Hello, Groin.

Emily Walters Gregor is a graduate student in 20th-century American
literature and an ESL writing tutor at the University of Minnesota.

Grade 11 student Dylan Kowolski is terrified by what she suspects may be a crush on her best friend, Jocelyn. She knows that acting on this crush would mean the loss of her recent acceptance into the popular group, the approval of her family, and her prospects for a normal future. But she also knows that ignoring her feelings means lying to her kind and faithful boyfriend and denying herself the prospect of love and happiness.

Dylan’s fears of her own feelings are complicated by her interactions with books and ideas, and with the adults who surprise her with their understanding and support. When Dylan creates a display for the school library that hints at her predilections, rumours reflecting the truth about her feelings spread across the school.

By the book’s conclusion, Dylan is satisfied that her status as a lesbian will not prevent her from having friends, support from her family, or a bright future. In fact, Dylan’s transition to being honest about her sexuality is an optimistic portrayal of the reactions teens might expect to face from such a disclosure. Nonetheless, Dylan’s story is engaging, encouraging, and important, and is told with characters and with a voice that reflects the concerns and priorities of young adults. Highly recommended.