Shampoo Unicorn

“Flamboyant and somewhat rambunctious” gay teen Brian, who lives in Canon, W.Va., runs a secret podcast called Shampoo Unicorn in Lovett’s superb debut about queer pride and “being seen.” Meanwhile, closeted football player Greg and his teammate Derek are expelled after they’re caught having sex in the school locker room. Following his expulsion, Greg is involved in a hit-and-run that leaves him hospitalized in a coma. Suspecting it was a hate crime, Brian starts investigating. Elsewhere, in small-town Pennsylvania, teen Leslie comes out as transgender, having been inspired by Brian’s podcast. Alternating between Brian’s, Leslie’s, and Greg’s POVs, interspersed with Shampoo Unicorn audio transcripts, Lovett sharply examines what Brian describes as “the culture of homophobia and intolerance that conservative religions and rural isolation create.” Each protagonist’s trials are nuanced and insightfully drawn: as Leslie begins transitioning, she grows more comfortable with herself and her body; Derek contends with parental abuse surrounding his involvement with Greg while Greg’s mother endeavors to let go of her own homophobic rhetoric. Acceptance and forgiveness are at the core of this timely novel, which gives voice to queer youth and amplifies the importance of connection and community. Main characters cue as white. Ages 14–up. Agent: Andrea Morrison, Writers House. (May)