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Ollie in Between
As endearing as it is humorous, this debut middle grade novel by Jess Callans is a tender, queer coming of age story about the courage it takes to find your own voice and choosing to just be. Puberty, AKA the ultimate biological predator, is driving a wedge between soon-to-be 13 year old Ollie Thompson and their lifelong friends.Too much of a girl for their neighborhood hockey team, but not girly enough for their boy-crazed BFF, Ollie doesn’t know where they fit. And their usual ability to camouflage? Woefully disrupted.When a school project asks them to write an essay on what it means to be a woman (if anyone’s got an answer, that’d be great), and one of their new friends is the target of bullying, Ollie is caught between the safety of fleeing from their own differences or confronting the risks of fighting to take their own path forward.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published April 8, 2025
11 people are currently reading
2,404 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
April 15, 2025
I really felt like had I been more self-aware as a child I would have been Ollie. Everything about them is so relatable and how they experience gender and sexuality and friendships and hobbies is so similar to me that I really felt right at home with this book. It absolutely wrenched my heart strings a little bit and I am so happy that I got a chance to read this and that it exists for other people to find.
My autism as a kid and teenager was more of the just do what others are doing and everything will be fine and in a way Ollie is like that as well but they recognize that something is different with them. I didn't notice that as a child. I just tried to blend in and do what my two friends were doing. so seeing Ollie start this book with two main friends who both end up being a bit disappointing and finding a group of friends that is so much more inclusive was really heartwarming. I loved their relationship with their sister and their super awkward definitely autistic dad.
this one does deal with some queer phobia and transphobia from both other students and from Ollie's grandparents. I understand that could be difficult to read so if that is going to be triggering maybe skip this one. I will say that it's all dealt with and Ollie is supported so do it that what you will.
One of the big highlights for this for me was Ollie's interviews with women in their life. and then reading the authors know at the end that this is something they did in college was really fascinating for me. I love that the general consensus is that no one really knows what womanhood is and that felt very relatable as an AFAB agender person.
this is very much a character driven book and there's not a ton of plot going on. I would classify it almost as a slice of life but where Ollie is dealing with their mom's death and figuring out their own gender, autism, and sexuality as a preteen.
Iranian American MC, autistic, aspec questioning, nonbinary
My autism as a kid and teenager was more of the just do what others are doing and everything will be fine and in a way Ollie is like that as well but they recognize that something is different with them. I didn't notice that as a child. I just tried to blend in and do what my two friends were doing. so seeing Ollie start this book with two main friends who both end up being a bit disappointing and finding a group of friends that is so much more inclusive was really heartwarming. I loved their relationship with their sister and their super awkward definitely autistic dad.
this one does deal with some queer phobia and transphobia from both other students and from Ollie's grandparents. I understand that could be difficult to read so if that is going to be triggering maybe skip this one. I will say that it's all dealt with and Ollie is supported so do it that what you will.
One of the big highlights for this for me was Ollie's interviews with women in their life. and then reading the authors know at the end that this is something they did in college was really fascinating for me. I love that the general consensus is that no one really knows what womanhood is and that felt very relatable as an AFAB agender person.
this is very much a character driven book and there's not a ton of plot going on. I would classify it almost as a slice of life but where Ollie is dealing with their mom's death and figuring out their own gender, autism, and sexuality as a preteen.
Iranian American MC, autistic, aspec questioning, nonbinary
April 19, 2025
This book really transported me back to middle school, puberty, figuring out who you are and who your friends are…I loved how we were learning about Ollie at the same time they were learning about themself. Lots of moments that felt like something I had lived through in middle school. Lots of good lessons - no matter your age - and I hope everybody gets a chance to read this book!!
April 19, 2025
Thanks to RBMedia and Recorded Books for the audioARC.
🩵 trans, non-binary and queer kids
🩷 figuring out who you are
🤍 being brave enough to be who you are
🩷 queer kids gravitating towards eachother
🩵 autism rep, anxiety/panic attacks, half-Iranian non-binary MC
I just loved this. So many relatable things with Ollie's gender journey, even though they are 12 and I was ~20 when I started questioning my gender. This book questions what it means to be a woman, and shows that most women can't really give a satisfying answer to that.
This is a middle-grade book, but I think it works for any ages, and especially for people questioning their gender or people wanting to learn more about trans/non-binary experience.
The audiobook is narrated by Vico Ortiz, which I think was a perfect fit. I love the way they tell a story and I love their voice.
cw: transphobia, homophobia, previous death of a parent, misgendering
🩵 trans, non-binary and queer kids
🩷 figuring out who you are
🤍 being brave enough to be who you are
🩷 queer kids gravitating towards eachother
🩵 autism rep, anxiety/panic attacks, half-Iranian non-binary MC
I just loved this. So many relatable things with Ollie's gender journey, even though they are 12 and I was ~20 when I started questioning my gender. This book questions what it means to be a woman, and shows that most women can't really give a satisfying answer to that.
This is a middle-grade book, but I think it works for any ages, and especially for people questioning their gender or people wanting to learn more about trans/non-binary experience.
The audiobook is narrated by Vico Ortiz, which I think was a perfect fit. I love the way they tell a story and I love their voice.
cw: transphobia, homophobia, previous death of a parent, misgendering
March 14, 2025
I really wanted to love Ollie In Between, but it consistently fell somewhat short of my expectations. I’m always seeking out new middle-grade stories of nonbinary and trans self-discovery, and based on the description, I was hoping Ollie In Between would find its place among my favorites. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite manage that. There was a lot to enjoy about this book, from the thoughtful exploration of womanhood and how the difficulty to define gender makes it even more difficult to understand your nonbinary identity to the Ollie’s complex family dynamics to the transphobia and homophobia of their peers to the new friend group they find themself part of. However, it fell a little flat for me. This story felt a little more wandering than I wanted it to, a little too aimless to be character-driven, and though I appreciated elements of the ending, it was a little too tidy for me. Overall, I think that Ollie In Between is a valuable book to read and share, because I think many readers discovering themselves will find themselves in it—I think I would’ve five or six years ago. However, I wasn’t personally a huge fan.
2.5/5 stars, rounded up
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.
2.5/5 stars, rounded up
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.
October 31, 2024
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!!
I had the biggest smile on my face after completing this wholesome novel. Ollie's journey discovering their gender identity mirrored so many of my own moments growing up as a confused, scared, and most definitely not cis girl.
Jess Callans wrote this book with the prompt from school that asks, "What defines a woman/womanhood?", and coincidentally, our main protagonist, Ollie, dives in their health class to answer the very same question in their essay. After interviewing several adults, friends, and their sister, they are just as frustrated and confused as ever.
What comes out of the essay, and the end of the novel, is a teen with inclusive, queer, and loyal friends in a queer book club.
Even though this book is written for juniors/middle-grade level readers, it touches on some really difficult topics and themes. I wish I could bottle up the feelings I had while reading this and carry it with me always, because it makes me feel safe and cozy.
I hope Jess Callans will continue to write more books because I am definitely a new fan!
I had the biggest smile on my face after completing this wholesome novel. Ollie's journey discovering their gender identity mirrored so many of my own moments growing up as a confused, scared, and most definitely not cis girl.
Jess Callans wrote this book with the prompt from school that asks, "What defines a woman/womanhood?", and coincidentally, our main protagonist, Ollie, dives in their health class to answer the very same question in their essay. After interviewing several adults, friends, and their sister, they are just as frustrated and confused as ever.
What comes out of the essay, and the end of the novel, is a teen with inclusive, queer, and loyal friends in a queer book club.
Even though this book is written for juniors/middle-grade level readers, it touches on some really difficult topics and themes. I wish I could bottle up the feelings I had while reading this and carry it with me always, because it makes me feel safe and cozy.
I hope Jess Callans will continue to write more books because I am definitely a new fan!
April 18, 2025
This is the book I needed growing up 😭
I relate so much to Ollie, from being obsessed with National Geographic magazines as a kid to experiencing anxiety/panic attacks to feeling not quite like a woman but not quite like a man. I wish I had the same level of self-awareness and access to resources Ollie did when when I was their age so I could have better understood what I was feeling at the time rather than just now starting to figure it all out in my twenties (but hey, better late than never right???)
One of my favorite parts was how differently the ladies answered the “what does it mean to a be a woman?” question throughout the book. It was cool hearing all their unique perspectives, and served as a good reminder that there’s no right way to “be” a gender.
Since I listened to the audiobook version, I also want to add that I really enjoyed the narrator and they seemed like a fantastic choice to voice Ollie!
Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for the audio ARC! 🫶🏼
I relate so much to Ollie, from being obsessed with National Geographic magazines as a kid to experiencing anxiety/panic attacks to feeling not quite like a woman but not quite like a man. I wish I had the same level of self-awareness and access to resources Ollie did when when I was their age so I could have better understood what I was feeling at the time rather than just now starting to figure it all out in my twenties (but hey, better late than never right???)
One of my favorite parts was how differently the ladies answered the “what does it mean to a be a woman?” question throughout the book. It was cool hearing all their unique perspectives, and served as a good reminder that there’s no right way to “be” a gender.
Since I listened to the audiobook version, I also want to add that I really enjoyed the narrator and they seemed like a fantastic choice to voice Ollie!
Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for the audio ARC! 🫶🏼
April 4, 2025
Thank you to Macmillan Children’s for the eARC in exchange for an honest review! Here is my merged review.
3.5 stars rounded up. (Although, I rounded it down on NetGalley. I don’t know, this was a tricky one to rate because of my experience with it.) As a reader who doesn’t fit neatly into the gender binary, I was really looking forward to this book, although me and Ollie’s coming out experiences are vastly different. Trans middle grade, especially novels with non-white protagonists, is extremely and troublingly rare. Although I gave this book a lower rating, I don’t think that should discourage others from reading this: “Ollie In Between” provides a visceral, often deeply uncomfortable, glimpse into entering puberty in a body your true self isn’t recognized in. Ollie’s dysphoria and anxiety goes so much deeper than a stereotypical, “born in the wrong body” trans narrative. Grief, family dynamics, and gender were handled in such a way that it brought me to tears (and, fine, ONE breakdown).
With that said, my main issues come from both the pacing and the ending. If you don’t relate to Ollie’s story, there isn’t much to get out of it. While it’s not totally slice-of-life and is still driven heavily by external conflict, the writing tries to be more introspective, something that I felt was dulled by Ollie’s circling lines of thinking as they struggle to grow into their identity. The ending was also frustratingly optimistic, which I understand is to give the target demographic hope, but to me it just felt like forgetting the actions and hurt of certain characters that were especially cruel towards Ollie (and unarguably fueled their spirals). I’m a bit iffy on one of those cases, though, because at least with that particular character it was implied that Ollie had some wishful thinking (which, unfortunately understandable).
I did like the autism representation, though. There were some very graphic sensory overload scenes that showed how emotional triggers lead to them just as much as physical ones. I also felt Ollie being neurodivergent (and already struggling to fit in with their peers) added a layer to their already complicated gender identity.
I’m still glad this book exists. Unsure of if it’ll reach more kids, or adults who read middle grade, though. (I’m hoping the former, but with the writing style, and how triggering it could be, I don’t know.)
To trans kin who’ll be reading this, here’s a list of TWs, since I would’ve found them helpful: Graphic dysphoria and queerphobia (including some deadnaming— more minor, since Ollie and the others doesn’t recognize it as such yet), panic attacks including sensory overload, grief and off-page death of a parent, and some thoughts of self harm.
3.5 stars rounded up. (Although, I rounded it down on NetGalley. I don’t know, this was a tricky one to rate because of my experience with it.) As a reader who doesn’t fit neatly into the gender binary, I was really looking forward to this book, although me and Ollie’s coming out experiences are vastly different. Trans middle grade, especially novels with non-white protagonists, is extremely and troublingly rare. Although I gave this book a lower rating, I don’t think that should discourage others from reading this: “Ollie In Between” provides a visceral, often deeply uncomfortable, glimpse into entering puberty in a body your true self isn’t recognized in. Ollie’s dysphoria and anxiety goes so much deeper than a stereotypical, “born in the wrong body” trans narrative. Grief, family dynamics, and gender were handled in such a way that it brought me to tears (and, fine, ONE breakdown).
With that said, my main issues come from both the pacing and the ending. If you don’t relate to Ollie’s story, there isn’t much to get out of it. While it’s not totally slice-of-life and is still driven heavily by external conflict, the writing tries to be more introspective, something that I felt was dulled by Ollie’s circling lines of thinking as they struggle to grow into their identity. The ending was also frustratingly optimistic, which I understand is to give the target demographic hope, but to me it just felt like forgetting the actions and hurt of certain characters that were especially cruel towards Ollie (and unarguably fueled their spirals). I’m a bit iffy on one of those cases, though, because at least with that particular character it was implied that Ollie had some wishful thinking (which, unfortunately understandable).
I did like the autism representation, though. There were some very graphic sensory overload scenes that showed how emotional triggers lead to them just as much as physical ones. I also felt Ollie being neurodivergent (and already struggling to fit in with their peers) added a layer to their already complicated gender identity.
I’m still glad this book exists. Unsure of if it’ll reach more kids, or adults who read middle grade, though. (I’m hoping the former, but with the writing style, and how triggering it could be, I don’t know.)
To trans kin who’ll be reading this, here’s a list of TWs, since I would’ve found them helpful: Graphic dysphoria and queerphobia (including some deadnaming— more minor, since Ollie and the others doesn’t recognize it as such yet), panic attacks including sensory overload, grief and off-page death of a parent, and some thoughts of self harm.
March 7, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What an awesome book. I loved Ollie and getting to watch them experience their place in the world and also so desperate to fit in.
It felt so easy for me to go back in time and remember myself at this age, and just truly how difficult everything feels. To fit in, to find yourself, to know yourself, to find friends, to try to feel close to your family, to find out what you like, etc. It all feels like so much. I think Callans did an incredible job of displaying these feelings and emotions in Ollie for the reader. It felt so real, like I was experiencing it in real time with them.
I feel like this book is so important, not only those questions their gender identity but for everyone else as well. It’s crucial to remember that everyone else experiences the world different than ourselves. No two people are the same, and that’s the beauty of diversity and inclusion. I loved how Ollie got to see and experience kids their age stick up for them and their friends. I loved the Queer Book Club and how those friends allowed Ollie to question and slowly accept themselves. It’s important to stick up for others in the face of bullying and harassment, and I loved moments where we got to see that and how it showed Ollie’s old friends just how important it is to go against the status quo.
CW: transphobia, homophobia, bullying, sexism, misogyny, panic attacks/disorders, body shaming, death of parent (off page, before book time period)
What an awesome book. I loved Ollie and getting to watch them experience their place in the world and also so desperate to fit in.
It felt so easy for me to go back in time and remember myself at this age, and just truly how difficult everything feels. To fit in, to find yourself, to know yourself, to find friends, to try to feel close to your family, to find out what you like, etc. It all feels like so much. I think Callans did an incredible job of displaying these feelings and emotions in Ollie for the reader. It felt so real, like I was experiencing it in real time with them.
I feel like this book is so important, not only those questions their gender identity but for everyone else as well. It’s crucial to remember that everyone else experiences the world different than ourselves. No two people are the same, and that’s the beauty of diversity and inclusion. I loved how Ollie got to see and experience kids their age stick up for them and their friends. I loved the Queer Book Club and how those friends allowed Ollie to question and slowly accept themselves. It’s important to stick up for others in the face of bullying and harassment, and I loved moments where we got to see that and how it showed Ollie’s old friends just how important it is to go against the status quo.
CW: transphobia, homophobia, bullying, sexism, misogyny, panic attacks/disorders, body shaming, death of parent (off page, before book time period)
April 18, 2025
This could've been a heartachingly bleak read in this current climate of widespread and state-sanctioned hostility against trans and nonbinary children. And not gonna lie, Ollie's justified fear and paralysis over their identity did gut me and took me back to similar feelings of shame and insufficiency as a genderqueer child. But ultimately this ended up being rather wholesome, with no particularly horrific tragedies befalling queer children, and transphobia of all ages being called out and put in their places, but not magically converted out of their bigotry. I like that for a middle grade book, even if it lacks nuance for even a slightly older young adult reader. Ollie's interview project, akin to the author's which led to both of their gender journey, is super interesting in revealing how everyone in the spectrum of gender is isolated in their own ways, and that was refreshing to see in a middle grade book. That said, the part I wish would be been explored a bit more was about their Persian side of the family and what that heritage brought to the table of the gender questioning beyond just the food and the vague memories of a deceased mom. The choice of Vico Ortiz as the audiobook narrator is always brilliant. Thanks to Netgalley for both an ebook and audiobook ARC.
April 18, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC!
This book follows Ollie, a nonbinary child, who’s working on a project for health class to figure out what womanhood means while also trying to figure who they are and where they fit.
I really loved this book! I may have teared up a few times while I was reading. I really enjoyed the discussions Ollie would have about womanhood and what it means to the people she interviewed. I also liked seeing how all of these discussions ended up helping Ollie figure out who they are and find a new friend group who accepts them for who they are.
I can definitely see this book being helpful to people of all ages, queer or not, since we’re all just trying to figure what it means to be us. I’m excited to read more books by Jess in the future.
actual rating: 4.5 stars
This book follows Ollie, a nonbinary child, who’s working on a project for health class to figure out what womanhood means while also trying to figure who they are and where they fit.
I really loved this book! I may have teared up a few times while I was reading. I really enjoyed the discussions Ollie would have about womanhood and what it means to the people she interviewed. I also liked seeing how all of these discussions ended up helping Ollie figure out who they are and find a new friend group who accepts them for who they are.
I can definitely see this book being helpful to people of all ages, queer or not, since we’re all just trying to figure what it means to be us. I’m excited to read more books by Jess in the future.
actual rating: 4.5 stars
May 6, 2025
Content warnings: transphobia, bullying, references to past parental death.
Rep: Ollie (MC) is Iranian-American, nonbinary, autistic (not on page, but definitely is), and also has a-spec vibes. Side POC characters, side queer characters.
I got this as an audio early listening copy from net galley - so thank you to them for that.
This one was a 'right in the feels' kind of book. I wish I'd had something like this when I was younger. It explored the not wanting a period issues that I felt the same with as a kid.
I loved their determination to find out what a 'woman' really was, and it felt so true to have so many people not be able to define what it actually is or meant.
Anyway, this one was very lovely.
Rep: Ollie (MC) is Iranian-American, nonbinary, autistic (not on page, but definitely is), and also has a-spec vibes. Side POC characters, side queer characters.
I got this as an audio early listening copy from net galley - so thank you to them for that.
This one was a 'right in the feels' kind of book. I wish I'd had something like this when I was younger. It explored the not wanting a period issues that I felt the same with as a kid.
I loved their determination to find out what a 'woman' really was, and it felt so true to have so many people not be able to define what it actually is or meant.
Anyway, this one was very lovely.
April 17, 2025
This book perfectly captures the insecurities of adolescence. I think all kids will relate to these feelings in many ways, but I especially hope it makes it into the hands of every trans kid who needs to see themselves on the page and know that they are just right by just being.
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April 6, 2025Thank you Net Galley for the ARC!
April 24, 2025
5/5⭐️ First of all, thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an arc of “Ollie in between”. This book means so much to me 🖤 Even if i’m not experiencing exactly what Ollie was going through, there were a lot of times throughout the book where i saw myself in they/them. I highly recommend this book to absolutely everyone, especially to those who ever felt like they don’t belong. I will 100% buy this book to annotate it and add it to my collection ✨🌈
April 16, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars. This is the story of Ollie—a biracial kid in middle school grappling with the loss of their mother and their own intense emotions about puberty and gender.
“But what if growing up honest means that I don’t know whether the people I love most deeply will love the deepest parts of me in this world where so many people would rather have me dead or different or at least so out of sight that they can pretend I don’t exist?”
As someone who doesn’t fit in the gender binary, this book called to me and I was so very excited to read it. And for what it is, I loved it. It’s a book I would have gobbled up as a kid as there was so much I related too. I thoroughly enjoyed that this was more nuanced and deeper than other books I’ve read featuring trans MCs. Reading between the lines, Ollie is also neurodivergent and I appreciated how the author leaned into that with how Ollie perceived the world and questioned it.
The author’s note said this was inspired by Judy Blume’s Are You There God It’s Me Margaret, which I really didn’t like as a kid (I did not understand the period obsession). And I’m glad there’s now another perspective out there on puberty, womanhood, and identity. I really appreciated the message that there is no one way to be a woman and that periods just are and really don’t need to be celebrated.
My reasoning for deducting stars is the pacing and the how this wraps up. It was a rather slow, character driven book with a lot of introspection from Ollie and not so much action. Which is fine, but sometimes I felt like we got lost in Ollie’s thoughts and were missing out on character interactions that could have shown us their point even better. While I did love the family dynamics, I felt like both dad and Lila were kind of flat characters and when Ollie was going through some big emotions and getting their period, Lila was just absent, and there was never a scene where they reconciled what Lila had previously stated about trans folks. I did love dad’s reaction to it all—it felt more genuine than Lila’s.
I also felt like the ending was too neatly wrapped up. Ollie’s grief about their mother was a passenger the entire book. I expected some kind of realization or something to at least happen to the letters that they had written to her. It felt like a missed opportunity with Cal who also was seen at the throne. I also don’t understand Cal’s and Nate’s change in heart. There was really no catalysis for it, only Ollie calling them out, which fine, but at that age I think you need more than words from a friend to realize going against the grain is the right thing to do, especially in Nate’s case—I would have liked to have seen him interact positively with Ollie more through out the book so that him showing up at the end made sense. While I’m all for happy endings, especially for queer books, they also should be realistic and true to the characters.
Overall, I feel this is an important book and has so many relatable moments. I just wish there weren’t so many missed opportunities and the end better reflected the characters.
3.5 stars. This is the story of Ollie—a biracial kid in middle school grappling with the loss of their mother and their own intense emotions about puberty and gender.
“But what if growing up honest means that I don’t know whether the people I love most deeply will love the deepest parts of me in this world where so many people would rather have me dead or different or at least so out of sight that they can pretend I don’t exist?”
As someone who doesn’t fit in the gender binary, this book called to me and I was so very excited to read it. And for what it is, I loved it. It’s a book I would have gobbled up as a kid as there was so much I related too. I thoroughly enjoyed that this was more nuanced and deeper than other books I’ve read featuring trans MCs. Reading between the lines, Ollie is also neurodivergent and I appreciated how the author leaned into that with how Ollie perceived the world and questioned it.
The author’s note said this was inspired by Judy Blume’s Are You There God It’s Me Margaret, which I really didn’t like as a kid (I did not understand the period obsession). And I’m glad there’s now another perspective out there on puberty, womanhood, and identity. I really appreciated the message that there is no one way to be a woman and that periods just are and really don’t need to be celebrated.
My reasoning for deducting stars is the pacing and the how this wraps up. It was a rather slow, character driven book with a lot of introspection from Ollie and not so much action. Which is fine, but sometimes I felt like we got lost in Ollie’s thoughts and were missing out on character interactions that could have shown us their point even better. While I did love the family dynamics, I felt like both dad and Lila were kind of flat characters and when Ollie was going through some big emotions and getting their period, Lila was just absent, and there was never a scene where they reconciled what Lila had previously stated about trans folks. I did love dad’s reaction to it all—it felt more genuine than Lila’s.
I also felt like the ending was too neatly wrapped up. Ollie’s grief about their mother was a passenger the entire book. I expected some kind of realization or something to at least happen to the letters that they had written to her. It felt like a missed opportunity with Cal who also was seen at the throne. I also don’t understand Cal’s and Nate’s change in heart. There was really no catalysis for it, only Ollie calling them out, which fine, but at that age I think you need more than words from a friend to realize going against the grain is the right thing to do, especially in Nate’s case—I would have liked to have seen him interact positively with Ollie more through out the book so that him showing up at the end made sense. While I’m all for happy endings, especially for queer books, they also should be realistic and true to the characters.
Overall, I feel this is an important book and has so many relatable moments. I just wish there weren’t so many missed opportunities and the end better reflected the characters.
April 23, 2025
Puberty, aka the ultimate biological predator, is driving a wedge between Ollie, who is soon to be thirteen, and their lifelong friends. Because Ollie is neither masculine enough for the neighborhood boys' hockey team nor feminine enough for Cal, their boy-crazy best friend, Ollie's gender expression is a problem for both groups. But if there is one thing that Ollie knows for sure, it is that they are not a girl. Ollie does not know where they fit in. Their usual ability to camouflage is being disrupted by all the surrounding changes.
Because health class lacks LGBTQ+ sex ed, Ollie, who is not a girl and does not want to be a woman, is unsure if their feelings are normal. It is all from a straight gender assigned at birth point of view. Ollie has to write an essay for health and writes it on what it means to be a woman, not as much for the class but for themself because Ollie does not think there is a choice for them. They try to do things like shop for bras and have their sister help them try on makeup, and they hope by writing this essay they will embrace womanhood.
Ollie is afraid to discuss their gender identity at home. Their mom died when they were 8, and Ollie is not sure about how their dad and college-age sister Lila will react and is afraid that this will cause them to lose their family. Their Mimi keeps calling and asking them why their dad does not make them dress like a girl since they are about to be thirteen. Ollie has an unspecified difficulty with social cues and hyper-fixations. Their friends are making new friends which, because of Ollie's difficulty, is difficult for them to do.
There had been an anonymous question box in health class, and when it was their turn to draw a question for the teacher to answer, Ollie wound up drawing their own, which was, what if I do not want to be a woman? A while after that, one girl from their health class comes up to them and says their health teacher is wrong and no one has to become a woman and that there is no one way to be a woman either, which makes Ollie think she understood it was Ollie's question. Ollie gets pushed out of neighborhood hockey for being a girl. They are 7th graders.
The pressure to do the right thing, dress and act girly, wear makeup and bras, use she/her pronouns rather than to be the person they were meant to be, is weighing on Ollie. They hate going by their birth name, but kids at school and their Mimi keep calling them it. They are so scared to make friends that might understand them because they do not want to get pushed farther away by hanging out with kids who get bullied for being different. Ollie's mom dying and her sister being in college means that Ollie is not prepared for bodily changes at all like bras and periods and being expected to shave legs and armpits. Ollie has their first panic attack buying bras.
They wish something terrible would happen so they would not have to get periods or grow breasts. Ollie interviewed numerous women for their health essay. One teacher thinks that a lot of what is defined as masculinity and femininity has to do with social norms. Ollie's sister Lila discusses how their mom told her that growing up in Iran, she was raised to be as small and quiet as possible. Lila felt like she took up too much space in the wrong way, so she told her to take up as much space as she needed.
Then Lila tells Ollie that she thinks the world gives mixed signals on how women and girls should act: don't be too quiet but do not be too loud either, don't be bossy but do not be a pushover. Lila explains their mom wanted them to be strong feminists, and Ollie says, was she not a stay-at-home parent? Lila explains that while she had decided that she would stay home with Ollie, she had worked when Lila was younger. She explains that femininity is about having the life that you want for yourself and not one that someone else or society expects you to have.
Ollie learns a lot about friendship and what having real friends and being a real friend is about when they decide to make friends with the kids they were worried about before. They find a sense of community and acceptance that they did not think could exist for them. The story wraps up nicely even with questions left unanswered about Ollie's future. Nobody knows their future at thirteen, anyway.
I enjoyed this book very much as a nonbinary trans masc person. I wish there had been access to books like this when I was growing up. This book, and others like it, will hopefully make kids feel more seen and understood, which makes me happy.
Reviewers note: Ollie is not set on what pronouns to use throughout most of the book except for knowing they do not like she\her at all. I used they\them throughout this review to be respectful of this.
I thank Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends for providing an e-arc of this book and NetGalley for its book review platform.
Because health class lacks LGBTQ+ sex ed, Ollie, who is not a girl and does not want to be a woman, is unsure if their feelings are normal. It is all from a straight gender assigned at birth point of view. Ollie has to write an essay for health and writes it on what it means to be a woman, not as much for the class but for themself because Ollie does not think there is a choice for them. They try to do things like shop for bras and have their sister help them try on makeup, and they hope by writing this essay they will embrace womanhood.
Ollie is afraid to discuss their gender identity at home. Their mom died when they were 8, and Ollie is not sure about how their dad and college-age sister Lila will react and is afraid that this will cause them to lose their family. Their Mimi keeps calling and asking them why their dad does not make them dress like a girl since they are about to be thirteen. Ollie has an unspecified difficulty with social cues and hyper-fixations. Their friends are making new friends which, because of Ollie's difficulty, is difficult for them to do.
There had been an anonymous question box in health class, and when it was their turn to draw a question for the teacher to answer, Ollie wound up drawing their own, which was, what if I do not want to be a woman? A while after that, one girl from their health class comes up to them and says their health teacher is wrong and no one has to become a woman and that there is no one way to be a woman either, which makes Ollie think she understood it was Ollie's question. Ollie gets pushed out of neighborhood hockey for being a girl. They are 7th graders.
The pressure to do the right thing, dress and act girly, wear makeup and bras, use she/her pronouns rather than to be the person they were meant to be, is weighing on Ollie. They hate going by their birth name, but kids at school and their Mimi keep calling them it. They are so scared to make friends that might understand them because they do not want to get pushed farther away by hanging out with kids who get bullied for being different. Ollie's mom dying and her sister being in college means that Ollie is not prepared for bodily changes at all like bras and periods and being expected to shave legs and armpits. Ollie has their first panic attack buying bras.
They wish something terrible would happen so they would not have to get periods or grow breasts. Ollie interviewed numerous women for their health essay. One teacher thinks that a lot of what is defined as masculinity and femininity has to do with social norms. Ollie's sister Lila discusses how their mom told her that growing up in Iran, she was raised to be as small and quiet as possible. Lila felt like she took up too much space in the wrong way, so she told her to take up as much space as she needed.
Then Lila tells Ollie that she thinks the world gives mixed signals on how women and girls should act: don't be too quiet but do not be too loud either, don't be bossy but do not be a pushover. Lila explains their mom wanted them to be strong feminists, and Ollie says, was she not a stay-at-home parent? Lila explains that while she had decided that she would stay home with Ollie, she had worked when Lila was younger. She explains that femininity is about having the life that you want for yourself and not one that someone else or society expects you to have.
Ollie learns a lot about friendship and what having real friends and being a real friend is about when they decide to make friends with the kids they were worried about before. They find a sense of community and acceptance that they did not think could exist for them. The story wraps up nicely even with questions left unanswered about Ollie's future. Nobody knows their future at thirteen, anyway.
I enjoyed this book very much as a nonbinary trans masc person. I wish there had been access to books like this when I was growing up. This book, and others like it, will hopefully make kids feel more seen and understood, which makes me happy.
Reviewers note: Ollie is not set on what pronouns to use throughout most of the book except for knowing they do not like she\her at all. I used they\them throughout this review to be respectful of this.
I thank Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends for providing an e-arc of this book and NetGalley for its book review platform.
January 6, 2025
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Olive (who ONLY wants to be called Ollie, thank you very much) is having a hard time in middle school. Friendships with both Calliope (Cal) and Nate are hard, because Ollie doesn't get excited about fashion or crushes on boys enough for Cal and her new friend Nora, and Nate's friends are giving him a hard time about the fact that Ollie plays hockey with them. Things are difficult at home as well; Ollie's mother, who moved to the US from Iran, married Ollie's father, and didn't have contact with her family, has died, and Ollie and her older sister Lila are trying to get by. After a sex Ed assignment to discuss what it means to be a woman, Ollie, who already is having trouble accepting the changes that puberty brings, struggles even more with identity and social preconceptions. When Dina discusses some of the issues that come up in class and invites Ollie to join a Queer Book Club, this helps, as does reading books like Gino's Melissa. Of course, parents in the school complain about the book club, and even about sex ed class and the fact that gender identities are even discussed. Eventually, Ollie gets a haircut and informs Dad and grandparents about the new identity being adopted, and even though there are some problems, progress is made.
The author's notes says that this story was inspired in part by Blume's Are You There God, It's Me Margaret, and that makes sense. This is much more like Gino's Melissa, Hennessey's The Other Boy, or Polonsky's Gracefully Grayson in that it is more about realizing and working to accept a gender identity than anything else. There is the sub plot about Ollie dealing with the mother's death, but there isn't much in the book that stands out, other than Ollie's realization of identity. It seemed odd that a school would have a sex ed class that was divided by gender; my school has not had a dedicated sex ed class since I started in 2002, and the units in science and health are certainly delivered to everyone. Even though the teacher is older, it seemed unusual that she would assign the sorts of projects that she did. I'd like to see more books like Bunker's Zenobia July and Gephart's Lily and Dunkin where gender identity is just part of a character's story, and not the entire focus of the book, but this will be a big hit with readers who enjoyed Lukoff's Different Kinds of Fruit, Sass' Ellen Between the Lines, Palmer's Camp Prodigy, and Riley's Jude Saves the World.
Olive (who ONLY wants to be called Ollie, thank you very much) is having a hard time in middle school. Friendships with both Calliope (Cal) and Nate are hard, because Ollie doesn't get excited about fashion or crushes on boys enough for Cal and her new friend Nora, and Nate's friends are giving him a hard time about the fact that Ollie plays hockey with them. Things are difficult at home as well; Ollie's mother, who moved to the US from Iran, married Ollie's father, and didn't have contact with her family, has died, and Ollie and her older sister Lila are trying to get by. After a sex Ed assignment to discuss what it means to be a woman, Ollie, who already is having trouble accepting the changes that puberty brings, struggles even more with identity and social preconceptions. When Dina discusses some of the issues that come up in class and invites Ollie to join a Queer Book Club, this helps, as does reading books like Gino's Melissa. Of course, parents in the school complain about the book club, and even about sex ed class and the fact that gender identities are even discussed. Eventually, Ollie gets a haircut and informs Dad and grandparents about the new identity being adopted, and even though there are some problems, progress is made.
The author's notes says that this story was inspired in part by Blume's Are You There God, It's Me Margaret, and that makes sense. This is much more like Gino's Melissa, Hennessey's The Other Boy, or Polonsky's Gracefully Grayson in that it is more about realizing and working to accept a gender identity than anything else. There is the sub plot about Ollie dealing with the mother's death, but there isn't much in the book that stands out, other than Ollie's realization of identity. It seemed odd that a school would have a sex ed class that was divided by gender; my school has not had a dedicated sex ed class since I started in 2002, and the units in science and health are certainly delivered to everyone. Even though the teacher is older, it seemed unusual that she would assign the sorts of projects that she did. I'd like to see more books like Bunker's Zenobia July and Gephart's Lily and Dunkin where gender identity is just part of a character's story, and not the entire focus of the book, but this will be a big hit with readers who enjoyed Lukoff's Different Kinds of Fruit, Sass' Ellen Between the Lines, Palmer's Camp Prodigy, and Riley's Jude Saves the World.
November 16, 2024
I vividly remember reading Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret as a kid. All of the changes Margaret and her friends were so excited about , and so eager to rush into, were the exact things I didn't want to happen to me. I wondered what was wrong with me that I wasn't looking forward to "becoming a woman" like everyone else was. Imagine having a book like this one to realize I wasn't alone in thinking that way. But this book didn't exist at the time.
In Ollie In Between, Jess Callans captures the confusion, fear, and worry of puberty perfectly. As a nurse, teacher and most especially a parent, some of Ollie's thoughts completely gutted me. Especially considering a recent survey showing that 50% of transgender and non-binary youth in the US have seriously considered suicide. I wanted to leap into the pages of the book and find a way to protect Ollie and shelter them from this reality. We only get one chance at our initial reaction to a child confiding their true self to us--and experiencing this through Ollie's eyes is a poignant reminder of how wrong we adults often get it. Callans does a beautiful job at expressing the physiological responses Ollie has to various situations throughout their journey, which makes the reader feel in the midst of it all. The writing is so well executed it comes as no surprise that the author has an MFA in writing for kids.
The relationships in the story felt authentic, and I especially enjoyed the older sister trying her best to fill the shoes of a desperately missed mom.--and not always getting it right. The ending wasn't wrapped up in a neat bow, but was satisfying and hopeful. Ollie is a character you can't help but root for. I hope this book finds its way into the hands of so many kids who need a character they can relate to. As Ollie discovers along the way, there isn't one right way to feel. I predict many kids will finally feel seen in these pages.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
In Ollie In Between, Jess Callans captures the confusion, fear, and worry of puberty perfectly. As a nurse, teacher and most especially a parent, some of Ollie's thoughts completely gutted me. Especially considering a recent survey showing that 50% of transgender and non-binary youth in the US have seriously considered suicide. I wanted to leap into the pages of the book and find a way to protect Ollie and shelter them from this reality. We only get one chance at our initial reaction to a child confiding their true self to us--and experiencing this through Ollie's eyes is a poignant reminder of how wrong we adults often get it. Callans does a beautiful job at expressing the physiological responses Ollie has to various situations throughout their journey, which makes the reader feel in the midst of it all. The writing is so well executed it comes as no surprise that the author has an MFA in writing for kids.
The relationships in the story felt authentic, and I especially enjoyed the older sister trying her best to fill the shoes of a desperately missed mom.--and not always getting it right. The ending wasn't wrapped up in a neat bow, but was satisfying and hopeful. Ollie is a character you can't help but root for. I hope this book finds its way into the hands of so many kids who need a character they can relate to. As Ollie discovers along the way, there isn't one right way to feel. I predict many kids will finally feel seen in these pages.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
November 30, 2024
I received a free eARC of this book. Thank you for the opportunity to read it.
Sometimes a book just hits and hits hard. Ollie In Between is one of those books for me. Because I’m like Lila. I never have really questioned my gender. It just is. Kind of like the sun coming up in the morning. But I do have NB and trans teens in my life. Kids and young adults who are trying to deal with puberty AND with the fact that they just don’t feel like a woman, or like a man. I’ve had a student tell me, as Ollie does, that they’ve fantasized about breast cancer, about needing a hysterectomy. I’ve seen kids come out of their shell after a haircut. And, Sadly, I’ve seen kids, as Stella has, become the lightning rod for parents who seem to need something to complain about.
While I fell strongly that not every book about a trans character should be about coming out. In many respects, this is the coming out and becoming yourself story that kids need-not just to understand themselves, but to understand their classmates. To understand what dysphoria feels like, from the inside, to understand how much their comments can hurt and dig even when meant in good faith.
It’s a story about friendship and finding your place, your group, your identity. And that not all “friends” are really friends.
It’s a story about trying to find your place when your culture doesn’t quite match those around you.
And, most of all, it’s a story about growing up.
It’s also a story that teachers need and parents need. Need to understand how kids are reaching for information, are trying to figure things out. And. In particular, that queer books and the presence of queer kids doesn’t make kids queer-they give a life preserver to kids who are already queer and struggling to figure themselves out.
I will be adding this book to my Little Free Library when it comes out in print. Because kids need this book-and, sadly, are unlikely to be able to find it in their public or school libraries.
Sometimes a book just hits and hits hard. Ollie In Between is one of those books for me. Because I’m like Lila. I never have really questioned my gender. It just is. Kind of like the sun coming up in the morning. But I do have NB and trans teens in my life. Kids and young adults who are trying to deal with puberty AND with the fact that they just don’t feel like a woman, or like a man. I’ve had a student tell me, as Ollie does, that they’ve fantasized about breast cancer, about needing a hysterectomy. I’ve seen kids come out of their shell after a haircut. And, Sadly, I’ve seen kids, as Stella has, become the lightning rod for parents who seem to need something to complain about.
While I fell strongly that not every book about a trans character should be about coming out. In many respects, this is the coming out and becoming yourself story that kids need-not just to understand themselves, but to understand their classmates. To understand what dysphoria feels like, from the inside, to understand how much their comments can hurt and dig even when meant in good faith.
It’s a story about friendship and finding your place, your group, your identity. And that not all “friends” are really friends.
It’s a story about trying to find your place when your culture doesn’t quite match those around you.
And, most of all, it’s a story about growing up.
It’s also a story that teachers need and parents need. Need to understand how kids are reaching for information, are trying to figure things out. And. In particular, that queer books and the presence of queer kids doesn’t make kids queer-they give a life preserver to kids who are already queer and struggling to figure themselves out.
I will be adding this book to my Little Free Library when it comes out in print. Because kids need this book-and, sadly, are unlikely to be able to find it in their public or school libraries.
April 8, 2025
I was initially drawn to Ollie In Between due to the book's premise. Middle school was around the time I was questioning my own identity and never had the words to describe my frustrations of not wanting to be a girl, but also not wanting to be a boy. I read this book with my younger self in mind, thinking how I would have reacted to it as my 13-year-old self.
I loved Ollie's voice throughout the novel. The book read as if we the reader were a journal Ollie wrote in at the end of each day. Ollie was unapologetically them in their narrative. As a reader, you can see all of Ollie's thought processes as you journey with them. I also loved all of the animal analogies, my 13-year-old self was also obsessed with animals and I read Zoo Books religiously. I never thought the raw conversations between Ollie and the reader felt out of place. As the narrative continued, I could tell that Ollie was maybe autistic, but it is never explicitly stated, only alluded to.
Ollie's journey of self-acceptance was done beautifully, and I also thought how side characters were handled was done with a lot of care. I adore Stella and Ollie's dad and wish I got to see a bit more of them both, but that is just my selfish wants. I do wish some of the parental issues later in the book were a bit more fleshed out, but understand it was left open-ended.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book as an adult and I know my younger self would have appreciated a book like this. I think it would have helped me so much to feel not so alone in the world at a time when variations of gender identity were not widely known. I think this book is perfect for those in middle school. There are at times raw descriptions of puberty, but I think this is still needed.
Thank you NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Overall Rating: 4.5 (rounded up)
I loved Ollie's voice throughout the novel. The book read as if we the reader were a journal Ollie wrote in at the end of each day. Ollie was unapologetically them in their narrative. As a reader, you can see all of Ollie's thought processes as you journey with them. I also loved all of the animal analogies, my 13-year-old self was also obsessed with animals and I read Zoo Books religiously. I never thought the raw conversations between Ollie and the reader felt out of place. As the narrative continued, I could tell that Ollie was maybe autistic, but it is never explicitly stated, only alluded to.
Ollie's journey of self-acceptance was done beautifully, and I also thought how side characters were handled was done with a lot of care. I adore Stella and Ollie's dad and wish I got to see a bit more of them both, but that is just my selfish wants. I do wish some of the parental issues later in the book were a bit more fleshed out, but understand it was left open-ended.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book as an adult and I know my younger self would have appreciated a book like this. I think it would have helped me so much to feel not so alone in the world at a time when variations of gender identity were not widely known. I think this book is perfect for those in middle school. There are at times raw descriptions of puberty, but I think this is still needed.
Thank you NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Overall Rating: 4.5 (rounded up)
April 28, 2025
3.25 stars
First, I am so glad books like Ollie in Between exist. It so important that these stories are written and are available.
Second, the rest of this review absolutely contains spoilers.
I wanted this book to be a favorite, but it just didn’t work for me.
Introductions to 18 characters (some in name only) in the first 20 pages was a bit of information overload. While I saw what the author was trying to do, the refrain of “it’s fine” every other page started to wear on me as a reader.
I found myself feeling like I was reading session notes where someone was processing their mother’s death for the first time, discovering gender identity, grappling with the concept of puberty, losing friendships, at some points touching on a possible neurodivergence diagnosis, and having many anxious thoughts, which is a lot simultaneously in the span of dozens of pages. As a result, much of the book left me feeling stressed by everything that was unceremoniously unpacked so quickly.
However, the moment of the first queer book club, my heart rate slowed and I, too, got to feel like I was coming home.
That scene made the book for me and I was hopeful.
Unfortunately, the bliss was somewhat short-lived.
We talk often about how few representations of queer joy exist in media. I so wanted this book to be filled to the brim with queer joy. And while we got queer joy in the last 40 pages, which was magical, the stress on the preceding pages was hard for me and I wanted even more of the joy and celebration
While I don’t anticipate Ollie in Between being a re-read for me, I so look forward to seeing more from this author in the future. More great things are sure to come.
Thank you to Jess Callans and Feiwel & Friends (an Imprint of Macmillan) for granting me an ARC through NetGalley.
First, I am so glad books like Ollie in Between exist. It so important that these stories are written and are available.
Second, the rest of this review absolutely contains spoilers.
I wanted this book to be a favorite, but it just didn’t work for me.
Introductions to 18 characters (some in name only) in the first 20 pages was a bit of information overload. While I saw what the author was trying to do, the refrain of “it’s fine” every other page started to wear on me as a reader.
I found myself feeling like I was reading session notes where someone was processing their mother’s death for the first time, discovering gender identity, grappling with the concept of puberty, losing friendships, at some points touching on a possible neurodivergence diagnosis, and having many anxious thoughts, which is a lot simultaneously in the span of dozens of pages. As a result, much of the book left me feeling stressed by everything that was unceremoniously unpacked so quickly.
However, the moment of the first queer book club, my heart rate slowed and I, too, got to feel like I was coming home.
That scene made the book for me and I was hopeful.
Unfortunately, the bliss was somewhat short-lived.
We talk often about how few representations of queer joy exist in media. I so wanted this book to be filled to the brim with queer joy. And while we got queer joy in the last 40 pages, which was magical, the stress on the preceding pages was hard for me and I wanted even more of the joy and celebration
While I don’t anticipate Ollie in Between being a re-read for me, I so look forward to seeing more from this author in the future. More great things are sure to come.
Thank you to Jess Callans and Feiwel & Friends (an Imprint of Macmillan) for granting me an ARC through NetGalley.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 15, 2025
I feel so seen by this book and wish I had it when I was younger.
Ollie is a preteen discovering themself and their gender identity as they deal with complicated friendships and interview women in their life about what it means to be a woman.
Even if you don’t identify as nonbinary, anyone who’s felt like an outsider can relate to Ollie. There are a lot of lines indicating they may be neurodivergent that I found incredibly relatable (I especially appreciated the animal facts and laundry chair). Throughout listening to the book, I was constantly transported back to middle school where I often felt different and didn’t understand what was wrong with me, especially as my childhood friendships were crumbling around me.
Despite feeling like they don’t know who they are, Ollie still has a strong sense of self. Through their inner monologue, we see how they have a great sense of right and wrong even in conflicts where they are a bystander. As they question their appearance, their thoughts are ultimately positive (“I like how I look”). It honestly makes Ollie a really good role model for kids experiencing the same feelings of doubt.
The interview format where Ollie asks “what makes you a woman?” is genius because we get so many different perspectives and they tackle things like internalized misogyny and gender stereotypes. I thought they were all very approachable introductions to feminism for a younger reader.
The audiobook really brought Ollie’s voice to life, especially considering so much of the book happens inside of Ollie’s head. As I listened, part of me was shocked that it was written and read by adults because Ollie’s internal voice felt so real.
There is so much well-done representation in this book that the world sorely needs. I can’t wait until my kids are old enough to share this with.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of the audiobook.
Ollie is a preteen discovering themself and their gender identity as they deal with complicated friendships and interview women in their life about what it means to be a woman.
Even if you don’t identify as nonbinary, anyone who’s felt like an outsider can relate to Ollie. There are a lot of lines indicating they may be neurodivergent that I found incredibly relatable (I especially appreciated the animal facts and laundry chair). Throughout listening to the book, I was constantly transported back to middle school where I often felt different and didn’t understand what was wrong with me, especially as my childhood friendships were crumbling around me.
Despite feeling like they don’t know who they are, Ollie still has a strong sense of self. Through their inner monologue, we see how they have a great sense of right and wrong even in conflicts where they are a bystander. As they question their appearance, their thoughts are ultimately positive (“I like how I look”). It honestly makes Ollie a really good role model for kids experiencing the same feelings of doubt.
The interview format where Ollie asks “what makes you a woman?” is genius because we get so many different perspectives and they tackle things like internalized misogyny and gender stereotypes. I thought they were all very approachable introductions to feminism for a younger reader.
The audiobook really brought Ollie’s voice to life, especially considering so much of the book happens inside of Ollie’s head. As I listened, part of me was shocked that it was written and read by adults because Ollie’s internal voice felt so real.
There is so much well-done representation in this book that the world sorely needs. I can’t wait until my kids are old enough to share this with.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of the audiobook.
November 5, 2024
This is a story for any young person who has questions about growing up, especially if you feel like the questions you do ask are always given basic answers, like 'it's a feeling' or 'I just knew." Figuring out who you want to be, and doing that in a world that often tells young people that puberty is a celebration related to becoming a woman or a man, is confusing and can be very lonely. For trans and nonbinary youth it's downright dangerous. This is a tearjerker with very realistic situations, dialogue and characters sure to immerse readers and have them racing to find out if Ollie has a happy ending. LGBTQIA+ readers, families and allies will find an author who understands how frightening growing up feeling like an outsider can be, feeling like you're missing a rule book, and nothing on offer sounds like it'll fit. This story is for you.
When Ollie pulls their own question from the 'sex box' in health class, they have to read it aloud, "What happens if you don't want to become a woman?" And then listen to the laughter of the other students to this "stupid question." Ollie already felt like a bit of an outsider, but before it was ok, they had their friends Cal and Nate who helped Ollie navigate socially, but now Cal and Nate are moving in different directions, but both directions are leading them away from Ollie. Ollie starts interviewing women at and around the school - "What did womanhood mean to you when you were younger and how do you think that has changed as an adult?" The interviews lead to more questions, and also the question of bravery. Can Ollie be brave enough to stand up for a new friend? Or take steps to be themselves even if they might get hurt?
When Ollie pulls their own question from the 'sex box' in health class, they have to read it aloud, "What happens if you don't want to become a woman?" And then listen to the laughter of the other students to this "stupid question." Ollie already felt like a bit of an outsider, but before it was ok, they had their friends Cal and Nate who helped Ollie navigate socially, but now Cal and Nate are moving in different directions, but both directions are leading them away from Ollie. Ollie starts interviewing women at and around the school - "What did womanhood mean to you when you were younger and how do you think that has changed as an adult?" The interviews lead to more questions, and also the question of bravery. Can Ollie be brave enough to stand up for a new friend? Or take steps to be themselves even if they might get hurt?
April 26, 2025
I received an ARC through NetGalley for an honest review.
If it wasn't almost 0400 and this chest infection that won't quit wasn't making the prospect terrifying and agonising, I would be full on ugly crying right now. However, I am absolutely covered in goosebumps and my feels have been well and truly kicked in.
This...is without a shadow of a doubt one of the best and most beautiful books I've ever read!
Yes, this is a book aimed at younger readers and I am older with more of a penchant for the more adult kinds of disaster Queers and all kinds of horror, but this book is truly special and spoke to my Queer soul.
Ollie is a a mixed race kid with a single dad who, while it isn't directly referenced, comes off as neurodivergent with their difficulties understanding others, expectations, and the glorious hyperfixation with crustaceans and creepy crawlies that they drop facts about and picture themselves as. They are also navigating gender and Queerness and puberty and school with everything that brings with it.
This is a beautiful story of self-acceptance, overcoming adversity, finding your people and yourself that feels so incredibly important with how scary things are for trans and non binary folx at the moment.
I truly cannot express what it means to me knowing that some kid can listen to this and gain some understanding and perspective of themselves and those around them. It makes my heart swell.
There's a very sad and confused child in me who never had the words or understanding to be themselves. It's been a long process and I am living authentically and happy now, but the will always be a wound where the childhood I never got to have was. Reading this book went some way towards healing that child.
I really cannot say enough about how engaging, honest, entertaining, and informative, without ever being dull or preachy, this book is.
I'm speechless and so appreciative x
If it wasn't almost 0400 and this chest infection that won't quit wasn't making the prospect terrifying and agonising, I would be full on ugly crying right now. However, I am absolutely covered in goosebumps and my feels have been well and truly kicked in.
This...is without a shadow of a doubt one of the best and most beautiful books I've ever read!
Yes, this is a book aimed at younger readers and I am older with more of a penchant for the more adult kinds of disaster Queers and all kinds of horror, but this book is truly special and spoke to my Queer soul.
Ollie is a a mixed race kid with a single dad who, while it isn't directly referenced, comes off as neurodivergent with their difficulties understanding others, expectations, and the glorious hyperfixation with crustaceans and creepy crawlies that they drop facts about and picture themselves as. They are also navigating gender and Queerness and puberty and school with everything that brings with it.
This is a beautiful story of self-acceptance, overcoming adversity, finding your people and yourself that feels so incredibly important with how scary things are for trans and non binary folx at the moment.
I truly cannot express what it means to me knowing that some kid can listen to this and gain some understanding and perspective of themselves and those around them. It makes my heart swell.
There's a very sad and confused child in me who never had the words or understanding to be themselves. It's been a long process and I am living authentically and happy now, but the will always be a wound where the childhood I never got to have was. Reading this book went some way towards healing that child.
I really cannot say enough about how engaging, honest, entertaining, and informative, without ever being dull or preachy, this book is.
I'm speechless and so appreciative x
March 24, 2025
I loved Ollie in Between - as someone who is nonbinary myself I would have really appreciated reading this book at about 13 or 14, so I tried to keep my younger self in mind reading which is a huge part of why this will not be full of petty criticisms. I love the writing style, I love how it explores just the basic fact of what it means - or doesn't mean - to grow up.
I'm not good at eloquent reviews, I'm afraid, so I will keep this short.
This book is a beautiful exploration of queerness specifically in regards to gender. The plot is medium-paced to allow time for the self-exploration of the main character, and in that sense I think it's really well done. Ollie asks questions I think so many of us ask ourselves, especially if we do struggle with our gender and our bodies doing things we didn't ask for - what does it actually MEAN to be a girl or a boy, and is there a way of doing it 'right'? And the way it wrapped up, while maybe a bit simplistic or too perfect for some, made me smile and is perfect for the book.
It's a very simple story with a timely message and I hope that the intended audience, tweens in the midst of the eternal struggle that is puberty, will draw some comfort that at least a fictional character gets it even if they can't talk about it with friends or family.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing this arc!
I'm not good at eloquent reviews, I'm afraid, so I will keep this short.
This book is a beautiful exploration of queerness specifically in regards to gender. The plot is medium-paced to allow time for the self-exploration of the main character, and in that sense I think it's really well done. Ollie asks questions I think so many of us ask ourselves, especially if we do struggle with our gender and our bodies doing things we didn't ask for - what does it actually MEAN to be a girl or a boy, and is there a way of doing it 'right'? And the way it wrapped up, while maybe a bit simplistic or too perfect for some, made me smile and is perfect for the book.
It's a very simple story with a timely message and I hope that the intended audience, tweens in the midst of the eternal struggle that is puberty, will draw some comfort that at least a fictional character gets it even if they can't talk about it with friends or family.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing this arc!
May 5, 2025
Okay, I recommend this book, but I REALLY recommend the audiobook because Vico Ortiz, as always, knocks it the whole way out of the park.
So, I’m… agender, maybe, definitely not gender conforming anyway. And I ask a lot of questions when reading books, particularly books for kids, that tackle gender. This is mostly because I feel like kids’ books try to simplify gender, or even just hone in on a tidy answer about how to define what gender is. I have some thoughts about how Ollie’s interview project (based, it seems, on a project by the author) portrays womanhood. Most of the women in included in this book are more traditionally femme, and I would have liked to see a bit more diversity there. Not that this would have changed anything for Ollie’s ID, of course, but it ended up feeling slightly stilted in terms of characters who DO identify as women. This device is trying to pull double duty in both helping Ollie try to understand their own confusion, and in defining the amorphous thing that is womanhood (and gender in general). I think it was more successful in the former than the latter.
Other than that, I quite enjoyed this, although the end felt a little too easy in someways. I get why that is, though. We deserve happy conclusions right now. The middle is much more fraught, and while I sometimes wonder if I’m just too old to read Middle Grade books anymore, this one reminded me how much these stories still mean to me, and how much I wish I’d had more books like this back in my day. *shakes my cane at the sky*
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the audio ARC of this book!
So, I’m… agender, maybe, definitely not gender conforming anyway. And I ask a lot of questions when reading books, particularly books for kids, that tackle gender. This is mostly because I feel like kids’ books try to simplify gender, or even just hone in on a tidy answer about how to define what gender is. I have some thoughts about how Ollie’s interview project (based, it seems, on a project by the author) portrays womanhood. Most of the women in included in this book are more traditionally femme, and I would have liked to see a bit more diversity there. Not that this would have changed anything for Ollie’s ID, of course, but it ended up feeling slightly stilted in terms of characters who DO identify as women. This device is trying to pull double duty in both helping Ollie try to understand their own confusion, and in defining the amorphous thing that is womanhood (and gender in general). I think it was more successful in the former than the latter.
Other than that, I quite enjoyed this, although the end felt a little too easy in someways. I get why that is, though. We deserve happy conclusions right now. The middle is much more fraught, and while I sometimes wonder if I’m just too old to read Middle Grade books anymore, this one reminded me how much these stories still mean to me, and how much I wish I’d had more books like this back in my day. *shakes my cane at the sky*
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the audio ARC of this book!
March 10, 2025
Thank you Netgalley and Feiwel & Friends for the eARC!
Ollie is on the precipice of puberty, something we all have to go through. Hair appearing places it wasn’t before, a new need for deodorants, and of course, menstruation. Ollie doesn’t feel like they fit in. They’re too “girly” for the hockey team yet not “girly” enough for the popular girls at school. Ollie decides to interview women and girls in their life for a school project, asking “what does it mean to be a woman”, which leads Ollie through the realization that she isn’t a girl.
This middle grade novel had me hooked! Ollie is immediately likeable and I was rooting for them the whole time! The book deals with subjects most 12-13 year olds deal with, such as friendship woes, fitting in, and puberty, but the book really shines when it dives into Ollie discovering their gender identity. There’s also a good about of grief being dealt with while Ollie is going through everything else.
As a middle school teacher, I truly believe that everyone deserves to see themselves represented in books, especially during our early teen-hood. Ollie in Between balances the trials of middle school in a realistic, sometimes dark, and yet still hopeful way. This debut is well crafted, nuanced, and an important story to add to any shelf.
Ollie is on the precipice of puberty, something we all have to go through. Hair appearing places it wasn’t before, a new need for deodorants, and of course, menstruation. Ollie doesn’t feel like they fit in. They’re too “girly” for the hockey team yet not “girly” enough for the popular girls at school. Ollie decides to interview women and girls in their life for a school project, asking “what does it mean to be a woman”, which leads Ollie through the realization that she isn’t a girl.
This middle grade novel had me hooked! Ollie is immediately likeable and I was rooting for them the whole time! The book deals with subjects most 12-13 year olds deal with, such as friendship woes, fitting in, and puberty, but the book really shines when it dives into Ollie discovering their gender identity. There’s also a good about of grief being dealt with while Ollie is going through everything else.
As a middle school teacher, I truly believe that everyone deserves to see themselves represented in books, especially during our early teen-hood. Ollie in Between balances the trials of middle school in a realistic, sometimes dark, and yet still hopeful way. This debut is well crafted, nuanced, and an important story to add to any shelf.
March 22, 2025
4.5/5 stars
Thank you NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for the ARC!
Ollie in Between is about an autistic middle schooler dealing with the conflicts of puberty and gender identity.
I have been trying to write this review for weeks. I don’t know how to explain my thoughts on this book in a sensible way.
I would say, this book is almost more about being autistic than being nonbinary. It was great, but it was a bit confusing because I thought it would be more about gender questioning (and it is but it’s… not?).
This book made me weep. I can’t reasonably recommend this to anyone because it was so heart-breaking to read. Ollie deals with a lot of bullying and internal confusion, and I felt their feelings so hard that it hurt.
However, it was really hard to watch Ollie go around in circles, and I almost DNFed this so I wouldn’t have to watch them suffer. Every time I thought things would get better for them, they didn’t! I just wanted Ollie to have a happy life with their friends!
Anyway, good book. Recommend. Autistic queer friends, proceed with caution. You may find yourself getting stabbed in the heart a thousand times.
CW: queerphobia; bullying; parent death; sexism; body shaming & (signs of) eating disorder; blood
Thank you NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for the ARC!
Ollie in Between is about an autistic middle schooler dealing with the conflicts of puberty and gender identity.
I have been trying to write this review for weeks. I don’t know how to explain my thoughts on this book in a sensible way.
I would say, this book is almost more about being autistic than being nonbinary. It was great, but it was a bit confusing because I thought it would be more about gender questioning (and it is but it’s… not?).
This book made me weep. I can’t reasonably recommend this to anyone because it was so heart-breaking to read. Ollie deals with a lot of bullying and internal confusion, and I felt their feelings so hard that it hurt.
However, it was really hard to watch Ollie go around in circles, and I almost DNFed this so I wouldn’t have to watch them suffer. Every time I thought things would get better for them, they didn’t! I just wanted Ollie to have a happy life with their friends!
Anyway, good book. Recommend. Autistic queer friends, proceed with caution. You may find yourself getting stabbed in the heart a thousand times.
CW: queerphobia; bullying; parent death; sexism; body shaming & (signs of) eating disorder; blood
April 10, 2025
Ollie is not looking forward to puberty. The idea of becoming a woman is terrifying. But suddenly, they’re too girly for their hockey team, but not girly enough for their best friend. When they’re assigned a project on defining what it means to grow up, Ollie uses this as an opportunity to uncover the secret to being a woman- and why they don’t feel like one. But as they interview teachers and parents of friends, they become more and more confused. As they drift further away from their best friend, they are invited to join a queer book club, where they find people they don’t have to pretend to be someone they’re not. But Ollie knows that being queer is not easy. They know that society doesn’t always accept queer people. What if they lose their friends? Family? How can they be themself when that could lead to rejection?
This book, y’all. It is so authentically nonbinary. Ollie knows they aren’t a girl, but they’re not sure they want to be a boy either. They just want to live their life and have people accept them for who they are. There were so many lines that I highlighted because I felt it in my soul. So many little things, like Ollie hating to have to choose “girl” every time they need to use the bathroom. It's so relatable and I loved it so much.
This book, y’all. It is so authentically nonbinary. Ollie knows they aren’t a girl, but they’re not sure they want to be a boy either. They just want to live their life and have people accept them for who they are. There were so many lines that I highlighted because I felt it in my soul. So many little things, like Ollie hating to have to choose “girl” every time they need to use the bathroom. It's so relatable and I loved it so much.
April 16, 2025
I wanted to read the book since the first time I saw it and was really happy when I finally had the chance to do so.
It was interesting to follow Ollie around learning more about gender and how many options are out there. This book is a middle grade and I think it did an amazing job in showing the struggles the children and teens have growing up. This book should be a required read in school because I think it could help a lot of people to understand more about struggles when it comes to gender identity and that there aren't just "Boys" and "girls". I would also recommend this book not only to middle grade readers. It's a great book for everyone who struggled themselves with their gender identity or wants to see more perspectives and widen the own horizon when it comes to identity, especially if you are a teacher or a parent.
This book is not only about finding yourself but also about finding your real friends and a place where you belong.
I loved listening to the audiobook because it felt a lot of times like Ollie was telling me the story right away and that I had a glimpse in Ollies diary.
Thank you to Netgalley and RBmedia for this Auido Arc!
It was interesting to follow Ollie around learning more about gender and how many options are out there. This book is a middle grade and I think it did an amazing job in showing the struggles the children and teens have growing up. This book should be a required read in school because I think it could help a lot of people to understand more about struggles when it comes to gender identity and that there aren't just "Boys" and "girls". I would also recommend this book not only to middle grade readers. It's a great book for everyone who struggled themselves with their gender identity or wants to see more perspectives and widen the own horizon when it comes to identity, especially if you are a teacher or a parent.
This book is not only about finding yourself but also about finding your real friends and a place where you belong.
I loved listening to the audiobook because it felt a lot of times like Ollie was telling me the story right away and that I had a glimpse in Ollies diary.
Thank you to Netgalley and RBmedia for this Auido Arc!
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