From the Critics…

Delia Bridges didn’t intend to ruin her future by getting caught high and in possession of a weed tincture at school, but her extreme period pain left her feeling desperate. When her period shows up two days early and interferes with the opening ceremony for a prestigious pre-med mentorship during her senior year, she makes a snap decision that ends up seeing her expelled, kicked out of the mentorship, and unaccepted from her dream college. At the same time, her seventh and eighth gynecologists are gaslighting her, refusing to give her the treatment she so desperately needs. Shunted back to public school, Delia reconnects with her ex–best friend, falls for a cute boy, and works to find the strength to stand up for herself and demand the care she deserves. Toney has crafted a compelling young-adult story that is simultaneously hilarious, enraging, and emotional. The book is well plotted with an interesting story that goes hand in hand with the important messages of empowerment and medical agency it has for teens. Delia’s righteous rage at the healthcare system is more than earned. With laugh-out-loud catastrophes that are told with empathy, Toney’s debut is a fast-paced romp full of heart, presenting not just an engaging story but a helpful road map for teens seeking to practice self-advocacy.

What should be the most rewarding day of Delia’s high school career instead leads to her expulsion from her Texas prep school.Since middle school, 17-year-old Delia’s periods have brought her debilitating pain. This month, when her period begins two days early, it threatens to keep her home on a day when she must be present in order to stay in a prestigious premed program. Delia’s well-meaning sister gives her a homemade THC tincture that provides some relief, allowing her to go to school and meet her mentor—but when the dean discovers the substance, Delia’s kicked out. She must finish the year at public school. There, she reconnects with former best friend Ruby, who’s navigating her own medical issues with irritable bowel syndrome. Attendance policies that ignore complex illnesses could prevent both girls from graduating on time. Ruby’s activism around the subject inspires Delia to raise her own voice in a way that she’s been hesitant to before. An engaging protagonist, Delia often feels that she’s “too much” for her supportive family and friends. Her first-person narration is refreshingly candid as she chronicles her medical journey, including details of a pelvic exam by one of the many gynecologists she sees in search of a diagnosis. Delia’s determination to manage her medical condition ultimately pays off in unexpected ways. Delia and Ruby are cued white; other friends are racially diverse. An honest, empowering, and relatable story about self-advocacy and perseverance in the face of discrimination. (author’s note, resources)(Fiction. 12-18)

Gr 9 Up–Toney’s debut explores chronic illness, youth agency, and the fight to be heard. At its center is 17-year-old Delia Bridges, a high-achieving high school senior whose dreams of becoming a doctor are jeopardized by excruciating period pain—pain that has been dismissed by adults and medical professionals for years. When a well-intentioned gift from her younger sister—a homemade marijuana tincture—helps Delia make it to a crucial mentorship meeting, it also leads to her expulsion from their prestigious Texas prep school. Forced to finish out the year in public school, Delia reconnects with Ruby, a former best friend now dealing with her own chronic condition, IBS. Their renewed friendship becomes a catalyst for advocacy, as Ruby’s fight against rigid attendance policies inspires Delia to raise her voice, too. With humor and tenderness, Toney deftly navigates themes of period stigma, systemic medical neglect, and health equity, grounding the story in Delia’s candid first-person narration. Her emotional growth toward period positivity is supported by a likable, diverse cast. Toney’s personal connection to the subject matter brings authenticity to the narrative, lending credibility and depth to Delia’s experiences. VERDICT Honest, empowering, and deeply relatable, this novel is recommended for all young adult collections.

Delia’s period is ruining her life. She wants to be a doctor and has been matched with a high-powered mentor in the medical field, but then her period comes early and the searing pain means she’ll miss the mandatory mentoring ceremony. In an act of desperation, Delia, a risk-averse teetotaler, tries a weed tincture and ends up pain-free but high as a kite during the ceremony; she’s kicked out of her prestigious private school, loses her spot in the mentoring program, and has her conditional college acceptance revoked. She must finish the final weeks of her senior year at a new school with her estranged former best friend, Ruby, who now suffers from extreme IBS—and because they’ve both missed so many days of school for medical reasons, if either of them misses a single class, they won’t graduate. This story captures both the excruciating physical pain and shame that comes from Delia’s undiagnosed illness, as well as the frustration of being written off by demeaning doctors, school officials, and peers; there is thus profound relief for both Delia and the reader when she is finally diagnosed with endometriosis. The difference between asking for special treatment and needing accommodations is made clear through the supportive, silly relationship between Delia and her sister and mother (“It’s like I made my very own best friends with my very own vagina”), Delia’s rapidly rekindled friendship with Ruby, and a blossoming romantic relationship that Delia has trouble feeling like she deserves. Toney comingles humor with the horrors of Delia’s “violent and shocking” periods with aplomb, writing cringe-worthy laugh-out-loud scenes without ever taking away Delia’s power on her path to getting the help she needs. A brief author’s note gives information about her own endometriosis diagnosis and resources for sexual health.