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A review by nonsensicaljourney
Ciel by Sophie LaBelle
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Second Story Press for gifting me with this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Going in, I was very excited to read a book about a non-binary character and their experience of the world. On that front, this book absolutely soared: I learnt about the intricacies of everything from navigating friendships to getting dressed, from being a queer YouTuber to being a kid just starting high school. I really appreciated seeing the world through Ciel's eyes, and from their perspective, with an honest style of narration.
However, there were a couple of major things that disappointed me about this book, and many of them may be personal. I felt jarred by the uncritical discussion of various teenage themes, and the way the author expected the reader to just accept that two characters this age were in committed, long-term relationships with boyfriends in early high school/ middle school. Although these characters were mainly developed in an age-appropriate way, this contributed to my unease. Yes, debateable things aren't meant to be critically analysed in middle-grade books, but should they be presented entirely uncritically? I'm concerned mostly because it might lead more conservative readers to think that, in turn, the narrator is just uncritically presenting other important viewpoints, when in fact Ciel makes various good arguments about the majority of the trans / gender-related issues.
I was also very underwhelmed by the lack of plot / plot resolution and the lack of substantial character development - very few of the things that happened caused any anguish in the protagonist, or for the protagonist to want something. I wanted to have a reason to be passionate about this character, but I struggled to find one.
All of these things might just be my personal inclination to have a strong plot / strong character development, rather than a slice of life, and my hesitation to invest in a story which (outside of the broad plot about Ciel being non-binary / trans) seemed to be more or less about social circles, boyfriends and complaining about a life which is ultimately pretty good. That being said, I think this book is VERY important for its incredible representation of trans issues and queer issues generally, and I commend the author for having the bravery to put this story out into the world. Thank you for sharing your experiences - even if I didn't connect with the characters, reading this book has taught me a lot.
Going in, I was very excited to read a book about a non-binary character and their experience of the world. On that front, this book absolutely soared: I learnt about the intricacies of everything from navigating friendships to getting dressed, from being a queer YouTuber to being a kid just starting high school. I really appreciated seeing the world through Ciel's eyes, and from their perspective, with an honest style of narration.
However, there were a couple of major things that disappointed me about this book, and many of them may be personal. I felt jarred by the uncritical discussion of various teenage themes, and the way the author expected the reader to just accept that two characters this age were in committed, long-term relationships with boyfriends in early high school/ middle school. Although these characters were mainly developed in an age-appropriate way, this contributed to my unease. Yes, debateable things aren't meant to be critically analysed in middle-grade books, but should they be presented entirely uncritically? I'm concerned mostly because it might lead more conservative readers to think that, in turn, the narrator is just uncritically presenting other important viewpoints, when in fact Ciel makes various good arguments about the majority of the trans / gender-related issues.
I was also very underwhelmed by the lack of plot / plot resolution and the lack of substantial character development - very few of the things that happened caused any anguish in the protagonist, or for the protagonist to want something. I wanted to have a reason to be passionate about this character, but I struggled to find one.
All of these things might just be my personal inclination to have a strong plot / strong character development, rather than a slice of life, and my hesitation to invest in a story which (outside of the broad plot about Ciel being non-binary / trans) seemed to be more or less about social circles, boyfriends and complaining about a life which is ultimately pretty good. That being said, I think this book is VERY important for its incredible representation of trans issues and queer issues generally, and I commend the author for having the bravery to put this story out into the world. Thank you for sharing your experiences - even if I didn't connect with the characters, reading this book has taught me a lot.