Lizard Love — Wendy Townsend

A startling debut novel about a girl growing into a woman, kicking and screaming every step of the way. Grace's life was perfect in Mooresville at her grandparents' home. Nature was close at hand, and she could explore it endlessly. But Grace and her mother move to New York City, where nature has been paved over and left to die. Grace hates the city and all it represents . . . until she discovers a pet shop run by a toad-ugly boy and his father and which is full of exotic creatures, none more so than Spot, an iguana. Grace spends every minute she can at the pet shop, especially as she realizes that she doesn't fit in at school and she can't stand the city streets where men and boys are starting to notice her. Grace doesn't like what's happening to her body and the attention it's drawing. Even when she goes back to Mooresville for a summer break, she discovers that things aren't the same. So there is nothing to be done except return to the city and confront who she is, what she is becoming, and deal with it.

I looked up into the dark gold eye of a big lizard, calmly looking back at me. I caught my breath -- he was the most wonderful creature I could ever imagine. He had a great spiky crest and a black-banded tail hanging down and scales around his head and shoulders like jewels of all different sizes and shades of green, turquoise and bronze. One of his feet draped over the edge and each long toe had a curved claw at the tip. …
   I slid my hands underneath his body and took him in my arms.
… His tail went down past my waist. He flicked my cheek with his tongue and I put my face closer to his and breathed in. -- FROM THE BOOK