YA contemporary novel set in South Africa
Fifteen-year-old Treasa Prescott thinks she’s an alien. She doesn’t fit in with the preppy South African private school crowd and feels claustrophobic in her own skin. Treasa is worried she might spend life as a social pariah when she meets Gabriel du Preez. Gabriel plays the piano better than Beethoven, has a black belt in karate, and would look good wearing a garbage bag. Treasa thinks he’s perfect. It might even be love, as long as Gabriel doesn’t find out she’s a freak.
As Treasa spends time with Gabriel, she realizes she might not love him as much as she wants to be him, and that the reason she feels uncomfortable in her skin might have less to do with extra-terrestrial origins and more to do with being born in the wrong body.
But Gabriel is not the perfect boy Treasa imagines. He harbors dark secrets and self-destructive tendencies. Still, Treasa might be able to accept Gabriel’s baggage if he can accept who she longs to be.
“I loved Suzanne Van Rooyen’s writing style. It made reading her words so easy. Her characters came across as incredibly real. Add all of that into the uniqueness of the stories subject and The Other Me turned out to be a book that I absolutely loved.” — The YA Book Addict
“…kudos to Van Rooyen for keeping it real. If this degree of grittiness bothers you, then you obviously prefer your YA fiction safe and sanitized. The Other Me is neither, which I find incredibly refreshing.” — You Gotta Read Reviews
“This book was about forgiveness, acceptance, and looking past appearances and what’s on the outside, and I was captivated by the story from start to finish. This is a wonderful contemporary story and I’m so glad I read it!” — Pieces of Whimsy
“The author has masterly weaved the slang, environment and general feel of Johannesburg into this story, making the readers believe they are standing on a street corner and watching this story unfold. For those who may view this as an obstacle, don’t be afraid, the book has a helpful glossary at the beginning that you can peruse over at leisure, learning new, exciting words.” — Greedy Bug Book Reviews
Get The Other Me as an ebook or paperback here or here.
CW: child abuse, gender dysphoria, body image issues, self harm
