Not Straight

An ownvoices LGBTQ+ coming-of-age novel featuring disability representation, women's sports, and more!

After five horrendous years of Catholic school in a back brace, 17-year-old Kyra Maeve Donovan has finally gotten her scoliosis under control; at least, under enough control to become a star high school athlete.

If Kyra could just secure a college scholarship in women's powerlifting, she could finally get out of her church-obsessed neighborhood, away from her parents' nonstop divorce squabbles, and out of her perfect older sister's shadow. But when her back gives out at the state championship competition, Kyra has to face the fact that her spine might not be as strong as she thought it was.

Now spending the rest of her junior year in physical therapy - and hoping to recover fast enough that she's not stuck in a rock-solid back brace at her perfect older sister's wedding - Kyra just wants to recover as fast as possible and get back under the barbell.

But when Kyra bonds with Simone Jackson, a gorgeous powerlifter from a rival school, in physical therapy, Kyra starts to wonder if her spine isn't the only thing about her that's not straight.