the sport and team he loves. Throw in some additional layers like does the boy on his team that he likes really like him back and you have a fun story that will make you really think and if you’re like me cry just a little bit.

[atlas ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

a sweet romance with trans joy i'm going to go cry // rtc

[Jesse On Youtube · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a pleasant surprise - not because I didn't trust the author to write a great debut (and it WAS a GREAT debut), but because I would rather staple my eyelids together than read about sports. Thankfully, I gave my dramatics a rest and decided to read out of my comfort zone (courtesy of Penguin Teen).

In this book we get to follow a Black trans boy with a heart that belongs entirely to sports. He has a stable, loving family, that is not without internal conflict as they are all adjusting to an unexpected move due to transphobic bullying Spencer endured at his last school. Enter Justice, a wickedly attractive boy with sanctimonious, homophobic parents and romance blooms between them.

I loved the balance in this story. Justice is closeted and struggling with internalized homophobia. Spencer has fought hard to be out and to continue to be out and is struggling with having a closeted partner. While both of these boys misstep with one another in regards of respecting the others' choices, they continued to bravely grapple and meet each other half way.

I LOVED that the storyline of Spencer fighting for his right to play on a male sports team was only the last 50 pages of the book - it allowed us to get to KNOW Spencer, to see a trans boy whose narrative isn't violently shrouded in transphobia. In other words, its not another 304 pages of trans-suffering, which, let's be honest - us trans folk are TIRED OF. I liked that I got to read a truly feel good book marked with internal and external struggles.

NOW. This would've been a 5 star if not for one major issue I had. Spencer confronts Justice over something his family forces him to do for the church and ultimately Justice has to grovel before Spencer and apologize for doing what he felt he had to do in order to remain safe. Spencer doesn't *truly* realize the ways that the church preys on Justice's financial situation in order to buy their loyalty, because Spencer comes from a well-to-do family. Justice's family is large and entirely dependent on the church for keeping them afloat. On top of that, Justice is terrified that if he doesn't do things the church/his father asks and comes out, that he will be left homeless and unable to attend college. Spencer is okay with Justice being closeted in theory, but not when actually confronted with the role Justice must play in the church in order to survive.

I was 100% not okay with the way Spencer's response was deemed acceptable. There's a brief scene where Spencer does realize he's wrong and begins to apologize but Justice cuts him off and tells him its okay. (it isn't ok). This bothered me mainly because I feel young queer readers deserved to see on-page explanation of exactly how harmful Spencer's behavior was and why his stance was so unacceptable.

That said, I highlighted SO MANY lines that brought me joy and I LOVED the last soccer game. (if you've read this book and know about the 'armband' scene, just know i teared up shamelessly over it). I LOVED the Coach, he was my favorite character and so entirely precious to see a man care for these kids and support them so endlessly, sometimes with tough love, other times with tenderness.

all in all, this is an amazing book. i powerful debut and I can't wait to see what Fitzsimons crafts in the future.

[Dahlia]

Warmhearted, sweet, and funny. I was really highly anticipating this one and it was exactly what I wanted it to be.

[roma · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars!
written with so much care and love for trans kids, especially trans kids of color. so grateful i got to read it, full review to come

[jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a way to start Pride Month.

This was fine. Fine.

I am totally not bawling my eyes out right now. You are not seeing this. I'm cool and this didn't make me cry for 3 hours straight.

I love my boys so much. I would die for the entire team. I would also die for Coach. What is it with those coaches that seem like they are the rough and no nonsense type but are actually softies inside? First Foxhole Court, now this.

Everything about this made me feel all happy and teary. I just can't put it into words. So I won't.
Read it, don't read it, I don't care. I finally got the representation I deserve and I'm happy.

And still crying.

[may ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know when you share some parts of your identity with a character and said character is written with so much care and love that it feels like someone is putting the softest and warmest blanket over your shoulders? Yeah, that’s kind of how I felt reading this. There aren’t any incredible plot line or super complex characters in this, but there’s so much love.

There were many things to enjoy in The Passing Playbook, from the characters to the empowering plot. This will definitely appeal to readers who like sports, especially soccer, as it holds an important place in the book. The romance, though it is a smaller part of the story, is really cute! I really liked the writing too. The novel is told in the third person but the pov is really personal like you’d usually expect of a first person point of view. I thought that was really interesting and made the book quite different from other YA contemporaries I’ve read.

It’s definitely not easy to explain exactly why the rep in this brought me so much comfort, but thinking about it, I guess it has something to do with all the little details and small scenes, with the way we get to meet Spencer and learn things about him.

Such a great book!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC!

content warning: homophobia and transphobia (sometimes motivated by religious beliefs), misgendering, references to deadnaming, mentions of child death and drug overdose, past bullying, threats, and school lockdown.

[Charlotte (Romansdegare) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually listened to this book in audio a while ago and really enjoyed it, but I've not noticed it getting a ton of attention in my online book circles this week as people are reading and sharing stories with trans rep, so I figured I'd give this one whatever tiny boost I can with a review!

This story had a number of elements that made me hesitant to pick it up at first: I'm simply not a huge YA reader, and YA audiobook narrators in particular are sometimes a hard sell for me. Plus some of the themes - passing, fear of being outed, the particular judgment of Christian communities towards queer people - are... just so hard to treat in a nuanced and careful way that still feels organic to the format of an entertaining, lighthearted fictional story. I felt the author carried off this balance of tone SO well. There was a lot of joy to this story- particularly in its small moments and interpersonal connections - without downplaying the structural discrimination that Spencer faces as a biracial Black trans teenager navigating high school, and life in the US more generally.

Other reviews on here have spoken much more eloquently than I could about how carefully the question of "passing" is dealt with (this review in particular lays it all out really, really well). What jumped out the most for me, in terms of the unique contribution this book made to YA lit centering trans characters, is the role of sports- football/soccer in particular. As anyone reading this book probably already knows, bans against trans kids playing youth sports is the locus of a lot of hateful legislation in the US. And while I knew that a story celebrating a trans teenager who loves playing soccer was going to land well for me because of my love for soccer and my strong beliefs that trans kids belong in youth sports... I was (perhaps a bit naïvely) taken by surprise at how much this book deepened and broadened and intensified how I feel about the topic? The writing - both introspective and joyful- invites readers to contemplate the importance of letting trans kids play sports, by emphasizing the personal, emotional, and individual dimensions of this issue that none of my (more academic- and journalism-based) reading had really done so far. The narrative digs into what soccer means for Spencer on so many levels: as a political issue, sure, but also as a personal source of joy and self-expression, as a form of community with other boys his age, and as something he just really *loves* to do. And I just really loved reading about it.

A final word for the audiobook element, which is that Jamie K. Brown's narration was stellar. In particular, they were able to convey a range of ages and genders without ever sounding like a caricature, voicing a teenage boy and his friends on the one hand, and his adult teachers and parents on the other, without any of those portrayals sounding forced. If you're considering picking this up, the audio would make a great format in which to do so!

[kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an absolute joy to read. It's sweet, genuine, funny and written with so much heart and care.
The multiple facets of casual representation was a delight and I loved that, whilst it was discussed, this wasn't a book about transphobia, it was a coming-of-age love story between two boys navigating their passions with their identities and voices. It was also a story of friendship and family (I especially adored the dynamic between Spencer and his autistic little brother, Theo) and the power of being a team and having your teammates backs. Isaac Fitzsimons writing style was comfortable and effortless to read in the best kind of way and is someone I'd happily read more from in the future.
This is such a joyous example of the multitudes YA contemporary stories can contain and I loved my time with it.

TW: discussion of transphobia, homophobia

[mace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread 29/12/2021:

I decided to reread this because I needed a pick-me-up, and it still stands as one of my favorite books of 2021. There's so much love and strength in this book; it means the world to me.

Original (ARC) review:

The American cover of The Passing Playbook sports a blurb from Kacen Callender that calls it “A simultaneous warm hug and a lightning strike of courage”, and I couldn’t agree more with that statement. While this book deals with transphobia in high school sports and religiously motivated homophobia, it also features a young biracial trans protagonist who finds support, falls in love, and empowers himself and others. The Passing Playbook felt both heart-warming and empowering to me, and I completely and utterly adored it in every way.

The book follows 15-year-old Spencer as he moves to a new school where nobody knows he’s transgender. After an incident in PE class, he’s invited to join the school’s soccer team, although this comes with several complications. His parents do not necessarily approve of their transgender son joining a boy’s football team, and Spencer doesn’t quite hit it off right away with the team’s vice-captain, Justice. Spencer gradually manages to find his place, however, and even when he faces hardships there is always a light in the darkness. When he is at odds with his parents, his friend Aiden is there to support him. When he can’t sit with his soccer team during lunch, he has a friend from his school’s Queer-Straight Alliance he can sit with. When the soccer league forbids him from playing because he is transgender, his team and coach still support him every step of the way. Whenever my heart ached for Spencer in sympathy, there was always a sense of support elsewhere to soften that ache.

The question at the heart of Spencer’s inner conflict is ultimately whether he should stay “stealth” or come out as transgender. Seeing Spencer weigh the pros and cons of both was something that resonated so deeply within me. I haven’t transitioned (yet), but Spencer’s reasoning behind why he should stay closeted versus why he should come out was so recognizable. He wants to be an ally to fellow trans people at his school—and elsewhere—but as a biracial Black transgender boy, he is also faced with so many potential dangers. At the beginning of the book, he switches schools because of anti-trans violence threats at his old school, so Spencer knows firsthand what dangers could potentially await him if he does decide to come out. I won’t say anything else about this—you can read for yourself how this plays out—but to see my own worries mirrored in a book like this was something that struck a nerve deep within me.

Besides Spencer’s inner conflict, his relationships with others are also just built so well. His romance with Justice develops at a pace that feels natural, and I loved seeing the two slowly get to know each other beyond their initial (largely wrong) judgment of one another. The soccer team’s dynamic is all about “boys will be boys” but in the best way possible. Spencer’s relationship with his parents and brother is at times complicated, but ultimately they are all there to support him. His little brother is autistic, which sometimes complicates life at home. I will admit that I, as an autistic reader, was at first a bit taken aback by the way Spencer sometimes frames his brother’s autism. At the beginning of the book, it almost felt like Spencer thought of his brother as a burden because of his autism, but I think as the book goes on it is shown that Spencer cares a lot about his little brother and that some of his earlier feelings about his brother’s autism (and how it influenced him and his family) were wrong.

I will note, for those who might struggle with reading about such topics, that Justice is part of a very strict Christian family and community who are not supportive of his sexuality. He is closeted for the majority of the book but is eventually outed to his family and ends up in a situation where he is distanced from them. Spencer struggles with Justice’s homophobic family and is initially not very understanding of why Justice needs to stay in the closet for his own safety. There are also several scenes with explicit portrayals of homophobic ideas from Justice’s community, which might be difficult to read for some readers. I believe that ultimately this conflict was resolved in a realistic yet relatively positive way, but if you plan on reading this book, just be aware of that going into it.

All in all, I absolutely adored this book. Everything felt so well-crafted and was handled with so much care, and I’m so happy this kind of book exists for trans readers, especially teens. And books like this, about trans teens in sports, are so incredibly needed at the moment with all the anti-trans legislation that seems to be on the rise in the United States. I highly recommend this one!

Content Warnings: homo- and transphobia (at times religiously motivated), misgendering, references to deadnaming, mention of death by drug overdosis, references to past bullying and threats of violence that prompted a school lockdown

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Children’s UK for providing me with an electronic review copy.

[Lindsey · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is why neurotypical people shouldn't write autistic characters. Autistic children aren't "problems", they deserve as much proper treatment as possible, and they definitely should NOT exist in your book simply to give the main character an excuse and an out for when he messes up (his words not mine; he literally states that whenever he screws up he can expect his brother to do worse so he doesn't worry about getting in trouble).

Also, this book romanticizes Christianity and religious trauma in queer children/teens.