jaclynhyde 's review for:

I am J by Cris Beam

4.0

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A very thought-provoking book following a transgender teenage boy, J, as he realizes he wants to transition while dealing with the complications of love, family, and getting into college. J is a wonderfully realized character; at times he can be downright unlikable, but he's very real and his reactions to the troubled time he's going through are understandable. Although I'm not trans myself, J's feelings seem very authentic. Whenever someone refers to J as a girl or she, it feels like an insult. I'm also glad the book touched into other complex issues of gender and sexuality, such as J's friend calling him on his homophobia and J wondering why his transwoman friend follows such strict gender roles. As J is just learning about transgenderism, transitioning, and the LGBT community, some parts of the book can feel a bit expositiony--but some lessons need to be taught, especially for trans teens new to the community and cisgendered readers who don't know what their trans peers are going through.