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INTERMEDIATE FICTION
Elliott, Rachel

The Real Riley Mayes

224 pp. | HarperCollins/B+B | May, 2022 | Trade ISBN 978-0-06-299575-9 $21.99 | Paper ISBN 978-0-06-299574-2 $12.99 | Ebook ISBN 978-0-06-299576-6 $11.99
(1) 4-6 "Fifth grade isn't my kinda vibe," admits Riley at the start of Elliott's debut graphic novel, an exploration of self-identity that is both LOL funny and touching. Riley struggles in school, preferring to crack jokes and doodle on her assignments. And she doesn't have a crush on anyone in Eleventy-One, the boy band that is the frequent subject of her classmates' discussions. But she starts to suspect she might have a crush on Joy Powers, a celebrity comedian who is her idol and the intended recipient of a letter for a school assignment--if Riley can only figure out how to narrow her questions ("Do you ever love stuff that other people think is weird?"). Riley finds a true friend in new-kid Aaron but accidentally outs his parents as gay. When a classmate calls her a "lesbo," Riley (who thinks of herself as a "dude-ish girl") struggles to come to terms with her own identity. With the help of a few friends, her tight-knit family, Aaron's dads, and even Joy Powers, Riley realizes that "it's worth it to find the few people who truly get you." Elliott brings readers crisp linework, a bright palette, expressive body language, rich narrative details, and (bonus!) kitty comics. Best of all is inimitable Riley, who endears herself to readers with her budding self-awareness and undeniable moxie.
Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2022

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