May the Best Man Win

by ZR Ellor

Overview

A trans boy enters a throw-down battle for the title of Homecoming King with the boy he dumped last summer in ZR Ellor's contemporary YA debut.

Jeremy Harkiss, cheer captain and student body president, won’t let coming out as a transgender boy ruin his senior year. Instead of bowing to the bigots and outdate school administration, Jeremy decides to make some noise—and how better than by challenging his all-star ex-boyfriend, Lukas for the title of Homecoming King?

Lukas Rivers, football star and head of the Homecoming Committee, is just trying to find order in his life after his older brother’s funeral and the loss of his long-term girlfriend—who turned out to be a boy. But when Jeremy threatens to break his heart and steal his crown, Lukas kick starts a plot to sabotage Jeremy’s campaign.

When both boys take their rivalry too far, the dance is on the verge of being canceled. To save Homecoming, they’ll have to face the hurt they’re both hiding—and the lingering butterflies they can’t deny.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250625120
Publisher:	Roaring Brook Press
Publication date:	05/18/2021
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	542,038
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 5.90(h) x 1.40(d)
Lexile:	HL720L (what's this?)
Age Range:	14 - 18 Years

About the Author

ZR Ellor is an author and literary agent from the Washington, DC area. An avid lifelong reader, he wrote his first novel when he was twelve years old and never put down his pen. He graduated from Cornell University in 2016 with a dual degree in biology and English literature. His non-literary interests include running, travel, and global cuisine. May The Best Man Win is his debut novel.

Editorial Reviews

05/01/2021

Gr 9 Up—Jeremy Harkiss is determined to triumph senior year, his first year back at Cresswell Academy after coming out as transgender. Jeremy faces bigots and an outdated school code of conduct, and he wants to make waves. First on the agenda is being voted Homecoming King, but he faces competition from his ex-boyfriend, Lukas. Lukas is facing challenges of his own: a dead brother, his parents' marriage falling apart, and a secret diagnosis of autism that seems to stand in the way of every achievement he desires. The boys' rivalry gets in the way of other friendships, as well as them facing the truth of how they feel about each other. The author uses this story to bring many important issues to focus. Jeremy is consistently asked to defend his own existence by clueless adults and hateful classmates, and he clearly articulates how frustrated he is with this burden in addition to the challenges of transitioning and cementing his identity. Relationships of all types are explored, and an emphasis on caring for others while also caring for oneself emerges. The pacing is fast, bordering on manic, with the romance wrapping up so close to the end that it feels forced, and the plot feels scattered and overwhelming at times. Some teens will have trouble relating to the characters, who attend a preppy private school, name-drop elite colleges, and see Homecoming as the social culmination of their lives. The villains, a bully student and the principal, are flat and predictable, and seem contrived in the face of so many other inner battles. VERDICT An additional purchase for school and public libraries.—Christine Case, Hillcrest H.S., Country Club Hills, IL

School Library Journal

2021-03-16
Ex-boyfriends Lukas and Jeremy will each do anything to become homecoming king.

Lukas, a White cisgender boy, and Jeremy, a White transgender boy, were the picture-perfect football player and cheerleader couple at their exclusive private school—until Jeremy began transitioning and broke up with Lukas. Now Lukas, who is autistic, wants to prove himself to his ableist family, and Jeremy seeks validation as a man. Both see winning homecoming king as the key to their dreams, which include admission to prestigious colleges. Jeremy’s confidence and strong gay identity make him an enjoyably unusual trans male character, and discussions of gender identity throughout are interesting and current. Though Jeremy’s desire to enter the world of rich White men may be understandable, the dynamics of these wealthy teenagers’ underlying privilege are underdeveloped. The text acknowledges their socio-economic advantages, but Jeremy still bemoans being “stuffed full of privilege in every way but the one that matters most,” forcing readers to ponder which privilege “matters most,” a subject that could have been richly explored. The book also presents some stereotypes without irony, like the Asian best friend whose cultural texture does not extend beyond having harshly controlling and perfectionist parents and the college dropout with two jobs and criminal tendencies. Lukas is sympathetic, but Jeremy’s antisocial behaviors render him unlikable, without enough growth for a satisfying redemption.

A fun premise that misses the mark a few too many times. (Fiction. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews

"Ellor delivers an intense story about self-discovery, pain, and forgiveness. [A] nuanced conversation about the challenges that coming out as trans brings for the transgender person and the relationships they must navigate. Fans of Leah Johnson’s You Should See Me in a Crown (2020) won’t want to miss this thoughtful lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers high-school dramedy with a romantic core." —Booklist, starred review

"Roaring, raging, and riotous, May the Best Man Win is a queer lovers-to-exes-to-enemies-to-lovers romance that will have you rooting for both Jeremy and Lucas to win homecoming king—and each other’s hearts." —The Nerd Daily

“Earnest, charming, and completely unafraid to dive headfirst into the beautifully messy complexity of grief, gender, and growth. May the Best Man Win won my heart completely.” —Becky Albertalli, New York Times–bestselling author of Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda

“…an utterly fresh romance with messy queer teens falling in and out of love, finding their community, and fighting to be seen. ZR Ellor’s debut puts him on the map as a new, exciting voice.” —Molly Knox Ostertag, author of The Witch Boy

"With effervescent writing and bold, stereotype-defying characters, ZR Ellor crafts a much-needed, nuanced depiction of both gender identity and neurodiversity. May the Best Man Win taught me a little about myself, and had me feeling the school spirit more than I ever did for my own high school!" —Jackson Bird, YouTuber and author of Sorted: Growing Up, Coming Out, and Finding My Place

From the Publisher