Fans of Glee or Fame will love this!

Yes, August, the main character in Act Cool, is a trans teen. And he's also a burgeoning star of the New York stage! The great thing about Tobly McSmith's 2nd novel is that ALL of the characters in the piece are very well drawn, from August's classmates (and fellow aspiring performers) to his Aunt in NYC who becomes his de facto guardian to his own parents from whom he has recently fled in Pennsylvania. August is experiencing so much immediate change, in his identity, his location, his school, his entire social network - and in the way the surrounding people see him. His attempts to "act cool" in the face of all this tumult is what makes him so engaging and as the listener to this first-person narrative, we're always privy to what's really going on inside this teenager's mind; most impressively, even while he's performing or learning the craft of acting and performance. And August is different - he takes risks. When it's announced that the performing high school's musical production will be Grease, you might not initially guess which role August goes out for. Like most teens, regardless of their gender identity, August has a lot of people to please and while he may be a big ball of confusion on the inside, he's determined to just...act cool. Light but not frivolous, and with a terrific, easy narration by Shaan Dasani, Act Cool is a great listen; McSmith doesn't condescend to anybody, not even August's loving but unsupportive parents, and maintains the tension all of us experience when our identity shifts beyond whom our parents believe us to be...and how we wish to assert ourselves, on our own terms, in the world. A really enjoyable listen; will likely check out McSmith's acclaimed debut, Stay Gold, as well.

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