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Leaving the Station
Nina LaCour meets Alyson Derrick in this cross-country journey of identity, love, and friendships as Zoe tries to figure out her life, one train stop at a time.
“Sometimes, looking at him was like looking in a funhouse mirror.”
Zoe’s life has gone off the rails.
When she left Seattle to go to college in New York, she was determined to start fresh, to figure out what being a lesbian meant to her, to experiment with clothes and presentation away from home for the first time.
Instead, she lost touch with her freshman orientation friend group, skipped classes, and failed completely at being the studious premed student her parents wanted her to be.
But the biggest derailment of all? Her newly minted ex-boyfriend—and the fact that she had a boyfriend to begin with. When she met Alden, he made her feel wanted, he made her feel free. He made her feel . . . like she could be like him, which was exciting and confusing all at once.
So, Zoe decides a second fresh start is in order: she’s going to take a cross-country train from New York to Seattle for fall break. There, no one will know who she is, and she can outrun her mistakes.
Or so she thinks until she meets Oakley, who’s the opposite of Zoe in so many ways: effortlessly cool and hot, smart, self-assured. But as Zoe and Oakley make their way across the country, Zoe realizes that Oakley’s life has also gone off the rails—and that they might just be able to help each other along before that train finally leaves the station.
“Sometimes, looking at him was like looking in a funhouse mirror.”
Zoe’s life has gone off the rails.
When she left Seattle to go to college in New York, she was determined to start fresh, to figure out what being a lesbian meant to her, to experiment with clothes and presentation away from home for the first time.
Instead, she lost touch with her freshman orientation friend group, skipped classes, and failed completely at being the studious premed student her parents wanted her to be.
But the biggest derailment of all? Her newly minted ex-boyfriend—and the fact that she had a boyfriend to begin with. When she met Alden, he made her feel wanted, he made her feel free. He made her feel . . . like she could be like him, which was exciting and confusing all at once.
So, Zoe decides a second fresh start is in order: she’s going to take a cross-country train from New York to Seattle for fall break. There, no one will know who she is, and she can outrun her mistakes.
Or so she thinks until she meets Oakley, who’s the opposite of Zoe in so many ways: effortlessly cool and hot, smart, self-assured. But as Zoe and Oakley make their way across the country, Zoe realizes that Oakley’s life has also gone off the rails—and that they might just be able to help each other along before that train finally leaves the station.
Unknown Binding
First published August 19, 2025
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About the author
Jake Maia Arlow
5 books422 followersJake Maia Arlow is a Stonewall Honor author and bagel connoisseur. They live with their girlfriend and loud cat in an apartment with no overhead lights.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews
August 22, 2025
“You can’t go back, can’t get rid of that knowledge. But at least now you get to find out who you are in the knowing.”
rating: 4.5★
before sunrise (1995) but with a nonbinary jewish lesbian and a freshly ex-mormon lesbian, leading to many conversations about sexuality, gender, and religion.
this was funny and thought-provoking as zoe and oakley sort through their conflicting, confusing, and sometimes illuminating thoughts and revelations around identity and life.
The room technically labeled me properly; I was a woman. But if that was true, why did it feel like I was playing a part?
i loved the setting of a cross-country train. it's something i've always wanted to do, but also the metaphor of that transient place in life of adolescence / early adulthood (and all of life, really), the mingling of people of all walks of life in a short but intimate voyage, the feeling of temporarily (or maybe even permanently) being a new version of you for the duration.
Because I wasn’t perfect, and I didn’t even know if I was a girl. I was just a mess.
i just read arlow's other book excavate and something about their writing just hits for me. it's exciting and refreshing to see someone writing about gender and identity like this in YA and i genuinely hope it paves the way for more.
Even if you do the same thing over and over, you can find new people, new places. Even if it’s just for a few days, they can change the course of your life.
an honest arc review ♡
rating: 4.5★
before sunrise (1995) but with a nonbinary jewish lesbian and a freshly ex-mormon lesbian, leading to many conversations about sexuality, gender, and religion.
this was funny and thought-provoking as zoe and oakley sort through their conflicting, confusing, and sometimes illuminating thoughts and revelations around identity and life.
The room technically labeled me properly; I was a woman. But if that was true, why did it feel like I was playing a part?
i loved the setting of a cross-country train. it's something i've always wanted to do, but also the metaphor of that transient place in life of adolescence / early adulthood (and all of life, really), the mingling of people of all walks of life in a short but intimate voyage, the feeling of temporarily (or maybe even permanently) being a new version of you for the duration.
Because I wasn’t perfect, and I didn’t even know if I was a girl. I was just a mess.
i just read arlow's other book excavate and something about their writing just hits for me. it's exciting and refreshing to see someone writing about gender and identity like this in YA and i genuinely hope it paves the way for more.
Even if you do the same thing over and over, you can find new people, new places. Even if it’s just for a few days, they can change the course of your life.
an honest arc review ♡
November 25, 2025
pre-read: NONBINARY LESBIAN LETS FUCKING GO. nonbinary lesbians i love us so much mwah
post-read: i really disliked the flashbacks for most of this book and the setting of the train. i just wish there was another component to this book that would make it stick out a bit for me setting wise/character wise other than Oakley and Zoe. i really loved Aya <3 she’s so cute!!!!!
anyway, i love messy gays n i overwhelmingly loved the message of this story but execution could’ve been better, i just don’t know what would have made it better?? who knows!!
post-read: i really disliked the flashbacks for most of this book and the setting of the train. i just wish there was another component to this book that would make it stick out a bit for me setting wise/character wise other than Oakley and Zoe. i really loved Aya <3 she’s so cute!!!!!
anyway, i love messy gays n i overwhelmingly loved the message of this story but execution could’ve been better, i just don’t know what would have made it better?? who knows!!
April 7, 2025
“College hasn’t exactly been ‘great.’ I would struggle to characterize it as ‘fine.’ ‘Steaming pile of dog shit’ is about right, though not entirely accurate, seeing as dog shit can be cleaned up.”
Desperate to get away from college in New York and dreading being home in Seattle, Zoe does the obvious thing and books a three-day cross-country Amtrak ticket. Smart, really. Turns out three days is just enough time for a confused teenager to fall hopelessly in love.
Leaving the Station is a gem. Don’t get me wrong, this is contemporary YA to a T—don’t expect anything fancy, literary, or particularly original. But it’s just got the magic. I loved Jake Maia Arlow’s first YA romance, How to Excavate a Heart (“so cute it’s almost physically painful,” I noted at the time). And on some level, this is kind of the same book. Setting aside the whole cross-country train trip, they tell similar stories. Leaving the Station is maybe a little less funny, a little less weird, a little more contrived. Which I know makes it sound worse. But it’s really not. Actually, I think it may be better. I can’t really put my finger on why. But I loved it, despite its flaws (among them more than a few one-note side characters and some very unrealistic train delay shenanigans that in real life would almost certainly have left these kids in the middle of nowhere without their bags—at best). Whatever, that’s not the point. Leaving the Station is sweet and silly and the emotional core of it rings absolutely true. The kind of book that feels like an act of kindness in itself.
Desperate to get away from college in New York and dreading being home in Seattle, Zoe does the obvious thing and books a three-day cross-country Amtrak ticket. Smart, really. Turns out three days is just enough time for a confused teenager to fall hopelessly in love.
Leaving the Station is a gem. Don’t get me wrong, this is contemporary YA to a T—don’t expect anything fancy, literary, or particularly original. But it’s just got the magic. I loved Jake Maia Arlow’s first YA romance, How to Excavate a Heart (“so cute it’s almost physically painful,” I noted at the time). And on some level, this is kind of the same book. Setting aside the whole cross-country train trip, they tell similar stories. Leaving the Station is maybe a little less funny, a little less weird, a little more contrived. Which I know makes it sound worse. But it’s really not. Actually, I think it may be better. I can’t really put my finger on why. But I loved it, despite its flaws (among them more than a few one-note side characters and some very unrealistic train delay shenanigans that in real life would almost certainly have left these kids in the middle of nowhere without their bags—at best). Whatever, that’s not the point. Leaving the Station is sweet and silly and the emotional core of it rings absolutely true. The kind of book that feels like an act of kindness in itself.
July 20, 2025
A wonderful queer romcom that tackles some deep content while also being descriptive, sweet and relatable. Sure to be one of the top sapphic romances of 2025.
Zoe is escaping from their first semester in New York, they are figuring out if pre-med is right for them. In fact, they're figuring out a lot of stuff. Zoe has a great group of friends from freshman orientation, but soon becomes interested in Alden, another college student that they love hanging out with.
The narrative is dual-linear, meaning we are following both Zoe's experiences on a cross country train ride from New York to Seattle, as well as Zoe's experiences in their first college semester up until fall break. The experiences on the train are well crafted, character-driven, and nuanced. There is a strong theme of train travel and how the characters of Zoe and Oakley evolve and grow as they are on the journey. There is something so romantic about train travel- and everyone on the train has a story as to why they have chosen that transportation method and how they are experiencing the trip.
The narratives following Zoe in college, while starting only 3 months apart, show us that Zoe has learned more about themselves in the experience. The train gives us a side character of Aya, a 9 year old traveling with her mom, she is precocious, sweet, and very realistic.
Jake Maia Arlow writes young people very well, they are bright, clever, and insecure while being confident. It is the ultimate contradiction of teenagers, they simultaneously view themselves as both inferior to and superior to others. Some YA romantic fiction really misses the mark on an 18 year old, their inner dialogue sounds like a much younger child. That is certainly not the case here, and it is a breath of fresh air. I absolutely loved this book. It's so smart.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. Book to be published August 19, 2025.
Zoe is escaping from their first semester in New York, they are figuring out if pre-med is right for them. In fact, they're figuring out a lot of stuff. Zoe has a great group of friends from freshman orientation, but soon becomes interested in Alden, another college student that they love hanging out with.
The narrative is dual-linear, meaning we are following both Zoe's experiences on a cross country train ride from New York to Seattle, as well as Zoe's experiences in their first college semester up until fall break. The experiences on the train are well crafted, character-driven, and nuanced. There is a strong theme of train travel and how the characters of Zoe and Oakley evolve and grow as they are on the journey. There is something so romantic about train travel- and everyone on the train has a story as to why they have chosen that transportation method and how they are experiencing the trip.
The narratives following Zoe in college, while starting only 3 months apart, show us that Zoe has learned more about themselves in the experience. The train gives us a side character of Aya, a 9 year old traveling with her mom, she is precocious, sweet, and very realistic.
Jake Maia Arlow writes young people very well, they are bright, clever, and insecure while being confident. It is the ultimate contradiction of teenagers, they simultaneously view themselves as both inferior to and superior to others. Some YA romantic fiction really misses the mark on an 18 year old, their inner dialogue sounds like a much younger child. That is certainly not the case here, and it is a breath of fresh air. I absolutely loved this book. It's so smart.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. Book to be published August 19, 2025.
February 5, 2025
wait this was so cute i love friendship and plants and gay people
ALSO leavenworth moment?
this was a really fun short y/a book! it IS a romance but i felt like it was equally a book about finding yourself in college and discovering who you are, what you enjoy, and what you want to do in the future. i'm the same age as these characters and i also took a nontraditional education path (gap year) AND i am moving across the country for college. so i felt like this was a very relatable read.
i liked the train setting a lot and felt like the side characters were really fleshed out as real people, not just there to set up the leads.
definitely recommend :D
ALSO leavenworth moment?
this was a really fun short y/a book! it IS a romance but i felt like it was equally a book about finding yourself in college and discovering who you are, what you enjoy, and what you want to do in the future. i'm the same age as these characters and i also took a nontraditional education path (gap year) AND i am moving across the country for college. so i felt like this was a very relatable read.
i liked the train setting a lot and felt like the side characters were really fleshed out as real people, not just there to set up the leads.
definitely recommend :D
August 24, 2025
This was definitely a rude wake up call for me to start reading the summaries of books before I start them lmao. I ran so fast to double check the synopsis when I realized I was watching a lesbian develop a crush on a boy. I only chilled out once I realized that it was actually a lesbian questioning their identity and mistaking their gender envy for romantic feelings.
Leaving the Station starts with Zoe boarding the train for a 4-day long journey back home to Seattle. Trying to delay the inevitable conversation she’ll have with her parents about the absolute dumpster fire of a college experience she has left behind. On board she meets Oakley, a cool self-assured girl who is also heading back home after her own failed journey.
I definitely wouldn’t go into this expecting a romance novel. This is a very strong coming-of-age contemporary. The central focus is on deconstructing and reshaping identity. There are a lot of conversations around religion, gender, community, and agency. Oakley and Zoe’s interactions are very colored by these philosophical discussions comparing and contrasting their experiences. They both have these big decisions that have to be made after they get off the train.
It’s understandable that they form a very strong attachment to each other considering the raw conversations they have and the very isolated feeling they share. And also since they both have their first queer experience with each other. I don’t really see them working long term, but I think they formed a really strong companionship. It was interesting seeing how their values and personalities clashed.
I liked the shenanigans they got up to on the train and the people they met. I could see that Arlow was trying to highlight the wide range of people you would meet on such a trip, but a lot of the people they encounter felt kind of hollow. I liked Aya though. I didn’t really care for the flashbacks to Zoe’s time on campus. I think the story still would have worked without them. Zoe is definitely a complex character that was difficult to like at times. If I was Oakley I would have punched Zoe in the face after she said she had a boyfriend back at school.
This will certainly be a very relatable novel to those wrestling with their gender and sexuality, as well as going through a huge life change like starting college.
Leaving the Station starts with Zoe boarding the train for a 4-day long journey back home to Seattle. Trying to delay the inevitable conversation she’ll have with her parents about the absolute dumpster fire of a college experience she has left behind. On board she meets Oakley, a cool self-assured girl who is also heading back home after her own failed journey.
I definitely wouldn’t go into this expecting a romance novel. This is a very strong coming-of-age contemporary. The central focus is on deconstructing and reshaping identity. There are a lot of conversations around religion, gender, community, and agency. Oakley and Zoe’s interactions are very colored by these philosophical discussions comparing and contrasting their experiences. They both have these big decisions that have to be made after they get off the train.
It’s understandable that they form a very strong attachment to each other considering the raw conversations they have and the very isolated feeling they share. And also since they both have their first queer experience with each other. I don’t really see them working long term, but I think they formed a really strong companionship. It was interesting seeing how their values and personalities clashed.
I liked the shenanigans they got up to on the train and the people they met. I could see that Arlow was trying to highlight the wide range of people you would meet on such a trip, but a lot of the people they encounter felt kind of hollow. I liked Aya though. I didn’t really care for the flashbacks to Zoe’s time on campus. I think the story still would have worked without them. Zoe is definitely a complex character that was difficult to like at times. If I was Oakley I would have punched Zoe in the face after she said she had a boyfriend back at school.
This will certainly be a very relatable novel to those wrestling with their gender and sexuality, as well as going through a huge life change like starting college.
June 16, 2025
I’ve pretty much loved every book I’ve read from Jake Maia Arlow. They have such a knack for creating complex, messy queer characters who go on interesting personal journeys. Leaving the Station is a beautiful story about two characters, Zoe and Oakley, connecting on a cross country train ride as they’re going home for Thanksgiving. They’ve both left home looking for new experiences, but haven’t exactly gotten what they were looking for.
The explorations of queerness, gender identity, and religion were all so interesting. I loved seeing all the different conversations that Zoe and Oakley had, when they would open up, and when they pushed back against one another. While it was tough to read about, getting to see all the ways that Zoe was struggling during the first year of college just felt so incredibly real.
Definitely check this out if you enjoy queer YA romances that also tackle deep subject matter!
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
The explorations of queerness, gender identity, and religion were all so interesting. I loved seeing all the different conversations that Zoe and Oakley had, when they would open up, and when they pushed back against one another. While it was tough to read about, getting to see all the ways that Zoe was struggling during the first year of college just felt so incredibly real.
Definitely check this out if you enjoy queer YA romances that also tackle deep subject matter!
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
December 26, 2024
2.5 ✨️
I know a lot of people will absolutely love this and while there were aspects I loved as well (the two timelines, the gradual exploration of gender and how to express what and how you feel when you're not sure if you want to be *with* someone or just *be* like them, the way the first semester of college can feel like a fresh start but also like a competition to figure out who you are before anyone else labels you), I didn't vibe with the way these two characters interacted with literally anyone in the story. Another reviewer called their conversations a weird mating ritual and I can't help but agree. Every single conversation that was about something real felt staged and secondary characters were merely used to create conflict where the MC and Oakley could then battle out social issues to show just how woke they were and how attractive that then was to the other one. A lot of characters were stereotypes so it could be shown just how bad and sleazy some people are and while no one loves hating men on principle more than me, here I felt like you could have also just beat me over the head with it and be done already. It just really rubbed me the wrong way, especially since there is a whole cast of secondary characters and they all sound the exact same, from the small girl Aya to the MC's (ex)boyfriend Alden (also do not get me started on how they handled a situation with a kid and their mom and a secret being kept from the daughter because I will riot). Alas, if the secondary characters had been more fleshed out, maybe the "make clear just how woke and up and up you are on social and political and religious commentary" would have felt more genuine and less like it was supposed to educate the reader.
Again, this book will be a smash with so many readers and I'm so so glad we're getting more representation of gender questioning in older YA characters, but it simply wasn't my cup of tea. 🤷♀️ hopeful that another book by the author might be up my alley, though!
I know a lot of people will absolutely love this and while there were aspects I loved as well (the two timelines, the gradual exploration of gender and how to express what and how you feel when you're not sure if you want to be *with* someone or just *be* like them, the way the first semester of college can feel like a fresh start but also like a competition to figure out who you are before anyone else labels you), I didn't vibe with the way these two characters interacted with literally anyone in the story. Another reviewer called their conversations a weird mating ritual and I can't help but agree. Every single conversation that was about something real felt staged and secondary characters were merely used to create conflict where the MC and Oakley could then battle out social issues to show just how woke they were and how attractive that then was to the other one. A lot of characters were stereotypes so it could be shown just how bad and sleazy some people are and while no one loves hating men on principle more than me, here I felt like you could have also just beat me over the head with it and be done already. It just really rubbed me the wrong way, especially since there is a whole cast of secondary characters and they all sound the exact same, from the small girl Aya to the MC's (ex)boyfriend Alden (also do not get me started on how they handled a situation with a kid and their mom and a secret being kept from the daughter because I will riot). Alas, if the secondary characters had been more fleshed out, maybe the "make clear just how woke and up and up you are on social and political and religious commentary" would have felt more genuine and less like it was supposed to educate the reader.
Again, this book will be a smash with so many readers and I'm so so glad we're getting more representation of gender questioning in older YA characters, but it simply wasn't my cup of tea. 🤷♀️ hopeful that another book by the author might be up my alley, though!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 24, 2024
This book is a mixed bag for me. I really did not gel with the first half, but the second half was alright. Don’t be fooled by the adorable sapphic romance cover though, you’re not really getting that here. In the first half, the way the two main characters talk to each other and flirt came off as a bit rude. It brought back memories of bad dates and negging.
I do want to address some positives first. The plot meanders over the course of a cross country train ride, with occasional flashbacks to a past relationship that led to a falling out in a preexisting friend group. By the time you get to the halfway point, it starts to make sense what the two main characters’ plot lines are. They’re both really struggling and running away from themselves and their lives, but there is substance there, and that was interesting. In the last bit the main characters’ relationship just kind of hits the gas all of a sudden and all plot points are instantly resolved, which was pretty jarring, but at least the plot does resolve by the end, which is a plus. There was a very nice subplot about a side job at a greenhouse that I really enjoyed, and the character of Alden ended up surprising me. There was something that came up with him that I wish got explored a bit more.
On to a few drawbacks. The book is heavy on the social commentary, which is weaponized as a mating display, and there’s not much nuance to it. I’ll admit this is one of my pet peeves, and I couldn’t get past it. Some of the characters are stereotypes who exist just to demonstrate this social commentary. Interactions with side characters feel unnatural at times. At parts it almost had me recalling that movie The Room by Tommy Wiseau, because people were just popping into scenes and saying things you really just wouldn’t expect them to say. The unnatural scenes and dialogue are used to propel the plot in a specific direction and carry the narrative. The narrative kind of presents itself as being groundbreaking while not really clearing the bar, which leaves it feeling a bit pretentious at times. One of the characters is frequently described as being so smart, but it just doesn’t feel earned. That’s a show-don’t-tell type of deal. If you have to spell it out, they probably aren’t pulling weight there. The child in the book doesn’t really act or speak like a child. Kind of on that point, all the characters have the same voice. You could swap out one name for another and not tell the difference in most cases.
About a third of the way in, the girls are running around a train doing a scavenger hunt and one of them finds a breastfeeding mom and main character starts trying to strike up a conversation with her while she’s doing this (girl no). The baby is described as looking up at her, so that means the boobs are just out on display right there on the train. Some man, who apparently has been watching this woman breastfeed (excuse me??) says he noticed she fell asleep with her eyes open! What?? Wild to begin with but no mom should be doing this, it’s very unsafe. Then the mom wakes up and (boobs still out I guess) forces this complete stranger to take her baby for her! I wanted to DNF the book there, but I did want to give it a fair shake so I stuck it out.
Overall though, it’s a no from me dawg. I’m really sorry to the author, I know they are active on here and it’s giving me heartburn. To borrow from the Boulets, literature is art and art is subjective, so if you can stomach some indelicate social commentary, some unintentionally wacky characters and scenes, and the main characters’ borderline unpleasant dispositions in the first half, check it out. 2/5 stars.
*An uncorrected proof of this book was provided by the publisher at the reviewer’s request in exchange for a fair and uncompromising review.
I do want to address some positives first. The plot meanders over the course of a cross country train ride, with occasional flashbacks to a past relationship that led to a falling out in a preexisting friend group. By the time you get to the halfway point, it starts to make sense what the two main characters’ plot lines are. They’re both really struggling and running away from themselves and their lives, but there is substance there, and that was interesting. In the last bit the main characters’ relationship just kind of hits the gas all of a sudden and all plot points are instantly resolved, which was pretty jarring, but at least the plot does resolve by the end, which is a plus. There was a very nice subplot about a side job at a greenhouse that I really enjoyed, and the character of Alden ended up surprising me. There was something that came up with him that I wish got explored a bit more.
On to a few drawbacks. The book is heavy on the social commentary, which is weaponized as a mating display, and there’s not much nuance to it. I’ll admit this is one of my pet peeves, and I couldn’t get past it. Some of the characters are stereotypes who exist just to demonstrate this social commentary. Interactions with side characters feel unnatural at times. At parts it almost had me recalling that movie The Room by Tommy Wiseau, because people were just popping into scenes and saying things you really just wouldn’t expect them to say. The unnatural scenes and dialogue are used to propel the plot in a specific direction and carry the narrative. The narrative kind of presents itself as being groundbreaking while not really clearing the bar, which leaves it feeling a bit pretentious at times. One of the characters is frequently described as being so smart, but it just doesn’t feel earned. That’s a show-don’t-tell type of deal. If you have to spell it out, they probably aren’t pulling weight there. The child in the book doesn’t really act or speak like a child. Kind of on that point, all the characters have the same voice. You could swap out one name for another and not tell the difference in most cases.
About a third of the way in, the girls are running around a train doing a scavenger hunt and one of them finds a breastfeeding mom and main character starts trying to strike up a conversation with her while she’s doing this (girl no). The baby is described as looking up at her, so that means the boobs are just out on display right there on the train. Some man, who apparently has been watching this woman breastfeed (excuse me??) says he noticed she fell asleep with her eyes open! What?? Wild to begin with but no mom should be doing this, it’s very unsafe. Then the mom wakes up and (boobs still out I guess) forces this complete stranger to take her baby for her! I wanted to DNF the book there, but I did want to give it a fair shake so I stuck it out.
Overall though, it’s a no from me dawg. I’m really sorry to the author, I know they are active on here and it’s giving me heartburn. To borrow from the Boulets, literature is art and art is subjective, so if you can stomach some indelicate social commentary, some unintentionally wacky characters and scenes, and the main characters’ borderline unpleasant dispositions in the first half, check it out. 2/5 stars.
*An uncorrected proof of this book was provided by the publisher at the reviewer’s request in exchange for a fair and uncompromising review.
unreleased
September 19, 2024god i am so excited??!?! deconstructing gender?? road trip vibes but on a train?? religion? lesbian? coming of gender? dual timelines? college as the other location? cannot wait!!!!
August 17, 2025
Did this author split my soul into two pieces and name them Zoe and Oakley? It sure feels that way!
Zoe, after a disastrous end to their first semester at college, has decided to take a cross-country train trip home to Seattle for Thanksgiving break. We get to experience both timelines throughout the book, learning more about what happened at college and how it’s affecting them in the present timeline.
On the train, they meet Oakley, a blonde lesbian who’s reconciling with leaving the high-demand religion of Mormonism. She moved to New York City in search of community, but ended up feeling more lonely and out of place than ever. The train leaves both characters with nowhere else to be, and the two find comfort and connection in each other as they open up about what they’re going through.
The amount of care and intention that went into crafting this book is clear, and as a queer ex-Mormon myself, it means a lot to see many of my personal experiences represented so well in a fictional character. It’s also powerful how Zoe’s internal monologue is told throughout the book, as we get their self-discovery of their gender and acceptance that they don’t have to have it all figured out.
On top of that, the writing is impeccable, and every single character stands out. The connections Zoe and Oakley make on the train are palpable, not only with each other but also the other passengers. Aya, an adorable 9-year-old girl on the train with her mother, is a standout character who is endearing and realistic in all of the best ways.
The romantic storyline is also beautifully done. Because of the temporary nature of the train trip, it feels natural and authentic how the characters are drawn to each other. It stands out that they communicate well and encourage honesty in one another, showing depth beyond physical attraction (though that chemistry is also strong and well-done). All of the rom-com beats I love come through strongly, but my expectations are also subverted in the perfect ways at every turn. I’d be laughing and giddy one moment and crying the next, and that’s just how I like it.
All of those things make this book both the perfect rom-com and an extremely important and valuable book for young queer people who are also in the midst of figuring themselves out. It’s powerful to see stories like this in fiction, both for the representation that makes people like me feel seen, and for the empathy it can hopefully foster in people with different lived experience. It’s highly bingeable and fun to read, but also full of depth and real situations. I highly recommend it if any of those things sound relatable to you or anyone you know. It might hit closer to home than you expect, but in the best way possible!
Zoe, after a disastrous end to their first semester at college, has decided to take a cross-country train trip home to Seattle for Thanksgiving break. We get to experience both timelines throughout the book, learning more about what happened at college and how it’s affecting them in the present timeline.
On the train, they meet Oakley, a blonde lesbian who’s reconciling with leaving the high-demand religion of Mormonism. She moved to New York City in search of community, but ended up feeling more lonely and out of place than ever. The train leaves both characters with nowhere else to be, and the two find comfort and connection in each other as they open up about what they’re going through.
The amount of care and intention that went into crafting this book is clear, and as a queer ex-Mormon myself, it means a lot to see many of my personal experiences represented so well in a fictional character. It’s also powerful how Zoe’s internal monologue is told throughout the book, as we get their self-discovery of their gender and acceptance that they don’t have to have it all figured out.
On top of that, the writing is impeccable, and every single character stands out. The connections Zoe and Oakley make on the train are palpable, not only with each other but also the other passengers. Aya, an adorable 9-year-old girl on the train with her mother, is a standout character who is endearing and realistic in all of the best ways.
The romantic storyline is also beautifully done. Because of the temporary nature of the train trip, it feels natural and authentic how the characters are drawn to each other. It stands out that they communicate well and encourage honesty in one another, showing depth beyond physical attraction (though that chemistry is also strong and well-done). All of the rom-com beats I love come through strongly, but my expectations are also subverted in the perfect ways at every turn. I’d be laughing and giddy one moment and crying the next, and that’s just how I like it.
All of those things make this book both the perfect rom-com and an extremely important and valuable book for young queer people who are also in the midst of figuring themselves out. It’s powerful to see stories like this in fiction, both for the representation that makes people like me feel seen, and for the empathy it can hopefully foster in people with different lived experience. It’s highly bingeable and fun to read, but also full of depth and real situations. I highly recommend it if any of those things sound relatable to you or anyone you know. It might hit closer to home than you expect, but in the best way possible!
September 26, 2025
This book blew me away by the end! The story begins with following Zoe, a Cornell student who is heading back to Seattle via Amtrak for Thanksgiving, trying to figure out how to explain to her parents that she won't be heading back and ruminating on the messy relationships she's leaving behind. Shortly upon leaving the Station, though, Oakley, a beautiful and intriguing girl, catches Zoe's eye...and so begins a transformative four-day journey through the Northern US!
This book explores so many topics in a way that never feels like "too much" and every topic gets a healthy amount of exploration. From religion, exploring gender and sexuality, the feeling of being a "failure," dealing with parental pressure and disappointment, and the wonders of train travel, this book had it all. The way this book explores both the nuances of exploring gender (especially when you've spent years feeling established in your current identity!) was incredible. I have yet to see a book tackle this topic in the way this one did, and I loved it. There's also so many interesting and rich conversations about religion in this book. Zoe is Jewish, and the choice to make Oakley mormon, rather than any other sect of christianity, felt so intentional and added a lot to these two's conversations regarding queerness and community.
There's also several side characters in this journey that are such a delight. Honestly, this book should be used as an advertisement for Amtrak. I have legitimately been researching tickets and plan to take the train they take in the book, the Empire Builder, next year to visit some friends in Chicago.
I'm so happy to see this book is a Stonewall Honor Book, as it truly deserves all the flowers. I know this is a book that could really influence a lot of young people's lives for the better.
This book explores so many topics in a way that never feels like "too much" and every topic gets a healthy amount of exploration. From religion, exploring gender and sexuality, the feeling of being a "failure," dealing with parental pressure and disappointment, and the wonders of train travel, this book had it all. The way this book explores both the nuances of exploring gender (especially when you've spent years feeling established in your current identity!) was incredible. I have yet to see a book tackle this topic in the way this one did, and I loved it. There's also so many interesting and rich conversations about religion in this book. Zoe is Jewish, and the choice to make Oakley mormon, rather than any other sect of christianity, felt so intentional and added a lot to these two's conversations regarding queerness and community.
There's also several side characters in this journey that are such a delight. Honestly, this book should be used as an advertisement for Amtrak. I have legitimately been researching tickets and plan to take the train they take in the book, the Empire Builder, next year to visit some friends in Chicago.
I'm so happy to see this book is a Stonewall Honor Book, as it truly deserves all the flowers. I know this is a book that could really influence a lot of young people's lives for the better.
December 10, 2024
Zoe’s life is spiraling, but a chance meeting on a cross-country train with Oakley might just be the fresh start they both need.
*thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book to review.*
First of all… this cover and premise is iconic. Road trip, but make it a train. Religion questions, gender, queerness… this book has a little bit of everything!!
*spoilers*
I absolutely loved the back and forth between before the trip and during. It was such an effective storytelling tool. I felt everything right along with Zoe. When they start questioning everything about who they are and why they are attracted to Alden. When the wonder about Oakley. Ugh I just loved it!
The train characters were so incredibly great. Who wasn’t crying by the end with Aya and Edward?? And the epic grand gesture. Truly wonderful.
I really enjoyed my time in this world. 💜
*thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book to review.*
First of all… this cover and premise is iconic. Road trip, but make it a train. Religion questions, gender, queerness… this book has a little bit of everything!!
*spoilers*
I absolutely loved the back and forth between before the trip and during. It was such an effective storytelling tool. I felt everything right along with Zoe. When they start questioning everything about who they are and why they are attracted to Alden. When the wonder about Oakley. Ugh I just loved it!
The train characters were so incredibly great. Who wasn’t crying by the end with Aya and Edward?? And the epic grand gesture. Truly wonderful.
I really enjoyed my time in this world. 💜
July 11, 2025
Got an arc from ABA
This was charming! A fun fast read you can knock out in a day that I feel is definitely gonna resonate with the kids who don’t know who they wanna be. I wish I’d had this in college when I felt so overwhelmed and unsure. It deals with some heavy shit but in an optimistic way that makes you feel decidedly less alone, and I love that
This was charming! A fun fast read you can knock out in a day that I feel is definitely gonna resonate with the kids who don’t know who they wanna be. I wish I’d had this in college when I felt so overwhelmed and unsure. It deals with some heavy shit but in an optimistic way that makes you feel decidedly less alone, and I love that
October 1, 2025
Audiobook 🎧
This was super cute! I loved the idea of a train romance but this was so much more. I wouldnt really call this a romance in the front but more of a contemporary YA book about self-discovery.
Both Zoe and Oakley annoyed me. I dodnt really like them together as a couple but i appreciated their development and their ability to open eachother up. Zoe was honestly way too main character for me. She thought everyone felt/reacted a specific way BECAUSE OF HER rather than actually talking to them. She was a little naive and really self-centered alot of the time. BUT i did love the character development throughout the story and finding themselves. Oakley on the other hand used Zoe (not intentionally but still) for her own self discovery. I hated how she pressured Aya's mom into telling her about the family issues AT HER PARTY. Oakley had a lot of self-reflection to do and projected alot of her own trauma/issues onto others.
This was definitely a book where i was hoping the characters did not get together at the end. I think both of them needed to learn from this experience and move on rather than fall head over heels in a 3 day trip.
This was super cute! I loved the idea of a train romance but this was so much more. I wouldnt really call this a romance in the front but more of a contemporary YA book about self-discovery.
Both Zoe and Oakley annoyed me. I dodnt really like them together as a couple but i appreciated their development and their ability to open eachother up. Zoe was honestly way too main character for me. She thought everyone felt/reacted a specific way BECAUSE OF HER rather than actually talking to them. She was a little naive and really self-centered alot of the time. BUT i did love the character development throughout the story and finding themselves. Oakley on the other hand used Zoe (not intentionally but still) for her own self discovery. I hated how she pressured Aya's mom into telling her about the family issues AT HER PARTY. Oakley had a lot of self-reflection to do and projected alot of her own trauma/issues onto others.
This was definitely a book where i was hoping the characters did not get together at the end. I think both of them needed to learn from this experience and move on rather than fall head over heels in a 3 day trip.
June 1, 2025
5 Stars
I loved this book so much. It takes some really big questions, the kind of big questions and hard decisions that don't have concrete answers. It isn't a coming-out story but a figuring-it-out story, and I love that, too. Questionably marketed as YA, because I don't know that these questions are ones the YA market will invest in as much as an older audience might. But that's just a marketing issue. In every other regard, I loved it. I highly recommend it, and I've got a lot more to say about it.
But that will have to wait for my full review, available at Gateway Reviews on August 8, 2025. Swing by if you get the chance!
Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
I loved this book so much. It takes some really big questions, the kind of big questions and hard decisions that don't have concrete answers. It isn't a coming-out story but a figuring-it-out story, and I love that, too. Questionably marketed as YA, because I don't know that these questions are ones the YA market will invest in as much as an older audience might. But that's just a marketing issue. In every other regard, I loved it. I highly recommend it, and I've got a lot more to say about it.
But that will have to wait for my full review, available at Gateway Reviews on August 8, 2025. Swing by if you get the chance!
Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
Read
August 24, 2025This book reminded me why I love YA so much! I loved the exploration of self and our place in the world. I loved the deep conversations around religion and that complicated feeling of missing parts of a religion, but debating if the good outweighs the harm of the bad. I also loved reading about the high of falling for someone and the exploration of feelings as two people reach new levels of intimacy for the first time.
This has truly become a new favorite book of mine! I loved the whole cast of characters from our MC to our LI to all the side characters on the train. I adored them all!
I highly recommend this one!
Thank you NetGalley and Storytide for a copy of this eARC.
This has truly become a new favorite book of mine! I loved the whole cast of characters from our MC to our LI to all the side characters on the train. I adored them all!
I highly recommend this one!
Thank you NetGalley and Storytide for a copy of this eARC.
Read
January 11, 2025Thank you to NetGalley for gifting me an ARC!
I am so excited for this book to be out and to be in the hands of nonbinary lesbians out in the world. At a time where a lot of people are wrongfully questioning the validity of being lesbian AND nonbinary, I’m glad that a book like this exists because it shows young adults that their existence is not up for debate. This story explored gender envy and sexuality exceptionally well, in addition to other topics such as religion, friendship, and questioning your career path. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.
I am so excited for this book to be out and to be in the hands of nonbinary lesbians out in the world. At a time where a lot of people are wrongfully questioning the validity of being lesbian AND nonbinary, I’m glad that a book like this exists because it shows young adults that their existence is not up for debate. This story explored gender envy and sexuality exceptionally well, in addition to other topics such as religion, friendship, and questioning your career path. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.
October 21, 2024
If you've read any of Jake Maia Arlow's other work (and if you haven't, why have you been living under a rock??), you know we're in for a treat!!! Lesbians on a train LFG!!!
March 30, 2025
I had a terrible time with this and couldn't wait for it to be over, probably would have DNFed but persisted to review because it was an ARC. Every character was annoying and insufferable but the mc was the worst. They didn't care about anyone really and basically viewed all ppl as just NPCs in their story. The only character I liked at all was Alden because he was just being himself and didn't know what mess he had gotten into.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 25, 2025
What do you do when you're grieving the version of yourself that still exists and you read the line "I'm grieving the version of myself that still exists"? You crash out.
December 21, 2024
There's a fundamental raw honesty to this book. I did not always like Zoe, but my God, were they relatable. And not just because I'd shared a number of their experiences, from college burnout, to questioning my own identity and sexuality (ace-spec may be orthogonal to non-binary, but it can throw some similar confusion wrenches into everything,) to love of train journeys. Arlow's words serve as a fierce conduit to every one of Zoe's emotions, and watching them grow and develop was pure joy.
What I liked most of all was the subtlety of this growth. Arlow never had to beat me over the head with the fact that Zoe was growing more empathetic and better at meaningfully connecting to others. Just look at the difference in the way the Tees are described early on—very aesthetic-based, almost no internality—and the small yet intimate details we learn about the other passengers on the train. The growth is shown, not told, and it's beautiful.
Like Zoe, I did not always like Oakley, but as with Zoe, I'm glad Arlow let her keep her flaws, instead of idealizing her as a love interest. Both were real, and vulnerable, and messy, and I almost surprised myself with how much I wound up wishing them well. (Still think she was a self-absorbed hypocrite for the way she treated Nanami, though.)
In fact, let me go further with that. Arlow made so, so many wise, empathetic, nuanced character choices throughout this book. A lesser author would have found a way to vilify Alden. Or dismissed Virginia as old and therefore conservative/hostile. Or used Aya as a cute prop instead of a believable, three-dimensional child. Arlow did none of that, leaving their book richer with every choice.
Publishers' comps are not always to be trusted, but in this case, the comparison to Nina LaCour is very apt. Leaving the Station shares the same warmth I associate with LaCour's writing, and I'm so glad I picked it up on the basis of this comparison.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions within are my own.
What I liked most of all was the subtlety of this growth. Arlow never had to beat me over the head with the fact that Zoe was growing more empathetic and better at meaningfully connecting to others. Just look at the difference in the way the Tees are described early on—very aesthetic-based, almost no internality—and the small yet intimate details we learn about the other passengers on the train. The growth is shown, not told, and it's beautiful.
Like Zoe, I did not always like Oakley, but as with Zoe, I'm glad Arlow let her keep her flaws, instead of idealizing her as a love interest. Both were real, and vulnerable, and messy, and I almost surprised myself with how much I wound up wishing them well. (Still think she was a self-absorbed hypocrite for the way she treated Nanami, though.)
In fact, let me go further with that. Arlow made so, so many wise, empathetic, nuanced character choices throughout this book. A lesser author would have found a way to vilify Alden. Or dismissed Virginia as old and therefore conservative/hostile. Or used Aya as a cute prop instead of a believable, three-dimensional child. Arlow did none of that, leaving their book richer with every choice.
Publishers' comps are not always to be trusted, but in this case, the comparison to Nina LaCour is very apt. Leaving the Station shares the same warmth I associate with LaCour's writing, and I'm so glad I picked it up on the basis of this comparison.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions within are my own.
August 20, 2025
I enjoyed Arlow's How to Excavate a Heart, so I picked up this one with giddy anticipation. A non-binary lesbian who takes a 4 day train trip from New York to Washington state right before Thanksgiving Break to flee the shit show of their first college semester and falls for an ex-Mormon lesbian who is also pondering her life and choices?!? Well, I was in, as a travel, finding yourself, romance is always something I'm down for, and there's always something romantic about trains!
Zoe had fled her college life after spending the semester flunking out, alienating the queer friends who took her in early on, and dating Alden, a guy who enthralls and interests her, yet one who they cannot love. And this has further complicated their feelings towards their gender and sexuality. Their only solace has been a job working at the campus greenery, caring for the plants and making them grow. When they meet Oakley in the dining car, they start to see that maybe their original thoughts on her sexuality are still true, but what does that mean about the past 4 months? Alternating between the present 4 days on the train and flashbacks that slowly reveal the bombshell of the last 4 months from Zoe's perspective is an effective way to reveal the true understanding and wrestling that both Zoe and Oakley go through. The side characters, especially Aya and Edward, represent the found family vibes that are common in travel stories. While this was much more serious than I originally expected, as the story and train progressed, I found I was rooting for Zoe in a way that I didn't initially expect the first few chapters in. I was rooting for their understanding and joy and the realization that "all you can do is live right now...and not worry if it's the best life you can live. Maybe it is; maybe it isn't. But it's the best life you can life right now" (bless Virginia--what a gem she turned out to be!). A great read to hand to any student who is struggling with identity, religion, sexuality, etc.
Thanks you to Harper Collins and Netgalley for the e-AC. This one is out today!
Zoe had fled her college life after spending the semester flunking out, alienating the queer friends who took her in early on, and dating Alden, a guy who enthralls and interests her, yet one who they cannot love. And this has further complicated their feelings towards their gender and sexuality. Their only solace has been a job working at the campus greenery, caring for the plants and making them grow. When they meet Oakley in the dining car, they start to see that maybe their original thoughts on her sexuality are still true, but what does that mean about the past 4 months? Alternating between the present 4 days on the train and flashbacks that slowly reveal the bombshell of the last 4 months from Zoe's perspective is an effective way to reveal the true understanding and wrestling that both Zoe and Oakley go through. The side characters, especially Aya and Edward, represent the found family vibes that are common in travel stories. While this was much more serious than I originally expected, as the story and train progressed, I found I was rooting for Zoe in a way that I didn't initially expect the first few chapters in. I was rooting for their understanding and joy and the realization that "all you can do is live right now...and not worry if it's the best life you can live. Maybe it is; maybe it isn't. But it's the best life you can life right now" (bless Virginia--what a gem she turned out to be!). A great read to hand to any student who is struggling with identity, religion, sexuality, etc.
Thanks you to Harper Collins and Netgalley for the e-AC. This one is out today!
July 11, 2025
This was a truly gorgeous book. It's incredibly introspective and encourages the reader to think about so many things regarding identity, community, and who we are in the past, present, and future (and, of course, on the train).
Leaving the Station is a Young Adult book, but it definitely leans towards a more mature young adult audience, which I really appreciated as someone who has mostly grown out of the genre. This is a book that could be enjoyed by an audience of any age, and provides reflections that are relevant at any point in a person's life (as represented in the novel). Further, though the book is only 300 pages long and takes place over a time period of four days, the plot and character development feels complete and unrushed, and I truly believed that these characters could form such strong connections during the span of the train ride, which is a really hard thing to write and which I very often have criticisms about. Arlow however is a genius with pacing and narration, and there wasn't a second of this book that I felt needed to be longer or shorter.
Both Zoe and Oakley are incredibly strong main characters, and I really enjoyed the way their stories and lives are running parallel to each other and how they helped each other make sense with themselves and their place in the world. While the romance in this book is far from the main point, it is certainly central and emphasizes the true messages of the story. The side characters were just as engaging, and I really felt like I understood the magic of a cross-country train ride and who we are in the undefined time between where we're going and what we've left behind.
TLDR: Absolutely fabulous, and I want to take a four-day train ride.
I received a free arc of this, but the review is my own.
Leaving the Station is a Young Adult book, but it definitely leans towards a more mature young adult audience, which I really appreciated as someone who has mostly grown out of the genre. This is a book that could be enjoyed by an audience of any age, and provides reflections that are relevant at any point in a person's life (as represented in the novel). Further, though the book is only 300 pages long and takes place over a time period of four days, the plot and character development feels complete and unrushed, and I truly believed that these characters could form such strong connections during the span of the train ride, which is a really hard thing to write and which I very often have criticisms about. Arlow however is a genius with pacing and narration, and there wasn't a second of this book that I felt needed to be longer or shorter.
Both Zoe and Oakley are incredibly strong main characters, and I really enjoyed the way their stories and lives are running parallel to each other and how they helped each other make sense with themselves and their place in the world. While the romance in this book is far from the main point, it is certainly central and emphasizes the true messages of the story. The side characters were just as engaging, and I really felt like I understood the magic of a cross-country train ride and who we are in the undefined time between where we're going and what we've left behind.
TLDR: Absolutely fabulous, and I want to take a four-day train ride.
I received a free arc of this, but the review is my own.
August 21, 2025
I wasn’t sure if I could fit this one in when the publisher sent it to me, but I was able to and it was worth it. There was a lot to like about this story. And a lot to really think about and that even learn or understand a different viewpoint.
Zoe has gone to school thinking she can finally be a lesbian in the open. She can own her sexuality as she feels it is supposed to be. In fact right away she meets a group of people who are gay or fit on the LGBTQ spectrum in some way. And they become her friends. But shortly after she sees a boy that she can’t take her eyes off of. And now, while she’s always thought she was gay, she has a boyfriend. Because of this she is soon pushing away her first day friends. I think it was because she felt like she couldn’t really be in a straight relationship around them since maybe she felt it was a lie? And as the relationship with Alden progresses, because he really does like her, she soon finds that maybe she’s attracted to him, or pulled toward him for reasons other than sexual attraction. And she finds that maybe she is more trying to learn about her gender than her sexuality.
The story is told over her train trip home from college for Thanksgiving. In between the flashbacks we get her current story on the train when she meets Oakley, who she is sexually attracted to. Oakley has her own issues though. She left her Mormon family to go to NYC to explore her sexuality. She had planned to have all sorts of experiences, but now she is going back home to her family, and thinks she is just going back to her religion and former life as well. She does have her “queer experience” as she refers to it with Zoe on the train though.
The two girls really get to know a lot about each other over the train ride. Not to mention there were some great characters on the train with them. The snack cart guy. A little girl who kind of adopts first Zoe and then Oakley. The older couple that are sitting at the dining table with Zoe and Oakley the first night on the train, and others.
I loved the way the story ended up, both girls figuring out that basically they were still trying to figure things out. For Oakley that meant maybe not just going back home and forgetting Zoe. For Zoe it meant that maybe she had to deal with how she told her parents and what she did next differently. As I mentioned at the beginning, there was a lot to read and think about, especially from Zoe’s POV when she figured out what it was about Alden that she was pulled by. And I liked the whole aspect of why Oakley decided at first just to go back to her family and religion. I’m sure many people do just go that easy route. And I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that, it’s just something that made me think.
Review first posted on Lisa Loves Literature.
Zoe has gone to school thinking she can finally be a lesbian in the open. She can own her sexuality as she feels it is supposed to be. In fact right away she meets a group of people who are gay or fit on the LGBTQ spectrum in some way. And they become her friends. But shortly after she sees a boy that she can’t take her eyes off of. And now, while she’s always thought she was gay, she has a boyfriend. Because of this she is soon pushing away her first day friends. I think it was because she felt like she couldn’t really be in a straight relationship around them since maybe she felt it was a lie? And as the relationship with Alden progresses, because he really does like her, she soon finds that maybe she’s attracted to him, or pulled toward him for reasons other than sexual attraction. And she finds that maybe she is more trying to learn about her gender than her sexuality.
The story is told over her train trip home from college for Thanksgiving. In between the flashbacks we get her current story on the train when she meets Oakley, who she is sexually attracted to. Oakley has her own issues though. She left her Mormon family to go to NYC to explore her sexuality. She had planned to have all sorts of experiences, but now she is going back home to her family, and thinks she is just going back to her religion and former life as well. She does have her “queer experience” as she refers to it with Zoe on the train though.
The two girls really get to know a lot about each other over the train ride. Not to mention there were some great characters on the train with them. The snack cart guy. A little girl who kind of adopts first Zoe and then Oakley. The older couple that are sitting at the dining table with Zoe and Oakley the first night on the train, and others.
I loved the way the story ended up, both girls figuring out that basically they were still trying to figure things out. For Oakley that meant maybe not just going back home and forgetting Zoe. For Zoe it meant that maybe she had to deal with how she told her parents and what she did next differently. As I mentioned at the beginning, there was a lot to read and think about, especially from Zoe’s POV when she figured out what it was about Alden that she was pulled by. And I liked the whole aspect of why Oakley decided at first just to go back to her family and religion. I’m sure many people do just go that easy route. And I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that, it’s just something that made me think.
Review first posted on Lisa Loves Literature.
September 23, 2025
A big thank you to the publisher for sending me a physical ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review—I’m so grateful I had the chance to read it early.
Leaving the Station follows Zoe through a split timeline: her first shaky semester of college in New York and her decision to escape it all by taking a cross-country train back home to Seattle. The dual structure worked really well here, showing both the mistakes she’s made and the ways she’s learning to move forward.
I especially enjoyed the train chapters. There’s something inherently romantic about train travel, and the book captures that atmosphere so well. Every passenger has their own reasons for being there, their own stories, and it made the journey feel layered and real. Zoe’s connection with Oakley unfolds naturally against this backdrop, and their conversations bring out some of the best moments in the book.
While the story has a romance element, I’d describe it more as a coming-of-age contemporary. At its core, this is about identity—how messy it can be, how it shifts and shapes you, and how hard it is to pin down. Zoe’s struggle to reconcile her identity as a lesbian with her complicated feelings for her ex-boyfriend felt raw and authentic. I also appreciated how the novel weaves in and explores themes of religion, gender, community, and agency in a thoughtful way.
What stood out to me most is how this book reminds us that queer stories don’t have to fall into extremes of tragedy or perfection. Sometimes they’re complicated, confusing, or in-between and I think that’s what makes Zoe’s journey so relatable.
That said, while I admired the themes and found it to be a meaningful YA contemporary, it didn’t completely pull me in the way I hoped. Still, I think this will resonate strongly with many teen readers who are figuring out who they are and where they fit in the world.
Leaving the Station follows Zoe through a split timeline: her first shaky semester of college in New York and her decision to escape it all by taking a cross-country train back home to Seattle. The dual structure worked really well here, showing both the mistakes she’s made and the ways she’s learning to move forward.
I especially enjoyed the train chapters. There’s something inherently romantic about train travel, and the book captures that atmosphere so well. Every passenger has their own reasons for being there, their own stories, and it made the journey feel layered and real. Zoe’s connection with Oakley unfolds naturally against this backdrop, and their conversations bring out some of the best moments in the book.
While the story has a romance element, I’d describe it more as a coming-of-age contemporary. At its core, this is about identity—how messy it can be, how it shifts and shapes you, and how hard it is to pin down. Zoe’s struggle to reconcile her identity as a lesbian with her complicated feelings for her ex-boyfriend felt raw and authentic. I also appreciated how the novel weaves in and explores themes of religion, gender, community, and agency in a thoughtful way.
What stood out to me most is how this book reminds us that queer stories don’t have to fall into extremes of tragedy or perfection. Sometimes they’re complicated, confusing, or in-between and I think that’s what makes Zoe’s journey so relatable.
That said, while I admired the themes and found it to be a meaningful YA contemporary, it didn’t completely pull me in the way I hoped. Still, I think this will resonate strongly with many teen readers who are figuring out who they are and where they fit in the world.
July 14, 2025
Thank you to Harper Kids and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC. All thoughts are my own.
This was such a wonderful read. It takes place on a train journey across the US and it really felt like I was on that journey alongside those characters.
This whole book felt so personal and raw and earnest and at times that made the main character unlikeable, but not in a way I was unsympathetic towards. Everything Zoe did, I understood even if I wanted to shake her into making better choices.
Oakley, despite not being a POV character, was just as full and fleshed out as Zoe. She shares so much of herself with Zoe and therefore the audience and I loved her so much.
Everyone Zoe connects with on this journey was so wonderful to meet and get to know. I genuinely felt like I was on this train with them, chatting to them too.
It was honestly the epilogue that tipped this into a 5 star read for me. Only two pages long and from the POV of a plant and yet it made me cry so there’s that.
This was such a wonderful read. It takes place on a train journey across the US and it really felt like I was on that journey alongside those characters.
This whole book felt so personal and raw and earnest and at times that made the main character unlikeable, but not in a way I was unsympathetic towards. Everything Zoe did, I understood even if I wanted to shake her into making better choices.
Oakley, despite not being a POV character, was just as full and fleshed out as Zoe. She shares so much of herself with Zoe and therefore the audience and I loved her so much.
Everyone Zoe connects with on this journey was so wonderful to meet and get to know. I genuinely felt like I was on this train with them, chatting to them too.
It was honestly the epilogue that tipped this into a 5 star read for me. Only two pages long and from the POV of a plant and yet it made me cry so there’s that.
August 23, 2025
oh this was such a wonderful book🥺🥺🥺🥺at first i was like meh too YA/early college for me but there was a lot in here that transcended age/was just wonderful. the characters were amazing and so fleshed out, the conversations around religion were wonderful (i loved the judaism stuff but i also loved the mormon stuff! who knew!) i really liked the complexities around gender and relationships and sexualities and i’m glad it wasn’t just “ugh straight boy” with alden (he was actually so great and lovely). aya was also great. i mean so were zoe and oakley but that’s a given. the train stuff was so cool and original!!! i giggled and highlighted the shit out of it too. all in all, just a wonderfully beautiful and original book that i kinda wanna cry about (but maybe that’s more to do with other things)
March 22, 2025
I absolutely loved this book so much! This is the second novel I’ve read from Jake Maia Arlow and felt so connected to the characters. The queer self discovery the characters go through is so so relatable. I wish I had this book when I was younger. I felt such shame being a lesbian growing up in religion and this made me feel like a part of me has been healed. The found family from the cross country train trip made this so good!! I loved the whole cast of characters.
The flashbacks to Zoe’s college experience really made you understand what she was battling and went though mentally, physically, and emotionally. I feel like this is going to be a comfort read for me going forward and I’d recommend this book to anyone. I can’t wait to read more from Jake Maia Arlow in the future.
Book comes out on August 19th, 2025.
The flashbacks to Zoe’s college experience really made you understand what she was battling and went though mentally, physically, and emotionally. I feel like this is going to be a comfort read for me going forward and I’d recommend this book to anyone. I can’t wait to read more from Jake Maia Arlow in the future.
Book comes out on August 19th, 2025.
September 21, 2025
4.5/5 ⭐️
Thank you so much to @harper360ya for the ARC of this book! I was genuinely so excited to read it and am so happy that I enjoyed it! All opinions are, of course, my own.
Leaving the Station follows Zoe on the journey home to Seattle from New York after a term at college that has made her feel that her life has gone off the rails. After hoping college would be a fresh start for her, she leaves for Thanksgiving break with no friends and an ex-boyfriend (which is especially surprising seeing as she’s a lesbian). On the train, Zoe meets a variety of characters, including Oakley who is smart and self-assured but has boarded the train with struggles of her own.
Being at a similar stage of life to the main character in this book (I start uni this weekend eek), I was really intrigued to read this book and wasn’t surprised that it hit home for me in a number of ways. I loved the writing style, that the voice of Zoe really did feel like a teenager and the 2 timelines as the story unfolds. As Zoe reflects on bad experiences at college while on the train, you get to experience them with her during the flashback sections. I also really enjoyed the complexity of the two main characters Zoe and Oakley. They are both flawed in different ways but loveable and real in a way that I could recognise real people in them. The general arc of the story follows topics of identity, sexuality, gender and religion in a way that was realistic and truly made me think. Sometimes in fiction these topics are discussed in quite a straight forward way but this story really leaves you with the idea that it all can be explored in a way unique to each individual. The setting of the train was sweet and characters such as Aya brought a funny and lighter touch to the story. It honestly even made me want to go on one of these trains (although you can’t cover that kind of distance in the UK 😂). Overall, this book was really beautiful and heartfelt with the relationship between Zoe and Oakley shining through as wholesome and loving. I would definitely recommend! 🩷
Thank you so much to @harper360ya for the ARC of this book! I was genuinely so excited to read it and am so happy that I enjoyed it! All opinions are, of course, my own.
Leaving the Station follows Zoe on the journey home to Seattle from New York after a term at college that has made her feel that her life has gone off the rails. After hoping college would be a fresh start for her, she leaves for Thanksgiving break with no friends and an ex-boyfriend (which is especially surprising seeing as she’s a lesbian). On the train, Zoe meets a variety of characters, including Oakley who is smart and self-assured but has boarded the train with struggles of her own.
Being at a similar stage of life to the main character in this book (I start uni this weekend eek), I was really intrigued to read this book and wasn’t surprised that it hit home for me in a number of ways. I loved the writing style, that the voice of Zoe really did feel like a teenager and the 2 timelines as the story unfolds. As Zoe reflects on bad experiences at college while on the train, you get to experience them with her during the flashback sections. I also really enjoyed the complexity of the two main characters Zoe and Oakley. They are both flawed in different ways but loveable and real in a way that I could recognise real people in them. The general arc of the story follows topics of identity, sexuality, gender and religion in a way that was realistic and truly made me think. Sometimes in fiction these topics are discussed in quite a straight forward way but this story really leaves you with the idea that it all can be explored in a way unique to each individual. The setting of the train was sweet and characters such as Aya brought a funny and lighter touch to the story. It honestly even made me want to go on one of these trains (although you can’t cover that kind of distance in the UK 😂). Overall, this book was really beautiful and heartfelt with the relationship between Zoe and Oakley shining through as wholesome and loving. I would definitely recommend! 🩷
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