A commercial coming-of-age story for tweens exploring identity, family and self-acceptance, from award-winning author Sarah Hagger-Holt.
Thirteen-year-old Aidan can't breathe in his crowded family home. Running is his only respite from four loud sisters and involved, touchy-feely parents. Then his mum makes an announcement: she's having another baby. Only, this time it's not for her; she will be a surrogate for gay couple Justin and Atif.
Aidan is incensed. As if his family wasn't embarrassing - or big - enough already. But he's also scared. Aidan thinks he might be gay, and he's really struggling to accept this possibility. He's definitely not ready to come out, but what if being around Justin and Atif exposes him as gay?
If only he was just like everyone else.
Sarah Hagger-Holt is Community Campaigns Manager at LGBTQ+ rights charity Stonewall and lives with her partner and two daughters in the UK. She is the author of two adult non-fiction books and has written for the i Paper, the Huffington Post, and spoken on Radio 4's Woman's Hour about LGBT parenting. Nothing Ever Happens Here was sparked by interviews that she carried out for her parenting guides, where she was struck by the contrast between the honest, complex stories of the families she was meeting and the sensationalist media coverage of trans people's lives.
From Sarah's website:
I’m Sarah Hagger-Holt, the award-winning author of middle-grade novels Nothing Ever Happens Here and Proud of Me, as well as non-fiction on LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bi, trans, queer/questioning) experience. My pronouns are she/her. My next book is Just Like Everyone Else, it's out in June 2023 and available to preorder now.
I love reading, writing and telling stories. I’ve spent the last 20 years working as a campaigner for voluntary sector organisations, and I enjoy bringing the issues I’m most passionate about campaigning on into the stories that I tell.
My favourite book as a child was Witch Week by Diana Wynne-Jones and my favourite book as a teenager was Annie On My Mind by Nancy Garden.
I live in Hertfordshire with my partner, children, rabbits and chickens.