Nominated for the Lambda Literary Award and the Foreword Reviews' INDIE Book of the Year
First place winner of the Wisconsin Council of Writers' Tofte/Wright Children's Literature Award
Fifteen-year-old Alyx Atlas was raised as a boy, yet she knows something others don't. She's a girl. And after her dad dies, it becomes painfully obvious that she must prove it now to herself and to the world. Born with ambiguous genitalia, Alyx has always felt a little different. But it's after she sustains a terrible beating behind a 7-Eleven that she and her mother pack up their belongings and move from California to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to start a new life and Alyx begins over again, this time as a girl.
Alyx quickly makes new friends, earns a spot on the girls' varsity basketball team, and for the first time in her life feels like she fits in. That is, until her prowess on the court proves too much for the jealous, hotheaded Pepper Pitmani, who sets out to uncover Alyx's secret. A dangerous game of Truth or Dare exposes Alyx's difference and will disqualify her entire basketball team from competing in the state championships unless Alyx can prove, once and for all, that she is a girl. But will Alyx find the courage to stand up for the truth of her personhood, or will she do what she's always done run away? Whatever she decides, she knows there's much more at stake than a championship win.
A stunning debut young adult novel from Bridget Birdsall, Double Exposure brings to light complex gender issues, teenage insecurities, and overcoming all obstacles.
Sky Pony Press, with our Good Books, Racehorse and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of books for young readers picture books for small children, chapter books, books for middle grade readers, and novels for young adults. Our list includes bestsellers for children who love to play Minecraft; stories told with LEGO bricks; books that teach lessons about tolerance, patience, and the environment, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
Double Exposure was really great! Alyx is intersex. She was born with ambiguous genitalia, and her parents decided not to have surgery to assign her a gender as a baby. However, Alyx ended up being raised as a boy, even though she was girl. After her father dies, and she gets beat up for being "queer," her mother moves them across the country for a fresh start. Now, Alyx can finally present herself as the girl that she is and live the life she wants. At least until her gender comes into question and puts her basketball team in jeopardy.
I really enjoyed Double Exposure. It is quite sad and heavy in the beginning as we learn what Alyx has gone through. It wasn't just the bullying at school, but she felt like her parents (particularly her father) didn't understand how she felt about her incorrect gender assignment. But once Alyx and her mom move in with her grandfather, the story becomes hopeful. Alyx is just like any other teen starting over in a new school, and trying to fit in. She does worry about her secret coming out, but for the most part, she's enjoying finally being who she is and getting to play on the girls' basketball team.
Double Exposure was a wonderful read. I really liked getting to know Alyx, and I also liked learning more about intersexuality. The chapters that discussed the medical aspects of Alyx's gender didn't feel like they were out of a textbook. The human component was very much there as Alyx tells us how she feels about her body parts not matching up with how she feels. It was also interesting (and terrible) to see how the basketball commission dealt with her situation. There is a happy ending though! So don't worry! I do wish there had been a little more toward the end about how Alyx handled everyone knowing about her.
