OPTING OUT

In this collaboration between Kobabe, celebrated for eir memoir, Gender Queer (2019), and debut creator Srikumar, middle schooler Saachi struggles with change.

Saachi loves fantasy novels, creative writing, and spending time with best friend Lyla. But the rising seventh grader doesn’t understand why Lyla and their other Waldorf school classmates are so excited about crushes and dating. Making matters worse, Saachi’s first period arrives, and with it, feelings of dysphoria. A puberty book from the library that covers trans and nonbinary identities helps Saachi realize that “I think I prefer things that fall in the middle.” Uncomfortable and miserable, Saachi withdraws socially, becomes hyperfocused on being published, and instigates conflict with classmate Isaac, all of which leads to a huge fight with Lyla, who, like Isaac, presents white. Indian American Saachi’s Tamil-speaking parents and younger sister are loving, offering both the support and space needed for figuring out questions of identity. Having an autobiographical poem accepted by a magazine is a confidence booster, leading to Saachi’s opening up to family and accepting that, as Appa said when the family visited their Hindu temple, change is a part of life. The co-authors expertly craft Saachi as a sometimes frustrating, often relatable, and very real tween, and the 12-chapter structure gives the yearlong story a consistent pacing. Kobabe and Srikumar’s artwork spotlights the characters’ facial expressions and body language. The artists effectively use color and other visual cues to convey Saachi’s feelings of being in between.

Nuanced, necessary, and heartfelt.