By Ella
Ellen likes everything to be organized and planned out ahead. And thanks to her parents and her best friend, Laurel, that’s never been a problem, just like it’s never been a big deal that she likes girls and is autistic. But lately, Laurel has been spending less and less time with her, and Ellen isn’t sure what to do. The class trip to Barcelona seems like the perfect time to reconnect with her best friend.
But Ellen’s careful plans go awry almost immediately. Laurel hangs out with her new friends instead of Ellen, and even though she invites her to hang out, Ellen feels out of place with the other girls. A new nonbinary classmate who Ellen can’t help but like leaves her questioning the categories she’s always used to think about the world. And on top of it all, the trip’s schedule turns out completely differently than Ellen expected when they get separated into teams to go on a treasure hunt across Barcelona—and Laurel isn’t on Ellen’s team.
This summer won’t be anything like Ellen expected, but maybe she’ll be able to find somewhere new she belongs—and discover a few things about herself, too.
Thoughtful, sensitive, and engrossing, I loved Ellen Outside the Lines. A. J. Sass’s debut, Ana on the Edge, was one of my absolute favorites last year, and Ellen Outside the Lines fully lived up to the expectations that book set. Ellen was an awesome protagonist—her voice was so strong throughout the novel, and her questions and struggles felt utterly familiar and sympathetic. I loved the setting, too, particularly as Ellen and her friends explored Barcelona; the vivid descriptions and sprinkling of Spanish and Catalan made me feel as though I was walking the streets right beside her. Sweet, relatable, and exciting, I highly recommend Ellen Outside the Lines to readers ages nine and up.
Ellen likes everything to be organized and planned out ahead. And thanks to her parents and her best friend, Laurel, that’s never been a problem, just like it’s never been a big deal that she likes girls and is autistic. But lately, Laurel has been spending less and less time with her, and Ellen isn’t sure what to do. The class trip to Barcelona seems like the perfect time to reconnect with her best friend.
But Ellen’s careful plans go awry almost immediately. Laurel hangs out with her new friends instead of Ellen, and even though she invites her to hang out, Ellen feels out of place with the other girls. A new nonbinary classmate who Ellen can’t help but like leaves her questioning the categories she’s always used to think about the world. And on top of it all, the trip’s schedule turns out completely differently than Ellen expected when they get separated into teams to go on a treasure hunt across Barcelona—and Laurel isn’t on Ellen’s team.
This summer won’t be anything like Ellen expected, but maybe she’ll be able to find somewhere new she belongs—and discover a few things about herself, too.
Thoughtful, sensitive, and engrossing, I loved Ellen Outside the Lines. A. J. Sass’s debut, Ana on the Edge, was one of my absolute favorites last year, and Ellen Outside the Lines fully lived up to the expectations that book set. Ellen was an awesome protagonist—her voice was so strong throughout the novel, and her questions and struggles felt utterly familiar and sympathetic. I loved the setting, too, particularly as Ellen and her friends explored Barcelona; the vivid descriptions and sprinkling of Spanish and Catalan made me feel as though I was walking the streets right beside her. Sweet, relatable, and exciting, I highly recommend Ellen Outside the Lines to readers ages nine and up.
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