Author: Kirstin Cronn-Mills
Publisher: Flux
Publication Date: October 8th, 2012
Page Count: 288
Genre: contemporary, LGBTQ
Audience: young adult
Source: won in the awesome Courtney Summers' giveaway!!!
Rating: 4 I'd take this book to a wicked rock concert!
Goodreads Summary:
The lives and loves of a teenage transboy music geek
Gabe has always identified as a boy, but he was born with a girl's body. With his new public access radio show gaining in popularity, Gabe struggles with romance, friendships, and parents--all while trying to come out as transgendered. An audition for a station in Minneapolis looks like his ticket to a better life in the big city. But his entire future is threatened when several violent guys find out Gabe the popular DJ is also Elizabeth from school.
My thoughts: Okay, so I'm pretty sure this is the first book I've read featuring a transgender main character and I feel like it gave me a little more insight into some of the issues that LGBTQ youth are faced with (especially the extent of prejudice and bullying they often experience). I was really excited to read this book and was not disappointed. Let me tell you, Gabe is pretty awesome. Gabe has some major ups and downs and the reader is right there along with him for every minute. Yes, there is some anti-transgender violence, yes some of it is very hard to read perhaps because you realize it is the reality for so many transgender youth. The thing I love most about this book is that it's not didactic; I feel like I did learn quite a bit from this book, but ultimately I've realized that something needs to be done. I know many people do not understand what "transgender" or "transsexual" (as Gabe identifies himself) really mean, and I think awareness is the key here.
Another thing I strongly appreciate about this book is that although the reader does get quite a bit about Gabe's public coming out as Gabe the young man (rather than Liz the teen girl who most have always known him as)...it is more than that. This book has so many unique aspects that I really think it would appeal to a broad audience. Gabe has his own radio show (called Beautiful Music for Ugly Children) and music is pretty much his life. The titles for each chapter all revolve around the format of "____ is the new Elvis." There are tons of references to songs from every genre you could think of. It's a pretty magical book for a fellow music lover! The secondary characters also add a lot to this book. Gabe's parents and brother are at first not very accepting of his announcement that he would prefer if they called him Gabe. However, his two best friends, Paige and John, have different reactions. Gabe's story felt so real in part because it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, but it also managed to not be a total downer either, despite the threats and violence Gabe and co. experience. Highly recommended!
This is actually the end of Transgender Awareness Week 2012 in Massachusetts so there are plenty of resources out there to educate yourselves if you are so inclined.
Check out I AM: Trans People Speak where you can watch videos about the experiences of many different transgender people.
This book has been getting some great reviews all around and I'm glad to see you liked it. I especially like that you mention the titles about "the new Elvis" because little details like that really make a book fun for me! I LOVE books that feature music in them, so I think I'd probably like this book too. --> "It's a pretty magical book for a fellow music lover!" --> That's me!
ReplyDeleteI love little things like the chapter titles that really give character to a book. And I adored Gabe, such a sweet character. And yay for music in books!!! Got any recommendations? ;)
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