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abookandacup's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
3.75
cute queer MG
rattletheshelves's review
3.0
Thank you NetGalley for a review copy!
TW: transphobia, misgendering, deadnaming
It was a really cute book and the rep was amazing. I've been following Sophie Labelle on Instagram for a couple of years so it was amazing to see the characters that I grew to love from Assigned Male in a book - getting to know more about them, their likes and dislikes at the important milestone of starting middle school was amazing.
There are so many queer and especially trans characters in this one! It was great to see all of them navigating life and daily challenges with different approaches. In general, it's a very diverse book - characters come from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds and there is a character in a wheelchair.
It's absolutely amazing seeing queer and trans rep in middle-grade books. We need them so badly and I'm glad that there are more and more coming out.
My only issue was that there was little plot and the book ended pretty abruptly. But all the same, I'm really glad this book exists.
TW: transphobia, misgendering, deadnaming
It was a really cute book and the rep was amazing. I've been following Sophie Labelle on Instagram for a couple of years so it was amazing to see the characters that I grew to love from Assigned Male in a book - getting to know more about them, their likes and dislikes at the important milestone of starting middle school was amazing.
There are so many queer and especially trans characters in this one! It was great to see all of them navigating life and daily challenges with different approaches. In general, it's a very diverse book - characters come from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds and there is a character in a wheelchair.
It's absolutely amazing seeing queer and trans rep in middle-grade books. We need them so badly and I'm glad that there are more and more coming out.
My only issue was that there was little plot and the book ended pretty abruptly. But all the same, I'm really glad this book exists.
quirkybibliophile's review
3.0
I find it important when reading middle grade to keep in mind the audience it was written for. In this case this book is written for ages – and it is very apparent throughout the book which is a great thing. Something that did throw me off about this book was how many
opportunities this book had to go deeper into certain topics but it only touched the surface. I think it would have been better if it focused on one thing and not many little things going on in Ciel’s life.
Something that is brought up in this book is the difference in experiences between a non-binary and a binary trans person. Through Ciel and Stephie’s experiences in school and with their friends you see the difference in how they interact with the world and also with each other. I think that the distinction between the two is important to include because it is not just a different experience but also they each view their trans identity differently.
Something else they show by having these different characters is the difference between a trans person who is clearly trans and one who is stealth. I think that this distinction is important to dhowcase in order to show the privilege someone has in others not knowing you are trans. I recognize there are many layers that go into how someone is seen by society and the way they wish to be seen yet I find it important to recognize the privilege that can come with society thinking your cisgender.
I like how Ciel is also an YouTube and how that plays a role in their life. I thought it was important to view their reaction to negative comments and transphobia online. I thought their response was good for their age and love the way they explain those comments to their brother.
There’s several instances of transphobia throughout the book yet most of these moments explain why they are wrong. There were moments in which Ciel would explain to the reader why something was transphobic or they would try and insert themselves in those moments to correct someone.
While I did enjoy this book and find it good the intended age range, I do feel like the end is unfinished. There was no real plot and the problems that did arise didn’t really solve themselves. The end felt like there was more of the story that needed to be told and so many of the problems that arose were either dismissed or not fully solved.
Characters: I like each of the characters that are introduced into the book and like that a majority of the main characters are transgender. Ciel is a latinx non binary person, Stephie is a trans girl, and Liam is a trans boy. I found each of the characters likable but would have liked to see a little bit more of their development.
Writing style: I like how Ciel explains a lot of the terminology that they use as words are introduced into the book. I thought that was a great way to educate the audience without distracting from the story. I also thought it was a good way to introduce identities as they appeared in the story through the different
opportunities this book had to go deeper into certain topics but it only touched the surface. I think it would have been better if it focused on one thing and not many little things going on in Ciel’s life.
Something that is brought up in this book is the difference in experiences between a non-binary and a binary trans person. Through Ciel and Stephie’s experiences in school and with their friends you see the difference in how they interact with the world and also with each other. I think that the distinction between the two is important to include because it is not just a different experience but also they each view their trans identity differently.
Something else they show by having these different characters is the difference between a trans person who is clearly trans and one who is stealth. I think that this distinction is important to dhowcase in order to show the privilege someone has in others not knowing you are trans. I recognize there are many layers that go into how someone is seen by society and the way they wish to be seen yet I find it important to recognize the privilege that can come with society thinking your cisgender.
I like how Ciel is also an YouTube and how that plays a role in their life. I thought it was important to view their reaction to negative comments and transphobia online. I thought their response was good for their age and love the way they explain those comments to their brother.
There’s several instances of transphobia throughout the book yet most of these moments explain why they are wrong. There were moments in which Ciel would explain to the reader why something was transphobic or they would try and insert themselves in those moments to correct someone.
While I did enjoy this book and find it good the intended age range, I do feel like the end is unfinished. There was no real plot and the problems that did arise didn’t really solve themselves. The end felt like there was more of the story that needed to be told and so many of the problems that arose were either dismissed or not fully solved.
Characters: I like each of the characters that are introduced into the book and like that a majority of the main characters are transgender. Ciel is a latinx non binary person, Stephie is a trans girl, and Liam is a trans boy. I found each of the characters likable but would have liked to see a little bit more of their development.
Writing style: I like how Ciel explains a lot of the terminology that they use as words are introduced into the book. I thought that was a great way to educate the audience without distracting from the story. I also thought it was a good way to introduce identities as they appeared in the story through the different
queerlyjewish's review
4.0
This book was adorable. I loved seeing younger trans youth dealing with not just trans issues but also just living their lives. It was a great mixture of different life experiences and a refreshing break from the outside world. I really thought the main character was relatable and so were the trans friends. And the family relationships were so spot on. At times it was a little cliched, but overall it was really enjoyable and a book I'd recommend especially for LGBTQA+ youth.
amengels's review
2.0
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
I'm a cisgendered, straight women who can only review this book through that lens.
The representation in Ciel was (from what I gathered) diverse and a good representation. Ciel is a trans nonbinary teen with other friends who are trans, bi, straight, and there was also a wheelchair-bound side character.
The story reads like a young middle grade book. From my understanding, Ciel is going to what I read as a middle school. They read like a young teen (like 12 or 13). I found some parts very preachy at times which I could see being beneficial to some younger readers.
The book had basically no plot. It felt more like a slice-of-life for Ciel's first few weeks at their new school. I felt like so many more things could have happened and the book just ended. What happened to the GSA? What happened with Stephie and her dad?
Overall, I just wanted more besides the representation. I'm sure this story will be very important to some readers and that's why it's important that it exists.
I'm a cisgendered, straight women who can only review this book through that lens.
The representation in Ciel was (from what I gathered) diverse and a good representation. Ciel is a trans nonbinary teen with other friends who are trans, bi, straight, and there was also a wheelchair-bound side character.
The story reads like a young middle grade book. From my understanding, Ciel is going to what I read as a middle school. They read like a young teen (like 12 or 13). I found some parts very preachy at times which I could see being beneficial to some younger readers.
The book had basically no plot. It felt more like a slice-of-life for Ciel's first few weeks at their new school. I felt like so many more things could have happened and the book just ended. What happened to the GSA? What happened with Stephie and her dad?
Overall, I just wanted more besides the representation. I'm sure this story will be very important to some readers and that's why it's important that it exists.
woodsofthebooks's review
3.0
TW for transphobia, homophobia
Thanks to Netgalley and Second Story Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Ciel is an adorably heartwarming story about being a trans kid going into high school amid sudden YouTube fame and finding and losing friends. It’s an equally a beautiful, happy story about friendship and an incredibly poignant look at the challenges trans kids often face both in school and online.
One of my favourite things about this story was the slice of life aspect. This isn’t a super emotional coming out story, nor does it entirely focus on transphobia- we get to see our main character Ciel do ‘regular life things’, like freaking out about their first day of high school, having sleepovers with their best friend, and keeping in touch with their long distance boyfriend. No trans persons’ life entirely revolves around transphobia and coming out, and this story was perfectly balanced in that aspect.
I also really enjoyed how the author tackled multiple different trans experiences through the different trans characters: Stephie, with wanting to be stealth at school and starting hormone therapy, Liam, a trans boy competing in sports and the backlash from that, and Ciel themself, wanting to be comfortable at school without having to explain everything to everyone (and inevitably encountering resistance). And then on top of each character’s individual problems, they had to deal with normal 14-15 year old stuff like homework and friend groups. Overall, this is just a really cute story about trans kids living their lives and being (mostly) happy.
***MILD SPOILERS***
The one thing that didn’t quite sit right with me was that the story felt a little aimless. Don’t get me wrong, I love stories about trans kids just living their lives, but there were little side plots that felt either unnecessary or not explored enough. I wanted to know more about Frank and his relationship to Stephie, and I wanted to see a resolution to Stephie asking Ciel not to talk about trans stuff at school. I also felt Ciel’s boyfriend Eirikur was a bit of a throwaway character- I understand how he was big in Ciel’s life, and that we didn’t really get to see him before he left, but we barely got to know him before he just fully disappeared. And Ciel didn’t seem to learn anything special from him breaking up with them- they were sad for a little while and then they got over it like nothing happened, which made me wonder why the breakup was in the story in the first place. But, I suppose, without a true overarching plot, it is kind of difficult to understand why any choices were made within the book.
Overall, I loved the amount of trans characters within the book (the more the better in my opinion!) but the book as a whole felt incomplete. To create completeness, I think the book needed a more concrete plot, just something that could come to fruition at the end of the book. The whole story didn’t need to be tied up in a perfect bow, but maybe one or two tied and curled ribbons would have been nice. I do think that this book will be incredibly important to lots of kids in the world, both for discovering who they are and helping them better understand the experiences of the people around them, and I would definitely recommend it to the middle grade readers out there in the world.
Thanks to Netgalley and Second Story Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Ciel is an adorably heartwarming story about being a trans kid going into high school amid sudden YouTube fame and finding and losing friends. It’s an equally a beautiful, happy story about friendship and an incredibly poignant look at the challenges trans kids often face both in school and online.
One of my favourite things about this story was the slice of life aspect. This isn’t a super emotional coming out story, nor does it entirely focus on transphobia- we get to see our main character Ciel do ‘regular life things’, like freaking out about their first day of high school, having sleepovers with their best friend, and keeping in touch with their long distance boyfriend. No trans persons’ life entirely revolves around transphobia and coming out, and this story was perfectly balanced in that aspect.
I also really enjoyed how the author tackled multiple different trans experiences through the different trans characters: Stephie, with wanting to be stealth at school and starting hormone therapy, Liam, a trans boy competing in sports and the backlash from that, and Ciel themself, wanting to be comfortable at school without having to explain everything to everyone (and inevitably encountering resistance). And then on top of each character’s individual problems, they had to deal with normal 14-15 year old stuff like homework and friend groups. Overall, this is just a really cute story about trans kids living their lives and being (mostly) happy.
***MILD SPOILERS***
The one thing that didn’t quite sit right with me was that the story felt a little aimless. Don’t get me wrong, I love stories about trans kids just living their lives, but there were little side plots that felt either unnecessary or not explored enough. I wanted to know more about Frank and his relationship to Stephie, and I wanted to see a resolution to Stephie asking Ciel not to talk about trans stuff at school. I also felt Ciel’s boyfriend Eirikur was a bit of a throwaway character- I understand how he was big in Ciel’s life, and that we didn’t really get to see him before he left, but we barely got to know him before he just fully disappeared. And Ciel didn’t seem to learn anything special from him breaking up with them- they were sad for a little while and then they got over it like nothing happened, which made me wonder why the breakup was in the story in the first place. But, I suppose, without a true overarching plot, it is kind of difficult to understand why any choices were made within the book.
Overall, I loved the amount of trans characters within the book (the more the better in my opinion!) but the book as a whole felt incomplete. To create completeness, I think the book needed a more concrete plot, just something that could come to fruition at the end of the book. The whole story didn’t need to be tied up in a perfect bow, but maybe one or two tied and curled ribbons would have been nice. I do think that this book will be incredibly important to lots of kids in the world, both for discovering who they are and helping them better understand the experiences of the people around them, and I would definitely recommend it to the middle grade readers out there in the world.
ninegladiolus's review
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
booklover's review
5.0
First of all, I would like to thank you for the ARC of this book which was kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Second of all, thank you for the author for writing this amazing and educational book on trans and non-binary people issues.
This book is about a trans-non-binary person who identifies themselves as they/them. Their story starts with Ciel being excited to start a new high school year. However, high school is not an easy place to be, especially if you are different. Ciel shares the problems they encounter as trans non-binary person, the problems include using gendered toilets or listening for teachers misgendering you or commenting on your physical appearance. The story explains how Ciel feels and with what hostility and problems they need to face on a daily basis. Furthermore, because Cial is a YouTuber the story explores the possibilities of the internet It shows how the internet can be an empowering space for people like Ciel, thus at the same time, it also can have negative consequences due to society's negative and toxic views on the lgbtq+ community. It was interesting to see the exploration of internal transphobia and the spread of hatred in order to get society's acceptance. Lastly, I have truly enjoyed seeing how Ciel's friends and family supported and shared their love for them. Ciel's subtle sense of humour made me laugh more than once. It was good to see the way all the situations were handled and the way gender was deconstructed by explaining how the toxic binary system works. It was great fun and together an educational journey to follow Ciel through their life.
Overall it was a quick and easy read. The story is so heartwarming and cute. One negative thing (which is not negative at all), that the ending of the story left me wanting more. We desperately need books like that in the schools and kindergartens in order to avoid all the harmful things which were mentioned in this book. Everyone should read it. I think this book is a good example which represents trans and non-binary people and shows that it is okay to be who they are and it is okay to question your gender and sexuality. Once again thank you for the author for such an amazing book!
This book is about a trans-non-binary person who identifies themselves as they/them. Their story starts with Ciel being excited to start a new high school year. However, high school is not an easy place to be, especially if you are different. Ciel shares the problems they encounter as trans non-binary person, the problems include using gendered toilets or listening for teachers misgendering you or commenting on your physical appearance. The story explains how Ciel feels and with what hostility and problems they need to face on a daily basis. Furthermore, because Cial is a YouTuber the story explores the possibilities of the internet It shows how the internet can be an empowering space for people like Ciel, thus at the same time, it also can have negative consequences due to society's negative and toxic views on the lgbtq+ community. It was interesting to see the exploration of internal transphobia and the spread of hatred in order to get society's acceptance. Lastly, I have truly enjoyed seeing how Ciel's friends and family supported and shared their love for them. Ciel's subtle sense of humour made me laugh more than once. It was good to see the way all the situations were handled and the way gender was deconstructed by explaining how the toxic binary system works. It was great fun and together an educational journey to follow Ciel through their life.
Overall it was a quick and easy read. The story is so heartwarming and cute. One negative thing (which is not negative at all), that the ending of the story left me wanting more. We desperately need books like that in the schools and kindergartens in order to avoid all the harmful things which were mentioned in this book. Everyone should read it. I think this book is a good example which represents trans and non-binary people and shows that it is okay to be who they are and it is okay to question your gender and sexuality. Once again thank you for the author for such an amazing book!
charkinzie's review
4.0
First of all, I'm a cisgender, white woman and can only review this book from this perspective :) I read a lot of books that contain diverse characters because I love the Queer world and diverse characters appeal to me. That being said, I can't speak to the "authenticity" of the "Trans" experience... because I'm not trans. What I can do... is read a book like this by an own-voices author and speak to what I learned... or what appealed to me about it. I hope that makes sense.
Ciel is beginning a new year at High School. Ciel identifies as trans and also non-binary. At home, Ciel's father is great about allowing Ciel to wear what they want and be however they want. I loved the way this relationship was described in the book. My hope is that more children will begin to grow up in homes in which they are allowed to express themselves however they want.... just be who they are.
When Ciel returns to school it's with their best friend Stephie at their side. They are adorable friends, always supportive and sweet. The one thing that is different for these two is that Stephie doesn't want people to know that she is trans while Ciel is very public. Ciel even has a youtube channel on which they post videos about being trans and non-binary. I thought this was a great choice by the author for demonstrating that people are different in terms of how they want to express themselves and their gender identities.
There are some lovely scenes in this book when Ciel explains things to their friends/ classmates. There is a brave discussion at an LGBTQIA group at school during which Ciel points out that all those in attendance should give their name and pronouns. Not everyone is aware that there are more pronoun choices than "he" and "she" and Ciel takes the time to explain.
Ciel is also dealing with a long-distance relationship with their boyfriend Eirikurl. He used to live in Montreal but he has returned to Iceland with his family. Ciel is finding that Eirikur doesn't contact them as much as they had hoped. It's a learning experience for Ciel.
In my mind, the First year of high school is fifteen or sixteen years old. The characters in this book read as younger than that to me. I just wouldn't want anyone to pick this up thinking it was a "young adult" book.
This is a great book for young folks who may be exploring their own gender identity, or those who just want to learn about it. There are some great explanations in the book.
My review will be posted on my blog on August 15, 2020
Ciel is beginning a new year at High School. Ciel identifies as trans and also non-binary. At home, Ciel's father is great about allowing Ciel to wear what they want and be however they want. I loved the way this relationship was described in the book. My hope is that more children will begin to grow up in homes in which they are allowed to express themselves however they want.... just be who they are.
When Ciel returns to school it's with their best friend Stephie at their side. They are adorable friends, always supportive and sweet. The one thing that is different for these two is that Stephie doesn't want people to know that she is trans while Ciel is very public. Ciel even has a youtube channel on which they post videos about being trans and non-binary. I thought this was a great choice by the author for demonstrating that people are different in terms of how they want to express themselves and their gender identities.
There are some lovely scenes in this book when Ciel explains things to their friends/ classmates. There is a brave discussion at an LGBTQIA group at school during which Ciel points out that all those in attendance should give their name and pronouns. Not everyone is aware that there are more pronoun choices than "he" and "she" and Ciel takes the time to explain.
Ciel is also dealing with a long-distance relationship with their boyfriend Eirikurl. He used to live in Montreal but he has returned to Iceland with his family. Ciel is finding that Eirikur doesn't contact them as much as they had hoped. It's a learning experience for Ciel.
In my mind, the First year of high school is fifteen or sixteen years old. The characters in this book read as younger than that to me. I just wouldn't want anyone to pick this up thinking it was a "young adult" book.
This is a great book for young folks who may be exploring their own gender identity, or those who just want to learn about it. There are some great explanations in the book.
My review will be posted on my blog on August 15, 2020
simonlorden's review
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes