Rainie Oet

Rainie Oet is a novelist and poet.

She is the author of the poetry collections No Mark Spiral (2018), Porcupine in Freefall (2019), Inside Ball Lightning (2020), and Glorious Veils of Diane (2021); the picture books Monster Seek and Robin's Worlds (2024); and the middle grade novel Glitch Girl! (2025). Glitch Girl! won the 2026 Lambda Literary Award for Middle Grade Literature.

Oet earned a Master of Fine Arts in poetry from Syracuse University.

She is transgender.

Writing

Robin's Worlds (2024) Robin's World, illustrated by Mathias Ball, is a picture book published by Astra Young Readers in 2024. The book centers Robin as they celebrate their eighth birthday alone. The celebration begins ordinarily as they eat dinner with their cat Skipper while their guardian, Uncle Miles, is out. Before their Uncle Miles arrives home, the Cat-Headed Wanderer takes Robin to a fantastical event.

Robin's Worlds received mixed reviews, with reviewers primarily criticizing the text. Kirkus Reviews stated that "an uneven plot leaves this tale without much sparkle", while Publishers Weekly described the text as "lengthy and "affecting" as it "explores layers of grief and joy". School Library Journal 's Terry Hong noted that the text includes "narrative hiccups". Discussing the illustrations, Publishers Weekly highlighted how the "vibrant hues and detailed character designs [...] breathe life into each dreamlike scene as the evening tenderly paves the way for a solitary child to find connection in the real world". Inspired by Oet's life, the novel follows J-- from fifth to seventh grade in the mid-2000s. The child of Russian Jewish immigrants, J-- is an ADHD and nonbinary trans girl who uses she/they pronouns. Although J-- desires to be good, she feels as though she isn't accepted by most others in her life, including her parents, teachers, classmates, and guests in the roller coaster simulator she plays, Coaster Boss. Upon meeting Junie at the beginning of fifth grade, J-- develops a crush on her alongside their blooming friendship; overtime, the crush becomes obsessive, even as their friendship dissolves. When J-- joins a fencing team, she finally begins to build healthy connections. The novel explores themes related to trauma, abuse, romantic obsession, neurodivergence, and gender identity.

Instead of utilizing the protagonist's deadname, the novel stylistically refers to her as J--. ''

Publications

Children's books

Poetry collections