Goth Girl, Queen of the Universe

Bounced between foster homes since the age of seven, Jessica knows better than to set down roots. Most of the kids at her new Michigan high school think she’s a witch anyway (because, you know, goth). The only one who gives her the time of day is geeky Oscar, who wants to recruit her fashion skills for his amateur cosplay group. But Jess is fine showing off her looks to her Insta fans—until a woman claiming to be her biological mother barges into her DMs. Jess was claimed by the state when her biomom’s mental illness made her unstable. While their relationship is far from traditional, blood ties are hard to break. There’s only one problem: Jess can’t reunite with her mom in New York City without a bunch of paperwork and she worries her social worker will never approve the trip. That’s when she remembers Oscar’s cosplay group, which is aiming for that big convention in New York . . . So, Jess joins Oscar’s team—with every intention of using them to get to her mom. But her plan gets complicated when she discovers that, actually, cosplay is pretty great, and so is having friends. And Oscar, who Jess thought was just a shy nerd, can be as gallant and charming as the heroes he pretends to be. As the big convention draws near, Jess will have to decide whether or not chasing a dream of “family” is worth risking the family she’s built for herself. Click Here to Read Preview. 

A 2023 Junior Library Guild Selection

2023 IPPY Awards Silver Medalist, Best First Book – Juv/YA

Best Children’s Books of 2022 – Bank Street Children’s Book Committee

2023 Moonbeam Awards Bronze Medalist (Young Adult Fiction – General)

Black-Eyed Susan Book Award Nominee, 2024–2025

Booklist

“Zrull’s debut is a beautiful blend of all things cosplay and mental health awareness, with a fiercely independent yet vulnerable heroine whose journey to closure, family, and love is heartbreaking but endearing.”

Publishers Weekly

“Zrull’s debut vulnerably and empathetically celebrates geekdom and connection featuring a goth queen teen who uses her image as a shield against the world.”

Children's Literature

[T]he diverse cast brings the world of competitive cosplay to a YA audience with humor and heart. Readers who enjoy heartwarming stories of found families like Longo’s What I Carry or Masood’s Sway With Me will love this story of a teen finding her voice and discovering she’s not alone.”