Pet is a refreshing #OwnVoices read with a diverse cast of characters and a wild premise.

Smartly written and with punchy dialogue (which cannot be easy to do wth a protagonist who is selectively mute) Pet takes the reader on a wild ride as Jam goes on a monster hunt with her best friend Redemption and new friend and title character, Pet.

The language in this one is simple, but the narrative is not simplistic. Ideal for older MG readers looking to read ahead and for YA readers of all ages. This is magical realism at its best, and full of diverse characters without the feeling that the diversity is a token gesture. Jam is a trans girl, who's pronouns are she/her. Redemption has three parents, who share one room. His third parent is Whisper, who identifies as non-binary and pronouns are they/them. Set in a fictional utopia, the language and accents in the speech of the speaking characters suggests that all characters are people of colour, but this could be a wild assumption on my part.

For such a slim volume, Emezi packs a huge punch. I spent about ten minutes at the end of this sobbing my heart out. While the story is wonderful, and this was an excellent read, on reflection I think what I like the most is that the story isn't about Jam's coming out as trans. It is mentioned, briefly, and then the narrative moves on. Her gender identity is just a small part of who Jam is, which is of course the way it should be in life. She has parents who love her, she likes to read, she is well mannered and her actions are considered. Jam is an excellent human, and I hope she makes another appearance in future work from Emezi.