“Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda” meets “The Night Circus” in this standout debut YA novel, about a boy who visits a magic-filled circus in his dreams in order to escape reality, where his trans identity remains a secret. An ideal next read for fans of “Cemetery Boys.”
After an incident at his school leaves closeted trans teenager Asher Sullivan needing stitches, his mother betrays him in the worst possible way, she sends him to Catholic school for his senior year. Now he has to contend with hideous plaid skirts, cranky nuns, and #bathroomJesus.
Nighttime brings an escape for Asher when he dreams of the Midnight Circus, the one place where he is seen for the boy he truly is. Too bad it exists only in his sleep. At least, that's what he believes until the day his annoyingly attractive trapeze rival, Apollo, walks out of his dreams and into his classroom. On the heels of this realization that the magical circus might be real, Asher also learns that his time there is limited.
In his desperation to hang on to the one place he feels at home, Asher sets both worlds on a collision course that could destroy all the relationships he cares about most. Now he must decide how far he'll go to preserve the magical circus, even if it means facing his biggest challenge yet, coming out.
