Reviews with content warning for Transphobia - Too Bright to See

Reviews tagging 'Transphobia'

Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff

11 reviews

queerafictionado's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

Most people tend to have a moment, a person, an experience…something that helped them on their journey of discovering their identity as a queer/trans* person. Sometimes it’s lots of individual pieces that eventually come together and reveal something to you that you hadn’t seen before. Sometimes it’s more of a light bulb moment when everything just suddenly makes sense in a way it hadn’t before. In Bug’s case, that help came in the most unexpected of ways - through the paranormal.

Bug’s house had always been haunted. But suddenly, following the death of Bug’s beloved uncle, new things begin happening. And they all seem focused on Bug. And while Bug’s best friend Moira is focused on preparing for middle school, make-up, shopping, boys, and other things that Bug has no interest in…Bug is focused on figuring out what message Uncle Roderick is trying to send. I don’t want to say a lot about the story details because it’s hard not to do it without spoilers. I want other readers to be able to experience the journey alongside Bug, so I’ll keep my review to general thoughts and my reaction/feelings.

There are two main themes woven through this story - grief and identity. The loss of Roderick hit hard on their family. Especially Bug’s mom, but also on Bug. Throughout the story you get little snippets of the past and you learn more about Roderick and Bug’s relationship. And as Bug begins to put together all the pieces of the past with all the coded messages from Roderick’s ghost, new questions arise that send Bug on two distinct yet connected journeys: to find out what Roderick is trying to tell them and to figure out who the real Bug is. It’s a story about friendship, growing up, and finding yourself with a fun cozy mystery/paranormal twist that ultimately leads to a beautiful story about trans* joy. And it’s a reminder that even when you grow up in a supportive and progressive family, it can still be hard to find the answers you need and share your truth. Because being vulnerable like that is always a little scary, even when there aren’t ghosts involved.

🏳️‍🌈Rep: Trans MC, Gay uncle (SC)

📝Genre/Themes: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Paranormal, Coming of Age, Coming Out, Small Town Vermont, Single Parent, Friendship

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scmiller's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

3.75

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moonyreadsbystarlight's review against another edition

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emotional reflective

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes

5.0

This focuses on Bug, a kid whose Uncle dies at the beginning of the summer before middle school. While there is a lot about grief and friendship, there is also a lot about self-discovery. The descriptions of gender dysphoria and social discomfort hit so close to home for me.

I did feel like some of the mystery part felt more obvious to me, but perhaps it would be different for its intended audience

(but to be fair, I'm thinking about the bit after they get the Oji board message. And while it's onvious from the outside what the message was, him being clueless is 100% realistic. I, too, have overlooked clues about my gender that are painfully obvious) While the end where everything goes super smoothly coming out at home and school isn't realistic per se, it is really wonderful and so vital to see stories without queer trauma

Really the only big issue I had was the lack of care with the Oija board. Always say goodbye and don't do it alone, kids!

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greenlivingaudioworm's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

emily_mh's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This was truly a book of two halves for me. I really did not like the first half. There was a lack of plot or character direction that left me feeling bored and confused. But I was completely WON OVER by the second half. Bug's character development was what made it. They're coming to terms with their uncle's death, the gap this leaves in their home, and how to live this new life they have without them. At the same time Bug is trying to understand why they don't feel right in their own skin and struggling to do so because they lack the words and knowledge to describe it. All this is happening against the backdrop of Bug trying to figure out why a ghosts is interfering with their life and home, which propelled the narrative forward.

This book is so emotional and sad, centred on the incredibly moving concept of someone trying their hardest to reassure and encourage somebody they love. But it is also filled with trans joy and hope, which I adored. Instead of being focussed on transphobia (which is obviously still important to do, just not in ALL trans stories), the story is about love, self-discovery, self-acceptance, and self-celebration.

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careinthelibrary's review against another edition

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dark emotional medium-paced

4.0

This was really good! I loved the layers of storytelling and genre here. It's not your average ghost story nor does it read like a typical middle grade coming-of-age.
Interesting perspective of parenting a trans kid and gender role enforcement of role models. I also love the re of kids who don't always know what's going on with their gender (not everyone knows from the moment they're conscious that they're trans/queer, sometimes it takes soul searching and education).

I really liked the narrator of this so I especially recommend it in that format if you like audiobooks.

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mandkips's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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sara_phoenix's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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imstephtacular's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Content Warnings

betweentheshelves's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

This may be a short book, but it packs a punch for sure. Bug is the sweetest main character, trying to solve the mystery behind Uncle Roderick staying behind as a ghost. Not only is this a book about ghosts, it is also a book about grief, about finding your identity, and of course, about the transition to middle school. All of the characters in this were great, and the character arcs were well done. This will be a great book to put in any middle grade readers' hands.

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