Stonewall Book Award Honor winning creator Maia Kobabe (Gender Queer) collaborates with debut author and illustrator Swati "Lucky" Srikumar in Kobabe's first book for middle-grade readers, Opting Out, a perceptive graphic novel about a gender nonconforming Indian American tween.
Newly 12-year-old Saachi is just about to start seventh grade and wants nothing to do with the changes that come with growing up. To her horror, her life begins to shift immediately: she gets her first period; her peers begin splitting into boy/girl couples; and she feels her BFF Lyla drifting away. Saachi feels "in the middle" of the gender binary and wishes she could be perceived for her writing, not her body: "I want people to read my words, but not look at me. Is that a gender?"
As Saachi navigates uncomfortable peer dynamics and increasing pressure from gender expectations, she finds comfort and inspiration in both her Indian and Hindu identities. Detailed depictions of the 10 avatars of Vishnu emphasize Saachi's connection to her religion as her kind and understanding Appa delivers gentle wisdom: "Growing up is part of life, kutti. Even the gods change." Saachi's authentic bilingual (English and Tamil) voice shines through in her journal, inner monologue, and conversations with loved ones.
The thickly lined illustrations take shape inside traditionally square and rectangular panels and interpret Saachi's fluctuating emotions and flourishing selfhood in several ways. The result is a meticulously developed character whose experience will likely resonate, especially with queer and Indian American readers. --Kieran Slattery, freelance reviewer, teacher, co-creator of Gender Inclusive Classrooms