Jumpstart the World by Catherine Ryan Hyde

Elle is a 15-year-old girl in serious trouble. She has been evicted from her home; her mother has a new boyfriend and Elle is in the way. The apartment her mother finds for her is far enough away to isolate Elle. She has to start a new life, without her mother, whom she fights with anyway, friends or a familiar school. Her only support is a one-eyed cat that is scared to death of her, a friendly neighbor named Frank, whom Elle is immediately attracted to, and some kids at the new school, who all seem to be "different," which Elle finds unnerving and embarrassing. Cutting off her hair the day before school seemed like a satisfying act of rebellion against her mother and her mother's brand of beauty, but the new look is "gay" and Elle quickly becomes a target at school. Members of the GLBTQ community reach out to her, but Elle isn't sure how she feels about her own sexuality, much less anyone else's. In Jumpstart the World Elle is forced to confront her prejudices as they are personalized through her friends and her much loved neighbor Frank. Hyde creates a believable world in which vulnerable teens risk losing family and friends in order to be true to themselves. Recommended.