Flocks

Written by: L. Nichols

First line: Here is the church and here is the steeple.

Why you should read this book: Although the narrator regularly prays to be "normal" and doubles down on every church-approved activity available including volunteering, Bible study, and choir, even as a little girl she knows that she is different from other people. The interior disconnect is represented here by depicting the main character as a soft, floppy rag doll with visible seams while all the other characters are drawn as more or less realistic humans. Academically talented but feeling at one with the universe only when alone in nature, she works hard for success in school and finally heads off to college, where she can openly explore the questions of gender and sexuality that have followed her since page one.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You've never been disappointed when you looked in the mirror.