To say that “Spit and Passion” is unlike any graphic narrative I’ve ever read would be a gross understatement. Cristy C. Road might very well have invented a unique genre with this book: the genderqueer Latina Bildungsroman (facilitated via punk pop—namely, Green Day) graphic narrative.

And it’s very good. And very frank. Her language is rather salty, and her images are sometimes quite…well, graphic. Road does not hold back one iota as she traces the myriad sources of anxiety that bedeviled her middle school years. From her Latina heritage and the simultaneous love/condemnation she received from the adult women in her family to the unrequited crushes on female teachers to the excruciatingly cruel torment that is middle school (even for kids who are NOT genderqueer and/or bisexual) and the sweet temptation of a real-life girl crush, Road endures a gauntlet of emotional angst that rings true. Add to that her contemplative nature and her tireless quest to figure out why she’s feeling what she’s feeling and why she feels so bad about feeling what she’s feeling—and the result is a very powerful story of queer youth.

All of its merits notwithstanding, I would certainly hesitate to teach this book to adolescents. Although it would be appropriate for mature adolescent readers, it would definitely be problematic as a class read. Just as some adult novels might be appropriate for young adult readers, “Spit and Passion” is a young adult graphic narrative that is appropriate for more adult readers. I hope that the teens who need to read this tale will seek it out and find it—but I doubt they will do so in an academic setting. ( )