Messy Perfect

Messy Perfect - Hardcover

$19.99
Sale price  $19.99 Regular price 
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Messy Perfect

Messy Perfect - Hardcover

$19.99
Sale price  $19.99 Regular price 

Book Overview

Perfect for fans of Mason Deaver and Becky Albertalli, this tender, raucous novel follows a rule-following, perfectionist teen who starts an underground GSA club at her conservative Catholic high school, from the acclaimed author of Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens.

Cassie Perera is a star student in St. Luke's junior class. But the new school year brings an unwelcome surprise--the return to St. Luke's of Cassie's former friend, Ben, who left a few years ago after a homophobic bullying incident Cassie knows she didn't do enough to prevent.

Still harboring guilt from her inaction, Cassie decides, in her usual, overzealous way, to team up with the neighboring public school to found an underground Gender and Sexuality Alliance--as a complicated strategy for making things up to Ben. Secretly, Cassie is also tempted by the possibility of opening up about her own sexuality for the first time.

As Cassie's new friends urge her out of her comfort zone, she unlocks a kind of joy and freedom she's never felt before--even as she struggles to balance these experiences with her typical tightrope of being the perfect daughter, student, and Catholic.

Cassie's perfectly curated life unravels into turmoil, but can she embrace the mess enough to piece together something new?

ISBN9780063358492
Author Tanya Boteju
PublisherQuill Tree Books
GenreYoung adult
FormatHardcover
PublishedApril 2025
LanguageENG- English
Pages400
Weight1.0 lb
Target AudienceTeens & young adults and Adults
Print SizeStandard Print

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About Tanya Boteju

Tanya Boteju is a teacher and writer living on unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations (Vancouver, BC). Her debut novel, Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens, was named a Top Ten Indie Next Pick by the American Booksellers Association and her second book, Bruised, was selected as a Gold Standard book by the Junior Library Guild. Tanya holds a Master of Arts from Columbia University's Teachers College and earned her English and Education degrees from the University of British Columbia. As an educator committed to anti-oppressive teaching and learning, and as an imperfect ally herself, she hopes her books bend the universe even the tiniest bit toward justice. Bithi Sutradhar is a Bangladeshi illustrator and graphic designer who holds a Master of Publishing degree from Simon Fraser University, as well as an MFA and BFA in Graphic Design from the University of Dhaka. Alongside her professional illustration work, Bithi enjoys sharing her knowledge and skills through teaching. Her contributions have been recognized by educational institutions and government bodies such as the Ministry of Agriculture in Bangladesh. In 2024, she joined Orca Book Publishers, where she continues to bring stories to life through her illustrations. Bithi lives in Vancouver and loves exploring the vibrant outdoor scenes in her spare time, finding inspiration in the city's natural beauty.

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