Strange Horizons, August 3, 2015

“Probably Definitely” by Heather Morris

Reviewed by Nicky Magas

Tommie’s favorite singer, Savannah Sullivan, has died and it’s ruining Tommie’s life in “Probably Definitely” by Heather Morris. Not being able to see the concert tomorrow is bad enough, but now Savannah’s ghost won’t stop haunting Tommie. Apparently Savannah has to complete a sort of mentoring program with hundreds of her fans before she can finally rest in peace. Tommie, on the other hand, just wants to be left alone—no family, no friends, and no pop-star ghosts. No one. For Tommie, being alone and uncategorized is the safest path in life. Savannah, however, isn’t going to take no for an answer, and Tommie will have to finally open up to the world or suffer Savannah’s prattling for all time.

The voice in “Probably Definitely” cleverly hides Tommie’s internally uncertain gender in present tense and clipped sentences, keeping both Tommie’s biological sex and her/his gender identity a mystery until Savannah arrives to pry it out of the narrative. Because Tommie’s insecurity about her/his identity drives the main conflict, this tactic paces the story wonderfully and draws the reader deeper into the story. The plot itself takes the reader back into the uncomfortable, transitional teenage years when the innocent rules of childhood and the structured laws of adulthood mingle in unpleasant confusion. In this way, Tommie is a quintessential teenager as much as she/he is an outlier. Savannah’s loud, outgoing nature is the perfect foil to Tommie’s reclusive introversion. Even in death her personality and her interactions with the world help give Tommie the courage to find the truth within her/himself. While Tommie does more to directly aid Savannah than Savannah does to aid Tommie, in the end, Tommie is able to cope with the sudden loss of her/his life-long idol, and tentatively reaches out to a kindred spirit, putting her/him on the path toward more substantial healing.