One of the Boys

By: Victoria Zeller

Published by Lantern Paperbacks, 2026-05-12

NOW IN PAPERBACK! Instant New York Times Bestseller! Grace Woodhouse has left a lot behind. She used to have a great friend group, an amazing girlfriend, and a right foot set to earn her a Division I football scholarship--before she came out as trans. As senior year begins, Grace is struggling to find her place in early transition, new social circles, and a life without football. But when her skills as the best kicker in the state prove to be vital, her old teammates beg her to come out of retirement, dragging her back into a sport--into a way of life--she thought had turned its back on her forever. When a chance meeting cracks the door to college football back open, she has to decide how much of herself she's willing to give up for the game she loves. P R A I S E ★ "A standout first work, setting a high bar for the blooming subgenre of queer sports fiction." -- Booklist (starred) ★ "One of the Boys is an amazing feel-good read for any teen (or adult!) who loves football--but for those who know nothing about the sport, Zeller does a great job making it accessible. Alongside great sports plays and banter, Zeller also prioritizes "feelingsball," or mapping Grace's mental and emotional journey as she works to unite the football world and the LGBTQ+ world, two spaces with long-held stereotypes and prejudices against each other. One of the Boys is a standout work of YA fiction, as inspiring and illuminating as it is funny and relatable." -- BookPage (starred) ★ "Zeller artfully exposes the tender underbelly of locker room posturing, presenting a subversive, experience-informed interpretation of toxic masculinity... An intersectionally diverse cast--which includes Grace's taciturn yet supportive single father--helps the protagonist forge her own path and blaze a trail for others in this necessary debut." -- Publishers Weekly (starred)