School Library Journal Starred Review (Tue Nov 01 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Gr 9 Up —Sixteen-year-old Taelyr (Taylor among the humans) lives a boring, normal life in a small, quiet town. That life just so happens to include being on the run, hiding from the Vane, aliens who attacked Taelyr's home world Cyandii in an intergalactic war six years prior. Taelyr was a princess in Cyandii, but on Earth she is forced to live under the radar as an ordinary boy, in a family unit consisting of other survivors, disconnected and unhappy, but alive. Taelyr's life is upended when she meets new student Kat and, for the first time on Earth, feels safe enough to reveal her truth. The illustrator employs a retrofuturistic art style that uses stunning layers of vibrant interplay among sharp angles, long curves, and silhouettes, making for a visual feast. Adding to the artistic depth is the use of texture, mimicking splatter, as well as sponging, dynamic linework, and the incorporation of the lesbian and transgender flag colors when Taelyr transitions. Trans writer Axelrod crafts an honest, relatable story that delves into issues of feeling out of place in one's own body, and relationships strained by transitioning, but also contains hope and joy. Bullying, queer slurs, and anti-Black sentiment are present, and the majority of human characters are white, though Kat is Black. There is a wide range of body types and sizes. While part of the DC universe with a few brief mentions of Superman, readers won't need traditional superhero knowledge to thoroughly enjoy this story. VERDICT An effervescent and poignant tale about discovering and embracing your truest self against all odds; a must buy for teen collections.—Alea Perez

ALA Booklist

Taylor may seem to have it all, but she's actually living a lie r whole family is comprised of aliens hiding in human bodies to protect themselves, and especially Taylor, from danger. Taylor's human disguise boy fundamentally at odds with her true identity: she's actually Princess Galaxy, and she has a vast amount of power that her species' enemies would kill for. When Taylor loses her disguise and openly becomes Galaxy permanently, she encounters unexpected discrimination in her small town and must find a way to truly be herself. The straightforward story follows a classic YA format, but the metaphor of Galaxy's alien cover serves as a fresh and thoughtful spin on trans stories. The engaging, approachable artwork makes great use of bright, exaggerated color and adds some humor while gently easing the more tense moments of prejudice or suicidal ideation. Readers who like superhero stories emotionally grounded in relatable teenage concerns will appreciate this and likely look forward to subsequent installments that show off Galaxy's full range of powers as she becomes the hero she was born to be.

Kirkus Reviews

Taylor struggles with hiding her secret.When the Vane attacked the planet Cyandii 6 years ago, its princess, Taelyr, fled to Earth. Now, in order to stay hidden, she must live as Taylor, a human boy who presents as White. Sacrificing her true self for the sake of safety doesn't feel right, but those in charge insist it's the best thing to do. When Taylor meets new student Katherine, a Black girl with a prosthetic leg, she begins longing even more to show her true self. To that end she steals the Ehsar, the device that turned her into a human and has the power to turn her back. In her true form as a young woman with purple skin and green hair, Taylor feels at ease in her body for once, free to pursue her growing feelings for Katherine. However, she risks discovery not only from the Vane, but those around her too. While Taylor is no superhero, she is likely to become a hero to transgender youth. Fear and rejection dog her footsteps, but Taylor shows that living a lie can be far more damaging than the risks that come with being true to oneself. With beautiful artwork that features expressive figures highlighted against abstract backgrounds and a narrative that first breaks, then repairs readers' hearts, turning the final page is a sad affair.A fantastical allegory that lends itself well to the graphic novel medium. (resources) (Graphic fantasy. 14-18)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Axelrod and Taylor deliver a vulnerable and thought-provoking graphic novel about gender identity, told through the lens of an alien royal in hiding. Basketball star Taylor Barzelay, a seemingly white and cisgender 16-year-old boy, has the perfect life. Except that Taylor is actually alien princess Taelyr, one of the few survivors of an intergalactic war, living undercover in a body she doesn’t want, with a makeshift family of glorified chaperones for her protection. Taelyr is resigned to her masquerade until Katherine “Kat” Silverberg, a Black junior year transfer student, arrives from Metro-polis and encourages Taelyr to shed her disguise. When doing so puts her at odds with her family and their small town, Taelyr must learn to balance the expectations of others with her true self. Taylor’s sharp lines and flowing, vivid colors accentuate the fictional scenery and eclectic cast as well as complement the ethereal atmosphere, and the myriad textures and tones used on Taelyr after she shakes off her disguise are stunning. Axelrod thoughtfully encapsulates the exhaustion of hiding and the exhilaration of being oneself in this hilarious and gorgeously illustrated narrative featuring queer romance, talking dogs, and a galaxy of the prettiest stars. Ages 13–17. (May)