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We picked this one out for our Teen LGBTQ Book Club at the library, it is actually quite good, I think. I just wasn't in a place where I could wade through the misogyny the main character exhibits as he's negotiating his transgender identity. My fellow readers tell me this does change later in the book. I'm just not up for it at the moment.
Finished this book the day I got it. As a Trans-man myself I so appreciated everything explained throughout this book. ON a literary standpoint, I loved the plot and the characters. Overall, an awesome book in general. J gives me hope for my own future and others/
In J's head, he was nothing; in J's head, he was just a head, floating, trying to forget he had body parts he hated.
As a child, J's nightly prayers always ended with a fervent wish "to wake up a boy." Now seventeen, he has realized that he needs to reconcile his body and mind, or he will fall apart. Hoping that taking testosterone will be a quick fix, he learns instead that he will need to deal with the demons in his head before he can change his body.
Beam brings considerable experience working with transgender teens (her previous non-fiction work, Transparent, won a 2007 Lamdba Literary Award in the Transgender category) to her creation of a teenage transman. The close third-person narration gives the reader only J's perspective on the people and events around him. As the novel opens, he does not even have the words to describe his identity, and the reader learns about the process of transition at the same time he does. His confusion and frustration ring true to life. Secondary characters have their own complicated histories to deal with, making this much more than a single-issue "problem novel". The writing is solid, with realistic situations and dialogue. Highly recommended.
As a child, J's nightly prayers always ended with a fervent wish "to wake up a boy." Now seventeen, he has realized that he needs to reconcile his body and mind, or he will fall apart. Hoping that taking testosterone will be a quick fix, he learns instead that he will need to deal with the demons in his head before he can change his body.
Beam brings considerable experience working with transgender teens (her previous non-fiction work, Transparent, won a 2007 Lamdba Literary Award in the Transgender category) to her creation of a teenage transman. The close third-person narration gives the reader only J's perspective on the people and events around him. As the novel opens, he does not even have the words to describe his identity, and the reader learns about the process of transition at the same time he does. His confusion and frustration ring true to life. Secondary characters have their own complicated histories to deal with, making this much more than a single-issue "problem novel". The writing is solid, with realistic situations and dialogue. Highly recommended.
What I don't understand is that the author basically writes a disclaimer that they're cis and don't have any lived experience of being trans at the end, but couldn't figure out that maybe they shouldn't be writing this book. The entire novel reads like a cis person's idea of what it's like to be trans. They worked with trans people and there's trans family members so suddenly that means they get to write the book on trans guys?
I mean, I suppose similar books have been written in the past, but as a trans person it's just really weird to read a book that feels so sensationalized and even fetishizing of our lives. Especially since it always pops up in those lists of books to read about trans people.
The justification at the end of the book (sorry, I mean the "author's note") is just embarrassing. I sincerely hope there's trans people who really liked this book, or that maybe a cis person read it and developed some kind of understanding, but I know I will be discouraging people from reading this. There are way better books about trans people written by actual trans people (Nevada and George, to make a few).
Also, J is such an asshole oh my god.
Nothing about us without us.
I mean, I suppose similar books have been written in the past, but as a trans person it's just really weird to read a book that feels so sensationalized and even fetishizing of our lives. Especially since it always pops up in those lists of books to read about trans people.
The justification at the end of the book (sorry, I mean the "author's note") is just embarrassing. I sincerely hope there's trans people who really liked this book, or that maybe a cis person read it and developed some kind of understanding, but I know I will be discouraging people from reading this. There are way better books about trans people written by actual trans people (Nevada and George, to make a few).
Also, J is such an asshole oh my god.
Nothing about us without us.
Just couldn't get a feel for the J character, and then got impatient waiting to see what would happen. Annoyed by best friend character.
This book speaks to a need in young adult literature- teens that are born as one gender but see themselves as the other. Such is the case for J, the main character, who shortens his name from Jenifer to J because he never sees himself as a girl. He exists in kind of a no-man's land, wearing multiple layers to hide his body that is a different gender than his brain. This story is eye-opening to those of us that didn't struggle with these issues; and for those that do, it will be refreshing to find a reflective story at last.
** I read an ARC of this book
** I read an ARC of this book
This is a troublesome book for me. I wanted to love it, I wanted to rave about it, I wanted it to be a book that I recommend to my friends. I might still do so, but cautiously. J himself drove me crazy. He refused to reach out to people, appearing to think that people intuitively understood what he is thinking and feeling. Toward the end of the book, it seemed to work a little better for me. J was working on other interests and interacting with more people. I still want to alternately hug and strangle him, but really, am I that far removed from being a teenager? I often identify with characters that have vastly different lifestyles, cultures, ages, etc… from myself when I'm reading a good book. And that's the problem. While I was reading Cris Beam's book, I discovered that although I felt like I was witnessing good, strong examples of how it might feel to be a transboy, I wasn't experiencing them via reading, so to speak. At times, I felt like the author had leaned over her notes, and said to herself, "Ah, yes. Mustn't forget to include this point. Better throw it in now." Interesting, great topic, lots of info--not the best book, but vastly readable and good for an intro to non-Cis writing.
Reading I Am J brought me back to my college days when individuals are allowed to really hone in on who they are. I found myself able to cry with J and feel his anger. Beam's book touches on a very sensitive topics and I feel it is important for not only teens to read I Am J, but for parents and teachers to read it.[return][return]What I liked most about I Am J is that throughout J's struggles, he still knew he was transgendered. I applaud the character on that level. So many children and adults are unsure of who they are, so it was refreshing to know exactly who J was.[return][return]Yes, this book does have a lot of profanity, under aged drinking, self harm and other things; however, they're an important part of this book. It gives a realistic non-sugarcoated view into J's life.
This was my first book about transgenders and it completely changed my views on being a transgender and what they go through. Many think that being gay and being a transgender is the same thing when it isn't. This book clearly proves that. I absolutely fell in love with all the characters in this book.
emotional
medium-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Incredibly bland writing, characters are relatable only to depressed middle-class Americans and seem stiff, without true emotion or logic behind them