May the Best Man Win

Ages 14 to 18

A debut YA novel about a throw-down battle for Homecoming King between a transgender teen and the boy he dumped last summer.

Jeremy Harkiss, cheer captain and student body president, won’t let coming out as a transgender boy ruin his senior year. Instead of bowing to the bigots, Jeremy decides to make some noise—by challenging his all-star ex-boyfriend, Lukas, for the title of Homecoming King.

Lukas Rivers, football star and head of the Homecoming Committee, is just trying to find order in his life after his older brother’s funeral and the loss of his long-term girlfriend—who turned out to be a boy. So when Jeremy threatens to break his heart and steal his crown, Lukas hatches a plot to sabotage Jeremy’s campaign.

But then the boys take their rivalry too far and jeopardize the dance for everyone. To save Homecoming, they’ll have to face the hurt they’re both hiding—and the lingering butterflies they can’t deny.

About the Author

ZR Ellor is an author and literary agent from the Washington, DC area. An avid lifelong reader, he wrote his first novel when he was twelve years old and never put down his pen. He graduated from Cornell University in 2016 with a dual degree in biology and English literature. His non-literary interests include running, travel, and global cuisine. May The Best Man Win is his debut novel.