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A review by eddiewhy
Ciel by Sophie LaBelle
4.0
Thanks so much to Netgalley and Second Story Press for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Ciel is a cute, heart-warming book about a non-binary teen who is struggling with starting high school, a long distance relationship, and their relationship with their best friend Stephie. The book tackles a lot of issues in a short period of time, and does so in a respectful, thoughtful way that absolutely feels appropriate for the target audience.
I think Ciel is a great protagonist for non-binary, trans, and cis kids alike. They're fun, smart, and ambitious, and it's enjoyable to watch them succeed at their goals. It hurts when they're hurt by the people around them, but Ciel generally has an optimistic outlook and their life, and that's good. Ciel as a narrator also takes the time to explain a lot of concepts about gender in very clear ways that don't feel condescending. I hope that the kids who read this book gain a better understanding of what it means to be non-binary. There are also multiple trans characters besides Ciel, and it's nice to see those characters existing and being happy together.
There are a lot of mentions of transphobia in this book, but I think they're handled well and don't go into a territory that would be difficult for middle grade readers to handle. Ciel addresses most of these moments and takes them in stride. In terms of educational but enjoyable content, I think the book hits the nail on the head. It's fun, keeps things relatively light, but also gives a voice to a group of people who are under- and misrepresented in the media quite a lot.
My only problem with the book is that I felt like it ended somewhat abruptly, and not every issue was entirely resolved. This is absolutely fine, and true to real life, because not everything can be tied up in a pretty little bow, but I do wish there had been a clear resolution between Ciel and Stephie.
Stephie is a trans girl who has decided that upon entering high school, she doesn't want to be known as "the trans kid" anymore, and so she doesn't tell any of her new friends that she's trans. This puts a strain on Stephie and Ciel's relationship, because Ciel, who doesn't identify within the gender binary, is much more "obviously" trans and doesn't want to hide that part of themself. In fact, Ciel has a YouTube channel where they talk about their experiences, and one of their videos talking about how pointlessly gendered the bathrooms at their school are ends up going viral.
Ciel can tell that Stephie is pulling away from them slightly, and understands why, but they never have an open conversation with Stephie about the problem. Instead, the narrative ends with them still ambiguously being friends, just not as close as before. When the book ends, Ciel has also just started to form a closer relationship with a trans boy from their school, Liam. Again, I think this is pretty realistic. It's a good representation of how relationships shift and change as people grow up and apart or together. But in terms of the narrative, it left me wanting more. It felt like an awkward ending that didn't quite tie up all the loose ends but also didn't suggest to me that there would be a sequel to address everything. I'd love to see a sequel though!
Overall, I quite enjoyed this book, and I hope a lot of middle grade readers also get to enjoy it and feel represented or learn something or both!
Ciel is a cute, heart-warming book about a non-binary teen who is struggling with starting high school, a long distance relationship, and their relationship with their best friend Stephie. The book tackles a lot of issues in a short period of time, and does so in a respectful, thoughtful way that absolutely feels appropriate for the target audience.
I think Ciel is a great protagonist for non-binary, trans, and cis kids alike. They're fun, smart, and ambitious, and it's enjoyable to watch them succeed at their goals. It hurts when they're hurt by the people around them, but Ciel generally has an optimistic outlook and their life, and that's good. Ciel as a narrator also takes the time to explain a lot of concepts about gender in very clear ways that don't feel condescending. I hope that the kids who read this book gain a better understanding of what it means to be non-binary. There are also multiple trans characters besides Ciel, and it's nice to see those characters existing and being happy together.
There are a lot of mentions of transphobia in this book, but I think they're handled well and don't go into a territory that would be difficult for middle grade readers to handle. Ciel addresses most of these moments and takes them in stride. In terms of educational but enjoyable content, I think the book hits the nail on the head. It's fun, keeps things relatively light, but also gives a voice to a group of people who are under- and misrepresented in the media quite a lot.
My only problem with the book is that I felt like it ended somewhat abruptly, and not every issue was entirely resolved. This is absolutely fine, and true to real life, because not everything can be tied up in a pretty little bow, but I do wish there had been a clear resolution between Ciel and Stephie.
Stephie is a trans girl who has decided that upon entering high school, she doesn't want to be known as "the trans kid" anymore, and so she doesn't tell any of her new friends that she's trans. This puts a strain on Stephie and Ciel's relationship, because Ciel, who doesn't identify within the gender binary, is much more "obviously" trans and doesn't want to hide that part of themself. In fact, Ciel has a YouTube channel where they talk about their experiences, and one of their videos talking about how pointlessly gendered the bathrooms at their school are ends up going viral.
Ciel can tell that Stephie is pulling away from them slightly, and understands why, but they never have an open conversation with Stephie about the problem. Instead, the narrative ends with them still ambiguously being friends, just not as close as before. When the book ends, Ciel has also just started to form a closer relationship with a trans boy from their school, Liam. Again, I think this is pretty realistic. It's a good representation of how relationships shift and change as people grow up and apart or together. But in terms of the narrative, it left me wanting more. It felt like an awkward ending that didn't quite tie up all the loose ends but also didn't suggest to me that there would be a sequel to address everything. I'd love to see a sequel though!
Overall, I quite enjoyed this book, and I hope a lot of middle grade readers also get to enjoy it and feel represented or learn something or both!