Julian Gibson’s life is changing whether he’s ready for it or not. Since he realized he’s transgender, life hasn’t been too bad, even though his family and friends still call him Julia and think he’s a girl. At least he has his best friend Aiden, and sci-fi novels to enjoy with his dad.
But when high school starts, suddenly everything is different. Aiden no longer wants to be friends, and a girl named Maria takes an interest in Julian—though she doesn’t understand the truth. It’s been a year since he discovered he was transgender, and Julian is tired of feeling like he’s living a hoax, so he resolves to tell three people. As he comes out one slow step at a time, friendship and romance change and grow amidst holiday shopping and celebrations. Julian is beginning to understand why kids hang on to their belief in Santa—sometimes fiction is easier to accept than fact.