The Passing Playbook by Isaac Fitzsimons

The Passing Playbook

Kindle Edition

Isaac Fitzsimons

Penguin Young Readers Group · Ebook · June 1, 2021

Love, Simon meets Bend It Like Beckham in this feel-good contemporary romance about a trans athlete who must decide between fighting for his right to play and staying stealth. “A sharply observant and vividly drawn debut.

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Who it’s for
Fast, flirty, and game-adjacent: it balances immersion with a little practical feel.
Genres
YA Romance - LGBTQ+, Soccer, Coming of Age
Published
Penguin Young Readers Group, June 1, 2021

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About this book

Love, Simon meets Bend It Like Beckham in this feel-good contemporary romance about a trans athlete who must decide between fighting for his right to play and staying stealth. “A sharply observant and vividly drawn debut. I loved every minute I spent in this story, and I’ve never rooted harder for a jock in my life.” – New York Times bestselling author Becky Albertalli Fifteen-year-old Spencer Harris is a proud nerd, an awesome big brother, and a David Beckham in training.

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He's also transgender. After transitioning at his old school leads to a year of isolation and bullying, Spencer gets a fresh start at Oakley, the most liberal private school in Ohio. At Oakley, Spencer seems to have it all: more accepting classmates, a decent shot at a starting position on the boys' soccer team, great new friends, and maybe even something more than friendship with one of his teammates. The problem is, no one at Oakley knows Spencer is trans—he's passing. But when a discriminatory law forces Spencer's coach to bench him, Spencer has to make a choice: cheer his team on from the sidelines or publicly fight for his right to play, even though it would mean coming out to everyone—including the guy he's falling for.

Game On

Fast, flirty, and game-adjacent: it balances immersion with a little practical feel.

Come here for

  • soccer + queer romance crossover
  • a sporty, edgy read

Expect

  • romance-forward energy
  • category-familiar sports framing

Where it sits

Soccer84%
YA Romance - LGBTQ+45%
Coming of Age44%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Coming of Age
  • YA Romance - LGBTQ+
  • Soccer
Authors
Isaac Fitzsimons
Publisher
Penguin Young Readers Group
Published
June 1, 2021
Format
Ebook
Reading lane
Coming of Age