I was happy to receive an advanced reading copy of 'Leeta Simtar: A Life on Two Planets', a novel by Annie Fox. The book at its core is primarily a Sci-Fi coming of age story about the life of Leeta, a young girl born as an an interspecies hybrid, who for multiple reasons has always felt like an outsider among the people of her home planet, whose norms and ideals are not too dissimilar to Star Trek's Vulcans. As Leeta's spontaneous personality and heart-driven decisions often clash with the expectations and actions of those around her, she stands out among them, and inevitably is made to feel like the inability to fit in is a fault of her own, but at the same time it also gives her the desire to discover more of her past.
Beyond the main Sci-Fi elements, the story's main themes revolve around the notion of not belonging, how it very often shapes people into thinking that there is something wrong with them, and how eventually breaking out of that mentality, finding and accepting yourself, and finding people who love and accept you as you are, is vastly more important than trying to fit into a box that you don't belong in.
It's always refreshing to see stories that act as reminders that, even if blood-related family or people you grew up with aren't always ideal, supportive, or even present in your life, there is love and approval to be discovered among people who see you, care about you, and understand you and embrace you for who you are as a whole, even the parts of yourself that you may consider flawed, and who you can fully feel at home with. The message that found family bonds are equally as strong, and also a crucial aspect for self-acceptance, is always an important one, especially for younger people who are in the process of discovering themselves and their place in the world.
The book is coming out coming March 11, 2025.
