Member Reviews

a perfectly queer YA book thst i can’t wait to recommend to everyone!!! this truly went at odds against the stigma surrounding girlies in sports (especially as a trans girly) and i thought it was handled wonderfully. this is one of my favorite reads of the year thus far and i would love to read more from victoria!!! 💕

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley and Levine Querido for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Ugh, my heart hurts in the best way possible. Run and buy this book. Buy it for yourself and then buy it for your beloved queer and trans friends in your life. Buy it for your family member who just can't seem to Get It and makes 'transgenderism' the talk of the table at family gatherings. Buy it for your 9th grade nibbling, regardless if they're a theatre queerdo or have dreams of being Big Man on Campus in a varsity jacket. Buy it for your football obsessed coworker. Buy it for your dog groomer who doesn't think about sports or trans people, cause all they care about is dogs. Just buy the book, and then buy it again and again and again.

I loved so many things about this book that it's difficult to just name a few but I'll try. First, I love how well-rounded all the characters are. We get a splattering of queer pals in this book which is amazing. We also get some really fleshed out footballers, coaches, parents etc. Zeller's character work in this book is chef's kiss. Second, I LOVE the assortment of friendships in this book. I love Tab and Riley, and the rest of the lunch table crew. I love the football captains and how love just pours out of them. As a non-footballer who is very much so removed from the sports world (I would be in Tab's drama crew), it was so wholesome to witness these young teenage boys stand up for their friend. They support her as a trans girl in so many small but deeply profound ways. This is especially evident through their language and terms of endearment they use for Grace. A large theme of this book is about Grace struggling with pushing back against being 'that' trans and queer girl (blue-haired pronoun person) and working through that internalized misogyny, homo & transphobia. What I love is that those pressures to confirm to a palatable type of transness are not coming from her core football friends (or at least not directly), as you may expect. Instead, they work hard to see Grace for who she truly is and not only embrace her, but celebrate her within and outside of football. I deeply appreciated that the reader got to see glimpses of these boys doing The Work outside of Grace's presence, showing that there is often this expectation and pressure to trans folks to educate those around them. Instead, these boys did a lot of work on their own which was lovely to witness. Of course, these boys have flaws and sometimes they stumble, but seeing them recover from those stumbles makes this book so much more realistic and heartwarming. Third thing that loved about this book is how accessible it is for a wide audience. You can tell that the author has a deep love for football. I don't understand football, but I was INVESTED in the gameplay. That really speaks to the skill and incredible world building of Zeller. I think that 'senior football championship' is an accessible trope that can hook readers into thinking through themes about trans liberation. Trans kids, and trans athletes (especially trans women and girls in sports) is such a hot spot that encompasses so much anti-trans bias that is evident in so many other spaces / institutions. Having a YA book with so much heart that is a love letter to football, I think will really allow perhaps trans-hesitant readers who also love football a way in to developing their empathy towards trans people. And it also shows queer non-football people (like me and Tab) to allow room for the perceived hyper-masculine 'brotherhood' of footballers to be challenged. Like Tab, this book helped me challenge some of my stereotypical assumptions I held about football and male dominated team sports in general. A lesson I'm taking away from this is to give people space to surprise you. I am shocked to say that this football team stole my heart in a very queer, feminist, young joy kind of way.

I could continue to gush, but like, just read it okay? okay. <3

I would recommend this book to literally anyone, but more specifically I think queer & trans readers will especially love this read. I also think if you're a football queer, this is gonna be a special book for you! I also recommend this to any highschooler. Alongside the plot points about football, transition etc, there is a lot in here about growing up, hesitancies about the future, navigating high school peers, coming of age trying to know yourself angst. These kids in this book also have a lot of agency which is really cool to see. We also get to see these highschoolers wrestle with some big life pressures which I believe a lot of teens can relate to.

Anyways, read the book and spread the word! We have a fantastic debut novel on our hands, folks!

Was this review helpful?

One of the Boys is the story of Grace, who is encouraged back onto her American football team after leaving when she came out as trans. I thought the deep strength of this book is in its inclusive and all-round queerness. The author writes with confidence and skill, and I will be following Zeller's future publications with interest and excitement. Grace is a lovely protagonist, rendered with care and love. My personal favourite parts of the book were the Before chapters, which are nicely interspersed with the main storyline and written with respect. I felt more could have been done to flesh out Grace's life beyond sports, although this is clearly meant to be a sports book, so perhaps that comment is a little unfair, it's simply a personal preference of the balance of what I like to read.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of One of the Boys in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I really liked One of the Boys! The book follows Grace, who recently came out as trans, as she returns to play with her old high school football team. She navigates a lot, with decisions to make about college, old and new friendships, transphobia, gender dysphoria, football and self discovery. It’s heavy and deals with tough topics, and has a lot instances of misgendering, deadnaming and slurs. But it also focuses a lot on friendships, acceptance and people that push back against the hate. On top of that Grace’s friends are very queer and wonderful, and the football was interesting and not too overwhelming for someone not too invested in football. It had me gripped from the first couple of pages, and is a book that I definitely think is worth a read!


I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Was this review helpful?

This book was so good! The cover is stunning and was gripping and the ending was pretty good too. I’m definitely gonna get my hands on a physical copy when this comes out

Was this review helpful?

I was given the opportunity to read this book curtesy of Netgalley, and unfortunately this is a very rare occasion where the book was not my cup of tea (DNF).

Don't get me wrong, this is not a bad book at all, not in the slightest.

I absolutely loved the Trans rep as well as the Gay Rep in this book (hence the 3 star review).

However i could not get into the story, i gave it my best shot as i never like DNFing a book and i got to chapter 13 however this book just wasn't for me.

If Victoria Zeller see's this review, i want you to know that you are an amazing author and an amazing trans woman, so its not you, its me.

If the book had of been maybe a bit less sport-related and more about Graces personal life, i probably would've continued reading and finished it.

Would i recommend this book? Sure, if you're a Trans/Queer and a fan of sports, specifically speaking American Football, this book is for you.

I'd like to thank Victoria Zeller and Levine Querido for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
By all means, i will keep an eye out for more of Victoria Zellers works in the future.

Was this review helpful?

This book was so good!! It's simultaneously feels very YA and not YA at all — and that's a good thing. As a trans woman who both didn't come out in high school and isn't super feminine, I really resonated with Grace and her experience. The way Zeller writes about Grace navigating being "one of the boys" while also figuring out her gender was something I've never seen in a main stream published novel, and it made me feel seen! Also, the way Zeller writes dialogue feels natural to how young people speak today, which is not an easy accomplishment.

Was this review helpful?

One of the boys follows Grace (a senior in high school) in her experiences in sports (football) as a trans person as well as relationships with friends, love interest, family Ect.
I felt connected to and ended up rooting for Grace a lot, who's a caring, thoughtful and isn't afraid to defend herself. Football also has a big part in the book, which I skimmed over for the technical parts because I don't know anything about football lol. The book also had flashback chapters which I loved because it gave characters depth and histories. Overall, I found this a solid YA coming of age book which was light hearted generally but definitely explored other themes as well.

Was this review helpful?

I know exactly nothing about football; whatever small inklings I’d gleaned in high school were washed from my mind immediately after. So it says something about the writing of this book that I was able to feel the tension and the hype as the characters were making some of their plays.

The mix of the camaraderie and the pettiness, maturity and teenage buffoonery between Grace and her friends was written so well it got me nostalgic. Significant care clearly went into all the major characters to make them feel like full people. Of course Grace most of all got to show a lot of messiness and a lot of growth. (Her pre-coming out behavior where everything in her life was starting to be touched by that deep misery and self-hatred and the inability to look the cause of it in the eyes was leading her to lash out irrationally was painfully realistic. That pain does make everything about itself. Contrast that with the ending where her future was still imperfect but she could take the bittersweetness as it was and still be joyful.) But all the characters had their depth. Even when some of the conflicts skewed into the stereotypes of teen drama they were handled in a way that treated the characters as people with meaningful motivations and the ability to self-reflect.

Spoilers
I really liked the ending between Zoe and Grace. It’s not the kind of ending to a romantic subplot I can think of seeing in many books I read as a teen — two people who were compatible and did have love between them realizing that they didn’t come together in the right way and aren’t who they need to be in that moment to do right by each other in a relationship — and it feels kind of meaningful to see. It felt like the right conclusion to their development throughout the story and it was a satisfying place to leave them despite being open-ended and a little sad.

Was this review helpful?

I’m from the UK, so a lot of the football terminology went completely over my head. I didn’t need to understand exactly how to play football to enjoy and appreciate Grace’s arc, however, which was stellar. Such a good little teen/YA read, made me feel so warmed by the encouraging and supportive experiences Grace has.

Was this review helpful?

I love love LOVED THIS BOOK SM. It was a beautiful story with amazing trans rep, loveable mc and side characters. Grace was such a lovely character i enjoyed every second of following the story with her. Her journey of realizing her true self, dealing with both gender and body dysmorphia and her coming out was just written so well i couldnt not cry and feel for her. Istg i just want to protect her and keep her in my pocket safe. Also her coming to terms with her relationship with football, the team, and how she fits in was beautiful to read. I really loved her character sm she was so real like literally a realistic depiction of a teen girl.
Out of the entire friendgroup i loved Ahmed, Dary, and Tab the most. Though i think Ahmed is the top for me. I JUST LOVED HIM SM. honestly to me he was a good arab muslim rep. He was so funny he had me laughing out loud but also really nice i wanted to give a hug
This book dealt with real issues trans women face such as trans-misogyny amazingly and was really well written. I would highly recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

Was this review helpful?

Absolutely LOVED this book. More trans girl stories!!!! I was immediately engrossed in this story from the first line of the book. I could not get enough of Grace. Don’t you just LOVE teens who are messy and real and have emotions?? Cause I do. This book was literally everything I want in a YA contemporary.

I loved Grace’s journey throughout this book. I loved the flashbacks and how you can see that she changed. Absolutely adored her relationship with her dad and how it grew. The captains!! Obsessed with them. Dray being her biggest supporter?? Closely followed by Ahmed?? Yes. God I love the friend group dynamics SO much. The fierce love between they was too real and I KNEW IT (about Dray) and let’s just say a few lines about him and HIM had my little queer heart squeezing.

I smiled, laughed, got choked up, and felt anger several times. This book had me wanting more and more. I cannot WAIT to read more from this author. Incredible debut.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley and Levine Querido for giving me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I loved the opportunity to read a book with a trans-femme MC, especially since so many of the books I’m around/have read have trans-masc MCs— it was a nice change of pace to get a different point of view on the trans experience. And I really enjoyed it! Loved the characters, who all felt so real and authentic, and I loved the attention to detail that the author put into this work— she clearly knows her stuff! I do have to say, the one thing that I didn’t love was the very “inside-baseball” (or, in this case, “inside-football”) terminology. I just think that overall it was a bit too much of the language that you’d only understand if you *know* football. There was definitely a place in the book for some of it, but as someone without an in-depth knowledge of football, it was oftentimes hard to keep up with the sports lingo. But that was really my only critique!

Was this review helpful?

The first thing that drew me to One of the Boys was its beautifully designed cover—an eye-catching introduction to a story that delivers both heart and substance.

This YA novel follows Grace, who has recently come out as trans and stepped away from her school’s football team. However, she’s convinced to rejoin, setting off a journey of self-discovery as she navigates her role in different social circles and works to figure out her future path.

The story alternates between Grace’s current experiences and flashbacks to her life before coming out. Through this structure, Zeller sheds light on the challenges faced by trans athletes, particularly in today’s sports world. The narrative brings these struggles to a personal level, allowing readers to connect with Grace’s emotions and the obstacles she faces.

While the book leans on familiar tropes of the YA genre, they are well-executed and serve to create a relatable, engaging reading experience. It may not aim to surprise, but its predictability doesn’t detract from its charm. Instead, it delivers an important message in an accessible way.

One of the Boys is an enjoyable and meaningful read, combining a heartfelt story with a timely exploration of identity, acceptance, and resilience.

Was this review helpful?

This book hit me in my feelingsball. I doubt I’m using that term correctly but I had to try anyway.

In the story, Grace is a young trans woman who enters her last year of high school after the summer she quit football and started her transition. She means to leave football behind but her old team comes begging her for her kicker skills, and this unravels the quiet year Grace planned on having.

One of the Boys features some beautiful friendships, portraying the complexities of queerness and being a teen, and my heart was so full knowing that Grace had such wonderful friends in her corner. This is truly a protagonist you’re rooting for the entire time, which is a refreshing switch-up from morally grey characters where you don’t actually know if you want them to succeed.

Though the football stuff left me making confused European noises, this was a joy and a blast to read, and I highly recommend it.

Was this review helpful?

I've been following Victoria for a couple of years now on Twitter/BlueSky and have always adored her tweets. Once I saw that this was available to read, I knew I needed to read it. I'm so glad I did - this is a YA novel that doesn't read like a YA novel, which is the highest praise from me. I absolutely adored Grace and her journey through finding herself with (and without) football. I can't read to read Victoria's next novel!

Was this review helpful?

3.75 stars. I’m not really the target audience for this book: it’s about a trans teen girl who plays football, and I’m a 30-something cis woman who doesn’t follow sports and is increasingly picky about YA. So it’s a testament to the author’s skill that I enjoyed this as much as I did. I love that it portrays a type of character who’s underrepresented in YA: a jock who’s not particularly into books or the arts. A lot of the football talk went over my head, but I’m so glad this book exists for queer and trans football fans. It’ll be relatable to anyone who’s ever felt like they’re not the “right” kind of queer, or like they have to choose between two different aspects of their identity, like they’re too X for community Y but too Y for community X. It’s also funny and great for fans of friendship-centric books.

It’s very of the moment: “Twitter/X” is mentioned; Grace comes out as trans on Instagram, is interviewed on a podcast, sends TikToks to her friends, and says things like “cis” as a noun and “Fellas is it gay to stay dry when it rains?”

I have slightly mixed feelings about the ending. On the one hand, I appreciated how real it felt, that it's not a fairytale ending, but it's still a good one. On the other hand, I found it odd that one of the biggest decisions of Grace’s life (spoiler) happens off-page and is only mentioned after the fact, in the epilogue.

Was this review helpful?

Probably my first read of a young-adult labeled book and extremely great! Not going to rate it very well because I’m obviously not the target audience and some parts made me cringe a bit but amazing book as it was extremely smooth and the characters were very interesting. Would definitely recommend it to younger audiences.

Was this review helpful?

A very heartwarming story about youth, trans and sports.

Well written and researched and establishes a strong emotional bound to the characters in the book.

Was this review helpful?

"One of the Boys" is a debut novel about a trans girls life post-coming out, and American football. Im adding "American" to the name because Im European and completely unfamiliar with this sport, yet I had no trouble immersing myself in the chapters with games. I wasnt completely lost, thanks to the author explaining everything so well. At the beginning of the book Grace, and the readers, are faced with a question: "Is there space for a trans girl in sport?" By the end of it, we will hear a loud and clear "YES!", as Grace forges her own, different path in this transphobic world.

Now, more than ever, books such as this one are extremely necessary. Depiction of misogyny trans girls face was very important, and I dont think Ive ever read a book that examines a trans persons life after they come out and have to live their lives true to themselves, and the hardships that they face. Im very glad I live in this particular era in which I can read books such as this one. From the bottom of my heart, thank you author.

I loved the way the chapters set in pre-coming out times were written, and I love the addition of them. The feeling of despair is one Im very familiar with, I just hope I can one day feel as happy as Grace does at the end of the book. Spoiler, I guess?

This book was very hopeful and inspiring. Its fast paced, and can be read very quickly. It has strong character development and a great cast of loveable and diverse characters. I LOVE Graces Dad. Im so happy for Riley and Imani!!! All of the boys are so great, but Ahmed has my heart... The way Graces situation with Zoe is handled is satisfying.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC!

Was this review helpful?