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kaje_harper's review against another edition
5.0
I stayed up until 2 AM reading this. It hit home, an arrow to the heart.
You may read "prose-poem" in the book description but don't be put off by that. This is a fairly straight-forward narrative, although it's written with less words per line, in a poem-like structure without a lot of description. It still reads smoothly and easily. It still moves, inexorably, through the story of a boy who has always liked girls, and girl things, and who comes to the realization that the way he likes them isn't quite the way most of his friends do.
There are three first-person POVs in this book. One is written in bold, the other two marked by the name at the top of the section. Angel, in bold, is M2F trans. Her sections fit her font - strong, confident with a hard-won self-acceptance. Angel has always known who she is; her fight has been to convince the rest of the world. Bad stuff has happened to Angel, but she owns her truth and will rise above it.
Vanessa is a high-school girl who wrestles with the male athletes on her school team. She has moments of confusion, of wondering if that makes her somehow the freak that some of the other kids claim. But mostly she wonders about usual high-school stuff. Particularly about her boyfriend, Brendan, who is sweet and loving and moody, and hard to pin down.
The central POV is Brendan's.
Brendan is also a wrestler in high-school. He has a girlfriend. He likes looking at girls, he has friends, he thinks about sex. But when he looks at a pretty girl, sometimes he envies her, rather than wanting to do her. His life doesn't fit him quite right, and he can't figure out why he's sometimes so uncomfortable in his own skin. He has moments that are wonderful, and then moments where he can't stand to be himself. The realizations are nagging him, pushing, demanding he look them in the face.
This book was both deeply familiar and occasionally revelatory. I know at least two trans teenagers well, (one of whom incidentally got their sex-designation on their driver's license changed while attending The Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA. That's a very quirky school in many ways, but a quarter of the student body identifies as LGBTQIAP so it can be a safe-harbor school.) I know at least three gender-fluid teens, two of whom are very much in flux, deciding how they feel about their bodies and their identities, moment to moment, day to day. This book felt like traveling down a familiar path, where those teens will see themselves in Brendan, in Angel, and even to a smaller degree in Vanessa.
There were also moments of startled realization, particularly when Angel talks about being young and M2F trans and out on the street. The kids I know are lucky in still being within their families, although the level of acceptance varies. But it's a cold, hard world out there, and many trans kids don't have that shelter. There were moments when I read Angel's POV and thought, "Damn, yes, of course that could happen." We all need to work harder to build these teens an accepting world.
If I had one criticism, it would be the POV shifts between Brendan and Vanessa, which are marked only when they first happen, and last for several brief chapters. Once or twice, I lost the thread of whose POV I was in for a moment. Vanessa's voice is not as strong or as interesting as the other two, not only because she's a more conventional character. Her issues with Brendan were real and salient, but I didn't feel her emotions the same way. For Brendan, I ached, and for Angel, I hurt. Although I didn't cry, because Angel has her shit together, and would probably be insulted.
This is a straight-forward, engrossing, subtly-emotional and thought-provoking read. It's not the oblique, image-filled prose-poetry of David Levithan. (Read [b:The Realm of Possibility|23232|The Realm of Possibility|David Levithan|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1388235478s/23232.jpg|1009041] for that type of lyrical, shimmering, heart-deep insight on a far less concrete level.) Here the simple structure and words drive home the meaning, the impact, the revelations and the changes, but in a way not that different from reading a regular novel. It's not abstract, or obtuse, or difficult to follow. It is very well done. If you want to have more insight into the world of a non-gender-conforming teenager, read this book.
You may read "prose-poem" in the book description but don't be put off by that. This is a fairly straight-forward narrative, although it's written with less words per line, in a poem-like structure without a lot of description. It still reads smoothly and easily. It still moves, inexorably, through the story of a boy who has always liked girls, and girl things, and who comes to the realization that the way he likes them isn't quite the way most of his friends do.
There are three first-person POVs in this book. One is written in bold, the other two marked by the name at the top of the section. Angel, in bold, is M2F trans. Her sections fit her font - strong, confident with a hard-won self-acceptance. Angel has always known who she is; her fight has been to convince the rest of the world. Bad stuff has happened to Angel, but she owns her truth and will rise above it.
Vanessa is a high-school girl who wrestles with the male athletes on her school team. She has moments of confusion, of wondering if that makes her somehow the freak that some of the other kids claim. But mostly she wonders about usual high-school stuff. Particularly about her boyfriend, Brendan, who is sweet and loving and moody, and hard to pin down.
The central POV is Brendan's.
Brendan is also a wrestler in high-school. He has a girlfriend. He likes looking at girls, he has friends, he thinks about sex. But when he looks at a pretty girl, sometimes he envies her, rather than wanting to do her. His life doesn't fit him quite right, and he can't figure out why he's sometimes so uncomfortable in his own skin. He has moments that are wonderful, and then moments where he can't stand to be himself. The realizations are nagging him, pushing, demanding he look them in the face.
This book was both deeply familiar and occasionally revelatory. I know at least two trans teenagers well, (one of whom incidentally got their sex-designation on their driver's license changed while attending The Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA. That's a very quirky school in many ways, but a quarter of the student body identifies as LGBTQIAP so it can be a safe-harbor school.) I know at least three gender-fluid teens, two of whom are very much in flux, deciding how they feel about their bodies and their identities, moment to moment, day to day. This book felt like traveling down a familiar path, where those teens will see themselves in Brendan, in Angel, and even to a smaller degree in Vanessa.
There were also moments of startled realization, particularly when Angel talks about being young and M2F trans and out on the street. The kids I know are lucky in still being within their families, although the level of acceptance varies. But it's a cold, hard world out there, and many trans kids don't have that shelter. There were moments when I read Angel's POV and thought, "Damn, yes, of course that could happen." We all need to work harder to build these teens an accepting world.
If I had one criticism, it would be the POV shifts between Brendan and Vanessa, which are marked only when they first happen, and last for several brief chapters. Once or twice, I lost the thread of whose POV I was in for a moment. Vanessa's voice is not as strong or as interesting as the other two, not only because she's a more conventional character. Her issues with Brendan were real and salient, but I didn't feel her emotions the same way. For Brendan, I ached, and for Angel, I hurt. Although I didn't cry, because Angel has her shit together, and would probably be insulted.
This is a straight-forward, engrossing, subtly-emotional and thought-provoking read. It's not the oblique, image-filled prose-poetry of David Levithan. (Read [b:The Realm of Possibility|23232|The Realm of Possibility|David Levithan|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1388235478s/23232.jpg|1009041] for that type of lyrical, shimmering, heart-deep insight on a far less concrete level.) Here the simple structure and words drive home the meaning, the impact, the revelations and the changes, but in a way not that different from reading a regular novel. It's not abstract, or obtuse, or difficult to follow. It is very well done. If you want to have more insight into the world of a non-gender-conforming teenager, read this book.
missriki's review against another edition
5.0
Star wrestler Brendan Chase seems to have it all, with popularity and the perfect girlfriend by his side. From the outside, everything seems to be in place. But on the inside, Brendan is struggling to understand why he feels so wrong in his own body. Fantasies of having long hair and soft curves frustrate and confuse him. He doesn’t know if there’s a name for what he’s feeling, or if he is just a freak. When he meets Angel, he falls into an easy friendship with someone who seems to really understand him. With her support, Brendan finally finds answers to his complicated emotions.
This book is written in verse, which really drives home the story with sparse, powerful language. Not a single word is wasted in this book, with every phrase cutting deep and having an impact. It flows incredibly well and after a few pages you don’t even realize the unorthodox structure of the narrative. It simply draws you in and never lets up in intensity.
The book is written from three intersecting points of view- that of Brendan, his girlfriend Vanessa, and Angel. Each character is struggling with their own problems, with Brendan dealing with the reality of being gender fluid, Vanessa dealing with the possibility of losing Brendan, and Angel, who I supportive of Brendan but has demons of her own.
This unique novel in verse takes great care in not offering us stereotypes while presenting the trans/ non-binary gender community in an engaging plot. Brendan’s struggle to understand his emotions and how to label himself is universal and heart wrenching.
This is an important and complex novel. I highly recommend it.
This book is written in verse, which really drives home the story with sparse, powerful language. Not a single word is wasted in this book, with every phrase cutting deep and having an impact. It flows incredibly well and after a few pages you don’t even realize the unorthodox structure of the narrative. It simply draws you in and never lets up in intensity.
The book is written from three intersecting points of view- that of Brendan, his girlfriend Vanessa, and Angel. Each character is struggling with their own problems, with Brendan dealing with the reality of being gender fluid, Vanessa dealing with the possibility of losing Brendan, and Angel, who I supportive of Brendan but has demons of her own.
This unique novel in verse takes great care in not offering us stereotypes while presenting the trans/ non-binary gender community in an engaging plot. Brendan’s struggle to understand his emotions and how to label himself is universal and heart wrenching.
This is an important and complex novel. I highly recommend it.
foreveryoungadult's review against another edition
Graded By: Brian
Cover Story: Unisex Bathroom
Drinking Buddy: All Three of You
Testosterone Level: Kind of a Tasteless Category, Don't Ya Think?
Talky Talk: Stream of Consciousness
Bonus Factors: lgbT, Mentor
Bromance Status: We're Still Bros, Even if You are a Girl
Read the full book report here.
Cover Story: Unisex Bathroom
Drinking Buddy: All Three of You
Testosterone Level: Kind of a Tasteless Category, Don't Ya Think?
Talky Talk: Stream of Consciousness
Bonus Factors: lgbT, Mentor
Bromance Status: We're Still Bros, Even if You are a Girl
Read the full book report here.
calistareads's review against another edition
4.0
The novel is told with slam poetry. It was really good and that surprised me.
adrianareadsbooks's review against another edition
3.0
I am conflicted about this book. It is incredibly important, but I feel like it doesn't go anywhere. While its a very well written novel in verse, I kept wondering if it would come to a point. It feels like the characters are incomplete.
Bringing attention to trans and non-binary characters is incredibly important, I just wish it would have been done a bit more successfully.
Bringing attention to trans and non-binary characters is incredibly important, I just wish it would have been done a bit more successfully.
unluckyprimes's review against another edition
2.0
This was fine. Oh, it's an important book for sure and I'm glad it exists, but as a story it didn't really do much for me. I know that's mostly because I'm not the intended audience. That's one part because I'm cis and the other that this didn't really have anything new to say--for me, though. Certainly there's a lot of educational value in this book for those struggling with their gender identity or who just want to learn more.
Also, I really don't think books written in verse do anything for me. I've tried this now and Ellen Hopkins work in the past and am mostly "meh" about it. Though I will say there were a few pages in here that structured the lines into a concrete poem that were exceptionally well done.
Anyway, let me reiterate again that my rating here is based on my personal enjoyment and has absolutely no bearing on the fact that this is definitely an important book for teens.
Also, I really don't think books written in verse do anything for me. I've tried this now and Ellen Hopkins work in the past and am mostly "meh" about it. Though I will say there were a few pages in here that structured the lines into a concrete poem that were exceptionally well done.
Anyway, let me reiterate again that my rating here is based on my personal enjoyment and has absolutely no bearing on the fact that this is definitely an important book for teens.
roxcollector's review against another edition
4.0
I think this was the first book I've read from the point of view of a transgender person and I would really like to read more books like it. I thought that Brendan was a pretty accurate portrayal of a teenager who would be realizing something like that. Angel was okay, I thought her point of view chapters were kind of confusing with the free verse though. The only problem I had with the book was Vanessa. She was the type of girl that I can't stand. She put her boyfriend above everyone else and I didn't feel one bit bad for her when she didn't have any friends anymore, also she was super needy. But overall, highly recommended.
ashrocketship's review
3.0
This was a quick, easy read with a cast of very solid characters who cover a variety of experiences that young adults are either going to have or need to empathize with over their lives. It dealt with sexuality and gender identity in ways that were frank, truthful, and complex without sensationalizing. I also liked that the internal monologues were allowed to reach dark places and deal with dark truths, but that the pain did not define the characters. They were people in pain, not made of it. Bullies were boring - as bullies always are - and I would have liked to see some reckoning for the crappy friend with the big mouth, but otherwise a very solid read. I didn't realize - like always! I have to start reading synopses more carefully - that this was in a poetic form, so that was both a surprise and a struggle, but - as always - that was my fault and not the book's and by the end wasn't much of an issue anyway.
helloimkb's review against another edition
4.0
I thought about not reading this once I saw it was all poetry, but I'm really glad I stuck with it.
freddybingsu's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Transphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Homophobia, and Physical abuse