Felix Ever After

The gallery wall at St. Catherine’s represents Felix’s journey toward self-love and pride. Initially, the gallery wall is a source of deep pain, as a student uses it to publicly humiliate Felix for being trans. At the end of the summer program, one student is chosen by the faculty to show their work on the gallery wall. As Felix seeks revenge on the student who abused the gallery wall, he learns that he is lovable and worthy of respect. One of the steps along this journey is Felix beginning to paint self-portraits, a practice of self-acceptance that turns into his portfolio for college applications. As Felix gains confidence, he applies for the end-of-summer gallery show and is the first student to ever be chosen unanimously. Felix reclaims the gallery wall, showing the world that he sees himself with pride.

The book is set during Pride Month and concludes during the Pride March, which occurs on the last day of the month. This framework makes Felix’s growth easy to see. In Chapter 8, when Ezra asks Felix if he will go to the parade with him, Felix thinks, “The parade is just a little too… emotional, I guess? Everyone screaming, people crying… It’s just all a little much for me, but Ezra loves that shit.