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felyn's review
I can't really rate it, as it's a DNF.
Not because it isn't good, but because I forgot this was a children's book written in a diary-style format. I am... Super not a part of the tween/young teen audience.
I love that it's about Ciel and Sophie starting high school, though. We need more queer-positive books with queer MCs!
Not because it isn't good, but because I forgot this was a children's book written in a diary-style format. I am... Super not a part of the tween/young teen audience.
I love that it's about Ciel and Sophie starting high school, though. We need more queer-positive books with queer MCs!
halliedb's review
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I really like #ownvoices books, especially for young readers. That is why I really wanted to love this book. It is clear that the author put a lot of heart in this book, especially with the protagonist, Ciel. I also loved their best friend, Stephie. However, there was not much of a plot at all to this story. I understand the author comes from a background of writing comics, and that makes a lot of sense when reading this. It probably would have made a very good weekly webcomic, seeing what Ciel is up to every week. However, as a novel, I feel it needed a tighter plot. Overall, I felt the representation was really good, and it might be a good way to teach younger readers about trans issues, but I am not sure how entertained an average kid would be by it. Also, it is great for younger trans readers who could see themselves in Ciel and the other trans characters in this book. I really wish the plot was better, because I feel like it had the potential to be a masterpiece.
I really like #ownvoices books, especially for young readers. That is why I really wanted to love this book. It is clear that the author put a lot of heart in this book, especially with the protagonist, Ciel. I also loved their best friend, Stephie. However, there was not much of a plot at all to this story. I understand the author comes from a background of writing comics, and that makes a lot of sense when reading this. It probably would have made a very good weekly webcomic, seeing what Ciel is up to every week. However, as a novel, I feel it needed a tighter plot. Overall, I felt the representation was really good, and it might be a good way to teach younger readers about trans issues, but I am not sure how entertained an average kid would be by it. Also, it is great for younger trans readers who could see themselves in Ciel and the other trans characters in this book. I really wish the plot was better, because I feel like it had the potential to be a masterpiece.
cweichel's review
4.0
This own voices novela introduces us to Ciel, a trans nonbinary teen who is just starting high school. Their best friend, Stephie, is a trans girl. Ciel is in a long distance relationship with Eirikur, a bisexual teen who has moved back to Iceland from Montreal. They are interested platonically, (for now at least) in Liam, a trans boy at the school.
It took me a bit to get into this story because the language felt stilted. Soon however I was engaged with the characters. Ciel is a sympathetic kid who works hard towards their goals. They get up every morning to deliver papers to raise money to purchase a new video camera. Ciel has a youtube channel where they post videos they have created. After a post about the lack of appropriate nongendered bathrooms at the school goes viral, they get a lot of negative comments. While this distresses Ciel, they have a supportive father and friends, and Ciel handles it well.
This book isn't full of angst and action. It's a thoughtful look into the life of teen and their friends who don't fit into the cisgendered world.
It took me a bit to get into this story because the language felt stilted. Soon however I was engaged with the characters. Ciel is a sympathetic kid who works hard towards their goals. They get up every morning to deliver papers to raise money to purchase a new video camera. Ciel has a youtube channel where they post videos they have created. After a post about the lack of appropriate nongendered bathrooms at the school goes viral, they get a lot of negative comments. While this distresses Ciel, they have a supportive father and friends, and Ciel handles it well.
This book isn't full of angst and action. It's a thoughtful look into the life of teen and their friends who don't fit into the cisgendered world.
anniekslibrary's review
4.0
I've said this before and I'll say it again: it's really such a special thing to see your identity represented in middlegrade. I've read a few books with non-binary main characters so far, but never one in middlegrade, and it really means a lot. It's just such a healing experience.
This book did a really great job at finding a balance between showing the more subtle and heavier transphobia trans people deal with in their day-to-day lives while also showing the love and support and just the happy moments. In that way, it dealt with important and very real themes while being an inherently pretty uplifting and really empowering book. Ciel was a really lovely main character, and one I could really see myself in. And it was great to see multiple trans characters in one book as well, because it shows how there are so many different ways to be trans.
CWs: transphobia, misgendering
This book did a really great job at finding a balance between showing the more subtle and heavier transphobia trans people deal with in their day-to-day lives while also showing the love and support and just the happy moments. In that way, it dealt with important and very real themes while being an inherently pretty uplifting and really empowering book. Ciel was a really lovely main character, and one I could really see myself in. And it was great to see multiple trans characters in one book as well, because it shows how there are so many different ways to be trans.
CWs: transphobia, misgendering
shilo1364's review
3.0
I was actually a little disappointed by this one. I really enjoy Sophie Labelle's comics and so I jumped at the chance to read this one early, but I had some issues with it.
The characters feel so young! They're in their freshman year of high school, so I guess they are young, and I think this is aimed at middle-grade readers, but then they talk about being in love and dating for two years and like, they're children.
Also, it's like one long stream-of-consciousness (with multiple topic jumps per paragraph) of a 12-13 year-old on a massive sugar high. It's a bit hard to get into because of that. It also... meanders without a clear plot. It's more of a this happened, then this happened, then this happened, the end. So it feels both authentic to the experience of a young teenager but also not the most satisfying thing to read as nothing really wraps up and not much changes. I think it would have actually worked better as a series of comics.
The thing I really like about this book is that it deals with some important issues: what it's like to be trans and nonbinary when a freshman in high school and how to decide whether to be visibly out or not. The different ways Stephie and Ciel approached that were interesting to explore. And the message I got from it of being your authentic self and not being afraid of standing out is a good one. It also deals well with the topic of subtle and more overt transphobia.
I would definitely give it to middle-grade and high school kids who are questioning their gender identity - and really any kids in maybe 6th-12th grade who could use a broadening of perspective. I do think it wouldn't be as jarring to read for them as it was for me since it's been a while since I was in high school.
*Thanks to Netgalley and Second Story Press for providing an e-arc to review.
The characters feel so young! They're in their freshman year of high school, so I guess they are young, and I think this is aimed at middle-grade readers, but then they talk about being in love and dating for two years and like, they're children.
Also, it's like one long stream-of-consciousness (with multiple topic jumps per paragraph) of a 12-13 year-old on a massive sugar high. It's a bit hard to get into because of that. It also... meanders without a clear plot. It's more of a this happened, then this happened, then this happened, the end. So it feels both authentic to the experience of a young teenager but also not the most satisfying thing to read as nothing really wraps up and not much changes. I think it would have actually worked better as a series of comics.
The thing I really like about this book is that it deals with some important issues: what it's like to be trans and nonbinary when a freshman in high school and how to decide whether to be visibly out or not. The different ways Stephie and Ciel approached that were interesting to explore. And the message I got from it of being your authentic self and not being afraid of standing out is a good one. It also deals well with the topic of subtle and more overt transphobia.
I would definitely give it to middle-grade and high school kids who are questioning their gender identity - and really any kids in maybe 6th-12th grade who could use a broadening of perspective. I do think it wouldn't be as jarring to read for them as it was for me since it's been a while since I was in high school.
*Thanks to Netgalley and Second Story Press for providing an e-arc to review.
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