An avid soccer player, seventh grader Will, recently diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, is disappointed that he can’t play until his flare-up is under control. Eager to show that his new treatment has mitigated his gastrointestinal symptoms and fatigue so he can get back on the field, Will (white) hides the fact that he isn’t improving from his parents and doctor. Will is also upset by his teammate Luca’s homophobic taunting of classmate Griffin. Will likes Griffin, who is openly gay, and starts hanging out with him, but he worries that Luca and his own best friend, Henry, will make assumptions about Will’s own sexuality if they find out. When his Crohn’s diagnosis becomes public at school and church, Will hates the cloying attention. He starts to feel a lot of anger and anxiety about his condition, while his concern about being connected publicly to Griffin leads to less-than-stellar behavior as a friend. An awkward conversation in his Baptist church’s youth group about his church’s stance on being gay leads to a reassuring discussion with his pastor, who tells Will that he hopes their church would welcome a gay couple and treat them with respect, although he acknowledges that not everyone feels the same. This honest, sensitive account of a young person learning to live with a chronic illness—a reality that is a learning curve for his family members as well—also offers a welcome, nuanced look at his emerging consideration of his own sexuality. (Ages 9-13)

"An honest, sophisticated look at the myriad emotions surrounding chronic illness and growing up 'not straight' in a religious Georgia town." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Relatable, real, and utterly engrossing." --School Library Journal (starred review)

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After dedicated soccer player Will is sidelined from the season--and his friend group--due to complications from his newly diagnosed Crohn's disease, he finds himself figuring out who he really is on the inside in this heartfelt and thoughtful middle grade novel that's perfect for readers who love books by Maulik Pancholy and Christine Day.

Will loves playing center midfield on his middle school soccer team. This year, though, Will hasn't felt like himself; his stomach has been bothering him, and he has no energy at all. When his new doctor diagnoses him with Crohn's disease, Will hopes that means he'll start feeling better soon and he can get back to playing with his team before the season ends.

But Will's new medicines come with all kinds of side effects, Forced to sit out afternoon practice, Will finds himself hanging out with a kid at school, Griffin. This could be a real problem, seeing as Griffin just asked Will's best friend to the spring dance. As in, guy friend. What would Will's teammates say if they knew the whole story? Not to mention Will's friends at church.

With all these changes happening faster than he can process them, Will knows that he has a lot to figure out about who he really is on the inside.

Andrew Eliopulos's novel is a memorable, affecting story that will have wide appeal. It was selected as a Junior Library Guild title, a Children's Cooperative Book Center CCBC Choices title, and a book of the year by the New York Public Library and School Library Journal and was named one of "6 LGBTQ+ Kids' Books We Need More Than Ever" by Kirkus Reviews.