‘I urge you, read Bad Habit to fully grasp the degree of adversity, pain, and danger endured for virtue of growing-up trans’ Pedro Almodóvar

'The book that everyone is reading … tells the story of a working-class transgender woman full of rage and beauty, pain and poetry' New York Times

'Affecting and evocative … incredibly heartening' Observer

'A work of deep humility, spilling over with prose rich as double cream’ Guardian

‘Portero’s elegant storytelling catches a celestial light, illuminating the body in ways beyond language’ Eloghosa Osunde, author of Vagabonds!

'Portero’s prose is so commanding … painful yet unquestionably hopeful' Nicola Dinan, author of Bellies

‘An exemplary and fresh example of the trans bildungsroman … Poignant’ Washington Post

‘Leaves you stunned … Devastating yet beautiful … Special and unique' Travis Alabanza, author of None of the Above

‘Elegant and brutal’ Morgan M Page, author of Boys Don’t Cry

‘Affecting and poetic … Keenly observed’ New York Times Book Review

‘Incredibly moving, completely absorbing … Unforgettable’ Okechukwu Nzelu, author of Here Again Now

‘A beautiful novel … about the journey we take to become who we truly are’ Elena Medel, author of The Wonders

‘Vivid, compassionate and compulsive' Rachel Dawson, author of Neon Roses

‘A ballad, a quest, a revelation’ Saba Sams, author of Send Nudes

‘A story of defiance that makes you proud to be queer’ Amelia Abrahams, author of Queer Intentions

‘A singular and raw voice … The most talked-about debut of the year’ Time Out Spain

‘Engulfing … Portero had me captivated with her visceral prose’ Avni Doshi, author of Burnt Sugar

‘Brutal, tender, and vulnerable … A masterpiece’ Marisa Crane, author of I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself

The Stunning International Bestselling Coming of Age Debut Novel 2024