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A review by goodthingsread
Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
4.5 stars rounded down to 4.
I enjoyed this book a lot and connected to Bug even though nothing in the book is similar to my own experiences. I was a little thrown by the ghostly/supernatural element, not sure at first if this was intended to be really real or a trick of the mind, a desire to see more than what was there. I will say that it is real and I think you have to buy into that to enjoy the book. Easy for me to do.
I checked the reviews of others before I wrote my own and I noted that some doubted that Bug could be so blind to his own gender identity or fear reprisals so deeply when he was a part of such an open and supportive family. Bug is eleven. <i>Eleven</i>. People grow and change and understand themselves differently at every age. It doesn't matter how liberal, free, and loving the environment. We all come to our own conclusions in our own time. And I thought Bug's reasoning was sound, honestly, for an eleven year old trying to figure things out. Gender is a spectrum, but Bug thought he had to be absolutely, positively certain that he was a <i>he</i> to identify as trans. You don't. And once he got that, he understood what he needed to about himself. I don't think it's outrageous for anyone at any age to need time to change their understanding, but especially not an eleven year old.
I enjoyed this book a lot and connected to Bug even though nothing in the book is similar to my own experiences. I was a little thrown by the ghostly/supernatural element, not sure at first if this was intended to be really real or a trick of the mind, a desire to see more than what was there. I will say that it is real and I think you have to buy into that to enjoy the book. Easy for me to do.
I checked the reviews of others before I wrote my own and I noted that some doubted that Bug could be so blind to his own gender identity or fear reprisals so deeply when he was a part of such an open and supportive family. Bug is eleven. <i>Eleven</i>. People grow and change and understand themselves differently at every age. It doesn't matter how liberal, free, and loving the environment. We all come to our own conclusions in our own time. And I thought Bug's reasoning was sound, honestly, for an eleven year old trying to figure things out. Gender is a spectrum, but Bug thought he had to be absolutely, positively certain that he was a <i>he</i> to identify as trans. You don't. And once he got that, he understood what he needed to about himself. I don't think it's outrageous for anyone at any age to need time to change their understanding, but especially not an eleven year old.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
body dysmorphia