Tell Them I'm Still Here

By David Lagattuta Jr.

Nico Hale didn't come back home to be discovered. He came back because he was out of options-out of money, out of places to hide, and running out of ways to stay invisible.

But when a photo of him-raw, quiet, unguarded-goes viral, everything changes. Overnight, he becomes the face people can't stop talking about. Fashion houses want him. Agencies are circling. And no one's asking the one question that really matters: who is he, really?

They don't know Nico is trans. They don't know the story behind the scars, the years it took to build the body they're now praising, or the cost of being seen by a world that never looked for him in the first place.

As the attention grows louder, and the line between image and truth starts to blur, Nico is forced to make a choice: tell the world who he is and risk everything-or stay silent and disappear all over again.

Tell Them I'm Still Here is a fiercely honest, beautifully written coming-of-age novel about identity, visibility, and what it really means to be known. It's for anyone who's ever been misnamed, misunderstood, or underestimated-and lived to tell the story anyway.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0FGY3VSWL
• ISBN13: 9798291328255
• Release Date: July 2025
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 122 Pages
• Weight: 0.38 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.0" x 9.0"