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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
**spoiler warning** : there are some vague references to the plot of the book in my review
I had a lot of feelings upon finishing this book. I'm giving it 3 stars because I did enjoy it while I was reading it - I finished it in just 2 days.
buuuuuuut
I'm feeling a bit skeptical of cisgender people writing these tragic stories about trans people that include bullying, violence, assault, etc. I get it, if you're "different" in high school you probably get bullied, but it left a weird taste in my mouth. It also left me wondering if maybe this story is not the author's to tell. One main issue was how the main character seems extremely grateful when the cis people around him show him the tiniest amount of respect. Like the scene where his mom cries about how she has it so hard because her kid is trans, and then the main character hugs her and thinks about how lucky he is? That confused me. to me, it sends a message that trans people should be grateful for just being accepted by society at all. It's not teaching that trans people fully deserve to be acknowledged and celebrated in their identities, not just "tolerated" by others. Those ideas were reiterated by different characters throughout and it really threw me off. I also noticed a lot of toxic / normative ideas about masculinity being enforced by the main character. I'd love to read a book about a trans guy that doesn't include some level of misogyny...
Like I said, it was a fun book to read, just maybe don't take the messaging to heart / read it with a critical eye.
I had a lot of feelings upon finishing this book. I'm giving it 3 stars because I did enjoy it while I was reading it - I finished it in just 2 days.
buuuuuuut
I'm feeling a bit skeptical of cisgender people writing these tragic stories about trans people that include bullying, violence, assault, etc. I get it, if you're "different" in high school you probably get bullied, but it left a weird taste in my mouth. It also left me wondering if maybe this story is not the author's to tell. One main issue was how the main character seems extremely grateful when the cis people around him show him the tiniest amount of respect. Like the scene where his mom cries about how she has it so hard because her kid is trans, and then the main character hugs her and thinks about how lucky he is? That confused me. to me, it sends a message that trans people should be grateful for just being accepted by society at all. It's not teaching that trans people fully deserve to be acknowledged and celebrated in their identities, not just "tolerated" by others. Those ideas were reiterated by different characters throughout and it really threw me off. I also noticed a lot of toxic / normative ideas about masculinity being enforced by the main character. I'd love to read a book about a trans guy that doesn't include some level of misogyny...
Like I said, it was a fun book to read, just maybe don't take the messaging to heart / read it with a critical eye.
This book was beautiful, about a wonderful DJ who is figuring out who he is. Great song suggestions throughout and a wonderful cast of characters.
Gabe is a character who will stay with me for a long time. I loved the relationships he had - especially the one with a neighbor who is like a grandfather to him. The characters were living and breathing for me.
I also enjoyed the music aspect of the story. Now I want to go and listen to binge on Elvis and Prince. It was fun to contemplate what my own B side too.
Gabe is a transgender young man. That is a large part of the story, but it is not the only part. This didn't feel like an "issue" book. It's a story about relationships and being your true self.
I also enjoyed the music aspect of the story. Now I want to go and listen to binge on Elvis and Prince. It was fun to contemplate what my own B side too.
Gabe is a transgender young man. That is a large part of the story, but it is not the only part. This didn't feel like an "issue" book. It's a story about relationships and being your true self.
Every so often, an opportunity comes along for me to review a book on NetGalley that I select because I'm not sure the author could really get it right. R.J. Palacio's Wonder was one of those books, and Kirstin Cronn-Mills' Beautiful Music for Ugly Children was another. Both succeeded, despite my initial doubts.
Beautiful Music for Ugly Children is Gabe's story. Gabe was born Elizabeth, and as the end of senior year approaches, Gabe has landed himself his own late-night show on the local community radio show, and begins his journey coming out as a transgendered male. The book isn't so much about that process as about Gabe himself: his interactions with his family, figuring out what he wants to do career-wise, and what he's going to do about his best friend... and the other girls he's interested in.
Beautiful Music for Ugly Children could have descended into so many of the expected tropes for a young adult novel about a transgendered main character, but it manages to take the unexpected path nearly every time, making the reader think about Gabe in terms of being Gabe, not in terms of being transgendered. His obsession with music -- particularly the oldies -- adds to the movement of the novel, and may cause younger readers to research some classic tunes, while giving older readers something to relate to.
This is a moving novel coming out this fall, and isn't to be missed.
Beautiful Music for Ugly Children is Gabe's story. Gabe was born Elizabeth, and as the end of senior year approaches, Gabe has landed himself his own late-night show on the local community radio show, and begins his journey coming out as a transgendered male. The book isn't so much about that process as about Gabe himself: his interactions with his family, figuring out what he wants to do career-wise, and what he's going to do about his best friend... and the other girls he's interested in.
Beautiful Music for Ugly Children could have descended into so many of the expected tropes for a young adult novel about a transgendered main character, but it manages to take the unexpected path nearly every time, making the reader think about Gabe in terms of being Gabe, not in terms of being transgendered. His obsession with music -- particularly the oldies -- adds to the movement of the novel, and may cause younger readers to research some classic tunes, while giving older readers something to relate to.
This is a moving novel coming out this fall, and isn't to be missed.
Gut Instinct - 5
Character - 5
Believability - 4
Uniqueness - 4.5
Writing Style - 4.5
Excitement Factor - 3.5
Story Line - 4.5
Title Relevance - 5
Artwork Relevance - 5
Overall - 4.56
Character - 5
Believability - 4
Uniqueness - 4.5
Writing Style - 4.5
Excitement Factor - 3.5
Story Line - 4.5
Title Relevance - 5
Artwork Relevance - 5
Overall - 4.56
A gorgeous and powerful book. I plan to attempt to talk my teen book club into reading this and, fortunately, I don't think I will have to try very hard. Young people today are much more open and accepting and willing to put themselves out there than my generation. One of my book club members is trans* and I know another young man who is going through much of what the main character did in the book. I thought this book was important enough that I bought a copy for him. Maybe he can talk his parents into reading it. Maybe that will help. Maybe not but regardless, this book has a powerful message that needs to be heard.
When you think about it, I'm like a 45. Liz is my A side, the song everybody knows, and Gabe is my B side - not played as often but just as good.
There really was beautiful music here.
Gabriel Joseph Williams struggles with talking to people. Every conversation and interaction brings about anxiety and frustration, and most at school know him to be quiet and reserved. Very unlike his best friend since kindergarten, the very popular Paige. But after hiding all day at school, he comes alive at night on his new radio show "Beautiful Music for Ugly Children", on the town's low-budget radio station. With a catalog and musical knowledge of everything and everyone from Flo-Rida and Jay-Z to The Rolling Stones and The Sex Pistols, the show is an instant hit and there's seemingly nothing standing between Gabe letting his personal coolness out in his everyday life.
Except for the fact that most of the world knows him as Elizabeth Mary Williams. And he is slowly but surely falling in love with his best friend. And his parents won't make eye contact with him anymore. And his little brother thinks he's a freak. And his only other best friend in the world is a 68 year old man who just may have one day been the most important DJ in America.
Kirstin Cronn-Mills handled the very serious moment of a young transgendered man growing into himself with so much grace and honesty in this book. I felt so much for Gabe. It's has been a long time since I've read a main character who I didn't want to smack. Gabe was not a selfish or pushy person, but he was determined and steady and actually very patient in willing those closest to him into respecting him AS a person. Gentle reminders to his parents when they'd purposefully call him "Liz", or refer to he and Paige as "The Girls".
My dad glances up. "How are you today...Elizabeth?"
"I'm Gabe. How are you?"
Moments where he's honest about what the cost of him being himself has brought onto his family,
Instead of storming out, which is my first impulse, I close my eyes and breathe because he's right; this is hard on them. I may be young and stupid, like he said, but they're confused and hurt. Because of me.
And also sad and lonely moments where the vulnerability of knowing that perhaps nowhere is safe,
She'll tell me to go to the police, because she believes in law and order. I, on the other hand, believe the police won't care about someone like me.
The friendship between Gabe and John, his beloved mentor and next door neighbor had that Doc Brown and Marty McFly-ness that was familiar and instantly loveable. Their mutual love and respect for the safety and passion that they both found in music was absolutely palpable. And on the subject of music, while this book did remind me of quite a few others, [b:This Song Will Save Your Life|15777621|This Song Will Save Your Life|Leila Sales|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1362753915s/15777621.jpg|21490415]"This Song Will Save Your Life" for example, it was really awesome to see multiple genres overlapped without some jarring explanation, as many books seem to do. For playlists that spanned from Prince to Souljah Boy and back to Elvis, it never felt weird or contrived.
The subject of Gabe's "guyness" was also handled very honestly, even allowing itself to have the humor that sexuality just naturally has sometimes, to trickle in. Searching for ways to use a urinal. Choosing a loose enough shirt that doesn't show the chest binder underneath. It was a very vivid but not heavy-handed look at the worries and cares that Gabe has to live with every single day just to be, and how much those who don't have to live in bodies that don't agree with our minds, take for granted. There was much to be found here about identity's and people not always being who we expect them to be.
Both also very integral parts of the story were the Ugly Children's Brigade - a group of Gabe's radio fans who listen every night and act out the positive affirmation actions he proposes, and the Twin Cities Vibe Radio Contest - which could be the key to a life outside of this town, and a job. While both of these had some fantastical and YA cliche'd elements to them, neither were very "Fairytale" in execution, and readers of the "New Adult" genre will appreciate the author's aversion to wrapping either of them up with a neat bow.
The afterword also includes a pretty interesting note on sexuality and gender, as well as some information on where to go for support and information.
This book made me happy, and sad, and most importantly, aware.
I loved it.
Nothing I write will do this book justice, but I will say this: it's worth reading. Unlike characters in other novels dealing with identity, Gabe knows who he is but he has to convince everyone else. I think this is a great readalike for fans of [b:Ask The Passengers|13069935|Ask The Passengers|A.S. King|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1334812723s/13069935.jpg|18236079] and [b:Every Day|13262783|Every Day|David Levithan|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1335900520s/13262783.jpg|18464379].
I wanted to love this more than I did; there just aren't enough books out there on this topic. I found Gabe and the effects that his transitioning had on his relationships with the people around him interesting.
However, the convenience of having a semi famous DJ next door, parents who didn't seem to even know that Gabe had a late night radio show, the incredibly hot girl who just now after all this time in school notices him and decides she's interested...it all seemed to provide a weak background for the more important story.
Sometimes I can ignore that. This time it just kept jumping out at me. Did that make it a bad book? No, just not quite what I had hoped it would be. And given that I think this might be a "me" issue, I'll definitely still recommend it and hope it's a better fit for other readers.
However, the convenience of having a semi famous DJ next door, parents who didn't seem to even know that Gabe had a late night radio show, the incredibly hot girl who just now after all this time in school notices him and decides she's interested...it all seemed to provide a weak background for the more important story.
Sometimes I can ignore that. This time it just kept jumping out at me. Did that make it a bad book? No, just not quite what I had hoped it would be. And given that I think this might be a "me" issue, I'll definitely still recommend it and hope it's a better fit for other readers.
A love of music interwoven through an exploration of gender and society. An engaging and impactful read for younger teens.