Will on the Inside

Starred review from May 8, 2023
Based on lived experience, Eliopulos (The Fascinators) presents an honest, sophisticated look at the myriad emotions surrounding chronic illness and growing up “not straight” in a religious Georgia town. When his recent Crohn’s disease diagnosis forces him to step back from his soccer team, seventh grader Will McKeachie worries he’ll lose his “built-in friend group,” including best friend Henry. While waiting for medication to curb his symptoms, Will escapes the uncomfortable attention of sympathetic acquaintances via an online fantasy video game that he plays with classmate Griffin Miller, who’s similarly avoiding the spotlight after enduring homophobic bullying following his publicly asking Henry to the school dance. When Will realizes he’s attracted to Griffin, memories of the history of his soccer teammates’ own homophobic bullying prompt Will to suppress his romantic feelings. His worsening Crohn’s symptoms, coupled with emotionally charged conversations surrounding sexuality both at school and in his Baptist youth group, exacerbate his fears that people like Griffin—and maybe Will himself—will never be accepted. Eliopulos forges a hopeful tone through conversational first-person narration, multifaceted friendships, and a familial church community striving toward inclusivity, even as the narrative confronts the psychological impact of homophobia and religious trauma on queer youth. Main characters cue as white. Resources conclude. Ages 8–12.