GOTH GIRL, QUEEN OF THE UNIVERSE

Self-proclaimed goth queen Jess, constantly moving among foster homes, has learned to embrace the label freak and keep everyone at arm’s length.

Her Instagram fans feel like her only real family—until a woman claiming to be her biological mom reaches out, wanting back into her life. But wards of the state face challenges in securing unsupervised contact with their bio parents, and Jess, who is White, can’t risk getting social services involved and jeopardizing this chance at closure. Enter Oscar, Mexican American cosplay geek extraordinaire. Admiring Jess’ makeup and design skills, he asks her to join his team in competing in a cosplay expo in New York City—where Jess’ bio mom now lives. Determined to reunite with her, Jess agrees despite her initial reservations about cosplay. As she gets more invested in the team, however, Jess must decide whether chasing the dream of the family she once had is worth more than her chosen family. Zrull, whose author bio indicates she was herself a foster kid, delves with remarkable grit and heart into many sensitive issues, including mental health and body positivity. First-person narrator Jess’ voice is a mix of jaded, too-cool-for-school snark and stirring vulnerability, and each supporting character feels like a fully realized, perfectly imperfect individual. Moments of teen angst and triumph are weathered realistically, and the ending provides a welcome sense of closure after the characters’ sometimes-harrowing emotional journeys.

These geeks will warm even the coldest, darkest hearts.