What We Left Behind

Gr 10 Up—High school's perfect queer couple, Toni and Gretchen, navigate changes in their relationship freshman year as they attend separate colleges and form new friendships. A group of transgender upperclassmen at Harvard befriend Toni, who identifies as genderqueer, and offer support to explore questions of gender identity despite roommate drama and family strife. At NYU, Gretchen quickly forms a close friendship with Carroll, a freshman eager to experience gay life in the big city. Although determined not to let the distance get between them, Toni and Gretchen soon find their course work and new friendships altering their previously made plans and promises. Well-placed flashbacks to their high school romance provide context and counterpoint for the strain of the long-distance relationship in the present. Tightly focused on Toni's and Gretchen's changing relationships and identities, this title is a must-read for high school Gay Straight Alliance members. Amid discussions of gender neutral pronouns and coming out practice sessions, both primary and secondary characters experience a believable freedom to explore at college. Alternating close-ups of Gretchen's and Toni's thoughts in the present and past allow readers insight into their romance and their insecurities. Toni's genderqueer identity contributes a fresh perspective to LGBTQ fiction.