Claire is a popular cheerleader who battles nightmares, eating disorders, and cancer. She meets Lani, who refuses to identify as either a girl or a boy or anything that would put them in a box. Lani has their own demons, and Claire wonders if they ever were an angel.
Publisher’s Description:
The close-knit residents of Hackett Island have never seen anyone quite like Lani Garver. Everything about this new kid is a mystery: Where does Lani come from? How old is Lani? And most disturbing of all, is Lani a boy or a girl?
Claire McKenzie isn’t up to tormenting Lani with the rest of the high school elite. Instead, she befriends the intriguing outcast. But within days of Lani’s arrival, tragedy strikes and Claire must deal with shattered friendships and personal demons–and the possibility that angels may exist on earth.
Genre: Contemporary
Representation:
Gender:
Cis girls: Claire
By 2018 standards Lani might identify as genderqueer and/or trans but in this story Lani’s gender identity is talked about in a “are they a boy or a girl” gossip-y way. Also, Claire thinks they are an angel.
Sexuality:
Heterosexual: Claire
Because Lani is talked about but not given a voice it is never clear.
Romantic Orientation:
Not mentioned in the book.
Race/Ethnicity:
Claire and Lani are white.
Trigger Warnings:
Lani is used as a plot device for Claire to come to a better understanding of who she is and what matters. It fulfill the classic trope of a queer person dying so that a straight person can “understand what truly matters.”