Glitch Girl!, Rainie Oet
Glitch Girl!, Rainie Oet
List: $18.00 | Sale: $12.60
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Glitch Girl!

Author: Rainie Oet

Narrator: Rainie Oet, Jeff Ebner

Unabridged: 5 hr 39 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 03/11/2025


Synopsis

“Each poem is as raw as it is beautiful.” —Alex Gino, author of ALA Stonewall Award-winning novel Melissa

For fans of Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff, a poignant novel in verse about a trans girl with ADHD who plays a computer game to process the isolation of middle school, her relationship to gender, and her wish for belonging–which she later finds through the joy of queer friendship.

J—’s life is consumed by the roller coaster video game Coaster Boss, and by the power she exerts over the pixelated theme park attendees. Her life outside the game, however, is less controllable.

Me.
I’m such a big space. I break the universe, a glitch.

She's navigating ADHD, the loneliness of middle school, and an overwhelming crush on a girl named Junie. J— is convinced that Junie sees her as who she really is, a person who isn’t “bad” just because she doesn't stay quiet and sit still in class. As a person who is realizing that the name she's been given doesn’t really fit her. And that boy doesn’t either.

Glitch Girl! follows J— from fifth to seventh grade, from the beginning to the end of her obsession with Coaster Boss, and to the start of a new friendship. When J— meets Sam, a nonbinary classmate, she begins to realize that it's okay to not fit into neat, pixelated boxes.

About The Author

Rainie Oet is a trans woman who writes fiction and poetry for adults and young readers. She is the author of the picture books Robin’s Worlds and Monster Seek (Astra). She received her MFA at Syracuse University, where she was awarded the Shirley Jackson Prize in Fiction. Glitch Girl! is her debut novel.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Jess on January 29, 2025

This was such a difficult read, especially because I saw so much of myself reflected in J--. Our main character is facing a complex list of challenges on top of the usual middle school difficulties. They are figuring out their gender, navigating a crush on a friend, struggling with ADHD, and dealing......more

Goodreads review by LayLay on January 10, 2025

***NetGalley ARC *** The MC struggled a lot with physical and mental abuse with family and teachers with having little to no support it was becoming hard for them to cope with the problems that they had along with ADHD. All the while of just trying to get the feeling of where do they fit in the world......more

Goodreads review by Jennifer on March 20, 2025

Glitch Girl! is a novel-in-verse about a young trans girl discovering who she is. I was super excited for this book because of the trans and ADHD representation and the character's interest in video games. However, my final rating is a 3.5 (rounded to 4). I'll start off by saying, be aware that parts......more

Goodreads review by Helvetica on November 12, 2024

This was a beautiful snapshot of a young girl's inner world. I loved reading J's story through verse. The intentional line breaks, syntax, and formatting add another layer to what she's thinking. I wish books and stories like this one were around when I was a young queer trans kid. This novel is a c......more

Goodreads review by Shannon on March 28, 2025

A deeply personal, semi-autobiographical middle grade novel about a Jewish trans girl with ADHD and her experiences navigating friendships, crushes, coming out and bullying. This was fantastic on audio and at times incredibly heartbreaking watching J try to fit in and struggle with 'masking' her 'to......more


Quotes

PRAISE FOR GLITCH GIRL! by Rainie Oet:

An American Library Association (ALA) 2026 Rainbow Book List (Top Ten Title)
Best Children's Fiction (2025), Transfeminine Review's Readers Choice Awards
Pedro and Daniel Intersectionality Book Awards (PADIBA) Commended Book (2026)


“Each poem is as raw as it is beautiful.”
—Alex Gino, author of ALA Stonewall Award-winning novel Melissa

"Rainie Oet brings a fresh and affecting poetic voice to this tender tale of neuro-spiciness and gender quest. Her depiction of gaming's power for good in today's young lives is keenly observed and quirkily imagined. This is an original and necessary book." —Lisa Bunker, author of Felix XY and Zenobia July.

"Explore[s] the intensity and isolation of adolescence. Rainie’s writing is a gift to young readers.” —Mary Karr, Whiting Award winning and New York Times bestselling author of The Liar's Club

"Poignant, illuminating. ...accessible, immersive." —Booklist

"Authentic, heartrending ... stunning." —Shelf Awareness

"An important purchase for all libraries seeking to help their students understand themselves and others better." —School Library Journal

"Hopeful and empathetic. A turbulent, emotionally wrenching coming-of-age story." —Kirkus Reviews

"Simple language injects immediacy into J—’s narration throughout this raw novel about navigating abuse, gender identity, and experiences of neurodivergence." —Publishers Weekly