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Glitch Girl!
“Each poem is as raw as it is beautiful.” —Alex Gino, author of ALA Stonewall Award-winning novel Melissa
For fans of Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff, a poignant novel in verse about a trans girl with ADHD who plays a computer game to process the isolation of middle school, her relationship to gender, and her wish for belonging–which she later finds through the joy of queer friendship.
J—’s life is consumed by the roller coaster video game Coaster Boss, and by the power she exerts over the pixelated theme park attendees. Her life outside the game, however, is less controllable.
Me.
I’m such a big space. I break the universe, a glitch.
She's navigating ADHD, the loneliness of middle school, and an overwhelming crush on a girl named Junie. J— is convinced that Junie sees her as who she really is, a person who isn’t “bad” just because she doesn't stay quiet and sit still in class. As a person who is realizing that the name she's been given doesn’t really fit her. And that boy doesn’t either.
Glitch Girl! follows J— from fifth to seventh grade, from the beginning to the end of her obsession with Coaster Boss, and to the start of a new friendship. When J— meets Sam, a nonbinary classmate, she begins to realize that it's okay to not fit into neat, pixelated boxes.
For fans of Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff, a poignant novel in verse about a trans girl with ADHD who plays a computer game to process the isolation of middle school, her relationship to gender, and her wish for belonging–which she later finds through the joy of queer friendship.
J—’s life is consumed by the roller coaster video game Coaster Boss, and by the power she exerts over the pixelated theme park attendees. Her life outside the game, however, is less controllable.
Me.
I’m such a big space. I break the universe, a glitch.
She's navigating ADHD, the loneliness of middle school, and an overwhelming crush on a girl named Junie. J— is convinced that Junie sees her as who she really is, a person who isn’t “bad” just because she doesn't stay quiet and sit still in class. As a person who is realizing that the name she's been given doesn’t really fit her. And that boy doesn’t either.
Glitch Girl! follows J— from fifth to seventh grade, from the beginning to the end of her obsession with Coaster Boss, and to the start of a new friendship. When J— meets Sam, a nonbinary classmate, she begins to realize that it's okay to not fit into neat, pixelated boxes.
444 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 11, 2025
11 people are currently reading
2287 people want to read
About the author
Rainie Oet
7 books28 followersRainie Oet writes fiction and poetry for young readers and adults.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
dnf
March 25, 2025i cannot handle this stream of conciousness writing style. I am struggling too much to stay engaged with the characters. Also, it's a novel in verse but the poem structures feel halfhearted....DNF @page 50
October 15, 2024
I received an advance copy from the publisher via Netgalley for review purposes; this in no way influences my review.
This book is intense and rough, but I’m glad it has a happy, hopeful ending. I don’t know how much I believe in the positivity of the ending based on the experiences prior, but also limited perspective is also going to shape my feelings of the earlier experiences J— had with her parents. The relationship she has with Junie also made me uncomfortable in ways because of the almost obsessive nature of it, but also I can see that being extremely relatable to others because of the feelings of “do I like her or do I want to be her?” that I think is at the root of J—‘s feelings for Junie. I like that it’s a story that covers three years and it gives a lot of space for J—‘s growth and self-discovery. I found this hard to put down and ended up reading it in one sitting when I should have gone to sleep (whoops), and think this does a lot of good things regarding gender feelings and understanding, as well as dealing with ADHD brain and the way society and those in power will punish you for being yourself, even as you’re doing your best to be “good.” Overall a really intense book that I’ll be thinking about for a while.
This book is intense and rough, but I’m glad it has a happy, hopeful ending. I don’t know how much I believe in the positivity of the ending based on the experiences prior, but also limited perspective is also going to shape my feelings of the earlier experiences J— had with her parents. The relationship she has with Junie also made me uncomfortable in ways because of the almost obsessive nature of it, but also I can see that being extremely relatable to others because of the feelings of “do I like her or do I want to be her?” that I think is at the root of J—‘s feelings for Junie. I like that it’s a story that covers three years and it gives a lot of space for J—‘s growth and self-discovery. I found this hard to put down and ended up reading it in one sitting when I should have gone to sleep (whoops), and think this does a lot of good things regarding gender feelings and understanding, as well as dealing with ADHD brain and the way society and those in power will punish you for being yourself, even as you’re doing your best to be “good.” Overall a really intense book that I’ll be thinking about for a while.
November 8, 2024
Glitch Girl! is a heartbreaking story about a very young trans girl(she/they) who's just trying to figure out their gender identity. Add to that their ADHD and, to a much lesser extent, their Russian Jewish upbringing. Told in verse, this story spans several years from elementary school to early high school while J---- figures out what it means to be themselves and how to navigate the problems they have with their ADHD.
I don't get poetry, in general. And this type I get even less, to be perfectly honest with you. Mostly it feels like a regular story, but spaced out so it looks like a poem. There are a few instances where the spacing makes an impact, but overall, I just don't get it. That being said, this was so good, but SO hard to read as a mom of an enby kid. The MC is abused by their parents, both physically and mentally. And mentally by their teachers. The only adult that is kind is a friend's mom and the interaction is minimal. This was very hard for me to read.
Release Date: 3/11/2025
I don't get poetry, in general. And this type I get even less, to be perfectly honest with you. Mostly it feels like a regular story, but spaced out so it looks like a poem. There are a few instances where the spacing makes an impact, but overall, I just don't get it. That being said, this was so good, but SO hard to read as a mom of an enby kid. The MC is abused by their parents, both physically and mentally. And mentally by their teachers. The only adult that is kind is a friend's mom and the interaction is minimal. This was very hard for me to read.
Release Date: 3/11/2025
January 29, 2025
This was such a difficult read, especially because I saw so much of myself reflected in J--. Our main character is facing a complex list of challenges on top of the usual middle school difficulties. They are figuring out their gender, navigating a crush on a friend, struggling with ADHD, and dealing with abusive parents. All of this leads to some emotional, tough to read scenes. As hard as it was to read, I'm so glad middle grade books like this exist now for kids to read and relate to.
Rainie Oet did an incredible job portraying an ADHD character in a realistic way, instead of the ignorant, damaging way a lot of media does. J--'s ADHD made it even harder for them to navigate the struggles of learning and discovering themself in the already tough years of middle school. They also show the ways gender envy can manifest as an obsessive seeming crush through J--'s relationship with Junie (or, at least, that's the way I interpreted their friendship in the number of times J-- said they didn't know if they wanted to date Junie or be her more. I would've loved J-- to meet Sam a little earlier in the book and continue to explore their gender through that relationship, but honestly the obsessive Junie dialogue was realistic despite it seeming nonstop.
There main reason this wasn't a five star for me is that there wasn't much going on outside of J-- playing a rollercoaster game. That's not to say I didn't love the way the game was woven into the story. It was interesting to see how J-- used the coaster game to explore their gender, or test out social interactions, or create some sort of metaphorical version of their real world.
Overall a little heavier of a book than I anticipated, but very glad to have read it, and glad it ends on a hopeful note.
Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin for the eARC!
Rainie Oet did an incredible job portraying an ADHD character in a realistic way, instead of the ignorant, damaging way a lot of media does. J--'s ADHD made it even harder for them to navigate the struggles of learning and discovering themself in the already tough years of middle school. They also show the ways gender envy can manifest as an obsessive seeming crush through J--'s relationship with Junie (or, at least, that's the way I interpreted their friendship in the number of times J-- said they didn't know if they wanted to date Junie or be her more. I would've loved J-- to meet Sam a little earlier in the book and continue to explore their gender through that relationship, but honestly the obsessive Junie dialogue was realistic despite it seeming nonstop.
There main reason this wasn't a five star for me is that there wasn't much going on outside of J-- playing a rollercoaster game. That's not to say I didn't love the way the game was woven into the story. It was interesting to see how J-- used the coaster game to explore their gender, or test out social interactions, or create some sort of metaphorical version of their real world.
Overall a little heavier of a book than I anticipated, but very glad to have read it, and glad it ends on a hopeful note.
Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin for the eARC!
January 10, 2025
***NetGalley ARC ***
The MC struggled a lot with physical and mental abuse with family and teachers with having little to no support it was becoming hard for them to cope with the problems that they had along with ADHD. All the while of just trying to get the feeling of where do they fit in the world, talking with another non binary friend and their parent made it just a bit more easier.
This story reminds me of what it would be like in just today’s society of how trying to come out or just trying to have the comfort in your own home and how hard it is for them not to do so. It was kind of hard reading this because it was so many moments I just wanted to give a hug through the book. I loved the writing style because it was like it was a poem but, I feel like in this style, it was much more easier to read the emotions that the MC had towards everything they were going through.
The MC struggled a lot with physical and mental abuse with family and teachers with having little to no support it was becoming hard for them to cope with the problems that they had along with ADHD. All the while of just trying to get the feeling of where do they fit in the world, talking with another non binary friend and their parent made it just a bit more easier.
This story reminds me of what it would be like in just today’s society of how trying to come out or just trying to have the comfort in your own home and how hard it is for them not to do so. It was kind of hard reading this because it was so many moments I just wanted to give a hug through the book. I loved the writing style because it was like it was a poem but, I feel like in this style, it was much more easier to read the emotions that the MC had towards everything they were going through.
March 20, 2025
Glitch Girl! is a novel-in-verse about a young trans girl discovering who she is. I was super excited for this book because of the trans and ADHD representation and the character's interest in video games. However, my final rating is a 3.5 (rounded to 4).
I'll start off by saying, be aware that parts of this book are especially dark for a middle grade book. There is child abuse, dark thoughts, and an obsessive crush on a classmate. I feel like some parts of the story will be very relatable for a middle grade audience, like learning how to navigate crushes and friendships, dealing with the transition to middle school, feeling misunderstood, and figuring out personal identity. However, some parts of the story seemed very slow, especially for a novel-in-verse. I appreciate that the story covered several years in the main character's life, but it felt like there were also a lot of details to keep track of and to try to link together.
The author included interviews at the end of the book with "Junie" and "Garrison". As an adult, I feel like that provided me with some context and backstory that were relevant to the story, however I'm not sure that a middle grade reader would read the interviews and if they did they may not have the same take aways. I feel like stories like this one are extremely important, I just think that the way it was written won't have the mass appeal for young readers that I would hope for.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kokila for the opportunity to review an eARC of Glitch Girl!
I'll start off by saying, be aware that parts of this book are especially dark for a middle grade book. There is child abuse, dark thoughts, and an obsessive crush on a classmate. I feel like some parts of the story will be very relatable for a middle grade audience, like learning how to navigate crushes and friendships, dealing with the transition to middle school, feeling misunderstood, and figuring out personal identity. However, some parts of the story seemed very slow, especially for a novel-in-verse. I appreciate that the story covered several years in the main character's life, but it felt like there were also a lot of details to keep track of and to try to link together.
The author included interviews at the end of the book with "Junie" and "Garrison". As an adult, I feel like that provided me with some context and backstory that were relevant to the story, however I'm not sure that a middle grade reader would read the interviews and if they did they may not have the same take aways. I feel like stories like this one are extremely important, I just think that the way it was written won't have the mass appeal for young readers that I would hope for.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kokila for the opportunity to review an eARC of Glitch Girl!
March 28, 2025
A deeply personal, semi-autobiographical middle grade novel about a Jewish trans girl with ADHD and her experiences navigating friendships, crushes, coming out and bullying.
This was fantastic on audio and at times incredibly heartbreaking watching J try to fit in and struggle with 'masking' her 'too much'ness that her peers just didn't understand.
Highly recommended for fans of authors like AJ Sass or Kyle Lukoff! Many thanks to @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review. Especially touching is the author's note and interviews included at the end of the book.
This was fantastic on audio and at times incredibly heartbreaking watching J try to fit in and struggle with 'masking' her 'too much'ness that her peers just didn't understand.
Highly recommended for fans of authors like AJ Sass or Kyle Lukoff! Many thanks to @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review. Especially touching is the author's note and interviews included at the end of the book.
November 12, 2024
This was a beautiful snapshot of a young girl's inner world. I loved reading J's story through verse. The intentional line breaks, syntax, and formatting add another layer to what she's thinking. I wish books and stories like this one were around when I was a young queer trans kid. This novel is a common self-discovery story told beautifully and I hope you give it a chance.
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June 11, 2025because this is semi autobiographical i don't want to rate this due to feeling weird rating somebody's life story. i do highly recommend this fictional story told in verse that reflects a lot of the author's real life experiences. i appreciated the interviews at the end and the hindsight conversation looking back on these formative years. this is a hard read at times following a young trans girl learning who she is and discovering herself while struggling with adhd and the way those around "different" kids can be challenging (when not out right harmful). the ending does leave the reader feeling good knowing that there are people with love and compassion and things will often be okay as you age. as for this story being written in verse, i am not a skilled reader of poetry to know whether that improves the story but i did appreciate the author narrating this book and sharing this experience with us.
March 17, 2025
A difficult but interesting read. The middle dragged on a bit longer than it needed to and the ending was too abrupt for my tastes.
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June 8, 2025My third book I read for Pride Month!! I’m unsure how to rate this. I was anticipating reading it once I’d heard about the obsessive friendship aspect tbh. A lot of it is unmistakably tied into J—‘s gender identity and queerness, and I think that’s a very interesting angle to write about that from— especially through the lens of a trans girl from late elementary school to middle school, where there’s still that childhood innocence, kinda mixed with the inability to label your emotions because everything is so new and huge. (Although, yes, it is still uncomfortable to read about.)
When it comes to mixing the distressing nature of growing up with the slightly lesser known experience of doing it while trans, “Glitch Girl!” excels at keeping its narrative both incredibly personal, and accessible for a wider audience to connect with. I’ll admit, the mix of very real emotions/settings and fictitious elements was a little bizarre sometimes, especially in the case of the Sims and Roller Coaster Tycoon hybrid, Coaster Boss, which becomes J—‘s main form of escapism and venting throughout, with varying levels of disturbing. Still, I was very much sucked into the narrative, even with the slightly disjointed stream-of-consciousness writing style, Rainie Oet evidently relived a lot of her childhood writing this, and in doing so, forces the reader to as well. (And the nods to different bits of 2000’s pop culture, even outside Coaster Boss, were very fun.)
J—‘s spiraling was so sad and unfortunately real. I highlighted a lot of moments where she talked about her dysphoria or tried to shut it down, the disassociation that comes with it was SO well-written. (I’m also a sucker for middle grades that tackle gender dysphoria and questioning early in puberty.) I also LOVED the ADHD representation, I don’t see much high/medium support needs representation without it shutting out the voice of the character who has it.
Now! Despite my lengthy praise, I have a couple reasons for keeping this unrated: firstly, J— has a narrow and oftentimes distorted line of thinking that limits how much we truly know about the cast. While this can strengthen some dynamics, such as the one with her parents—her shifting perspective as a kid brings out the complications in her relationship with them—it ruins others, such as the ones with all her classmates that aren’t Sam. For this reason, most of the cast feels very flat, and while that’s true to life, it’s a little boring to read in a fictional narrative.
And, most egregiously: I don’t know what to think of the writing style. While it’s powerful emotionally, “Glitch Girl!” is another novel in “free verse” that feels more like prose broken up into different lines. This only changes towards the last one or two parts of the novel. Additionally, there isn’t much plot, it’s very character-centric and grounded. I saw another StoryGraph reviewer describe this book as “literary fiction for kids” and I’m inclined to agree! Unfortunately, I don’t know if it will keep the attention of the target demographic, and as such, I’m conflicted on how to rate it.
I think I would still recommend it, though? It was an interesting reading experience, and one I don’t regret putting myself through for Pride Month. Just be aware that it deals heavily with mental illness, bullying, and abuse, and it’s probably not the kind of book that can be read in one sitting without it taking a toll on you. I’m curious to know what kids think of it, and if Rainie Oet will publish a prose novel one day. (I think I’d prefer seeing her writing in that style.)
When it comes to mixing the distressing nature of growing up with the slightly lesser known experience of doing it while trans, “Glitch Girl!” excels at keeping its narrative both incredibly personal, and accessible for a wider audience to connect with. I’ll admit, the mix of very real emotions/settings and fictitious elements was a little bizarre sometimes, especially in the case of the Sims and Roller Coaster Tycoon hybrid, Coaster Boss, which becomes J—‘s main form of escapism and venting throughout, with varying levels of disturbing. Still, I was very much sucked into the narrative, even with the slightly disjointed stream-of-consciousness writing style, Rainie Oet evidently relived a lot of her childhood writing this, and in doing so, forces the reader to as well. (And the nods to different bits of 2000’s pop culture, even outside Coaster Boss, were very fun.)
J—‘s spiraling was so sad and unfortunately real. I highlighted a lot of moments where she talked about her dysphoria or tried to shut it down, the disassociation that comes with it was SO well-written. (I’m also a sucker for middle grades that tackle gender dysphoria and questioning early in puberty.) I also LOVED the ADHD representation, I don’t see much high/medium support needs representation without it shutting out the voice of the character who has it.
Now! Despite my lengthy praise, I have a couple reasons for keeping this unrated: firstly, J— has a narrow and oftentimes distorted line of thinking that limits how much we truly know about the cast. While this can strengthen some dynamics, such as the one with her parents—her shifting perspective as a kid brings out the complications in her relationship with them—it ruins others, such as the ones with all her classmates that aren’t Sam. For this reason, most of the cast feels very flat, and while that’s true to life, it’s a little boring to read in a fictional narrative.
And, most egregiously: I don’t know what to think of the writing style. While it’s powerful emotionally, “Glitch Girl!” is another novel in “free verse” that feels more like prose broken up into different lines. This only changes towards the last one or two parts of the novel. Additionally, there isn’t much plot, it’s very character-centric and grounded. I saw another StoryGraph reviewer describe this book as “literary fiction for kids” and I’m inclined to agree! Unfortunately, I don’t know if it will keep the attention of the target demographic, and as such, I’m conflicted on how to rate it.
I think I would still recommend it, though? It was an interesting reading experience, and one I don’t regret putting myself through for Pride Month. Just be aware that it deals heavily with mental illness, bullying, and abuse, and it’s probably not the kind of book that can be read in one sitting without it taking a toll on you. I’m curious to know what kids think of it, and if Rainie Oet will publish a prose novel one day. (I think I’d prefer seeing her writing in that style.)
March 25, 2025
Every kid sometimes feels uncomfortable in their own skin. But for trans kids, this can be made even worse by parents, teachers, and others who refuse to see the kid themselves.
This book hurts. But it's an important story to tell. J___, like every kid, deserves to be seen and loved. In the story, we get to see through her eyes as they explore inside the social construct of a video game while trying to navigate through middle school in the real world, constrained by undiagnosed ADHD, social anxiety, and abuse.
"Is 'bad' just the stuff that they don't want
'cause is doesn't make sense to them?
Like my ADHD? (Like my pronouns,
if I told them?)"
"But I know now, even my own shadow on my bedroom wall
is not completely dark."
And it's also about slowly finding hope, whether in real-life fencing or new ways to communicate. Honestly, middle school is hard enough. And finding your people can make it bearable.
"I write THEY in the fog.
I write SHE."
This book hurts. But it's an important story to tell. J___, like every kid, deserves to be seen and loved. In the story, we get to see through her eyes as they explore inside the social construct of a video game while trying to navigate through middle school in the real world, constrained by undiagnosed ADHD, social anxiety, and abuse.
"Is 'bad' just the stuff that they don't want
'cause is doesn't make sense to them?
Like my ADHD? (Like my pronouns,
if I told them?)"
"But I know now, even my own shadow on my bedroom wall
is not completely dark."
And it's also about slowly finding hope, whether in real-life fencing or new ways to communicate. Honestly, middle school is hard enough. And finding your people can make it bearable.
"I write THEY in the fog.
I write SHE."
March 28, 2025
The is such a unique way to tell this story. I was hesitant to liking it at first, but it grew on me as I got further into J—‘s story.
My heart hurts for J—, hurts for the experiences she went through, the confusion and angry thoughts in her head, and reading what it’s like for someone to grow up with ADHD.
Thank you, Penguin Teen, for sending me this book!
My heart hurts for J—, hurts for the experiences she went through, the confusion and angry thoughts in her head, and reading what it’s like for someone to grow up with ADHD.
Thank you, Penguin Teen, for sending me this book!
December 22, 2024
I hate to be the first not-so-great reviewer for this book, but NetGalley provided me an ARC in return for an honest review!
I had high hopes for this one as a queer, neurodivergent adult who struggled with fitting in as a kid. Unfortunately, Glitch Girl! didn’t meet my expectations. To start, it took me so. freaking. long. to get through this. It’s written in verse but is still somehow SOOOO long. There is also not really a plot for 90% of the book. The main character, J, goes to school, comes home to play a Rollercoaster Tycoon-esque, and talks about their crush. The video game part takes up waaaay too much of the book for something that doesn’t actually move the storyline along. J is also an odd, unreliable narrator, and by that I mean they are a true neurodivergent child who really doesn’t understand what’s going on socially between themself and their classmates/“friends,” and that was hard to read for me. Parts of the story with Junie were just…strange.
However, there were some good things about this! I love that J found a friend in Sam towards the end, and I am always grateful for queer, ND middle grades rep. I also really enjoyed the interviews with the real “Junie” and “Garrison” at the end.
I had high hopes for this one as a queer, neurodivergent adult who struggled with fitting in as a kid. Unfortunately, Glitch Girl! didn’t meet my expectations. To start, it took me so. freaking. long. to get through this. It’s written in verse but is still somehow SOOOO long. There is also not really a plot for 90% of the book. The main character, J, goes to school, comes home to play a Rollercoaster Tycoon-esque, and talks about their crush. The video game part takes up waaaay too much of the book for something that doesn’t actually move the storyline along. J is also an odd, unreliable narrator, and by that I mean they are a true neurodivergent child who really doesn’t understand what’s going on socially between themself and their classmates/“friends,” and that was hard to read for me. Parts of the story with Junie were just…strange.
However, there were some good things about this! I love that J found a friend in Sam towards the end, and I am always grateful for queer, ND middle grades rep. I also really enjoyed the interviews with the real “Junie” and “Garrison” at the end.
July 16, 2025
This book made me feel very uncomfortable...and i think that's my favorite thing about it. There's a lot happening in this story about J---...a young trans girl who is just starting 5th grade at the beginning of this story.
What made me the most uncomfortable about this book is that I didn't really like J---...and since this whole book is from J---'s POV that made it really awkward. The inner thoughts and the clingy friendship, saying Junie was her girlfriend when that clearly wasn't the case, the way they played the roller coaster game and would kill the guests...it was really off putting. I kept having to remind myself that this is a literal child and that I shouldn't judge her for any of it. Because the other part of the story makes it clear that J---- did not have a supportive home life. Her parents were abusive and she hated herself for feeling the way she did...which is absolutely heartbreaking. All the things I didn't like about J--- were a reflection of the struggles she was going through.
I'm really glad a read this story and I think its an important one to be told. The interviews at the end with the real like Junie and Garrison were so important I think...to see that juxtaposition between the story we just read where they were major players in a very important time in J---'s life...but from their POV they barely knew each other. I think that happens a lot and you can never really know how much you impact others.
This wasn't a new favorite for me but I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up being a very important and influential book for me. A great reminder to not be so quick to judge, to be more patient, to be a better mom...so many things I will take away from this book even if it wasn't my favorite reading experience and im not sure if i will read it again. I would still recommend it.
What made me the most uncomfortable about this book is that I didn't really like J---...and since this whole book is from J---'s POV that made it really awkward. The inner thoughts and the clingy friendship, saying Junie was her girlfriend when that clearly wasn't the case, the way they played the roller coaster game and would kill the guests...it was really off putting. I kept having to remind myself that this is a literal child and that I shouldn't judge her for any of it. Because the other part of the story makes it clear that J---- did not have a supportive home life. Her parents were abusive and she hated herself for feeling the way she did...which is absolutely heartbreaking. All the things I didn't like about J--- were a reflection of the struggles she was going through.
I'm really glad a read this story and I think its an important one to be told. The interviews at the end with the real like Junie and Garrison were so important I think...to see that juxtaposition between the story we just read where they were major players in a very important time in J---'s life...but from their POV they barely knew each other. I think that happens a lot and you can never really know how much you impact others.
This wasn't a new favorite for me but I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up being a very important and influential book for me. A great reminder to not be so quick to judge, to be more patient, to be a better mom...so many things I will take away from this book even if it wasn't my favorite reading experience and im not sure if i will read it again. I would still recommend it.
August 7, 2025
baby's first litfic in verse tbh for all that doesn't really happen in this book. And here's the thing, I was really excited for a neurodivergent trans kid novel in verse! This is, in fact, one of my favorite mediums of writing, but oooh boy.... I do not like the normalization of J's treatment of Junie. It's VERY much reminiscent of the kind of lack of boundaries and borderline stalking that I've had to address with certain neurdivergent kids. Especially where they tell themselves that the other kid that they've become infatuated with is in love with them too.
And I feel kinda bad saying that given this book is part autobiographical and it seems from the interview in the end of the book with Real Junie that she didnt feel squicked out, but I as a reader was deeply uncomfortable with how J hyperfocused on Junie and insisted she was their girlfriend, and stalked her through school. And yes, J doesn't really have any adult in their life to correct this behavior, but its never really addressed beyond a few pages near the end when J realizes Junie is her own person and not an infatuated girlfriend of theirs. And I really dont like that kind of messaging for other neurodivergent kids.
And I feel kinda bad saying that given this book is part autobiographical and it seems from the interview in the end of the book with Real Junie that she didnt feel squicked out, but I as a reader was deeply uncomfortable with how J hyperfocused on Junie and insisted she was their girlfriend, and stalked her through school. And yes, J doesn't really have any adult in their life to correct this behavior, but its never really addressed beyond a few pages near the end when J realizes Junie is her own person and not an infatuated girlfriend of theirs. And I really dont like that kind of messaging for other neurodivergent kids.
May 14, 2025
Vibes
MG
Trans MC (M to F)
Multiple Queer Reps
Characters-10
I love J!!! She was great, and I loved the journey this book was. The supporting characters were fun to read about, my favorite was Sam. I enjoyed the friendship between J and Junie.
Writing-9.5
As someone who doesn't read a ton of Novels in Verse, I enjoyed this one! The writing style kept me engaged. As someone who played a lot of Roller Coaster Tycoon, I loved how the game was incorporated into this story. Glitch Girl! was a journey, and I loved the ride this story took us on.
Setting-10
I enjoyed the town that J lived in, and the different spaces in the town.
Plot-9.5
The story was a little slow in places, but overall, I loved this story!
Enojyment-9.5
This was cute, fun, and heartwarming. Very happy a number of people recommend it to me to read for Middle-Grade May.
MG
Trans MC (M to F)
Multiple Queer Reps
Characters-10
I love J!!! She was great, and I loved the journey this book was. The supporting characters were fun to read about, my favorite was Sam. I enjoyed the friendship between J and Junie.
Writing-9.5
As someone who doesn't read a ton of Novels in Verse, I enjoyed this one! The writing style kept me engaged. As someone who played a lot of Roller Coaster Tycoon, I loved how the game was incorporated into this story. Glitch Girl! was a journey, and I loved the ride this story took us on.
Setting-10
I enjoyed the town that J lived in, and the different spaces in the town.
Plot-9.5
The story was a little slow in places, but overall, I loved this story!
Enojyment-9.5
This was cute, fun, and heartwarming. Very happy a number of people recommend it to me to read for Middle-Grade May.
June 10, 2025
This was a smidge intense I think for a young middle grader (due to the thought spirals and parental abuse J- goes through) but I think an upper middle grader who can handle slightly intense situations would be able to read this. It’s a compelling look into a kid growing up with ADHD and exploring their identity while attempting to understand their place in middle school / Ohio. Thank you to the publisher for the e-arc access to this novel in verse. I would put this in my classroom for my upper middle graders (I also liked seeing the Russian words and perspectives of the computer game to gauge where J- is at mentally.)
July 1, 2025
as a queer child of ukranian-jewish immigrants (who had also moved to cleveland) i genuinely felt like i was reading about my family's life. it was almost disorientating lol.
Read
October 23, 2025This one took me a really long time to get through because I felt so sad for everything the main character was going through! I found it very interesting that the author included interviews with the real-life people some of the characters were inspired by.
March 30, 2025
In this thoughtful book, a gender-questioning youth navigates ADHD, their gender identity, and friendships. They struggle with making and keeping friends and relating appropriately to peers and adults. Their parents are physically violent with them, and lack any understanding or strategies to help them cope with their ADHD, and the child does not feel safe revealing their gender questions to them, instead allowing them to play endless video games.
I found this book depressing. I'm certain this reflects a horrible reality for many children, but it's not what I would choose to expose my middle-grade readers to without a lot of conversations and some counter perspectives.
Thanks to Netgally for the ARC.
I found this book depressing. I'm certain this reflects a horrible reality for many children, but it's not what I would choose to expose my middle-grade readers to without a lot of conversations and some counter perspectives.
Thanks to Netgally for the ARC.
March 29, 2025
4.5 Stars
July 24, 2025
It's very unusual for me to enjoy poetry, but:
1) I have a soft spot for stories about sad kids who are dealing with stuff - in this case, including but not limited to, gender dysphoria, neurodivergence, and social isolation. I also think this is a very good portrayal of what it's like to be a middle school kid who lacks social skills and whose brain works a bit differently. Some parts of this hit me really hard. Ugh those years sucked so much.
2) I've long thought that the best poetry is the kind written by sad and lonely people. (Not to speculate as to how sad or lonely the author is IRL, but the narrator in the story certainly is, and according to the author's note this is semi-biographical, so...)
3) This is Middle Grade, so unlike most adult poetry which goes clear over my head, I found this very readable!
1) I have a soft spot for stories about sad kids who are dealing with stuff - in this case, including but not limited to, gender dysphoria, neurodivergence, and social isolation. I also think this is a very good portrayal of what it's like to be a middle school kid who lacks social skills and whose brain works a bit differently. Some parts of this hit me really hard. Ugh those years sucked so much.
2) I've long thought that the best poetry is the kind written by sad and lonely people. (Not to speculate as to how sad or lonely the author is IRL, but the narrator in the story certainly is, and according to the author's note this is semi-biographical, so...)
3) This is Middle Grade, so unlike most adult poetry which goes clear over my head, I found this very readable!
August 26, 2025
Heavy and heartbreaking at times and as a rollercoaster tycoon kid I loved this sooo so much. Rainie had my whole heart and Sam was so precious. I loved the formatting too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 20, 2025
DNF’ed at approximately 45-50%. This book felt like rage bait. It was so repetitive and boring. And it leaned on harmful and ableist stereotypes.
It had everything going for it! I love verse novels and I loved the premise and promise of AuDHD, and a trans main character, but unfortunately the video game monologue was very repetitive and boring and it just constantly dragged out. Maybe I’d finish it in the future but I’m done with it for now.
It had everything going for it! I love verse novels and I loved the premise and promise of AuDHD, and a trans main character, but unfortunately the video game monologue was very repetitive and boring and it just constantly dragged out. Maybe I’d finish it in the future but I’m done with it for now.
October 25, 2024
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Glitch Girl! by Rainie Oet is a first person-POV Middle Grade Queer contemporary novel in verse. Following J—, a transgirl (she/they) with ADHD and Russian Jewish immigrant parents, from fourth to seventh grade, in a series of non-rhyming poetic vignettes, we see her daily life and how she grows into herself. From love, gender, being neurodivergent, and more, we get a deep look into J—’s mind and how isolated they often feel from the people around them.
This was my first novel in verse in a very long time if not my very first. I appreciate sonnets and some shorter poetry but have struggled to get into more modern poetry over the years. I requested this ARC specifically so I could see if I could develop an appreciation for the art form through a longer narrative and I’m so glad I did. If you’re like me and are unfamiliar with how non-rhyming poetry is structured, the line breaks make a lot more sense if you pause at the end of each line and take in why Rainie Oet picked that particular word to end on and that emphasis it creates. Taking your time is really key to taking in the poetic cadence and I highly recommend doing so instead of speed reading.
We don’t have another name for J—-, which is the shortened version of their dead name, a name that they already know they don’t want because it doesn’t feel right, but they don’t know what a dead name is until much later. That plus not telling others about how they are feeling in regards to their gender helps show the journey of someone still figuring things out but knows when something is not working. It’s so important to show that period of time so many baby Queers experience because it sometimes feels like everyone else just knew who they were while you were struggling to put a name to why something feels off. I think a lot of young trans people will feel very seen and heard by Glitch Girl!
J— is, without a doubt, struggling to connect to their parents, their peers, and the other adults in their life but it’s also made quite clear that other people don’t know how to connect to them so those peers, those teachers, and the parents just don’t even try. They do make a friend in Junie which later develops into a full blown crush complete with the all-consuming fantasies that is so common when someone is experiencing their first crush. But no matter how hard the two try to understand each other, there is a barrier there. Junie makes more of an effort that their classmates, who often ridicule the lead, but it’s still not quite enough.
Content warning for mentions of child abuse and anti-Semitism and for depictions of transphobia and albeism
I would recommend this to fans of novels in verse looking for a novel exploring transness, readers looking for a MG contemporary inspired by the author’s life, and those looking for kidlit that is honest about the treatment of kids who are neurodivergent
Glitch Girl! by Rainie Oet is a first person-POV Middle Grade Queer contemporary novel in verse. Following J—, a transgirl (she/they) with ADHD and Russian Jewish immigrant parents, from fourth to seventh grade, in a series of non-rhyming poetic vignettes, we see her daily life and how she grows into herself. From love, gender, being neurodivergent, and more, we get a deep look into J—’s mind and how isolated they often feel from the people around them.
This was my first novel in verse in a very long time if not my very first. I appreciate sonnets and some shorter poetry but have struggled to get into more modern poetry over the years. I requested this ARC specifically so I could see if I could develop an appreciation for the art form through a longer narrative and I’m so glad I did. If you’re like me and are unfamiliar with how non-rhyming poetry is structured, the line breaks make a lot more sense if you pause at the end of each line and take in why Rainie Oet picked that particular word to end on and that emphasis it creates. Taking your time is really key to taking in the poetic cadence and I highly recommend doing so instead of speed reading.
We don’t have another name for J—-, which is the shortened version of their dead name, a name that they already know they don’t want because it doesn’t feel right, but they don’t know what a dead name is until much later. That plus not telling others about how they are feeling in regards to their gender helps show the journey of someone still figuring things out but knows when something is not working. It’s so important to show that period of time so many baby Queers experience because it sometimes feels like everyone else just knew who they were while you were struggling to put a name to why something feels off. I think a lot of young trans people will feel very seen and heard by Glitch Girl!
J— is, without a doubt, struggling to connect to their parents, their peers, and the other adults in their life but it’s also made quite clear that other people don’t know how to connect to them so those peers, those teachers, and the parents just don’t even try. They do make a friend in Junie which later develops into a full blown crush complete with the all-consuming fantasies that is so common when someone is experiencing their first crush. But no matter how hard the two try to understand each other, there is a barrier there. Junie makes more of an effort that their classmates, who often ridicule the lead, but it’s still not quite enough.
Content warning for mentions of child abuse and anti-Semitism and for depictions of transphobia and albeism
I would recommend this to fans of novels in verse looking for a novel exploring transness, readers looking for a MG contemporary inspired by the author’s life, and those looking for kidlit that is honest about the treatment of kids who are neurodivergent
April 2, 2025
I have complicated feelings about Glitch Girl, and I think a lot of that has to do with my expectations going into the book. Rainie Oet's semi-autobiographical book in verse is powerful, vulnerable, and much darker than I had anticipated.
What I enjoyed/appreciated:
- Rainie Oet does not pander to her middle school audience. There are some genuinely heartbreaking moments in this story, particularly J-'s parents' physical abuse, as well as the bullying perpetrated by J-'s classmates. While I personally found these elements to be tremendously challenging to read, I do think that it can be important and beneficial for students to read stories like this, either as a mirror to reflect their own experiences or a window to build empathy.
- I appreciated some of the nostalgic elements of the book, which is set in the early 2000s. "Coaster Boss" very much felt like a tribute to the popular simulation games of the time (e.g. The Sims or Roller Coaster Tycoon), many of which I played throughout middle school.
- One of the strongest parts of the book was actually Oet's interview with the real-life inspiration for "Junie" and "Garrison" at the end of the book. I thought it was so enlightening to get to see their perspectives of the same situations depicted in the book. I so appreciated Oet's explanation for why she chose to include these interviews. "The past is so important to people. We can try our best to remember, but we can't ever really go back. Everyone lives from their own version of the past...Every person has their own story. You who are reading this, I hope that one day I can read yours."
What I struggled with:
- As mentioned above, the depiction of child physical and emotional abuse in this book was truly difficult to stomach at times. If I were to recommend this book to a student or colleague, I would definitely lead with content warnings.
- I also struggled reading J-'s perception of their ADHD, especially early in the book, e.g. "My ADHD makes me bad, is what Mama always says." I think it's important for readers to know that while this book is a truly vulnerable and honest portrayal of this young individual's experience with ADHD, there are many moments like this in which the character is internalizing their neurodivergence as objectively and inherently "bad".
Thank you to NetGalley and Kokila Books for my advanced reader copy.
What I enjoyed/appreciated:
- Rainie Oet does not pander to her middle school audience. There are some genuinely heartbreaking moments in this story, particularly J-'s parents' physical abuse, as well as the bullying perpetrated by J-'s classmates. While I personally found these elements to be tremendously challenging to read, I do think that it can be important and beneficial for students to read stories like this, either as a mirror to reflect their own experiences or a window to build empathy.
- I appreciated some of the nostalgic elements of the book, which is set in the early 2000s. "Coaster Boss" very much felt like a tribute to the popular simulation games of the time (e.g. The Sims or Roller Coaster Tycoon), many of which I played throughout middle school.
- One of the strongest parts of the book was actually Oet's interview with the real-life inspiration for "Junie" and "Garrison" at the end of the book. I thought it was so enlightening to get to see their perspectives of the same situations depicted in the book. I so appreciated Oet's explanation for why she chose to include these interviews. "The past is so important to people. We can try our best to remember, but we can't ever really go back. Everyone lives from their own version of the past...Every person has their own story. You who are reading this, I hope that one day I can read yours."
What I struggled with:
- As mentioned above, the depiction of child physical and emotional abuse in this book was truly difficult to stomach at times. If I were to recommend this book to a student or colleague, I would definitely lead with content warnings.
- I also struggled reading J-'s perception of their ADHD, especially early in the book, e.g. "My ADHD makes me bad, is what Mama always says." I think it's important for readers to know that while this book is a truly vulnerable and honest portrayal of this young individual's experience with ADHD, there are many moments like this in which the character is internalizing their neurodivergence as objectively and inherently "bad".
Thank you to NetGalley and Kokila Books for my advanced reader copy.
February 17, 2025
Glitch Girl is such an interesting book. I am certain it's going to win awards. I've never read anything like it (the closest comparison I can think of is Louder Than Hunger), and I've never seen a young POV portray ADHD so accurately. Based loosely on the author's own experiences from 5th-7th grade, this is deeply personal and includes important representation.
J- is transgender, has intense ADHD, and feels misunderstood. By parents, whose frustrations with J-'s behavior turns abusive. With classmates and teachers, who think J- is being disruptive on purpose. By Junie (J-'s crush) and Garrison (Junie's friend), who went from being friendly to saying not so nice things. J- blames J- which is heartbreaking and difficult to read.
The only solace J- finds is in a roller coaster sims type game. J- builds park after park, different roller coasters and different guests, trying to find glitches in the game design. Sometimes the game turns deadly. J-'s mother finds this particularly disturbing, although J- doesn't mean for it to happen.
This is an extremely tough book to read. It's deeply personal and the first person POV is as close as a reader can get to J-'s thoughts. It was not an easy read, at times I had to push myself to continue, especially as there were so many scenes featuring the roller coaster computer game. There also wasn't much plot, it was deeply character driven, and all of it in J-'s point of view was intense (I think deliberately so). And despite some of the middle section being slow, the ending felt too abrupt.
Be sure to check the content warnings before reading. A bonus I really enjoyed were the interviews at the back of the book with the real people Junie and Garrison are based on. Fascinating!
Recommended for ages 10+ due to mature themes.
J- is transgender, has intense ADHD, and feels misunderstood. By parents, whose frustrations with J-'s behavior turns abusive. With classmates and teachers, who think J- is being disruptive on purpose. By Junie (J-'s crush) and Garrison (Junie's friend), who went from being friendly to saying not so nice things. J- blames J- which is heartbreaking and difficult to read.
The only solace J- finds is in a roller coaster sims type game. J- builds park after park, different roller coasters and different guests, trying to find glitches in the game design. Sometimes the game turns deadly. J-'s mother finds this particularly disturbing, although J- doesn't mean for it to happen.
This is an extremely tough book to read. It's deeply personal and the first person POV is as close as a reader can get to J-'s thoughts. It was not an easy read, at times I had to push myself to continue, especially as there were so many scenes featuring the roller coaster computer game. There also wasn't much plot, it was deeply character driven, and all of it in J-'s point of view was intense (I think deliberately so). And despite some of the middle section being slow, the ending felt too abrupt.
Be sure to check the content warnings before reading. A bonus I really enjoyed were the interviews at the back of the book with the real people Junie and Garrison are based on. Fascinating!
Recommended for ages 10+ due to mature themes.
March 25, 2025
This book stressed me all the way out, and as such I'm struggling to rate it.
When I picked this up, I didn't realize that it was in large part autobiographical, though there are many fictionalized elements. The author talks about this more at the end, and this makes a great deal of sense in hindsight. Oet's depiction of ADHD is extremely accurate, and as someone with ADHD, reading J---'s story (this is how the character is named in the book) left me with such a deep sense of secondhand shame that I felt physically ill with anxiety most of the time that I was reading. This isn't to say that I think J--- SHOULD be ashamed, but that my own memories, sparked by this story, were visceral and unsettling. Oet's language is often plain and direct, but it still packs an emotional punch and manages to convey a stunning amount of nuance.
From a technical perspective, I wished the language had reflected the changing age of the main character more. By the end, when J--- is thirteen, the sentence structures haven't really evolved. As a result, J--- felt a little bit trapped in time. We also spend a *LOT* of time in a fictional video game that's a mashup of The Sims and Rollercoaster Tycoon, and felt like that got a little tedious at times, though I understood the game's role in the story.
Despite a few little quibbles and my emotionally rocky reading experience, I thought this was a solid middle grade novel-in-verse. The finale is hopeful, and there's a Q&A at the end with the real-life versions of J---'s crush and 'rival.' I'm curious how Oet's writing style for adult poetry might differ from her MG style. This was a unique reading experience and I will definitely check out more of her work in the future.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
When I picked this up, I didn't realize that it was in large part autobiographical, though there are many fictionalized elements. The author talks about this more at the end, and this makes a great deal of sense in hindsight. Oet's depiction of ADHD is extremely accurate, and as someone with ADHD, reading J---'s story (this is how the character is named in the book) left me with such a deep sense of secondhand shame that I felt physically ill with anxiety most of the time that I was reading. This isn't to say that I think J--- SHOULD be ashamed, but that my own memories, sparked by this story, were visceral and unsettling. Oet's language is often plain and direct, but it still packs an emotional punch and manages to convey a stunning amount of nuance.
From a technical perspective, I wished the language had reflected the changing age of the main character more. By the end, when J--- is thirteen, the sentence structures haven't really evolved. As a result, J--- felt a little bit trapped in time. We also spend a *LOT* of time in a fictional video game that's a mashup of The Sims and Rollercoaster Tycoon, and felt like that got a little tedious at times, though I understood the game's role in the story.
Despite a few little quibbles and my emotionally rocky reading experience, I thought this was a solid middle grade novel-in-verse. The finale is hopeful, and there's a Q&A at the end with the real-life versions of J---'s crush and 'rival.' I'm curious how Oet's writing style for adult poetry might differ from her MG style. This was a unique reading experience and I will definitely check out more of her work in the future.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
March 9, 2025
Glitch Girl! is about a young J-- in 5th through 7th grade navigating life with ADHD, friends and crushes, gender identity, and an emotionally neglectful family. You never really do learn J--'s name as J-- no longer identifies with that name and has yet (in the story) to choose a new one. With some differences, this book catalogs quite a few of the author's experiences growing up.
There are so many different layers to this book. The beginning jumps around quite a bit, but that only gives you a good insight to the ADHD brain that J-- is dealing with. It is also heartbreaking with J-- hearing so often when they are young that they are "bad" simply because they cannot control themselves quite like the other kids. There were several instances in the first half of this book, especially in the Coaster Boss scenes, that I was not sure where it was going - with all the borderline evil things that J-- would do to the park guests - that ended up making complete sense and coming together nicely in the end. Overall I thought this book was put together very well and really gave a great perspective on what goes through the brain of someone who is dealing with so many different difficulties and changes.
I did appreciate the interviews with the real "Junie" and "Garrison" at the end of the book. I feel that it really gave a good look at how some of the things that happen to us and consume so much of our thoughts, may not have been such a harsh memory to the others involved. You also get to see that as we grow there are quite a few things that we forget and just don't matter.
There are so many different layers to this book. The beginning jumps around quite a bit, but that only gives you a good insight to the ADHD brain that J-- is dealing with. It is also heartbreaking with J-- hearing so often when they are young that they are "bad" simply because they cannot control themselves quite like the other kids. There were several instances in the first half of this book, especially in the Coaster Boss scenes, that I was not sure where it was going - with all the borderline evil things that J-- would do to the park guests - that ended up making complete sense and coming together nicely in the end. Overall I thought this book was put together very well and really gave a great perspective on what goes through the brain of someone who is dealing with so many different difficulties and changes.
I did appreciate the interviews with the real "Junie" and "Garrison" at the end of the book. I feel that it really gave a good look at how some of the things that happen to us and consume so much of our thoughts, may not have been such a harsh memory to the others involved. You also get to see that as we grow there are quite a few things that we forget and just don't matter.
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