Something More

May 1, 2023
Fifteen-year-old Palestinian Canadian Jessie Kassis thought her biggest freshman year hurdle would be persuading her strict parents to let her upgrade her training bra to a real one. But when she’s diagnosed as autistic, she resolves to mask her autistic traits from her Holy Trinity high school peers. As she settles into classes, she meets and yearns to develop a romantic relationship with white schoolmate Levi Walsh, whose Kurt Cobain grunge aesthetic jives well with Jessie’s 1990s pop culture obsession. Except that Levi’s aloof personality makes it difficult for Jessie to interpret his intentions, and while her growing circle of friends provides her space to vent her frustrations, she feels as if her struggles go unheard amid her friends’ own boy troubles. She soon encounters white classmate Griffin Duffy, who not only gets her ’90s media references but offers to help her solve her Levi puzzle. While much of the plot covers familiar ground, Jessie’s attempts to define herself within her school and home life are enhanced by Khalilieh’s own experiences as an autistic Palestinian Canadian, imbuing Jessie’s challenges with organic-feeling nuance and making for a fully realized protagonist. It’s a thought-provoking and thoroughly entertaining debut that centers questions of identity via a fresh lens. Ages 12–up. Agent: Valerie Noble, Donaghy Literary Group.