I ended up DNFing this book. I found it uncomfortable to read about the awkward discovery of sexuality and gender in middle school. This may be helpful for actual middle schoolers who may feel alone in their experiences, but it was too much for me personally.

Thank you to Netgalley for the free arc!

It is amazing that books like this exist for middle grade readers now. Ollie is a 12, almost 13 year old, who is trying to figure out who she is. She knows that she does not want to be a girl and does not want to become a woman. Ollie experiences changes in her relationship with her best friend Cal who is a girl and a good friend Nate, a boy. Several things shake up her view of who she thinks she is and where she belongs. One is she begins to befriend a group of queer kids at school and the other is an English project where she has to write an essay about what it means to grow up and become a woman. Ollie has no idea and interviews many women to try to figure it out. She explores various labels including transgender, nonbinary, and Ollie in her quest to figure out who she is. One critique that I've seen from other people is that the story comes together a little bit too neatly at the end. That's true, but it also makes for a satisfying ending.

Ollie in Between is a beautiful middle grade novel that explores grief, implied neurodiversity, and gender through the lens of a middle grade student. I really love Ollie and found myself connecting so much to the way they explored all the difficult parts of growing up. This book has gorgeous prose and great non-binary representation. Ollie's love of the natural world was a delight! I completely related to the confusion and disappointment when all of your friends' interests suddenly change and you don't understand why.

Thanks to NetGalley, Jess Callans, and Macmillan for the chance to read and review! My opinions are my own!

A book about a neurodivergent queer main character trying to discover who they are.

I started out really enjoying this book but the ramblings of the MC through inner monologue quickly became unbearable for me.

I think this book is vital for the younger generation especially those around Ollies age who are also going through self discovery and I really wish there had been books like this when I was younger.

Thank you Netgalley Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends for the arc

I cried so much during this read. This is what it feels and means to be a queer kid figuring out what your gender and sexuality means in an unkind world. Middle school is tough and being queer makes it harder. My heart ached for Ollie’s pain and filled me with joy for their happiness. I already preordered the book, absolutely essential to have in a queer collection.

There's a big part of me wondering where this book was when I was 12. Regardless of how you feel about your gender and place in social hierarchies of middle school (whether that's your past or present) I think the ambivalence Ollie has towards their changing body and figuring out their place in the world will probably be super relatable.

Ollie In Between perfectly captures that messy, confusing, and frustrating feeling of growing up and not quite fitting into the boxes everyone expects. Ollie’s struggles—balancing friendships, dealing with puberty, and figuring out who they really are—felt so real and relatable. Their voice is funny, raw, and full of heart, and I was rooting for them the entire time.

This book is perfect for anyone who’s ever felt stuck in the middle of things, and it’s such an important, comforting read for kids figuring out their own identities. Definitely a must-read!

While I didn't entirely enjoy the format of this book, it will help other queer kids that pick it up. It was still a wonderful message, I wish we had more time to see Ollie explore their new style and life before the book ends. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC of Ollie in Between.

Such a special middle grade novel. Ollie In Between follows an important story of a student trying to understand what womanhood is and what it is like to be a woman. The novel studies themes of queerness and ultimately makes you question your own views on the subject.

I loved Ollie in Between - as someone who is nonbinary myself I would have really appreciated reading this book at about 13 or 14, so I tried to keep my younger self in mind reading which is a huge part of why this will not be full of petty criticisms. I love the writing style, I love how it explores just the basic fact of what it means - or doesn't mean - to grow up.
I'm not good at eloquent reviews, I'm afraid, so I will keep this short.
This book is a beautiful exploration of queerness specifically in regards to gender. The plot is medium-paced to allow time for the self-exploration of the main character, and in that sense I think it's really well done. Ollie asks questions I think so many of us ask ourselves, especially if we do struggle with our gender and our bodies doing things we didn't ask for - what does it actually MEAN to be a girl or a boy, and is there a way of doing it 'right'? And the way it wrapped up, while maybe a bit simplistic or too perfect for some, made me smile and is perfect for the book.
It's a very simple story with a timely message and I hope that the intended audience, tweens in the midst of the eternal struggle that is puberty, will draw some comfort that at least a fictional character gets it even if they can't talk about it with friends or family.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing this arc!

growing up i never thought of my body as a “woman”’s. maybe because my mother made it clear that gender was irrelevant when it comes to life success; maybe because the hindu legends i devoured featured gods and mortals alike swapping genders to reach their goals. either way, puberty passed for me relatively easily. i started carrying pads in my backpack, at some point i started wearing bras, and it was just something that happened. even now, five years after coming out as nonbinary, i rarely experience dysphoria with regards to my physical body.

but many aren’t as lucky as me, and to them i recommend this book.

ollie in between is a gripping, powerful, and at times painful story about trying to find who and what you are, in a society that loves to assign people into categories, but doesn’t love to elaborate on what those categories mean or why they exist. the main character ollie is tasked with writing an essay about what it means to grow up, but faced with conflicting opinions from her best friends and sister, they decide to interview several women in their life to find out. as they learn more and more about “being a woman”, they also realize they might not be one. ollie’s journey is by no means an easy one, but i think it is a poignant portrayal of queer existence, resilience, and joy.

trigger warnings: transphobia, homophobia, bullying, panic attacks

4.5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for the ARC!

Ollie in Between is about an autistic middle schooler dealing with the conflicts of puberty and gender identity.
I have been trying to write this review for weeks. I don’t know how to explain my thoughts on this book in a sensible way.
I would say, this book is almost more about being autistic than being nonbinary. It was great, but it was a bit confusing because I thought it would be more about gender questioning (and it is but it’s… not?).
This book made me weep. I can’t reasonably recommend this to anyone because it was so heart-breaking to read. Ollie deals with a lot of bullying and internal confusion, and I felt their feelings so hard that it hurt.
However, it was really hard to watch Ollie go around in circles, and I almost DNFed this so I wouldn’t have to watch them suffer. Every time I thought things would get better for them, they didn’t! I just wanted Ollie to have a happy life with their friends!
Anyway, good book. Recommend. Autistic queer friends, proceed with caution. You may find yourself getting stabbed in the heart a thousand times.

CW: queerphobia; bullying; parent death; sexism; body shaming & (signs of) eating disorder; blood

*thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends for the eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.*

sometimes i don't know what to say about a book because it is just that good, and this is one of them. it hurt in a good way. i felt everything and wanted so much to protect Ollie from all the horrible things people said and did to them. i'm glad books like this exist. i'm glad people like this author exist to bring us these stories and make spaces for us to feel all the things.

highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Ollie in Between is a middle grade, coming of age novel about a middle schooler trying to come to terms with their sexual and gender identity amidst the throes of puberty. Ollie’s inner voice is so distinct and their struggle to find their place in the world feels so relatable. I can only imagine how valuable this book is going to be for queer, trans, and nonbinary kids reading it today.

I loved the use of humor to add a bit of levity to a tough topic. I need someone to cosplay the sanitary napkin armor scene. 🤣 5⭐️

I really wanted to love Ollie In Between, but it consistently fell somewhat short of my expectations. I’m always seeking out new middle-grade stories of nonbinary and trans self-discovery, and based on the description, I was hoping Ollie In Between would find its place among my favorites. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite manage that. There was a lot to enjoy about this book, from the thoughtful exploration of womanhood and how the difficulty to define gender makes it even more difficult to understand your nonbinary identity to the Ollie’s complex family dynamics to the transphobia and homophobia of their peers to the new friend group they find themself part of. However, it fell a little flat for me. This story felt a little more wandering than I wanted it to, a little too aimless to be character-driven, and though I appreciated elements of the ending, it was a little too tidy for me. Overall, I think that Ollie In Between is a valuable book to read and share, because I think many readers discovering themselves will find themselves in it—I think I would’ve five or six years ago. However, I wasn’t personally a huge fan.

2.5/5 stars, rounded up

I'm sure this is a heartfelt book about working out your gender identity, but I had to stop at 25%. It is written in first person and is 90% Ollie talking to Ollie about Ollie. But with all that, I don't feel like I learned much about Ollie. That much internal monologue is a turn-off for me.

First person doesn't lock you into internal monologues. The [book:Fourth Wing|61431922] series is all in first person, and that has plenty of dialogue and action.

Feiwel & Friends was kind enough to provide me with an advanced reading copy via NetGalley for an honest review.

DNF at 31%

I fully recognize this is a me issue. It could be a number of things, but they're all a me problem that I couldn't get into this book. I love that Ollie is a probably autistic, possibly asexual, likely nonbinary main character. I really liked Ollie's sister. I found Ollie's "I'm fine, just observing" attitude interesting. Did not care for Ollie's friends or the way they treat Ollie. The pacing was slow, which I think was supposed to be because Ollie is being introspective and self-evaluating, but I just did not get into it. I have the same issue with literary books too, so it's definitely a me problem.

Rated 3 stars because there are queer neurodivergent kids out there who need this.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

Ollie is on the precipice of puberty, something we all have to go through. Hair appearing places it wasn’t before, a new need for deodorants, and of course, menstruation. Ollie doesn’t feel like they fit in. They’re too “girly” for the hockey team yet not “girly” enough for the popular girls at school. Ollie decides to interview women and girls in their life for a school project, asking “what does it mean to be a woman”, which leads Ollie through the realization that she isn’t a girl.

This middle grade novel had me hooked! Ollie is immediately likeable and I was rooting for them the whole time! The book deals with subjects most 12-13 year olds deal with, such as friendship woes, fitting in, and puberty, but the book really shines when it dives into Ollie discovering their gender identity. There’s also a good about of grief being dealt with while Ollie is going through everything else.

As a middle school teacher, I truly believe that everyone deserves to see themselves represented in books, especially during our early teen-hood. Ollie in Between balances the trials of middle school in a realistic, sometimes dark, and yet still hopeful way. This debut is well crafted, nuanced, and an important story to add to any shelf.

Thank you to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What an awesome book. I loved Ollie and getting to watch them experience their place in the world and also so desperate to fit in.

It felt so easy for me to go back in time and remember myself at this age, and just truly how difficult everything feels. To fit in, to find yourself, to know yourself, to find friends, to try to feel close to your family, to find out what you like, etc. It all feels like so much. I think Callans did an incredible job of displaying these feelings and emotions in Ollie for the reader. It felt so real, like I was experiencing it in real time with them.

I feel like this book is so important, not only those questions their gender identity but for everyone else as well. It’s crucial to remember that everyone else experiences the world different than ourselves. No two people are the same, and that’s the beauty of diversity and inclusion. I loved how Ollie got to see and experience kids their age stick up for them and their friends. I loved the Queer Book Club and how those friends allowed Ollie to question and slowly accept themselves. It’s important to stick up for others in the face of bullying and harassment, and I loved moments where we got to see that and how it showed Ollie’s old friends just how important it is to go against the status quo.

CW: transphobia, homophobia, bullying, sexism, misogyny, panic attacks/disorders, body shaming, death of parent (off page, before book time period)

This was pretty awesome. I really liked the characters, they were all very layered, and Ollie was flawed and felt so real. I just really connected with them. They made mistakes but I was with them the entire time. This book was such a great journey. I loved seeing Ollie grow into themselves, make better friends and stand for themselves and everyone around them. This was also really funny at times. I just had an amazing time with this one and it made me feel all the things. I could not recommend it more. I cannot wait to read whatever Jess Callans writes next!