An empowering, unapologetic portrait of creative risk and queer joy.
Captures the electric ascent of a pop provocateur whose queerness is central to her artistry.
Born Kayleigh Rose Amstutz in 1998, the singer-songwriter, who was raised in a conservative Missouri town, unsuccessfully auditioned for America’s Got Talent and did some gigs at local churches and country clubs. Attending the famed summer arts camp Interlochen as a rising senior was a turning point for her. Through a mix of talent, reinvention, and hard-won confidence, she became a fearless pop phenom who writes bold anthems reflecting on personal liberation, particularly around gender and sexuality. Her confessional style and unflinching lyrics have helped her become a voice for queer Gen Z fans. This lively biography charts Roan’s rise from a scrappy transplant disillusioned by what she found in Los Angeles, to a star propelled by viral singles and a magnetic onstage presence. Quotes from interviews with Roan and her collaborators underscore her perseverance in the face of financial and music industry setbacks. The writing is fast-paced and honest, reflecting the performer’s bold personality. Color photos, quotes, and the eye-catching book design bring her world to life. Several double-page spreads introduce readers to her creative influences, including burlesque, drag, and women musicians like Kate Bush, Pink, and Stevie Nicks. Fans will enjoy the narrative’s behind-the-scenes feeling, which shows Roan’s vulnerable side, and the author’s obvious respect for her subject.
An empowering, unapologetic portrait of creative risk and queer joy. (discography, awards and nominations, sources, photo credits) (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 21, 2025
ISBN: 9780760399279
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Epic Ink/Quarto
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2025
Small but mighty necessary reading.
A miniature manifesto for radical queer acceptance that weaves together the personal and political.
Eli, a cis gay white Jewish man, uses his own identities and experiences to frame and acknowledge his perspective. In the prologue, Eli compares the global Jewish community to the global queer community, noting, “We don’t always get it right, but the importance of showing up for other Jews has been carved into the DNA of what it means to be Jewish. It is my dream that queer people develop the same ideology—what I like to call a Global Queer Conscience.” He details his own isolating experiences as a queer adolescent in an Orthodox Jewish community and reflects on how he and so many others would have benefitted from a robust and supportive queer community. The rest of the book outlines 10 principles based on the belief that an expectation of mutual care and concern across various other dimensions of identity can be integrated into queer community values. Eli’s prose is clear, straightforward, and powerful. While he makes some choices that may be divisive—for example, using the initialism LGBTQIAA+ which includes “ally”—he always makes clear those are his personal choices and that the language is ever evolving.
Small but mighty necessary reading. (resources) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09368-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
Brief yet inspirational, this story will galvanize youth to use their voices for change.
Testa’s connection to and respect for nature compelled her to begin championing animal causes at the age of 10, and this desire to have an impact later propelled her to dedicate her life to fighting plastic pollution. Starting with the history of plastic and how it’s produced, Testa acknowledges the benefits of plastics for humanity but also the many ways it harms our planet. Instead of relying on recycling—which is both insufficient and ineffective—she urges readers to follow two additional R’s: “refuse” and “raise awareness.” Readers are encouraged to do their part, starting with small things like refusing to use plastic straws and water bottles and eventually working up to using their voices to influence business and policy change. In the process, she highlights other youth advocates working toward the same cause. Short chapters include personal examples, such as observations of plastic pollution in Mauritius, her maternal grandparents’ birthplace. Testa makes her case not only against plastic pollution, but also for the work she’s done, resulting in something of a college-admissions–essay tone. Nevertheless, the first-person accounts paired with science will have an impact on readers. Unfortunately, no sources are cited and the lack of backmatter is a missed opportunity.
Brief yet inspirational, this story will galvanize youth to use their voices for change. (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-22333-8
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2020
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