Opting Out

New

4.8

0.0 (0)

41 0

Write Review Add to favorites

Author(s)

Publisher

Graphix

Genre(s)

Age Range

10+

Release Date

May 05, 2026

ISBN

978-1339012247

Buy This Book

From the award-winning author/illustrator of GENDER QUEER and a bright new talent, the story of a kid named Saachi, who is navigating friendship woes, sister issues, a new crush, and a resistance to blue-and-pink binaries.

Bodies are the worst. I wish I didn't have a body.

Saachi is a storyteller. At school, she's surrounded by kids she's known forever -- including her best friend, Lyla, who shares Saachi's love of fantasy novels and creating new worlds.

But as seventh grade starts, kids are changing. Suddenly, it matters who you like and if you can find a boyfriend or girlfriend. Even Lyla seems more interested in hanging out with her new boyfriend than in writing and drawing with Saachi anymore. Saachi's not interested in any of that boy/girl stuff. Why can't things just stay the way they were?

Saachi also doesn't love all the ways her body is changing. What if she doesn't feel like a girl -- or like a boy, either? In a world where there is so much either/or, Saachi is going to need to find her own options . . . and create her own story.

Editor review

1 review

An Honest and Emotional Exploration of Self

June 15, 2026

Overall rating

4.8

Plot

4.0

Characters

5.0

Writing Style

5.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

5.0

Maia Kobabe and Swati “Lucky” Srikumar combine forces to tell the story of a kid named Saachi. Saachi is thrown into a new world as seventh grade starts; a world of gender separation and dating. Saachi’s initial discomfort only grows as her best friend Lyla gets a boyfriend and they start growing apart. OPTING OUT is a graphic novel aimed towards early middle grade readers, ages 10 to 12.

Saachi is a heart-breakingly real character to follow as they begin to explore their identity. Their struggles with gender and friendship are real, raw in a way that draws readers into the story but makes them want to cry at the same time. The authors manage to perfectly encapsulate that feeling of “otherness” that Saachi feels multiple times during the story.

This book does get a bit heavy, but it never strays from being an age-appropriate heaviness. It remains relatable and honest to what kids Saachi’s age are struggling with.

Even when OPTING OUT does get heavy, the authors manage to add some lightness to the stories to keep it from getting too dark. The humor is solid, built up well and handled by characters that have been established as being funny. The jokes don’t feel forced, nor do they remove from the seriousness of some of the topics.

There are a few different plot points in this story and they are developed to varying degrees. Some of them, like Saachi’s struggle with gender and “otherness”, are handled exceptionally well. They are given a lot of time to develop and grow, blossoming under the skilled hands of Maia and Lucky. Other plot points feel more rushed, thrown in but not fully developed. None of the plot points feel pointless, but they won’t all resonate with all readers.

The illustrations in this graphic novel are neat and colorful. There aren’t a lot of background details, instead focusing on the main focus of that frame. There are plenty of colors used in this book, even when Saachi’s emotions begin to be “too much” and things feel overwhelming. This artwork fits beautifully with the story, conveying the characters’ emotions really well.

OPTING OUT is an exemplary exploration of self, chronicling one character’s struggle with identity as the world that they know changes. Maia Kobabe and Swati “Lucky” Srikumar really knock Saachi’s story out of the park.