crystall_library's review against another edition
4.0
CW: homophobia, transphobia, mentions of suicide, sexual assault, public outing
I want to preface this by saying that I was under the impression before and while reading that this book was own voices. It wasn't until I reached the authors note at the end that I realized that it was not. I'm not entirely sure where I got the idea anymore. That being said, I can't speak on how accurate, positive, or negative the representation in this book is.
Overall, I enjoyed the book in itself. I really liked Riley as a character and seeing the friendships they develop with Solo and Bec over the course of the book (though I didn't care much for the romance an honestly forgot it happened until Looking over the book for review). The book definitely created an emotional response in me, which is why I initially gave it five stars, but after thinking about it, I'm not sure this is really one I would reread, especially knowing that it isn't an own voices book.
________________
Find me elsewhere!
Little Bookshelf Dragon
I want to preface this by saying that I was under the impression before and while reading that this book was own voices. It wasn't until I reached the authors note at the end that I realized that it was not. I'm not entirely sure where I got the idea anymore. That being said, I can't speak on how accurate, positive, or negative the representation in this book is.
Overall, I enjoyed the book in itself. I really liked Riley as a character and seeing the friendships they develop with Solo and Bec over the course of the book (though I didn't care much for the romance an honestly forgot it happened until Looking over the book for review). The book definitely created an emotional response in me, which is why I initially gave it five stars, but after thinking about it, I'm not sure this is really one I would reread, especially knowing that it isn't an own voices book.
________________
Find me elsewhere!
Little Bookshelf Dragon
chrissireads's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 Stars
I have had Symptoms of Being Human on my radar for a while now. It won’t be a surprise to anyone to read that I like reading diverse books. I love to see all kinds of people represented in literature, especially YA literature, where I feel it is incredibly important to portray a range of individuals. I thought Symptoms of Being Human was a decent read. I believe it does suffer from a slow pace though. Despite it being a short read, I didn’t whizz through the book.
The story centres around Riley, who is gender fluid, the author describes gender fluid as sometimes identifying as female and sometimes male. What I thought was interesting about this book, was that the author never tells us which gender Riley was assigned as at birth. At first I was a little frustrated that I didn’t know, but then I considered that the author is giving readers the message that it really doesn’t matter what gender you were assigned at birth, especially if you identify as gender fluid. I appreciated that message, but I do think it meant that some conversations were skirted around and never really addressed. However, I totally appreciated that the author just gets us to see Riley as a human. Riley’s gender shouldn’t matter.
I found it easy to like Riley. I loved that there was a bit of blogging involved. I enjoy reading books that are so current. I also felt that Riley’s blog posts were informative to how Riley felt about gender fluidity. I feel that Symptoms of Being Human is a great book to learn about gender fluidity and begin to understand how it feels for those that identify as gender fluid.
I have had Symptoms of Being Human on my radar for a while now. It won’t be a surprise to anyone to read that I like reading diverse books. I love to see all kinds of people represented in literature, especially YA literature, where I feel it is incredibly important to portray a range of individuals. I thought Symptoms of Being Human was a decent read. I believe it does suffer from a slow pace though. Despite it being a short read, I didn’t whizz through the book.
The story centres around Riley, who is gender fluid, the author describes gender fluid as sometimes identifying as female and sometimes male. What I thought was interesting about this book, was that the author never tells us which gender Riley was assigned as at birth. At first I was a little frustrated that I didn’t know, but then I considered that the author is giving readers the message that it really doesn’t matter what gender you were assigned at birth, especially if you identify as gender fluid. I appreciated that message, but I do think it meant that some conversations were skirted around and never really addressed. However, I totally appreciated that the author just gets us to see Riley as a human. Riley’s gender shouldn’t matter.
I found it easy to like Riley. I loved that there was a bit of blogging involved. I enjoy reading books that are so current. I also felt that Riley’s blog posts were informative to how Riley felt about gender fluidity. I feel that Symptoms of Being Human is a great book to learn about gender fluidity and begin to understand how it feels for those that identify as gender fluid.
ashleymarieval's review against another edition
5.0
http://ashleyreadsyabooks.blogspot.com/2016/10/review-of-symptoms-of-being-human-by.html?spref=tw
WOW just WOW
What an amazing book
WOW just WOW
What an amazing book
mags_'s review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars? it's hard to tell with this book. I feel kind of conflicted.
burhoppy007's review against another edition
4.0
Jeff Garvin’s Symptoms of Being Human is an important tale about Riley Cavanaugh who tries to navigate the struggles of high school while also coming to terms with their identity as gender fluid. As the child of a congressman running for re-election in a conservative area Riley has not told anyone except their therapist Dr. Anne about their gender identity. Because of this they struggle a lot with anxiety and stress about their gender dysphoria in public. When Dr. Anne suggests they write an anonymous blog, Riley finds not only a safe space to be truly themself but also ends up making waves in the community as they go viral. These blog posts, and the inner thoughts of Riley themself, shed a necessary light on the struggles of those who don’t conform to the gender binary. As a cisgender female reading this book and hearing what Riley goes through on a daily basis as a result of their gender was illuminating. My eyes were opened to so many little nuances of gender that I had never realized because of my privilege as a cisgender person. Through vivid language, creative similes, unique metaphors, and specific anecdotes Riley gives the reader a master class in genderfluidity saying, “the world isn't binary. Everything isn't black or white, yes or no. Sometimes it's not a switch it’s a dial. And it's not even a dial you can get your hands on; it turns without your permission or approval.” That being said, I identify as a cisgender female so I can never truly know what it is like to be gender fluid, I cannot speak to how accurate this depiction may be. All I can say is that I found this story compelling and I think everyone, regardless of gender identity, can take something from this story whether it be representation for themselves or new insights they never knew before. Even though this is clearly intended for young adult readers, the characters are so well developed, story so compelling, and language so fresh that adult readers can also get so much from reading it. I myself couldn’t put it down once I got started; I just had to know what would happen next. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a powerful story written in a way that is easy to digest and understand.
franuary's review against another edition
4.0
*Update* After a lot of thinking and reading a few other books to calibrate my grading guidelines, this feels more like a 4 than a 4.5 to me.
Riley Cavanaugh is gender fluid. Sometimes Riley feels male, sometimes female, and sometimes somewhere in between (Riley describes this as a dial that can be turned to various settings). Riley isn't out to anyone and isn't comfortable presenting as the currently-felt gender, resulting in body dysmorphia. Combine this with starting at a new school, having zero friends, and pretending to be the perfect child on the Congressional campaign trail and it's no wonder Riley is having severe panic attacks on a daily basis.
On the advice of a therapist, Riley starts writing about these feelings anonymously on an online blog (a fictional version of Tumblr), and is surprised to find that the posts are helping other people. But someone has connected the blog to Riley, and Riley starts receiving hateful anonymous messages that feel increasingly personal. When the messages threaten to out Riley, Riley must decide whether to abandon the blog or be brave and come out on Riley's own terms.
I found Riley to be incredibly believable and sympathetic. Like lots of YA narrators, Riley is angsty as the day is long and has major anxiety issues. Unlike the malaise felt by many YA narrators though, Riley's feelings seem completely warranted given Riley's situation. Riley is going through some real friggin problems, and I loved that Riley's struggle wasn't glossed over or made okay overnight.
The book never reveals whether Riley is biologically male or female, and I thought this was an interesting and important choice by the author. It's also a little clunky in some areas. On one hand, it makes perfect sense that as our narrator, Riley wouldn't reveal a biological gender that Riley doesn't identify with. However, in some cases it feels more like purposeful omission than simple nonconformity. For example, Riley's prescribed campaign trail outfit plays a large role in the plot, but the specifics of the outfit aren't discussed. In general though, I felt the awkward moments didn't significantly detract from the overall message sent by leaving biological gender out of the equation.
I've read a few reviews that criticize this book for being "plotless." While I wouldn't agree with this summation, I would say that it's very character-driven. Riley's struggle with coming out and understanding gender identity is really all this book needs to be riveting; any plot added in along the way (and there IS plot) is just a welcome bonus.
Riley Cavanaugh is gender fluid. Sometimes Riley feels male, sometimes female, and sometimes somewhere in between (Riley describes this as a dial that can be turned to various settings). Riley isn't out to anyone and isn't comfortable presenting as the currently-felt gender, resulting in body dysmorphia. Combine this with starting at a new school, having zero friends, and pretending to be the perfect child on the Congressional campaign trail and it's no wonder Riley is having severe panic attacks on a daily basis.
On the advice of a therapist, Riley starts writing about these feelings anonymously on an online blog (a fictional version of Tumblr), and is surprised to find that the posts are helping other people. But someone has connected the blog to Riley, and Riley starts receiving hateful anonymous messages that feel increasingly personal. When the messages threaten to out Riley, Riley must decide whether to abandon the blog or be brave and come out on Riley's own terms.
I found Riley to be incredibly believable and sympathetic. Like lots of YA narrators, Riley is angsty as the day is long and has major anxiety issues. Unlike the malaise felt by many YA narrators though, Riley's feelings seem completely warranted given Riley's situation. Riley is going through some real friggin problems, and I loved that Riley's struggle wasn't glossed over or made okay overnight.
The book never reveals whether Riley is biologically male or female, and I thought this was an interesting and important choice by the author. It's also a little clunky in some areas. On one hand, it makes perfect sense that as our narrator, Riley wouldn't reveal a biological gender that Riley doesn't identify with. However, in some cases it feels more like purposeful omission than simple nonconformity. For example, Riley's prescribed campaign trail outfit plays a large role in the plot, but the specifics of the outfit aren't discussed. In general though, I felt the awkward moments didn't significantly detract from the overall message sent by leaving biological gender out of the equation.
I've read a few reviews that criticize this book for being "plotless." While I wouldn't agree with this summation, I would say that it's very character-driven. Riley's struggle with coming out and understanding gender identity is really all this book needs to be riveting; any plot added in along the way (and there IS plot) is just a welcome bonus.
harmnewbrough1's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 Stars. I admit that I was apprehensive to read this at first, but man it blew me away. This book is a good representation to say the least, and I think that everyone should read it at least once in their life.
delijha711's review against another edition
5.0
Wonderfully insightful on the life of a teenager who identifies as genderfluid. I felt like I could really understand the character. I admit, in the beginning it did bother me that the gender was not said but while reading it I realized that didnt matter. The character as a person was beautiful. Would totally recomend
im_just_vidu's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It's my first ever read of the year. And I should pat myself for choosing a book that isn't bad, so that might represent my whole reading year. I'm glad that this was my first read of the year. I don't have any bad things to say, so you might wonder why I didn't give the full 5 stars. There's no such reason. I like this book. It's informative and makes me feel valid. It just didn't hit the deepest part of my heart. Maybe because I expected a little bit more in the end. I love the way they accept themselves. I didn't feel it to the core. But I would happily recommend it to others.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Hate crime, Bullying, Homophobia, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Physical abuse
Minor: Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
ikuo1000's review against another edition
4.0
CW/TW: assault, sexual assault
For those who might appreciate a heads-up, this book does include the slurs "dyke" and "faggot" directed at the main character.
What Loveless by Alice Oseman did in terms of helping me to understand aromanticism and asexuality, this book did in regards to gender fluidity. I can't speak to how authentic the portrayal of gender dysphoria is, but I'd definitely recommend both these books for adults and parents who want to better understand these concepts.
Interestingly, the author purposely withheld the main character Riley's assigned gender at birth. Admittedly, I was curious at first, especially because I figured even Riley's new classmates could find the answer, since whether Congressman Cavanaugh had a son or a daughter would be public information. But the lack of disclosure really drove home the point that it doesn't matter. Riley is a person, end of story. The book is written in the first person, so we never even see Riley's preferred pronouns; for this review, I'll use "they".
Unlike any other book I've ever read, this book offers some valuable mental health representation. Riley has a therapist, uses techniques taught to them by their therapist to cope with stress and anxiety throughout the day, and takes antidepressant and anti-anxiety medication.
I liked that more than once, the book presented one point of view, and then later on presented an opposing point of view. These differing perspectives showed how complex gender issues can be. For example, we know, of course, that Riley is frustrated when others try to put them into a "girl" box or "boy" box. Yet, when Riley starts at a new school, every new person they meet is identified as a "girl" or "boy". It seemed kind of hypocritical! Eventually, Riley acknowledges their own tendency to put people into gender boxes, and they even feel a sense of shame for having misjudged other people's gender identity. (p. 154)
I also really appreciated that the bullies in this book are not entirely one-dimensional. We don't get to know their motivations explicitly, but it's made clear that they aren't just evil, they have complex home lives, too, and other contributing factors that influence their thinking and behavior.
As much as I got out of this book, I can't help but feel it was lacking in two specific ways. When I think about gender identity, the first two things that come to mind are bathrooms and pronouns. Yet, this book did not address either of these issues. It just seemed to me that figuring out which bathroom to use, and thinking about how certain pronouns make them feel, would be a significant part of Riley's experience as a gender fluid person, and I wonder if not discussing these matters was a missed opportunity.
The ending was satisfying, yet it also felt like there were too many loose ends.
Finally, there was one minor detail that just didn't sit right with me. At one point, while spiraling out of control, Riley destroyed someone else's belongings, and didn't apologize. (p. 290) I get that Riley was destructive in a kind of unconscious or subconscious way - they're not willfully causing damage with any specific purpose - and we know that they've damaged their own property before, too. But taking anger out on someone else's things feels like it crosses a very specific boundary. The items weren't important, and in the same scene, Riley did apologize for saying hurtful things and the friendship is intact, but I would have liked to see an apology for their actions, as well as their words.
For those who might appreciate a heads-up, this book does include the slurs "dyke" and "faggot" directed at the main character.
What Loveless by Alice Oseman did in terms of helping me to understand aromanticism and asexuality, this book did in regards to gender fluidity. I can't speak to how authentic the portrayal of gender dysphoria is, but I'd definitely recommend both these books for adults and parents who want to better understand these concepts.
Interestingly, the author purposely withheld the main character Riley's assigned gender at birth. Admittedly, I was curious at first, especially because I figured even Riley's new classmates could find the answer, since whether Congressman Cavanaugh had a son or a daughter would be public information. But the lack of disclosure really drove home the point that it doesn't matter. Riley is a person, end of story. The book is written in the first person, so we never even see Riley's preferred pronouns; for this review, I'll use "they".
Unlike any other book I've ever read, this book offers some valuable mental health representation. Riley has a therapist, uses techniques taught to them by their therapist to cope with stress and anxiety throughout the day, and takes antidepressant and anti-anxiety medication.
I liked that more than once, the book presented one point of view, and then later on presented an opposing point of view. These differing perspectives showed how complex gender issues can be. For example, we know, of course, that Riley is frustrated when others try to put them into a "girl" box or "boy" box. Yet, when Riley starts at a new school, every new person they meet is identified as a "girl" or "boy". It seemed kind of hypocritical! Eventually, Riley acknowledges their own tendency to put people into gender boxes, and they even feel a sense of shame for having misjudged other people's gender identity. (p. 154)
I also really appreciated that the bullies in this book are not entirely one-dimensional. We don't get to know their motivations explicitly, but it's made clear that they aren't just evil, they have complex home lives, too, and other contributing factors that influence their thinking and behavior.
As much as I got out of this book, I can't help but feel it was lacking in two specific ways. When I think about gender identity, the first two things that come to mind are bathrooms and pronouns. Yet, this book did not address either of these issues. It just seemed to me that figuring out which bathroom to use, and thinking about how certain pronouns make them feel, would be a significant part of Riley's experience as a gender fluid person, and I wonder if not discussing these matters was a missed opportunity.
The ending was satisfying, yet it also felt like there were too many loose ends.
Spoiler
Solo said the entire football team had Riley's back, but how did that come to be, when they had always deferred to Vickers as their leader? What kind of consequences do Vickers and Sierra have to face, and how are they viewed by their peers if/when their actions become public knowledge? What happens with Erik and his hopes of joining the football team?Finally, there was one minor detail that just didn't sit right with me. At one point, while spiraling out of control, Riley destroyed someone else's belongings, and didn't apologize. (p. 290) I get that Riley was destructive in a kind of unconscious or subconscious way - they're not willfully causing damage with any specific purpose - and we know that they've damaged their own property before, too. But taking anger out on someone else's things feels like it crosses a very specific boundary. The items weren't important, and in the same scene, Riley did apologize for saying hurtful things and the friendship is intact, but I would have liked to see an apology for their actions, as well as their words.