Scan barcode
A review by dliterate
Just Happy to Be Here by Naomi Kanakia
4.0
Just Happy to Be Here follows 15 year old Tara as she faces the challenges of existing as a transgender girl in a world that's largely hostile to her existence, in both subtle and overt ways. When she tries to join an exclusive club at her new all-girls school, she sparks a chain of events that will force her to face serious questions about who she is, who she wants to be, and who she wants (and needs) in her life if she's going to live the life she wants.
There's an authenticity to the character of Tara/Alecto that is simultaneously this book's greatest strength and weakness. I found her to be very frustrating at times, and it's been a while since I've felt such a strong desire to take a character aside and Have A Talk With(/At) Them. And that feels entirely appropriate. After all, I'm a 40 year old cisgender guy. I wouldn't expect to relate to all of the thoughts and feelings of a 15 year old transgender girl.
Kanakia addresses a number of issues with a sort of world-weary bluntness that is often confronting. She doesn't shy away from lampooning liberal politics whilst also making clear the dangers of right-wing politics for transgender people. In fact, liberal politics sit at the heart of several conflicts in the story, playing a key part on both sides of them. If you're going into this thinking that you're safe from being challenged, you're probably wrong.
There are a lot of references to mythology, the philosophy of debate, and historical quotes that made my eyes glaze over, and I didn't care about the concept of the Sybils (the exclusive club). I also found myself wondering if the dialogue was stilted at times, or if my memory of being a teenager has just been skewed by time and distance. It's likely both.
There's a lot more I could say, but to summarise my thoughts: it's not always an enjoyable read, but I do think it's a worthwhile read.
There's an authenticity to the character of Tara/Alecto that is simultaneously this book's greatest strength and weakness. I found her to be very frustrating at times, and it's been a while since I've felt such a strong desire to take a character aside and Have A Talk With(/At) Them. And that feels entirely appropriate. After all, I'm a 40 year old cisgender guy. I wouldn't expect to relate to all of the thoughts and feelings of a 15 year old transgender girl.
Kanakia addresses a number of issues with a sort of world-weary bluntness that is often confronting. She doesn't shy away from lampooning liberal politics whilst also making clear the dangers of right-wing politics for transgender people. In fact, liberal politics sit at the heart of several conflicts in the story, playing a key part on both sides of them. If you're going into this thinking that you're safe from being challenged, you're probably wrong.
There are a lot of references to mythology, the philosophy of debate, and historical quotes that made my eyes glaze over, and I didn't care about the concept of the Sybils (the exclusive club). I also found myself wondering if the dialogue was stilted at times, or if my memory of being a teenager has just been skewed by time and distance. It's likely both.
There's a lot more I could say, but to summarise my thoughts: it's not always an enjoyable read, but I do think it's a worthwhile read.