This was such a heartfelt, authentic, angsty and intense read! A lot heavier than the cover and blurb might give the impression of, but also heartwarming and hopeful. But please be aware of the trigger warnings! Part of the story and content truly is on the darker side.

Out of Blue Comes Green follows Kay (who during the course of the book changes his name to Nate) who has recently come out as trans and makes his first public appearance as a male with his band at the school talent show. After this appearance, we get to follow his struggle through the rest of the school year with bullies, falling in love and getting his heart broken for the first time, dealing with an unsupportive (actually even abusive) mother and just trying to navigate his way in life.

There are some really heartbreaking moments, when Kay/Nate has to experience misgendering, transphobia and a traumatic photo session that made me truly upset, and just plain mean and oblivious peers and adults. (Again, please be aware of the trigging warnings, including a suicide attempt!) But there were also so many beautiful things with the supportive brother and great friendships, and how music was a solace.

Just a few thoughts, that include spoilers unfortunately, but that I felt were important for my review.

**Spoiler alert**
I especially loved the heartwarming way his dad stood up for him and genuinely understood what he’d gone through at the end.

I hoped for JT to come around and understand the damage he’d caused at the pub performance at prom night. It was a little disappointing, but probably more realistic, that he just kept getting meaner and meaner all through the end.

I also had a bit too much second-hand embarrassment for some of the things Kay/Nate did, like pretending to be someone else at the animal rescue, even though I can see why he grabbed the opportunity to be fully seen as a boy.
**End of spoilers**

The characters were such teenagers at times, quite annoying but always authentic and lovable! I definitely rooted for them all. It’s certainly a book that makes you feel!

All in all, this was a heartfelt, sad yet hopeful, hurtful yet positive story tackling transphobia and the pain of not feeling at home in your body or being misgendered, not being seen or accepted as who you truly are, but also how support can lift you up, how being true to yourself is the only way forward and the power of love and friendship. A highly recommended and important story!

Thank you so much to Page Street YA for the copy of this book through NetGalley, which I have voluntarily reviewed.

Thank you Storygram Tours, M.E. Corey, Page Street YA for sending me an arc for tour. And thank you NetGalley for sending me an eARC 🥰🫶
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I really enjoyed this debut book as I think it tells a different trans experience from what I’ve read before. Our MC, Kinkade is early in his social transition and hasn’t yet picked his chosen name. (Kinkade is his last name and I won’t say his new chosen name as it’s kind of a spoiler ☺️) I really like the narrative and I think it is relatable for a high school student. Kinkade is also in a band with his best friend and I wish I could listen to their songs! 🎶 There’s just something about this book that I couldn’t put it down. I look forward to anything Matthew writes in the future. ☺️🫶
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⚠️Please check the trigger warnings before reading! ☺️🫶
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Out of Blue Comes Green by M.E. Corey is out now

Thank you for the opportunity to read e-ARC for Out of Blue Comes Green. I'm from Minnesota, so it was fun to revisit the days of going out in winter without coats or socks on. It was also healing for me inner teen who was a transman without knowing the right language yet.

Thank you NetGalley and Page Street Publishing for the ARC of Out of Blue Comes Green by M. E. Corey.

Out of Blue Comes Green by M. E. Corey offers a poignant exploration of the transgender experience through the lens of its protagonist, Kincaid/Nate. While Kincaid/Nate is a fairly flawed character he is a teenager and therefore his immature like many of his peers. He tends to be a little more self involved mainly due to the many issues he is experiences.

The dynamics within Kincaid/Nate's relationships, especially with his family members and friends, provide additional layers to the narrative. The contrast between supportive and unsupportive individuals in his life offers a realistic depiction of the varying responses transgender individuals may encounter. Specifically, the contrast between his fathers acceptance and his mother's struggles to accept who he truly is highlights how hard it can be for transgender youth to find acceptance even at home.

The introduction of Madi as a character who respects Kincaid/Nate's gender identity highlights the importance of acceptance and understanding within interpersonal relationships. While his longtime best friend Libby has always supported him it is clear that she does not truly understand his struggles.

The subplot involving Kincaid/Nate's involvement with an animal shelter adds an interesting dimension to the narrative, symbolizing his journey of self-discovery and finding a sense of purpose beyond societal expectations.

Out of Blue Comes Green is a compelling exploration of identity, acceptance, and resilience, offering readers valuable insights into the transgender experience. This book hits on a lot of tough topics but they are things that trans youth are experiencing and M. E. Corey does not shy away from that. This is a must read for anyone but I do caution as there are a lot of trigger/content warnings for this book.
Content/Trigger Warnings: Bullying, Cyberbullying, Transphobia, Homophobia, Dead Naming, Misgendering, Sexual Harassment, Dysphoria, Suicidal Ideation, Suicide Attempt.

Thank you Page Street Publishing and Netgalley for providing me with an e-copy of this book for review.

This one was a tough one, honestly. I don’t get triggered easily, but Nate’s pure hatred for his body really triggered my gender dysphoria while reading this, something I’ve not experienced while reading before. I recommend checking the trigger warnings before going into this one.

I found Nate a really difficult character to like, if I’m being completely honest. I understood where he was coming from, I know he had a lot of emotional trauma to work through, but he was such an ass to every single person in his life at almost every turn and I found it absolutely infuriating. I kept waiting for him to realise he was being a jerk but he never really did. It was always everyone else’s fault.

That being said, I did really love the writing style. Corey has a way with words and this was so beautifully written. All the pain and happiness and anguish and love was so vivid and palpable. I also really appreciated reading a story like this with a transitioning teen at the heart of the story.

All in all, a heavy one, but one I’m glad I read.

Rep: Trans main character, Black side character

Content warnings: Lots and lots of transphobic remarks and actions, depictions of suicide attempts, homophobic slurs, deadnaming, misgendering, dysphoria, sexual harassment, forced outing, emotionally/verbally abusive parent, cyberbullying, in-person bullying including from a teacher, graphic menstruation, injured and ill animals, deceased pet (past), deceased parent (past), microaggressions, toxic masculinity, misogyny, bankruptcy

I don't remember the last time it was so hard for me to put down a book -- it only took me a day and a half to read this because I couldn't stop. M.E. Corey writes with so much talent and passion that it shocked me to learn that this is his debut! He has a gripping writing style, and I truly admire how wonderful he is at characterization. Like, yes, Kinkade and Madi and Libby were annoying at times; they're teenagers! I acted just like them when I was a hipster high school student, and I would much rather read about lovably complex, realistic characters than one-dimensional ones who don't feel true to life. All of them deserve the biggest hugs.

This is for publishing-world people and does not reflect on the excellent quality of the writing: I do think the book's official description should be modified a bit. Based on the description, I requested this ARC thinking it would be more of a rom-com with music and animals tossed in, with only minor discussions of transphobia. But it was much, much heavier than that. Again, that is not a criticism of the book itself -- in fact, I think it's an extremely important read, particularly for those who don't understand the effect that transphobic actions, legislation, and microaggressions have on young people. It's also an absolutely wonderful case study on just how much kids absorb the bigotry of the adults around them. I just would've preferred knowing what I was getting into when I started this book. A page with content warnings could also be an option, or even a list of resources readers could utilize, like The Trevor Project. While I know that people have differing opinions on the value of content warnings in books, I believe it's crucial to include when it's a book that details a suicide attempt and severe transphobic bullying (particularly since more than half of trans young people have considered suicide themselves).

Ultimatley, I love these characters, I love this writing style, and I very much hope that Corey continues writing!

**HUGE thank you to Page Street YA for granting me an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!**

This was so fun! I absolutely love that this had the band vibes - it reminds me of one of my favorite shows! I also loved the diversity and LGBTQIA+ representation. The struggles were real, but you cheer for Kinkade through it all!

Very relatable and timely novel - the main character's journey to self-acceptance, as well as the conflict that brings for him, his family and friends, is well-written and realistic. Kay/Nate has a tendency to avoid reality and confrontation, when simple communication would clear up conflicts, but his actions make sense for a trans teen.

Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

Thank you to Page Street YA for the digital ARC!

This book is going to hit home for so many young trans readers, and I can't wait for them to discover Kinkade's journey toward self-acceptance. This is a classic teen coming of age story with an important twist, and I appreciated how it didn't shy away from the messiness of both being a teenager and being a trans person.