raspberryjam 's review for:

I Am J by Cris Beam

4.0

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The author, Cris Beam, spent time with transgender youth before she ever conceived of writing a novel about them - and I think it shows. It was refreshing to read a YA book from a trans person's point of view (as opposed to that of a sibling, neighbor or boyfriend). J's identity was treated thoughtfully, and a few parts hit me JUST right. Some scenes struck me as a little too convenient, but other than that I thought it was a strong debut novel. Here's hoping, of course, to some day see YA (or any genre, really) about trans youth of color written by a trans person of color.