To Daya Wijesinghe, a bruise is a mixture of comfort and control.
Since her parents died in an accident she survived, bruises have become a way to keep her pain on the surface of her skin so she doesn’t need to deal with the ache deep in her heart.
So when chance and circumstances bring her to a roller derby bout, Daya is hooked. Yes, the rules are confusing and the sport seems to require the kind of teamwork and human interaction Daya generally avoids. But the opportunities to bruise are countless, and Daya realizes that if she’s going to keep her emotional pain at bay, she’ll need all the opportunities she can get.
The deeper Daya immerses herself into the world of roller derby, though, the more she realizes it’s not the physical pain-fest she was hoping for. Her rough-and-tumble teammates and their fans push her limits in ways she never imagined, bringing Daya to big truths about love, loss, strength, and healing.
“Boteju writes with acumen about the roller-coaster ride of being a teenager. Daya is both a highly frustrating and deeply engaging character, with a strong character arc. … A searing portrait of self-discovery; soulful and captivating.”
— Kirkus Review
“Boteju sensitively handles Daya’s post-accident trauma, struggles with intimacy, and growing understanding of her own sexuality. [A]n infectious enthusiasm for roller derby and Daya’s persuasive journey to self-knowledge and acceptance—aided by a spirited, intersectionally inclusive cast—provide fun and emotional resonance in equal measure.”
— Publishers Weekly
“Daya is not always an easy character to read about or to like and yet, we, like the characters in the book, are eventually able to crack the careful shell she has built and see the person underneath. With interest, sympathy and a growing admiration, we watch her move in Bruised from beginning to understand herself to forgiving herself and eventually being set on the path of finally loving and accepting herself. […] The LGBTQ community, new Canadians, sports and teamwork….all are other thematic threads in this excellent young adult novel.”
— “Highly recommended” by Canadian Review of Materials
Look for Tanya’s story “Floating” in the short story anthology, Out Now (Inkyard Press, 2020), a collection of stories featuring queer teens today. From the editor of the acclaimed anthology, All Out.
Perpetually awkward Nima Kumara-Clark is bored with her insular community of Bridgeton, in love with her straight girlfriend, and trying to move past her mother’s unexpected departure.
After a bewildering encounter at a local festival, Nima finds herself suddenly immersed in the drag scene on the other side of town.
Macho drag kings, magical queens, new love interests, and surprising allies propel Nima both painfully and hilariously closer to a self she never knew she could be—one that can confidently express and accept love. But she’ll have to learn to accept lost love to get there.
From debut author Tanya Boteju comes a poignant, laugh-out-loud tale of acceptance, self-expression, and the colorful worlds that await when we’re brave enough to look.
“Debut author Boteju does an excellent job of depicting the awkwardness that is an inherent part of adolescent life; additionally, Nima grapples with her sexuality, unrequited love, feelings of inadequacy, and conflicted feelings about being abandoned by her mother, and at times her struggles can feel unrelenting. Interpersonal relationships between Nima, her friends, and the drag queens feel authentic and fresh. The author clearly has a profound knowledge of drag queen culture, and her love for it practically pops off the page. A bright and sparkly celebration of love and self-acceptance.”
— Kirkus Reviews
“A story filled with glitter, feather boas, lip-syncing and dancing, where gender identity is flexible and performance is the embodiment of joy.”
—BookPage, starred review
“Poignant and important”
—Refinery29
At once comedic and heartrending, Tanya Boteju’s Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens gracefully explores the fluidity of gender, sexuality and the teenage self. Nima’s spirited journey to confidence should resonate with readers who have grappled with thoughts of inadequacy or low self-esteem. Told in Nima’s endearingly witty voice, Boteju’s debut celebrates the in-between in all of us, and the self-assurance that can be gained through self-expression.
— Samantha Zaboski, Shelf Awareness, starred review
“Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens, a character-driven book, is a welcome and joyful addition to the ever-expanding body of literature exploring and celebrating those who identify along and within the LGBTQ+ spectrum. Nima’s journey of self-discovery, along with the relationships she builds over the course of her summer, will stick with teen readers for a long time.”
— Rob Bittner, Canadian Review of Materials
“Boteju’s heartfelt debut of aches, mistakes, and heartbreaks will captivate lovers of realistic YA as Nima trips painfully through first loves, abandonment, and her own cloying sense of inadequacy. Yet for all her teenage awkwardness, Nima’s journey is full of warmth and growth and ever-wider possibility—of letting go, taking chances, and moving forward.”
— Heather Smith, Linden Tree Children’s Books (Los Altos, CA)
“Wondering. Becoming. Testing boundaries, blurring lines. Small-town girl Nima stumbles into a community that shows her a new way to be her truest self. Drag kings, pixie poets, and a divine queen fairy godmother help Nima begin to heal her wounded heart, find her voice, and open up to the possibility of real love. And fabulous outfits.”
— Alicia Michielli, Talking Leaves…Books (Buffalo, NY)
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