New YA: D Is For Defective
“In a world that demands perfection, Gracie Baxter is learning that survival isn’t about fitting in—it’s about finding someone who sees you as you are.”
The massive gold and crimson mascot of a roaring lion screams at me. It’s painted on the side of the gym wall, and I shrink as it looms, watching, ready to tear me to pieces at the first sign of weakness. Junior year at Summit High School starts in exactly eight minutes, and I’m about to walk into a trap of my own making. For two years, I’ve perfected the art of invisibility—slipping into the portable classroom at the back of campus where no one important ever ventures, where my secret stays locked behind peeling paint and dusty bookshelves. But today, everything changes. Today, I tested high enough to be mainstreamed into regular classes, which should feel like victory but tastes like poison in my mouth. Because now there will be nowhere to hide when the words on the page start dancing, when my brain scrambles letters like eggs, when everyone finally sees what my grandmother always knew: that I’m defective, broken, a waste.
I climb the last step from the lower parking lot onto campus, pinching the hem of my denim skirt from crawling up. That stupid lion doubles in size every year, just like my fear. The staff thinks if they make the lion bigger, the student body will show more school spirit. What they don’t understand is that some of us aren’t here to roar—we’re here to survive. And survival just got a whole lot harder. In special ed, we had an unspoken pact: we didn’t acknowledge each other in the halls, didn’t make eye contact in the quad, pretended we were strangers who just happened to share the same dirty secret. But regular classes mean regular exposure. It means reading aloud when called on, taking tests while everyone else finishes in half the time, asking for modifications that scream “different” louder than any label ever could. My hands are already sweating, my skin already too tight, and I haven’t even made it past the parking lot. This year isn’t about school spirit or making memories. This year is about whether I can keep my head above water—or if I’ll finally drown in front of everyone watching.
What Readers Are Saying
★★★★★
“D is for Defective” by R.E.S. Tidmore truly touched my heart and left a lasting impression. From the very first page, I found myself immersed in Gracie Baxter’s journey, a character whose struggles with feeling “defective” which is close to home for many of us!” -Braden From Amazon
★★★★★
“Even with this being a young adult book, it was still very relatable to read as an adult. It covers several different issues and offers good insight on dealing with them. This was an entertaining story and I enjoyed the character development as they worked though everything.” -Crystal From Amazon
This story will appeal to readers who loved:
All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
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Author R.E.S. Tidmore
She writes bold romance featuring feral heroines, broken heroes, and love stories that hurt before they heal.
Note from the Author
D is for Defective was my writing project while I worked toward my master’s degree, a time when balancing academic demands and creative pursuits was both exhausting and invigorating. The inspiration for the story came from my own high school experiences—the awkwardness of not quite fitting in, the pressure to keep up with high-achieving friends, and the quiet yearning to be accepted for who I really was. That push and pull between wanting to belong and needing to stay true to myself became the emotional core of this book.
Gracie Baxter, my protagonist, is a mosaic of pieces from my own life and imagination. At first, she felt familiar—a girl just trying to fit in with her AP friends and classmates—but as I wrote, she developed her own voice, quirks, and strengths. She surprised me with her resilience and her willingness to confront what made her feel different. Watching Gracie step into her story, claim her power, and redefine what it means to be “defective” was deeply rewarding. I found myself cheering for her, empathizing with her setbacks, and learning alongside her as she grew. In many ways, writing this book helped me process my own memories and gave me a sense of closure and growth. I hope Gracie’s journey resonates with anyone who has ever felt like an outsider trying to find their place in the world.
Copyright by R.E.S. Tidmore