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emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
I've never read a book like this before, and I doubt I ever will again. It's absolutely chock-full of new information to me and J is a real person coming off the pages.
this book is terrible. I normally will read any book about a trans person because representation, but this is not the way they should be portrayed. it was uncomfortable reading this and not in the way of "oh the unknown is uncomfortable or uncomfortable can be a good thibg" it was just bad. if you are trans I especially recommend staying away from this book because there is a lot of triggering things that could be a potential in this book. I almost dnf'ed it multiple times because all of the focused on such myspginist, toxic masculinity is what the ftm part of the trans community is fighting against on a daily basis.
this book also gives unrealistic world ideals to young hopefuls who could be looking for inspiration/help etc. if they found this book they would find ways, but know the dangers. also what is with comparing eating paint to taking testosterone? "she will understand I want to be a boy, she eats paint"? this paints trans people as mentally ill, which they aren't. this whole book is nonsense and I don't usually get this upset about this topic in ya books, but this was so bad y all.
this book also gives unrealistic world ideals to young hopefuls who could be looking for inspiration/help etc. if they found this book they would find ways, but know the dangers. also what is with comparing eating paint to taking testosterone? "she will understand I want to be a boy, she eats paint"? this paints trans people as mentally ill, which they aren't. this whole book is nonsense and I don't usually get this upset about this topic in ya books, but this was so bad y all.
I Am J is very well written, and I think well representetive of many young people's stories. Whether you share J's story or not, I think that it is easy to empathize with him and with the secondary characters, who are well developed and interesting in their own rights. The book manages to tackle the issues without becoming too preachy. It's an emotional journey - sometimes it's painful, sometimes it is exhilerating. I reccomend it to transgender people as well as anyone looking to learn more about the feelings and challenges faced by gender-variant people.
6-10.9.2014:
To be honest, I felt like the author gathered facts and mathematical averages on trans men and put them all in one book and one character. It made for a very unorganized read, not creating an artistic whole or focusing on one central issue for the main character, but creating an "average trans man in his late teens" story, adding stuff just because it's a thing that happens to some trans people or trans men. I'm not articulating this very well, I'm sorry, but perhaps you get the point. I felt like it was politics in the form of fiction, but without respecting the rules and quality of fiction. Not that politics is bad! But it doesn't always work well in fiction.
So yes, perhaps this book was needed. But I think someone else might need it much more than I do. Perhaps someone who has just been introduced to the idea of transgender issues? And I really think it makes the case that trans people are all, or mostly, about their being trans. Yes, it can be a huge part of one's life, especially when coming out, but still.
Everything in this book felt crafted to serve a purpose, and not the purpose of entertaining a reader or creating great fiction. Art can of course be used for many things, but in my world, it should also have a value of its own.
I'm slightly torn whether to analyze this book for an essay or even my BA thesis. On one hand, it is, I think, one of the best known YA books with a trans man as the main character, and it certainly uses norms and conventions to build masculinity. On the other hand, I don't enjoy this book and I wouldn't really want to read it again.
02/15: I enjoyed this book slightly more this time around, perhaps because I did not expect much. It is a bit all over the place and I stand by my previous review but I gave it three stars.
To be honest, I felt like the author gathered facts and mathematical averages on trans men and put them all in one book and one character. It made for a very unorganized read, not creating an artistic whole or focusing on one central issue for the main character, but creating an "average trans man in his late teens" story, adding stuff just because it's a thing that happens to some trans people or trans men. I'm not articulating this very well, I'm sorry, but perhaps you get the point. I felt like it was politics in the form of fiction, but without respecting the rules and quality of fiction. Not that politics is bad! But it doesn't always work well in fiction.
So yes, perhaps this book was needed. But I think someone else might need it much more than I do. Perhaps someone who has just been introduced to the idea of transgender issues? And I really think it makes the case that trans people are all, or mostly, about their being trans. Yes, it can be a huge part of one's life, especially when coming out, but still.
Everything in this book felt crafted to serve a purpose, and not the purpose of entertaining a reader or creating great fiction. Art can of course be used for many things, but in my world, it should also have a value of its own.
I'm slightly torn whether to analyze this book for an essay or even my BA thesis. On one hand, it is, I think, one of the best known YA books with a trans man as the main character, and it certainly uses norms and conventions to build masculinity. On the other hand, I don't enjoy this book and I wouldn't really want to read it again.
02/15: I enjoyed this book slightly more this time around, perhaps because I did not expect much. It is a bit all over the place and I stand by my previous review but I gave it three stars.
Okay.... wow! I really enjoyed this book! I'm so glad I read it. Totally out of my comfort zone but SUCH a good read!
This book takes you through the transition of a transgender teen named J... although I feel like that's not quite right. It takes you through J building up the courage to BEGIN the transition from female to male. The book focuses very heavily on how he feels like a HE on the inside and has for as long as he can remember, but people keep saying that he's sick or not right in the head, or there's something wrong with him. ***Not totally the same thing, but a lot of the feelings reminds me of trying to get non-anxiety people to understand that it's not something you just "turn off".***
I thought this book was so well done and really makes you understand how J is feeling and coping with everything. His parents acceptance is obviously an issue, his best friend thinks he's a lesbian, and he thinks that getting Testosterone shots will be the magic cure.
I wish that all high school kids could be forced to read this book in school. Not just about the transgender part, but the bullying, and the ignorance is an important issue to deal with as well.
This book takes you through the transition of a transgender teen named J... although I feel like that's not quite right. It takes you through J building up the courage to BEGIN the transition from female to male. The book focuses very heavily on how he feels like a HE on the inside and has for as long as he can remember, but people keep saying that he's sick or not right in the head, or there's something wrong with him. ***Not totally the same thing, but a lot of the feelings reminds me of trying to get non-anxiety people to understand that it's not something you just "turn off".***
I thought this book was so well done and really makes you understand how J is feeling and coping with everything. His parents acceptance is obviously an issue, his best friend thinks he's a lesbian, and he thinks that getting Testosterone shots will be the magic cure.
I wish that all high school kids could be forced to read this book in school. Not just about the transgender part, but the bullying, and the ignorance is an important issue to deal with as well.
A good beginner's guide to the transgender experience. It stays inside the head of the protagonist, allowing the reader to empathize with the feelings that come with being transgendered.
It's pretty much only a learning experience, though. The book had the feel of an after-school special, ticking off So You Think You're Transgendered bullet points, driving home the point that we can resolve conflicts through honest communication. It's the kind of book you would find in a guidance counselor's office. Which - yes, talking helps in a lot of situations, but offering it as a cure-all doesn't address other factors, like the power dynamics involved. For example, many gay adults advise gay kids to NOT tell their parents what they're going through, especially if they feel their parents would kick them out of the house. Better to be emotionally repressed than homeless. Maybe kids need this sort of aspirational story about a trans boy who glides through his problems, but it glosses over the real and sometimes life-threatening situations trans kids can face.
It's pretty much only a learning experience, though. The book had the feel of an after-school special, ticking off So You Think You're Transgendered bullet points, driving home the point that we can resolve conflicts through honest communication. It's the kind of book you would find in a guidance counselor's office.
Spoiler
The main character's best friend even has a cutting problem, which is immediately cured with some therapy sessions. Talking about your feelings solves everything!
It was hard to get in to but I have to say it def was interesting seeing their side! Especially reading about the bathrooms and safe space!!!
People are people no matter who or how they believe sometimes it’s hard to see this! But everyone gets scared and has their hard times! This opened my eyes to a lot of things I would have never thought of !!
People are people no matter who or how they believe sometimes it’s hard to see this! But everyone gets scared and has their hard times! This opened my eyes to a lot of things I would have never thought of !!
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated