Euphoria Kids by Alison Evans

Publisher: Echo, 2020. ISBN: 9781760686505. 247pp., pbk.
(Age: Young Adult Readers) A modern Young Adult fairy tale exploring belonging, identity, friendship and gender. Alison Evans has written a very imaginative story full of magic and tenderness.
I find Alison's books have a way to provide support and representation that is aimed at gender queer youth. She has managed to do this once again with a modern fairy tale full of magic, witches, realms, faeries and many other magic folks. I think Alison's books are a great addition to a school library to help queer kids try to find a place in our world and school.
Euphoria Kids takes the reader on a journey exploring three characters, Iris, Babs and a boy who has not got a name yet. They meet each other at school and become good friends. They explore who they are and who they want to be while supporting one another finding their true self. All three come from loving and supportive families and we read how they negotiate life between school, family, home, classes, the woods, and magical realm.
The characters are very interesting and you could probably read more into them. Iris is identified as non-binary and who grew from a seed. Babs is a girl who is a girl who often feels invisible and sometimes is, she is made of fire. There is also a trans boy who is new to the school who has not yet found his real name.
I must say when I first picked up Euphoria Kids I thought does this continue from Alison's last book Highway Bodies a zombie apocalypse novel which I enjoyed. Nope, Euphoria Kids is nothing like it but still an enjoyable read.
Maria Komninos