Ode to My First Car

Robin Gow

A YA contemporary sapphic romance told in verse, by the critically praised author of A Million Quiet Revolutions, about a bisexual teen girl who falls in and out of love over the course of one fateful summer. It’s the summer before senior year and...

Premium Chapters

Premium

Opening Credits

1/19/2023

Dedication

1/19/2023

Epigraph

1/19/2023

Dad Says,

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: You, Lars

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Just Last Week

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: I know

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: I knew it was all over for me

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Secrets

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Me: The Family's Lone Queer

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: At School

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Suspicions

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Opposites Attract?

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Singing in the Rain

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: My Brother and I

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Ode to Learning How to Drive

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Trapped in Trappe, PA

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Do I have my phone?

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: I have liked Sophia since before I knew I liked girls

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: "Claire? Claire. Hello?"

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Farewell

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Driving Home

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Mom and dad and Chris and Me

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: What I Want

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Ode to this Summer

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Sleepover

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: A Terrible Idea

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Ode to our first drive alone

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: What I Really Want

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: The Plan

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Coming Out (Sort of)

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Bisexual

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: I don't want to talk about it

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Staying Up Late

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Curfew

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Next Year

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Walking Back

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Falling Asleep

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: A Guide for Not Getting in More Trouble When You're 17 and Over It

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Executing the Plan

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Texting

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: I don't know even where to start with this

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: What did people do before the internet?

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Ode to Being Seventeen

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: I wonder if I'll ever get better at telling people how I feel

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Chris and I

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Thank God!

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Ode to Escaping

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Medium-sized Everything

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Freedom

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Flirting: Take 1

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Flirting: Take 2

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Ode to Imagining a Dream First Date

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: I Miss You, Lars

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: What I Had in Mind

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: I call Sophia even though it's late at night because I'm freaking out and I should have probably just texted her

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Summer Sucks

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Summer Job I

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Summer Job II

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Summer Job III

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Pen picks me up in her Smart car

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: We go to the trail like we'd planned

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Pen asks

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Brushing shoulders

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Yes, you can have sex in a Smart car

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Interrupted

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: After

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Ode to Pen's car

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: When I get home,

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Thinking of Sophia

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: I lay the phone on my chest

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: When I'm feeling mad at Mom and Dad

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Ode to Gas Stations

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Finding a Summer Job

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Venting

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Pacing

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: They want to see me for an interview today!

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Everyone who works at Caring Cottage wears the same uniform

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Her name is Tammy

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: I step out into the hot afternoon

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Buzzing

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Home

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Seven a.m.

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Bad Idea

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Driving with Dad

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: "Sorry"

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: A Nightmare

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: I wish I could

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Firefly Catching

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: We share memories

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: We fill our mason jars

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Am I Jealous of Theo?

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: I hate being jealous like this

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: We drink lemonade

1/19/2023

Part 1: Odes to You, Lars: Straight Best Friend

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Nursing Home Day 1

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Lena is Amazing

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Two Queer People

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Working

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Lena's Room

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: African Violet

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Overwatering

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: A few days pass and

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Paycheck

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Whatever-Texting

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Dinner Table

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Chris Can Be a Good Brother Sometimes

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: When we were younger

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Mom

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Can you be in love with two people at once?

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Every day in the summer feels like Saturday

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Holding Hands

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: We End Up at the Bookstore

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Sitting in Comfy Bookstore Chairs

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Ode to Imagining a Different Ending

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Back at home in bed

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Taking the Bus

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Sophia and Theo

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Can Best Friends Grow Apart this Fast???

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Ode to Last Summer

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Nursing Home Shift

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: But I–

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Reading Terminal Market

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Girls Who Like Girls

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Advice

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: I tell Lena

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Two Girls

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Talking About Pen and Sophia

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: What to Do

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Ode to Walking

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: I let myself check my messages and I have:

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: The One Time I Don't Check My Phone

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: I want to turn off my phone

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Classroom Debate

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Advice?

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: I Call Sophia

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: I Text Pen

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: People are Stressful

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: In the midst of all this whirling

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Chris Knocks

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Coming Out Productions

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: I Can't Believe I Might Want to Do This

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: We're both scrolling on our phones on either side of the room

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Ode / Anti-Ode to Futures

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Ambulances

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: I worry in circles

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Joan's Daughter

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Moms

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Invitation

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: I don't know what I'll tell Pen and Sophia

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Lars, what would you do?

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Different worlds

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Bad decision I

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Bad decision II

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Bad decision III

1/19/2023

Part 2: Odes to African Violets: Regrets ...

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: What's wrong with me?

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: There are few things more beautiful than canceled plans

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: Ode to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: Coming-Out Videos

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: Haircuts

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: Mom's Haircuts

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: Butch

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: Watching Chris Get His Haircut

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: Ode to My Hair

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: Girls with Short Hair

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: "Are you sure?"

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: Club Sandwiches

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: New Haircut

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: This haircut makes me look butch and I love it

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: Ode to Walking with My Brother

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: Senior Talent Show

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: The Show So Far

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: Hot / Cold

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: Lena Performs

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: Ode to Sophia's Voice

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: After the Show

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: She's just my friend

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: I'm going to stop seeing Pen

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: A poem for Sophia that she will never see

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: July Night

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: Dinner at My House

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: Lasagna

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: Describing Lena

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: Testing the Waters

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: Chris's Idea

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: My Ideal Coming-Out Story

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: Time in the Summer

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: Drama Part 1

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: It's not about Theo

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: Why would Pen ask if me and Sophia were together?

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: Queer Girl Stereotypes

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: Ode to Sunday Mornings

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: Church Bathroom

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: Sister Angelica

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: Car Ride Home

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: Countdown: 350 Days

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: Another Countdown: 20 Days

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: Nursing-Home Food

1/19/2023

Part 3: Odes to Myself as a Future Old Bisexual: Canned peaches

1/19/2023