Man o’ War by Cory McCarthy

“Not all trans people started out feeling like a different gender trapped in their skin. Some find themself a little at a time, a door inside that unlocks and reveals new doors, and new doors after that, and so on.”
― Cory McCarthy, Man o’ War

Living in a small landlocked Midwestern town, McIntyre, a seventeen year old Arab American swimmer struggles to figure out who they are in Cory McCarthy’s 2023 Stonewall Honor Book, Man o’ WarMcIntyre isn’t happy. As the inconsistently best swimmer on their high school team, they have always had swimming to fall back on, but their family and friends’ situation is something else entirely. Their relationship with their mom is rocky, their dad is present but quiet, but their brother is close by to help, although he’s dealing with his own issues. Their best friend is off and on again because McIntyre doesn’t always pick the best partners, relationship wise.

While on the annual class field trip to SeaPlanet, McIntyre runs into Indigo ‘Indy’ Watts, someone they used to go to elementary school with. Indy, an affirmed queer person, sparks something in McIntyre, leading them out of the closet and on a journey of self-discovery that spans years chronicled throughout this book. Follow McIntyre over a few years as they work to see who they are and, most importantly, who they want to become. McIntyre must also learn how to be true to themselves in spaces where other people don’t perceive them the way they view themself.

Interested in this book? Man o’ War is the September 2025 See YA Book Club selection. We will be discussing this book on Wednesday, September 3rd at 6:30pm at our Eastern Avenue branch. For more information about future See YA book picks, visit our website.

See YA Book Club

Join our adult book club with a teen book twist. See why so many teen books are being turned into movies and are taking over the best seller lists.

Registration is not required. Books are available on a first-come, first-serve basis at the Eastern Avenue library. We meet the first Wednesday of the month at Eastern at 6:30pm. Stop by the service desk for more information.

September 3 – Man O’War by Cory McCarthy

October 1 – A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

November 5 – Rez Ball by Byron Graves

December 3 – Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

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