Just Happy to Be Here Hardback - 2024

In this YA standalone perfect for fans of Tobly McSmith and Meredith Russo, the first out trans girl at an all-girls school must choose between keeping her head down or blazing a trail.

Tara just wants to be treated like any other girl at Ainsley Academy.

That is, judged on her merits--not on her transness. But there's no road map for being the first trans girl at an all-girls school. And when she tries to join the Sibyls, an old-fashioned Ainsley sisterhood complete with code names and special privileges, she's thrust into the center of a larger argument about what girlhood means and whether the club should exist at all.

Being the figurehead of a movement isn't something Tara's interested in. She'd rather read old speeches and hang out with the Sibyls who are on her side--especially Felicity, a new friend she thinks could turn into something more. Then the club's sponsor, a famous alumna, attacks her in the media and turns the selection process into a spectacle.

Tara's always found comfort in the power of other peoples' words. But when it comes time to fight for herself, will she be able to find her own voice?

• All-Girls School Setting: Tara just wants to fit in at Ainsley Academy, but being the first trans girl on campus makes keeping a low profile impossible.
• Secret Society: When she tries to join the Sibyls, a sisterhood with ancient rituals and code names, she finds herself at the center of a debate on what it truly means to be a girl.
• Sapphic First Love: Amidst the drama, Tara finds a potential ally--and maybe something more--in Felicity, a fellow Sibyl who sees her for who she is.
• Finding Your Voice: After a powerful alumna attacks her in the media, Tara must draw on her love of powerful words to stand up and speak her own truth.