A review by sashahc
Lunar Boy by Cin Wibowo, Jes Wibowo

emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

“Lunar Boy” by Jes and Cin Wibowo is an Indonesian inspired middle grade graphic novel.  It’s about Indu, a trans boy rescued from the moon.  After spending his early years growing up with his adoptive mom on a spaceship, they move to Earth with her new husband and step kids.  But Indu is still learning Indonesian and unsure how to relate to this new large community and wonders if it was better if he didn’t come at all.  It’s about family and community and learning to be confident in who you are and open yourself up.  It deals with the scars of colonization and its effect on queer community and indigenous practices.  It’s also beautifully illustrated and very sweet.  Get it for all the graphic novel folks in your life.

Jes & Cin: “We need to expand what ‘the queer narrative’ can look like.  What queer escapism looks like outside a white lens.  I wanted my first book to be hopeful, but I didn’t want the world of Lunar Boy to just ignore the years of colonialism and systemic homophobia that queer Indonesians of the past and present experienced.  So Lunar Boy became a wish.  Lunar Boy is a wish for a distant sci-fi future where things are better.  A world where queer Indonesians grapple with the scars of colonialism and violence.  Where queer people are welcome to join cultural rites of passage.  Lunar Boy is a story where even a trans boy from the moon can find belonging.  It wasn’t going to be a perfect world, but it was a healing one.”

Jes and Cin Wibowo are queer identical twin Indonesian sisters.  One of them likes toast and the other is hooked on potatoes. They love cute, magical, and empowering stories for middle grade readers.