Some Species of Outsider-ness

SOME SPECIES OF OUTSIDER-NESS
A novel by Angela Ellen Grey

Two teens. One dangerous secret. And the cost of being seen.
A raw, high-stakes coming-of-age story about mental health, bullying, first connection, and what happens when survival means refusing to stay quiet.

Survival isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s a decision you make every day.

Outsiders don’t always look the same—but they recognize each other.

Some Species of Outsider-ness follows Piper and Slater, two teens navigating lives already complicated by invisible battles. Piper lives with bipolar disorder. Slater is recovering from Guillain-Barré syndrome. Both know what it means to be watched, whispered about, underestimated.

Their connection begins quietly—two people who understand what it’s like to feel marked. But when bullying escalates and something darker begins to surface beneath their town’s ordinary routines, Piper and Slater realize they’re standing at the edge of something far more dangerous than cruelty alone.

What starts as survival becomes investigation. What begins as isolation becomes alliance. And the question they must answer isn’t just how to stay alive—but how to protect others when the truth is designed to stay hidden.

This novel explores:

  • mental illness and chronic illness with honesty and care

  • bullying, social isolation, and peer cruelty

  • first love rooted in understanding, not fixing

  • courage that grows from connection

  • uncovering exploitation and standing up to systemic harm

Unflinching, compassionate, and deeply human.
This is not a sanitized story about teens “overcoming” adversity. Some Species of Outsider-ness tells the truth about vulnerability, fear, and the quiet bravery it takes to keep showing up in a world that profits from silence.

  • “A necessary, courageous novel about being targeted—and refusing to vanish.”

  • “Sharp, tender, and devastating in all the right ways.”

  • “A story that sees kids the world often overlooks.”

Some Species of Outsider-ness is perfect for readers who want:

  • YA fiction that tackles real-world danger with emotional integrity

  • stories centered on mental health and disability representation

  • first love built on trust and shared survival

  • suspense woven into character-driven storytelling

  • novels that refuse to look away from hard truths

Tone & vibe: gritty, compassionate, tense, ultimately hopeful

Inside Some Species of Outsider-ness pages:

  • authentic depictions of bipolar disorder and illness recovery

  • the slow burn of trust and connection

  • escalating tension as secrets surface

  • a love story that never erases individuality

  • a powerful affirmation: being different does not make you disposable

This novel contains themes some readers may wish to approach with care, including bullying, mental illness, chronic illness, exploitation, and violence. These topics are handled with seriousness and respect, without glorification.

If you or someone you know needs help, local crisis resources are available.

About the Author

Angela Ellen Grey writes young adult fiction centered on resilience, mental health, and the lives of teens who exist at the margins—and refuse to stay there. Her work amplifies voices often dismissed, reminding readers that survival itself can be an act of defiance.

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