Not Otherwise Specified

January 26, 2015
Etta knows she doesn’t really fit in easy categories: she’s a “rich black was-ballerina in Nebraska,” who quit her elite ballet company after a choreographer told her to lose weight. Also, bisexual Etta is being shunned and bullied by her lesbian friends, who feel betrayed because she briefly dated a boy. As Etta focuses on recovering from an eating disorder, she learns about open auditions for scholarships to an arts school in Manhattan. But when she befriends two other applicants, a talented but troubled singer struggling with anorexia and her gay older brother, Etta must decide why she is working so hard to get accepted. Determined and irrepressible, Etta is a memorable narrator with smart insights into the particular challenges of bisexual teens (“If I end up marrying a guy, what the hell queer community is ever going to want me?”). However, Moskowitz (Teeth) doesn’t fully explore several of the issues she raises, which include eating disorders and codependent relationships, making them feel somewhat scripted. Ages 14–up. Agent: John Cusick, Greenhouse Literary Agency.

January 1, 2015
Etta, self-described "rich black was-ballerina," is blessed with a strong will and personality to match and an enviable gift for achieving her goals-if only she knew what they were. Ever since she dated a boy, bisexual Etta's been on the outs with the few uncloseted lesbians at her Nebraska private school. Refusing to stay on their side of the cultural line has netted her nonstop bullying and the cold shoulder from her best friend, Rachel. What hurt most, though, was being told she's not ballerina material (i.e., not bird-thin and white). Still, through sheer grit Etta's battled back from an eating disorder, unlike Bianca, the dangerously thin girl with a gorgeous singing voice in their therapy group. When both girls audition for Brentwood, a New York arts school, Etta's drawn into Bianca's orbit, which also includes her closeted gay brother, James, and his straight friend, Mason. Etta may be conflicted about Brentwood (could/should she attend dance school instead?) but not about what matters most: finding a niche where she can thrive. Smart, assertive teens with take-charge personalities turn up more often in fantasy than realistic teen fiction, making Etta stand out. As she figures out what she needs and where to find it, Etta's stubborn persistence engages readers' sympathies and sends the bracing message that sisters can (still) do it for themselves. A smart, insightful love letter to line-crossing individualists. (Fiction. 14-18)

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December 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-High school junior Etta juggles many identities, none of which seem to fit quite right. She's bisexual, but shunned by her group of friends, the self-named Disco Dykes, who can't forgive her for dating a boy. She has an eating disorder, but never weighs little enough to qualify as officially anorexic. She's a dancer, but just tap these days, not ballet, because as a short, curvy, African American teen, she doesn't seem to have the right look for ballet. She feels like she's never enough-not gay enough, straight enough, sick enough, or healthy enough. More than anything, she just wants to get out of Nebraska and hopes auditioning for the prestigious Brentwood arts high school will be her ticket to New York. A rehearsal group introduces her to Bianca, a quiet (and extremely sick) 14 year old from her eating disorder support group. Together, they prepare for the auditions and form a surprising friendship, one that embraces flaws, transcends identities, and is rooted in genuine caring. Moskowitz masterfully negotiates all of the issues, never letting them overwhelm the story, and shows the intersectionality of the many aspects of Etta's identity. The characters here are imperfect and complicated, but ultimately hopeful. Moskowitz addresses issues like biphobia, race, class, privilege, friendship, and bullying in ways that feel organic to the story. Etta's candid and vulnerable narrative voice will immediately draw in readers, making them root for her as she strives to embrace her identity free from labels and expectations.-Amanda MacGregor, formerly at Apollo High School Library, St. Cloud, MN

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2015
Grades 9-12 Etta Sinclair is not a fan of boxes. She doesn't fit in them, and she can never check them off: she is openly bisexual, but shunned by her lesbian friends over her relationship with a boy. She is recovering from an eating disorder, but she isn't sick enough for the anorexic label. And she has always been too black, too chubby, and too undisciplined for ballet, her first love. But when she meets talented (and sick) Biancathey are in the same therapy group and auditioning for the same scholarship slot at a prestigious New York City arts schoolgetting out of Nebraska finally begins to feel possible. While the plot is more or less standard, Etta's characterization makes this a must-read. Moskowitz gracefully writes about such topics as bisexuality (and biphobia), bullying, eating disorders, and race without ever becoming rote, and Etta herself is a nuanced, sometimes prickly, character who is all too often overlooked. Sure to provide comfort for any questioning teen, and an important perspective for readers in general.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)