Most of the ten short stories in this collection center on teenage lesbians dealing with common situations: making up after a break up, coming out, reconciling with a former straight best friend, or having a crush on an unattainable older woman. They are gritty, raw, and intense, like adolescent love itself, often driven more by the heart than the head. The author plays a bit with narrative style in her stories. “TIAD” is written mostly as a series of chat room, IM, and email messages as Hayley pours out her broken heart to several anonymous participants in a teen lesbian chat room, and finds herself latching on to the most sympathetic among them, the mysterious Black_Venus. “Outside/Inside,” follows a crushed-out teen as she selects just the right mushy greeting card to send to the object of her affections as a way of expressing her true feelings for the first time. The most unusual story is about a trans boi who has just gotten his first prosthetic penis. Peters doesn’t gloss over the loneliness and violence that’s part of reality for many queer teens, and some of her stories, like “Boi” are painful to read. But there are also stories with a more optimistic outlook, including one with a satisfyingly romantic, walk-into-the–Sunset, happy ending. (Age 14 and older)

An enthralling short story collection that delves into the lives and loves of queer teenage girls, by National Book Award finalist Julie Anne Peters.

In this honest, emotionally captivating short story collection, renowned author and National Book Award finalist Julie Anne Peters offers a stunning portrayal of young women as they navigate the hurdles of relationships and sexual identity. From the young lesbian taking her first steps toward coming out to the two strangers who lock eyes across a crowded train, from the transgender teen longing for a sense of self to the girl whose abusive father has turned her to stone, Peters is the master of creating characters whose own vulnerability resonates with readers and stays with them long after the last page is turned. Grl2grl shows the rawness of teenage emotion as young girls become women and begin to discover the intricacies of love, dating, and sexuality.