Our Own Private Universe
Publisher
Harlequin Teen
Publication Year
2017
ISBN
9780373211982
Pages
385 pages
Genre
realism
Format
novel
Item Type
Fiction
Annotation
Fifteen-year-old Aki Simon has a theory. And it's mostly about sex. No, it isn't that kind of theory. Aki already knows she's bisexual, even if, until now, it's mostly been in the hypothetical sense. Aki has dated only guys so far, and her best friend, Lori, is the only person who knows she likes girls, too. Actually, Aki's theory is that she's got only one shot at living an interesting life-- and that means she's got to stop sitting around and thinking so much. It's time for her to actually do something. Or at least try. So when Aki and Lori set off on a church youth-group trip to a small Mexican town for the summer and Aki meets Christa-- slightly older, far more experienced-- it seems her theory is prime for the testing. But it's not going to be easy. For one thing, how exactly do two girls have sex, anyway? And more important, how can you tell if you're in love? It's going to be a summer of testing theories, and the result may just be love.
Grade Level
9-12
Diversity Topics
LGBTQ (Gender and Sexuality); Bisexuality; bisexual teenagers
Main Character
female teenager
Race/Ethnicities
Black / Mexican
Family Formation
father
LGBTQ+
bisexual females
Awards
Cybils Awards, 2017, Nominee, Young Adult Fiction
Kirkus Book Review Stars, 2016
Rainbow List, 2018 Young Adult Fiction
Keywords
Mexico; travel; youth trip; mission trip; sex; safe sex; protection; friendship; Mexican food and culture; lying; theories; Christianity; church
Diversity Impact
direct
STARS Citation
Talley, Robin, "Our Own Private Universe" (2017). Diverse Families. 1518.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/diversefamilies/1518