Mallory in Full Color

A funny, poignant coming-of-age middle grade novel about a tween who navigates questions of identity and friendship when her anonymous web comic goes viral, from the acclaimed author of Tethered to Other Stars.

Mallory Marsh is an expert at molding into whatever other people want her to be. Her true thoughts and feelings only come out in her sci-fi web comic, a story about finding your voice which she publishes anonymously as Dr. BotGirl.

But juggling all the versions of herself gets tricky, especially when Mal’s mom signs her up for swim team. Instead of being honest about hating competitive swim, Mal skips out on practice and secretly joins the library’s comic club. There Mal meets Noa, a cute nonbinary character who is very sure of who they are. As Mal helps Noa plan a drag queen story time, she tries to be the person she thinks Noa wants her to be—by lying about her stage fright.

Then Mal’s web comic goes viral, and kids at school start recognizing the unflattering characters based on Mal’s real-life friends. With negative pushback threatening the drag queen story time and Dr.BotGirl’s secret identity getting harder to hide, Mallory must reckon with the lies she has told.

If she reveals her full self, will her friends, her parents, and her new first crush accept the real Mallory Marsh?

• A Heartfelt Friendship Story: Mallory expresses her secret frustrations through her comic characters—who just happen to be unflattering caricatures of her real-life friends. When the comic goes viral, she risks losing them all for good.
• Secret Web Comic: Online, she’s the confident Dr. BotGirl. In real life, she’s just trying to be who everyone needs her to be, a balancing act that’s about to come crashing down.
• LGBTQ Books for Kids: Featuring a sweet, funny first crush on a nonbinary character and the joy of planning a community drag queen story time, this contemporary novel celebrates identity in all its colors.
• Identity and Self-Discovery: A poignant and relatable journey about learning that the person you’re most afraid to be is the person you were meant to be all along.

 “Punchy and empowering.” - Shelf Awareness (starred review)

"Leahy weaves a realistic and at times painfully resonant narrative about the cost of not asserting your own opinions and needs; the various threads of the story reinforce the theme of how the desire for validation and fear of rejection can lead people astray." - Horn Book Magazine

"Moving and hopeful...There’s a lot to love here, from drag queens jubilantly dancing with toddlers to folks finding and being embraced by their particular type of nerd." - Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)

"If you’ve ever been completely perplexed by that simple sounding phrase “just be yourself!”…this book is a perfect fit for you. Oh, and it also has robots!!!" - Rachel Elliot, author of The Real Riley Mayes

"What happens when you focus on what other people want to the detriment of your own needs? Elisa Stone Leahy explores this and more in Mallory in Full Color. Mallory is a wonderfully nuanced character trying her best to stay afloat amid the stresses of middle school and life changes at home. A beautifully heartfelt novel about identity, friendship, and embracing all parts of yourself, even if you don't yet have everything completely figured out." - A. J. Sass, award winning author of Ellen Outside the Lines and Ana on the Edge

"A sincere cautionary tale about finding one’s voice and putting others’ needs before one’s own." - Kirkus Reviews

"Leahy explores themes of identity and finding one’s voice in this compassionate and imaginative novel. Pages from Mallory’s graphic novel, illustrated by Diaz, begin each chapter of this true-to-life story that celebrates safe spaces and learning to be vulnerable." - Publishers Weekly

"A queer-friendly, heartwarming ­exploration of identity, communication, and acceptance, making it a must-read for young readers seeking an ­authentic and relatable story." - School Library Journal (starred review)

"Recommend this to middle-grade readers searching for LGBTQIA+ novels and those drawn to stories about complicated feelings and identity." - Booklist