Acting the Part: A YA Queer Romance Where Fake Dating Reveals Real Identity on Television

Acting the Part: A YA Queer Romance Where Fake Dating Reveals Real Identity on Television

This delightfully tropey teen romance perfect for fans of Ashley Poston and Lyla Lee follows a queer teen actor navigating their gender identity—while pretending to date their co-star.   Queer actor Lily Ashton has found fame playing lesbian warrior Morgantha on the hit TV show  Galaxy Spark . Lily knows how little representation queer girls have, so when the showrunners reveal that Morgantha’s on-screen love interest, Alietta, is going to be killed off, Lily orchestrates an elaborate fake-dating scheme with the standoffish actress who plays her, to generate press and ensure a happy ending for the #Morganetta ship. But while playing a doting girlfriend on- and off-screen, Lily struggles with whether a word like “girl” applies to them at all. Lily’s always been good at playing a part. But are they ready to share their real self, even if it means throwing everything they’ve fought for away? Gr 8 Up-A Hollywood star fights to determine their own future in this romance centering gender identity. Frey, who everyone knows as Lily, is thrilled to provide fans with queer representation as the fierce female warrior Morgantha on the sci-fi show Galaxy Spark. But Frey feels more like themself when they escape Morgantha's wigs and makeup by playing a male huntsman in a fantasy video game, and begins to wonder what that means about their gender identity. When the writers of Galaxy Spark use problematic tropes and stereotypes in the show's upcoming season, Frey must decide whether to keep quiet to protect their career or to push back against the writers and the assumptions people have made about them. Ellor's novel offers an exploration of nonbinary identity through a raw first-person narrative, capturing Frey's fears that people will question their gender identity and realistically portraying their struggle to accept themselves as trans. A tense relationship between Frey and their perfectionist costar Greta is undermined by Frey's lack of perspective, and while Frey eventually becomes more aware of their privilege as the white child of a Hollywood producer, readers may struggle to connect with a character who comes off as oblivious to the experiences of others. VERDICT Despite much-needed nonbinary and asexual representation, clumsy, distracting metaphors and a predictable plot twist make this a secondary purchase.-Emily Yatesα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. Praise for May the Best Man Win: "Ellor delivers an intense story about self-discovery, pain, and forgiveness. [A] nuanced conversation about the challenges that coming out as trans brings for the transgender person and the relationships they must navigate. Fans of Leah Johnson’s  You Should See Me in a Crown  (2020) won’t want to miss this thoughtful lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers high-school dramedy with a romantic core."  - Booklist (starred review) "Roaring, raging, and riotous,  May the Best Man Win  is a queer lovers-to-exes-to-enemies-to-lovers romance that will have you rooting for both Jeremy and Lucas to win homecoming king―and each other’s hearts."  - The Nerd Daily “Earnest, charming, and completely unafraid to dive headfirst into the beautifully messy complexity of grief, gender, and growth.  May the Best Man Win  won my heart completely.”  - Becky Albertalli, New York Times–bestselling author of Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda “…an utterly fresh romance with messy queer teens falling in and out of love, finding their community, and fighting to be seen. ZR Ellor’s debut puts him on the map as a new, exciting voice.”  - Molly Knox Ostertag, author of The Witch Boy "With effervescent writing and bold, stereotype-defying characters, ZR Ellor crafts a much-needed, nuanced depiction of both gender identity and neurodiversity.  May the Best Man Win  taught me a little about myself, and had me feeling the school spirit more than I ever did for my own high school!"  - Jackson Bird, YouTuber and author of Sorted: Growing Up, Coming Out, and Finding My Place "Acting the Part  takes the fun of fake dating and fandom to tell a thoughtful, nuanced story about stories. Ellor asks—and answers—charged questions about who holds the power when writing queer characters and what it takes to flip the script." - Jasper Sanchez, author of The (Un)popular Vote "This queer coming-of-age story offers a high-appeal, fandom-inspired romantic subplot with a prickly, enemies-to-lovers dynamic involving an asexual love interest. The central conflict diverges from the path of a straightforward savior narrative, focusing instead on confronting privilege, setting healthy boundaries, and unlearning gendered expectations." - Kirkus Reviews “While I generally find it difficult to relate to stories about Hollywood actors, Z. R. Ellor does a fine job of making this novel a compelling read. The process of Lily coming to understand their gender identity via the anonymity of their online gami