Some Girls Do - by Jennifer Dugan (Paperback)

About the Book

"An openly gay track star falls for a closeted, bisexual teen beauty queen with a penchant for fixing up old cars"--

Book Synopsis

In this YA contemporary queer romance from the author of Hot Dog Girl, an openly gay track star falls for a closeted, bisexual teen beauty queen with a penchant for fixing up old cars.

"Earnest, wistful, romantic, and real." --Casey McQuiston, New York Times bestselling author of Red, White & Royal Blue

Morgan, an elite track athlete, is forced to transfer high schools late in her senior year after it turns out being queer is against her private Catholic school's code of conduct. There, she meets Ruby, who has two hobbies: tinkering with her baby blue 1970 Ford Torino and competing in local beauty pageants, the latter to live out the dreams of her overbearing mother. The two are drawn to each other and can't deny their growing feelings. But while Morgan--out and proud, and determined to have a fresh start--doesn't want to have to keep their budding relationship a secret, Ruby isn't ready to come out yet. With each girl on a different path toward living her truth, can they go the distance together?

"Beautiful, necessary, and completely irresistible." --Becky Albertalli, New York Times bestselling author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

Review Quotes

A Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year
A YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Selection
An ALA Rainbow Book List Selection

"A smart, heartfelt teen romance." --NPR

"Dugan returns to the sweet Sapphic vibes of Hot Dog Girl with this newest, about two girls with undeniable chemistry and one big obstacle to being together." --BuzzFeed

"An empathetic, relatable love story, Some Girls Do might be Jennifer Dugan's best novel to date." --Bust

"Swoony romance with well-crafted multidimensional characters rarely seen in young adult literature, making for a fast-paced read you won't want to put down . . . A thoughtful exploration of coming out and safety, a necessary conversation for those within the queer community." --Culturess

* "Heartfelt and thoughtful . . . An entertaining enemies-to-lovers romance." --Shelf Awareness, starred review

"Succeeds in its portrayal of serious issues coupled with the giddy adrenaline rush of first love . . . Dugan nails the young adult voice. Morgan and Ruby are fully realized and age-appropriately flawed." --School Library Journal

"A nuanced sapphic romance that guides its heroines as they struggle with their identities and discover their voices. A quietly powerful addition to the canon." --Booklist

"Dugan gives each protagonist a distinct voice and compelling point of view, and readers will sympathize with their challenges as they find their ways to love . . . A complex and poignant queer romance." --Kirkus Reviews

"A sweet novel that offers plenty of rough edges and no easy answers." --BookPage

"An enjoyable romantic tale." --Publishers Weekly

"Come for the joy of seeing the beauty queen get the girl; stay for the compassionate exploration of queer visibility in all its complexity. Some Girls Do is beautiful, necessary, and completely irresistible." --Becky Albertalli, New York Times bestselling author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

"Earnest, wistful, romantic, and real, Some Girls Do captures butterflies-in-your-stomach, most-important-thing-ever first love and still finds room to explore the messiness of coming out and coming of age queer." --Casey McQuiston, New York Times bestselling author of Red, White & Royal Blue

"Dugan's best yet! Some Girls Do is bright and aching, with a beautifully rendered relationship at its heart." --Rory Power, New York Times bestselling author of Wilder Girls

"Dugan delivers a story full of nuance, longing, and incredible growth. Some Girls Do is queer romance at its best." --Isabel Sterling, author of These Witches Don't Burn

About the Author

Jennifer Dugan is a writer, a geek, and a romantic who writes the kinds of stories she wishes she'd had growing up. She's the author of the graphic novel Coven, as well as the young adult novels Playing For Keeps, The Last Girls Standing, Melt With You, Some Girls Do, Verona Comics, and Hot Dog Girl, which was called "a great, fizzy rom-com" by Entertainment Weekly and "one of the best reads of the year, hands down" by Paste magazine. She lives in upstate New York with her family, their dog, a strange kitten who enjoys wearing sweaters, and an evil cat who is no doubt planning to take over the world. Follow her online @JL_Dugan.