Rough Patch

When fifteen-year-old Keira starts high school, she almost wishes she could write "e;Hi, my name is Keira, and I'm bisexual!"e; on her nametag. Needless to say, she's actually terrified to announcelet alone fully exploreher sexuality. Quirky but shy, loyal yet a bit zany, Keira navigates her growing interest in kissing both girls and boys while not alienating her BFF, boy-crazy Sita. As the two acclimate to their new high school, they manage to find lunch tablemates and make lists of the school's cutest boys. But Keira is caught "e;in between"e;unable to fully participate, yet too scared to come clean.She's also feeling the pressure of family: parents who married too young and have differing parenting styles; a younger sister in a wheelchair from whom adults expect either too little or too much; and her popular older brother who takes pleasure in taunting Keira. She finds solace in preparing for the regional finals of figure skating, a hobby she knows is geeky and "e;het girl"e; yet instills her with confidence. But when she meets a girl named Jayne who seems perfect for her, she isn't so confident she can pull off her charade any longer.Rough Patch is an honest, heart-wrenching novel about finding your place in the world, and about how to pick yourself up after taking a spill.Nicole Markotic is a poet and novelist who teaches children's literature at the University of Windsor. This is her first young adult novel.