Acting the Part

October 1, 2022
As Morgantha of House Moonblade, the ruthless hero of a hit science-fiction television series, 17-year-old actor Lily Ashton takes on tyranny at sword-point, but nanosteel and plasma beams can't solve real-life problems. #Morganetta means everything to Lily, and so does Galaxy Spark: In the soon-to-premier fifth season, Lily convinced the producers to canonize a romance between Morgantha and Princess Alietta. Although despising perfectionist co-star Greta and dreading mom Kate's plans for next career steps, Lily knows how important representation like #Morganetta is to so many fans. When the script for Season 6 reveals a violent death for Alietta--among other problematic plot points--Lily and Greta go on an impulsive joyride that results in a real-life plot twist: a fake relationship to smooth over the resulting PR scandal. Overwhelmed by the responsibility and messy feelings, Lily retreats into the video game Swordquest Online. Meeting and befriending Aida, another queer gamer, awakens Lily's unexplored feelings about gender identity. This queer coming-of-age story offers a high-appeal, fandom-inspired romantic subplot with a prickly, enemies-to-lovers dynamic involving an asexual love interest. The central conflict between Lily and the Galaxy Spark producers diverges from the path of a straightforward savior narrative, focusing instead on confronting privilege, setting healthy boundaries, and unlearning gendered expectations. Both Lily and Greta are White; the broader cast of characters depicts racial diversity. A satisfying balance of self-discovery and enticing drama. (Romance. 14-18)

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October 31, 2022
Wanting to establish LGBTQ representation in the hit sci-fi TV show Galaxy Spark, lead actor Lily Ashton—a queer, white 17-year-old—advocates to canonize the romance between their character, Morgantha, and white 17-year-old costar Greta Thurmway’s character, Alietta. The showrunners grant this request, but when they also reveal a plan to kill off Alietta in the next season—“Bury your gays. They buried their gays,” Lily says—the duo take a show writer’s motorcycle for a joyride. The teens use the resulting media attention to deploy a fake-dating scheme, hoping that public investment in their pretend relationship will inspire the writers to revise the problematic arc. When increased scrutiny and Lily’s developing crush on Greta overwhelm, Lily escapes via video game Swordquest Online, and begins unearthing previously unexamined feelings regarding their gender identity. Through Lily’s persistence to improve working conditions for their castmates, Ellor (May the Best Man Win) adeptly centers Galaxy Spark’s script and crew to address themes of homophobia, misogyny, and white privilege. Lily’s gender identity exploration and relationship with Greta are rendered via earnest dialogue, making for an inviting tale of self-expression and discovery. Ages 13–up. Agent: Kaitlyn Johnson, Belcastro Agency.

December 1, 2022

Gr 8 Up-A Hollywood star fights to determine their own future in this romance centering gender identity. Frey, who everyone knows as Lily, is thrilled to provide fans with queer representation as the fierce female warrior Morgantha on the sci-fi show Galaxy Spark. But Frey feels more like themself when they escape Morgantha's wigs and makeup by playing a male huntsman in a fantasy video game, and begins to wonder what that means about their gender identity. When the writers of Galaxy Spark use problematic tropes and stereotypes in the show's upcoming season, Frey must decide whether to keep quiet to protect their career or to push back against the writers and the assumptions people have made about them. Ellor's novel offers an exploration of nonbinary identity through a raw first-person narrative, capturing Frey's fears that people will question their gender identity and realistically portraying their struggle to accept themselves as trans. A tense relationship between Frey and their perfectionist costar Greta is undermined by Frey's lack of perspective, and while Frey eventually becomes more aware of their privilege as the white child of a Hollywood producer, readers may struggle to connect with a character who comes off as oblivious to the experiences of others. VERDICT Despite much-needed nonbinary and asexual representation, clumsy, distracting metaphors and a predictable plot twist make this a secondary purchase.-Emily Yates

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November 23, 2022
Grades 9-12 Lily has never been so excited for a new season of Galaxy Spark, the sf show they costar on. The show is finally introducing a sapphic love story for their character (Morgantha) and Greta Thurmway's character (Allietta), meaning fans are finally getting the queer rep they deserve. But when Lily learns Alietta is about to be added to the growing list of queer characters unceremoniously killed, Lily begins questioning what they want from this industry and seeks to offset the show's misstep by pretending to date Greta IRL. Big questions about identity also surface for Lily which the teen isn't quite sure they're ready to confront. Acting the Part is a well-written look at the ways art can help a person find community and come to better understand important parts of themselves. Lily is a smart, funny protagonist whose journey feels deeply real and whose passion for making things better for those who come after is compelling. Ellor's novel will resonate with anyone who has explored who they are and who they want to be.

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