It Gets Better . . . Except When It Gets Worse

The irreverent and candid coming-of-age memoir of Nicole Maines: trailblazing trans actress, activist—and sometimes just someone existing, which is pretty tough!

Nicole Maines knows a thing or two about a “happily-ever-after.” Not only because she’s a self-proclaimed expert in the Disney princess canon but because she’s lived it. After coming out at a young age, her family had to educate themselves and those around them as they fought and won a landmark court case in Maine before she graduated high school.

She entered college, found love, and ultimately had The Surgery™. Then, she achieved her lifelong goal of becoming an actress by landing a significant role in the CW’s Supergirl, portraying television’s first live-action transgender superhero! Cue the sappy music and sunsets because we’ve got a happy ending, right? Ha! Not so fast.

Nicole shares her story for the first time, in her own words, taking us on her journey from childhood in rural Maine to the bright lights of Hollywood, revealing the lessons she’s learned along the way. With clever wit and unflinching honesty, she addresses some of the most harmful messages absorbed by queer kids and all young women, from the notion that anything can (or should) “fix” you to questioning what’s wrong when things don’t always feel better, reminding us that, sometimes, a happy ending is merely the beginning of the story.