mattyjax's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Realistic transgender first person narrative
amberunmasked's review against another edition
5.0
It is a rare occurrence for me to pick up a book and not want to put it down. I was never that way with any of the Harry Potters or even my favorite mysteries. I tend to find a comfort zone of reading 20-35 pages in a sitting and don't read every day. But those precious times when a book flows so incredibly well from chapter to chapter, I've managed to read a whole novel in only a couple of days. This was the experience I had reading my friend Jennie Wood's first YA novel, A BOY LIKE ME.
If you're interested in the writing process, Jennie has been on my podcast, Vodka O'Clock, to talk about what it was like for her to create the book. We explored as much as possible from the cover design to how delicately she handled the story of a transgendered protagonist when she herself isn't.
A BOY LIKE ME comes in around 300 pages and covers the teen years of Katharine "Peyton" Honeycutt. Throughout most of the novel, Peyton is unaware of his gender identity and struggles every day feeling like there's something wrong with his female body. The book boldly starts off with an 8th grade girl getting her first period at school while wearing a dress and fancy shoes her mother insisted on. She meets a new girl at school, Tara Parks, who convinces her to swap outfits for the day. Tara's body confidence and go-getter personality were as foreign to Katharine as her own female body felt. This is where the young romance story begins. It's Tara who gives Katharine the new name Peyton and I actually don't think there's ever an instance where Tara needs to choose either "he" or "she"; I'm pretty sure I only remember Tara saying "Peyton," "you," "we" or "us."
The reason Peyton's life is relatable as a character even for a reader who is cisgendered, is that so many people of any gender go through times hating their bodies and feeling that deep desire to be someone else. There's a seed in our guts that gets planted somewhere along the way as we grow up that germinates into a hologram making us believe we would only be happy if... if we could have that other person's life. It's not a trans-exclusive struggle but their inability to disguise their misidentified bodies is uniquely theirs and something cis- people should learn about to gain a bit of understanding.
Jennie puts Peyton through a series of obstacles as the character moves through high school. He's athletic but gets placed on the girls' teams. He changes for gym class in a stall instead of the locker area where all the girls are comfortable in front of each other. He moves through this life with a religiously misguided and oppressive mother who lays all excuses for her failures on Peyton's father leaving them. Luckily, readers get the reprieve on their hearts every time Peyton's fantastic Uncle RB is around; he is the best father figure possible and completely supportive without prying about what Peyton is going through. It's sort of a situation where certain people know Peyton is a male identity long before he does. The emotional roller coaster had me crying plenty of times. The love from Uncle RB was one thing but Peyton's relationship with Tara was constantly a battle until Peyton found his real self. The very real misconception many of the characters have towards Peyton is that "she's" a lesbian even though the word makes no sense to him since he feels like a boy in love with a girl. Even though Uncle RB is awesome about the whole thing, there are townsfolk and classmates who make it their mission to torment Tara and Peyton for being freaks and dykes.
What I liked about the writing style is that this is a story about regular people in a small town and Jennie Wood makes everyday moments into full chapters. It's a way of writing I'm not used to anymore. I think it's because so much of my reading material is unrealistic: funny murder mysteries, gruesome action-packed adventures, or characters with special powers. Sure, you can take super-powered characters and craft a very human story (as is prominently done in things like X-MEN) but it's never one hundred percent relatable. Spider-Man's Peter Parker might be considered one of the most "everyday" characters in comics, yet, he's a science genius in one of the largest cities in America. I can't relate to Peter Parker all that much. A scene of Spider-Man is not going to be like a scene from my life but a scene in A BOY LIKE ME easily can be. We have dive bars where bands play and that's pretty much the only thing to do if you aren't at a high school sports event. I haven't wanted to watch that since I was in the high school marching band so, no thanks, I'll stay home on Friday night. Otherwise, it's boring small town life with a movie theatre several miles away and shopping malls.
If you are willing to take on the emotions, I can't recommend A BOY LIKE ME highly enough. I read it in 2 days. I found myself wanting to finish whatever I was working on so I could get back to it as quickly as possible. Hopefully, anyone who reads my reviews understands that the Young Adult label is not a restriction on who would enjoy the book. It's more like a guide letting you know the main characters are young and that it's likely not appropriate for an 10 year old or younger. You should like what you like and don't let any loud mouth columnists make you feel bad for enjoying a YA book.
If you're interested in the writing process, Jennie has been on my podcast, Vodka O'Clock, to talk about what it was like for her to create the book. We explored as much as possible from the cover design to how delicately she handled the story of a transgendered protagonist when she herself isn't.
A BOY LIKE ME comes in around 300 pages and covers the teen years of Katharine "Peyton" Honeycutt. Throughout most of the novel, Peyton is unaware of his gender identity and struggles every day feeling like there's something wrong with his female body. The book boldly starts off with an 8th grade girl getting her first period at school while wearing a dress and fancy shoes her mother insisted on. She meets a new girl at school, Tara Parks, who convinces her to swap outfits for the day. Tara's body confidence and go-getter personality were as foreign to Katharine as her own female body felt. This is where the young romance story begins. It's Tara who gives Katharine the new name Peyton and I actually don't think there's ever an instance where Tara needs to choose either "he" or "she"; I'm pretty sure I only remember Tara saying "Peyton," "you," "we" or "us."
The reason Peyton's life is relatable as a character even for a reader who is cisgendered, is that so many people of any gender go through times hating their bodies and feeling that deep desire to be someone else. There's a seed in our guts that gets planted somewhere along the way as we grow up that germinates into a hologram making us believe we would only be happy if... if we could have that other person's life. It's not a trans-exclusive struggle but their inability to disguise their misidentified bodies is uniquely theirs and something cis- people should learn about to gain a bit of understanding.
Jennie puts Peyton through a series of obstacles as the character moves through high school. He's athletic but gets placed on the girls' teams. He changes for gym class in a stall instead of the locker area where all the girls are comfortable in front of each other. He moves through this life with a religiously misguided and oppressive mother who lays all excuses for her failures on Peyton's father leaving them. Luckily, readers get the reprieve on their hearts every time Peyton's fantastic Uncle RB is around; he is the best father figure possible and completely supportive without prying about what Peyton is going through. It's sort of a situation where certain people know Peyton is a male identity long before he does. The emotional roller coaster had me crying plenty of times. The love from Uncle RB was one thing but Peyton's relationship with Tara was constantly a battle until Peyton found his real self. The very real misconception many of the characters have towards Peyton is that "she's" a lesbian even though the word makes no sense to him since he feels like a boy in love with a girl. Even though Uncle RB is awesome about the whole thing, there are townsfolk and classmates who make it their mission to torment Tara and Peyton for being freaks and dykes.
What I liked about the writing style is that this is a story about regular people in a small town and Jennie Wood makes everyday moments into full chapters. It's a way of writing I'm not used to anymore. I think it's because so much of my reading material is unrealistic: funny murder mysteries, gruesome action-packed adventures, or characters with special powers. Sure, you can take super-powered characters and craft a very human story (as is prominently done in things like X-MEN) but it's never one hundred percent relatable. Spider-Man's Peter Parker might be considered one of the most "everyday" characters in comics, yet, he's a science genius in one of the largest cities in America. I can't relate to Peter Parker all that much. A scene of Spider-Man is not going to be like a scene from my life but a scene in A BOY LIKE ME easily can be. We have dive bars where bands play and that's pretty much the only thing to do if you aren't at a high school sports event. I haven't wanted to watch that since I was in the high school marching band so, no thanks, I'll stay home on Friday night. Otherwise, it's boring small town life with a movie theatre several miles away and shopping malls.
If you are willing to take on the emotions, I can't recommend A BOY LIKE ME highly enough. I read it in 2 days. I found myself wanting to finish whatever I was working on so I could get back to it as quickly as possible. Hopefully, anyone who reads my reviews understands that the Young Adult label is not a restriction on who would enjoy the book. It's more like a guide letting you know the main characters are young and that it's likely not appropriate for an 10 year old or younger. You should like what you like and don't let any loud mouth columnists make you feel bad for enjoying a YA book.
teagan105's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
this was a quick little read that i enjoyed. i liked how it went through the years and just thought it was cute
smc15's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
prettydemonboy's review against another edition
4.0
I was a little wary starting this book just because the writing seemed a little younger than I usually read, and the pacing was extremely fast. However, by the end I was pleasantly surprised because, well, Peyton ends up in a good place, with the girl he loves. That being said, I think this book could have spent a little more time on the main plot points. It all seems to happen so fast and before I knew it Peyton and Tara went from eighth graders to eighteen year olds, and that's not a small jump. I'm not sure how many other novels Wood has written but it might be that her experience with comics has led to this fast storytelling.
Despite a few minor things like that, I really enjoyed this book and I'm really happy that it exists because it gives other trans guys like me a feeling of hope.
Spoiler
Even through all the self-loathing he experiences, and all the doubts and insecurities that lead to him sabotaging his relationship with Tara, they end up together and that just makes me really happy. Literature, especially young adult literature, needs more narratives about LGBT+ Youth that end happily.Despite a few minor things like that, I really enjoyed this book and I'm really happy that it exists because it gives other trans guys like me a feeling of hope.
foreveryoungadult's review against another edition
Graded By: Brian
Cover Story: Gimme a Head With Hair...
Drinking Buddy: One of the Guys
Testosterone Level: Impotent Rage
Talky Talk: The Ugly Truth
Bonus Factors: Awesome Uncle
Bromance Status: The Bud Who Outgrew Me
Read the full book report here.
Cover Story: Gimme a Head With Hair...
Drinking Buddy: One of the Guys
Testosterone Level: Impotent Rage
Talky Talk: The Ugly Truth
Bonus Factors: Awesome Uncle
Bromance Status: The Bud Who Outgrew Me
Read the full book report here.
leniiiii's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely loved this book. Not many people are able to write a story and explain how it feels to be trans. But Jennie wood could do it in an amazing way. She didn’t only show how it feels to be trans, but also how difficult friendships can be as a teenager and how bad the situation can be for LGBT youth. And still, there is always a Solution and that’s what i liked most about this story.
apandor99's review against another edition
4.0
This was such a great book. It felt like a personal story rather than a textbook about what transgender is. I loved the romance as it has soulmates tropes it’s so nice. And also his friends trying to be educated was so sweet. I also loved how he had a support system and touched on the struggles people who havnt figured out who they are go through. I loved all of it
eslinkard's review
4.0
3.5
I thought the book read as immature at first; I felt like I was reading a book written for middle schoolers. As the pages went on and as we progressed through the protgonists' teen years, the writing became more mature. I'm not sure if this was intentional.
My only big grievance of this book is that it lacked proper research on trans issues. I'm FTM myself and this book promoted one of the most harmful, dangerous ideas to FTM trans people-binding with bandages. NEVER BIND WITH BANDAGES. It can crack ribs and deform your body. The protagonist says he learned how to in an informational FTM book which is not realistic, no trans friendly book would promote it.
Other than that, the book was a pretty average, sweet love story with a somewhat likable protagonist. Easy to read and I'm sure it's deeply interesting to people outside of the LGBT community, but for those of us in it.... it's ok, nothing new or groundbreaking.
I thought the book read as immature at first; I felt like I was reading a book written for middle schoolers. As the pages went on and as we progressed through the protgonists' teen years, the writing became more mature. I'm not sure if this was intentional.
My only big grievance of this book is that it lacked proper research on trans issues. I'm FTM myself and this book promoted one of the most harmful, dangerous ideas to FTM trans people-binding with bandages. NEVER BIND WITH BANDAGES. It can crack ribs and deform your body. The protagonist says he learned how to in an informational FTM book which is not realistic, no trans friendly book would promote it.
Other than that, the book was a pretty average, sweet love story with a somewhat likable protagonist. Easy to read and I'm sure it's deeply interesting to people outside of the LGBT community, but for those of us in it.... it's ok, nothing new or groundbreaking.
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