Reading my way through the 2021 National Book Award nominees and this was a pleasant surprise. Lukoff has written a wonderful novel for Middle School readers that explores a topic that too often makes people's eyes roll or their heads shake: transgenderism. And it's just a terrific book. Bug is a well-written, believable character who's dealing with 'not feeling quite right' when wearing make up and dresses or talking about boys. Bug's summer long self discovery is woven with a ghost story and a gay uncle who has recently died, so the novel covers a lot of territory, includes loss, grief, families, friendships, and gender identity. If there's one nit to pick it's that Bug's family is perhaps too perfectly written to be fully accepting of Bug's life change.