the passing playbook by isaac fitzsimons

The coach was an unexpected favourite character and I really loved seeing everything he did to support Spencer and his teammates. All of the team members are so lovely and supportive and I loved reading about how Spencer fit in with them and his relationships both with the team as a whole and with individuals. I am a sucker for sports team dynamics in books and The Passing Playbook gave me everything I wanted (read: found family vibes). I adored Spencer and Justice together they had great chemistry and were honestly just a joy to read about. The main focus of The Passing Playbook is not a revolutionary outcry for trans rights, rather it’s a romance – heartwarming in its simple sweetness and, really, just as revolutionary as Spencer’s fight for the right to play. The synopsis of this book makes it sound as if it’s going to be a lot more activism focused as Spencer has to fight for his right to play and although this element is definitely present, it comes secondary to the characters and romance. This is undoubtedly a book written for LGBTQ+ teenagers above anyone else and reading it felt like a warm hug.

From Spencer’s relationship to his parents, his friends, Justice and himself, there is never a moment where love doesn’t shine through the pages of this book. The Passing Playbook is joyful, comforting and absolutely brimming with love.

However, I’ll do my best to do this stunning book justice. The Passing Playbook is a new favourite but, unfortunately for this review, has fallen into the ‘I love this too much to talk about it coherently’ category. I’ve been putting off writing this review because I don’t know how to put into words how much I loved this book.

The passing playbook by isaac fitzsimons