**Thanks to NetGalley for providing a complimentary copy of CATERPILLARS CAN'T SWIM in exchange for my honest review.**

GRADE: B+

In a wheelchair due to CP, Ryan is the unlikely rescuer when his classmate Jack jumps from a bridge into the river. His best friend Cody, who lacks a filter, doesn't understand the friendship developing between the two, especially with the rumors that Jack is gay. The unlikely trio travel to Comic Con, with Ryan hopeful he can keep his friends from killing each other, figuratively.

Liane Shaw, also a teacher, has a great way of getting into the heads of some of the stressors teenagers experience. All of her books are worthwhile reads. CATERPILLARS CAN'T SWIM is a true gem encompassing such themes as disability, LGBT, bullying, suicide/depression, family and dating. I read the book in one sitting, rooting for Jack and Ryan, and even Cody to a lesser extent.

Shaw created three diverse, complex main characters. I love that she made Jack's sexual orientation somewhat ambiguous that didn't fit into a box. He was gay, liked makeup and women's clothes, but wasn't transsexual or as Ryan asked, transvestite. Cody's handling of Jack's orientation grew incrementally from homophobic to understanding.

CATERPILLARS CAN'T SWIM, and all of Shaw's books are important fixtures in realistic YA fiction.