A transgender boy starting over at a new school falls hard for a popular cheerleader with a reputation to protect in this debut. On the first day of senior year, transgender boy Pony locks eyes with cisgender cheerleader Georgia. They both have pasts they want to leave behind. No one at Hillcrest High knows that Pony is transgender, and he intends to keep it that way. Georgia's last boyfriend shook her trust in boys, and now she's determined to forget him. As mutual attraction draws them together, Pony and Georgia must decide what they are willing to risk for a relationship. Pony's best friend, Max, who is also transgender, disapproves of Pony's choice to live stealth; this disagreement leads to serious conflict in their relationship. Meanwhile, Georgia and Pony behave as if Pony's trans identity was a secret he was lying to her about rather than private information for him to share of his own volition. The characters only arrive at a hopeful resolution after Pony pays high physical and emotional prices. McSmith places repeated emphasis on the born-in-the-wrong-body narrative when the characters discuss trans identities. Whiteness is situated as the norm, and all main characters are white. Several yards short of a touchdown. (Fiction. 14-17) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

The new kid in school, 17-year-old Pony (yes, that's his name--shades of The Outsiders), has a secret: he's transgender and he's fallen in love with popular cheerleader Georgia, who, to his surprise, returns his feelings until he comes out to her. Terrified, then, of what people will think of her dating a transgender boy, she breaks off the relationship. Despondent, Pony considers suicide, but, instead, he finds the courage to come out to the school at the homecoming dance. In exchange for this brave act, Pony is savagely beaten by two football players and winds up in the hospital, where Georgia tearfully tells him she loves him and is no longer afraid of what people will think. But will that be enough to convince Pony to take her back? Transgender like Pony, McSmith writes with quiet authority about a boy born in the wrong body. The novel, offering a compelling #OwnVoices story that is populated by sympathetic characters, is instructive without ever being didactic. Pair it with Meredith Russo's Birthday (2019).

Gr 9 Up--New kid Pony sees cheerleader Georgia and experiences an instant connection. Georgia feels the same spark, but they each have their secrets. Pony is transgender and hoping for a fresh start in a school where no one knows his past. Georgia hides behind fanciful stories to mask the pain of her mother leaving and the pressures of maintaining popularity. The struggle to fit in, cruel pranks, toxic masculinity, and parental pressures all play a part in this coming-of-age tale based in an affluent Texas high school. Themes of acceptance and being unapologetically who you are will resonate with readers. Georgia and Pony's playful personalities, as well as a diverse cast of supporting characters, will keep readers engaged. Multiple aspects of Pony's transgender experience are portrayed, including body dysphoria, the costs of gender affirming surgery, and both supportive and cruel friends and family. Struggles faced by the transgender community are presented in a realistic way, and inclusivity is praised without being overly preachy. The title is a reference to S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders and draws many parallels to the themes of the book. VERDICT A necessary read that favors compassion and understanding. A first choice for all high school and young adult collections.--Ashley Leffel, Griffin Middle School, Frisco, TX

In theory, Vans-wearing new kid Pony should have nothing in common with popular cheerleader Georgia, but when they see each other on the first day at their Texas high school, it feels, as Georgia says, like their "eyes just made out." They quickly become friends and maybe more, though Georgia is technically not dating at the moment, after being cheated on. But 17-year-old Pony is keeping his trans identity to himself, going stealth following "a year of too much attention" post-transition. Cisgender Georgia is struggling with her own image: bored with cheerleading and wanting to become a writer, she feels like she's made herself into someone she no longer wishes to be. As the two grow closer and homecoming approaches, Pony is pretty sure his heart is going to be broken. Debut author McSmith, himself transgender, doesn't soft-pedal Pony's difficulties--his father's lack of acceptance and the ever-present risk of prejudicial violence--but he also gives Pony and Georgia funny, flirty dialogue with a rom-com vibe. And it's a rom-com with heart and purpose: when the traditional pranks between the football team and the cheerleaders veer into homophobic jeers, Georgia and Pony find their voices, fight for justice, honor The Outsiders (the source of Pony's name), and maybe even find love. Ages 14--up. Agent: Tina Dubois, ICM Partners. (May)