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This book was really great. I read the first chapters without stopping until I had to force myself to put the book away and go to sleep. It was really well written and interesting.
Loveable characters:
No
I was a little scared of this book. I knew that Beam had it in her to realistically portray the transgender experience, so my expectations were super high. I also knew that a book like this has the potential to be filled with well-meaning stereotypes in order to present the most inclusive picture: of trans folk, of Puerto Rican New Yorkers, of the dream of being a "real boy," and more. But my fears were unfounded; I loved this book. J really rang true to me as a character and as a transguy, and his experiences, though not universal (thankfully not everyone has to move out or change schools in order to transition, though some undoubtedly do), were realistic. I Am J was everything I hoped it would be.
But I did have a couple of problems. I found it hard to believe that J, who has been looking around on the internet for information and support since he was eleven, hadn't heard about T (testosterone injections) or a (chest) binder until he was seventeen. I'm willing to let that go as it allows the reader to learn about these things at the same time that J does. I don't think it would have been such a problem if the book wasn't so obviously written by someone who, like J's support group leader, "talk[s] about the 'gender binary' and 'those of trans-masculine identification' as easily as reciting the alphabet" (243).* Beam is a very very knowledgeable woman, as evidenced by her previous work of non-fiction, Transparent: Love, Family, and Living the T with Transgender Teenagers. She seemed to have a difficult time balancing her wealth of knowledge with the naiveté of her narrator.
This may look like more criticisms than praise, but it's really not! I loved I Am J, and I applaud Beam for taking on the issue of transitioning in the context of cultural and familial expectations, and the fallout from not meeting those expectations, in an accessible and authentic way. Not to mention that she wrote a pretty great story of a teen trying to find his direction and place in the world, regardless of all the issues that J has to deal with. I think this is a must buy for libraries serving youth; it's Luna for the guys.
Book source: ARC provided by the publisher.
*Quotes and page numbers are from an uncorrected proof and may not match the published copy.
But I did have a couple of problems. I found it hard to believe that J, who has been looking around on the internet for information and support since he was eleven, hadn't heard about T (testosterone injections) or a (chest) binder until he was seventeen. I'm willing to let that go as it allows the reader to learn about these things at the same time that J does. I don't think it would have been such a problem if the book wasn't so obviously written by someone who, like J's support group leader, "talk[s] about the 'gender binary' and 'those of trans-masculine identification' as easily as reciting the alphabet" (243).* Beam is a very very knowledgeable woman, as evidenced by her previous work of non-fiction, Transparent: Love, Family, and Living the T with Transgender Teenagers. She seemed to have a difficult time balancing her wealth of knowledge with the naiveté of her narrator.
This may look like more criticisms than praise, but it's really not! I loved I Am J, and I applaud Beam for taking on the issue of transitioning in the context of cultural and familial expectations, and the fallout from not meeting those expectations, in an accessible and authentic way. Not to mention that she wrote a pretty great story of a teen trying to find his direction and place in the world, regardless of all the issues that J has to deal with. I think this is a must buy for libraries serving youth; it's Luna for the guys.
Book source: ARC provided by the publisher.
*Quotes and page numbers are from an uncorrected proof and may not match the published copy.
Didn't make it far in this one. J is kind of a jerkass. Not sure if I'll pick it back up.
J was born female but has known his entire life that he's really a guy. Now that he's almost 18, he's starting to really understand this part of himself and wants to learn about how to make the transition to actually living like a man. (Step one: Testosterone.)
I struggled with this book early on. I feel awful for J but at the same time, it's SO hard to like him because he's such a complete jerk for most of the book. He's bitter because people think he's a lesbian (since he dresses like a boy and goes by J and not his actual name, Jenifer or its more traditional nickname, Jeni). And he's furious that people don't magically intuit that he's not gay, he's just a man born in a woman's body. And when he DOES start to tell people, he's mad that they're not supportive in the exact way he wants them to be.
Also, relatively early on in the book, he meets a teenage girl who believes he's a guy and they sort of date (in the way teenagers do) and kiss and he doesn't tell her he's biologically female. I find that almost unforgivable just because while yes, you may identify as male, chances are your girlfriend identifies as straight and that means no making out with people that have vaginas.
But I'm still recommending this book because it's so important and most people have no experience with transgender and the issues that go along with it. And even though I spent a lot of time disliking J, I was still so happy for him as the book progressed and he became more comfortable with himself.
I was talking to a friend about this book on Twitter and I'm pretty sure that a lot of his attitude comes from the fact that he didn't feel comfortable in his own skin and so he took a lot of that out on other people. (Plus there's the fact that he's a teenager and they tend to be less than an optimal good time.)
I struggled with this book early on. I feel awful for J but at the same time, it's SO hard to like him because he's such a complete jerk for most of the book. He's bitter because people think he's a lesbian (since he dresses like a boy and goes by J and not his actual name, Jenifer or its more traditional nickname, Jeni). And he's furious that people don't magically intuit that he's not gay, he's just a man born in a woman's body. And when he DOES start to tell people, he's mad that they're not supportive in the exact way he wants them to be.
Also, relatively early on in the book, he meets a teenage girl who believes he's a guy and they sort of date (in the way teenagers do) and kiss and he doesn't tell her he's biologically female. I find that almost unforgivable just because while yes, you may identify as male, chances are your girlfriend identifies as straight and that means no making out with people that have vaginas.
But I'm still recommending this book because it's so important and most people have no experience with transgender and the issues that go along with it. And even though I spent a lot of time disliking J, I was still so happy for him as the book progressed and he became more comfortable with himself.
I was talking to a friend about this book on Twitter and I'm pretty sure that a lot of his attitude comes from the fact that he didn't feel comfortable in his own skin and so he took a lot of that out on other people. (Plus there's the fact that he's a teenager and they tend to be less than an optimal good time.)
Did not finish this book. I couldn't stand the main character and nothing was happening.
I Am J is the story of J (born Jennifer) as he struggles against the social definition of gender. When I first heard of this novel, I was immediately interested: a struggle between one’s true identity and the identity given at birth. I thought it would be a fascinating read. It was. The story was interesting and the writing was well done.
But I didn’t connect to the characters. I couldn’t empathize with J, and I don’t think that it’s because I’m not transgendered (I have read several books where the main characters are everything that I am not, and I still managed to connect with them). I thought I would be able to connect on an emotional level, but the story is not emotional. It is a cut and paste of what process a transguy has to go through to become more physically a man and the struggles he faces along the way. Fascinating read, and undeniably well-written, but there was no emotional connection.
I pitied J and the issues he dealt with, but I didn’t feel his pain. The other characters in the story didn’t evoke any sort of reaction either. They were all missing something human. They just didn’t feel like real people They felt like soap opera characters with melodramatic lives.
I expected something spectacular, but the story just didn't deliver.
But I didn’t connect to the characters. I couldn’t empathize with J, and I don’t think that it’s because I’m not transgendered (I have read several books where the main characters are everything that I am not, and I still managed to connect with them). I thought I would be able to connect on an emotional level, but the story is not emotional. It is a cut and paste of what process a transguy has to go through to become more physically a man and the struggles he faces along the way. Fascinating read, and undeniably well-written, but there was no emotional connection.
I pitied J and the issues he dealt with, but I didn’t feel his pain. The other characters in the story didn’t evoke any sort of reaction either. They were all missing something human. They just didn’t feel like real people They felt like soap opera characters with melodramatic lives.
I expected something spectacular, but the story just didn't deliver.
Dnf'd at 75%
I just can't go on with this book. It's way too bland. But I'm still counting it as read since i read the majority.
I just can't go on with this book. It's way too bland. But I'm still counting it as read since i read the majority.