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Apr 11, 2011

Vone rated it:

Identity is a daunting and controversial issue. For me, the dichotomous nature of identity became very prominent and tangible during my teenage years. As a teenager, I thought I knew so much about life, but at the same time, I felt so lost and confused. I was trying to find an identity, a purpose – any purpose – but not knowing exactly where to look. And in all honesty, I don’t think this feeling of searching for a purpose truly ever leaves us. I know I still feel it, even as an “adult.” For all More...

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Jan 29, 2012

Mark rated it:

"Carolina paused. 'But you're still a kid, J. You don't know what you are yet. One day you want to be a veterinarian; the next, a photographer. How can you say you want to be a - a boy?'

'Mami -' How could he explain? It was like explaining the blood moving through his veins. It was constant, definite, nothing he controlled or chose. You could put all kinds of muscle and skin on top, and then add clothes and tattoos and makeup and hats, but nothing would change that blood."
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Oct 31, 2011

Brooke rated it:

I Am J is the story of J (born Jennifer) as he struggles against the social definition of gender. When I first heard of this novel, I was immediately interested: a struggle between one’s true identity and the identity given at birth. I thought it would be a fascinating read. It was. The story was interesting and the writing was well done.

But I didn’t connect to the characters. I couldn’t empathize with J, and I don’t think that it’s because I’m not transgendered (I have read several bo More...

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Aug 09, 2011

Love YA Lit rated it:

Nora's Review: J is half-Jewish, half-Puerto Rican, and he was born a girl. Growing up in New York City in a small apartment, J’s parents always encouraged him to do well in school, and they don’t really mind that he is a lesbian. However, J is not a lesbian – he is a boy, and he knows his parents are not going to be happy when they find out.

J decides the cure to all his problems will be testosterone shots, but he doesn’t understand why he has to legally go to a therapist to get perm More...

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May 05, 2011

Barbara rated it:

I went to this book at the recommendation of a friend. The beginning was slow, without that recommendation I would have put this aside. I'm glad I didn't. I am J deals with a boy born into a girl's body by mistake. He has no doubt what he is and bristles at being called a lesbian. That may be the one big fault I found, his homophobia which he does overcome after spending time with other GLBTQ people. J is clear that he is a boy, and has realized this since he was two or three. It's his body that More...

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Apr 06, 2011

Doret rated it:

Jeni was assigned the wrong gender at birth. In the sixth grade, Jeni starts going by J . Now a senior in high school, J knows he's transgender and wants to begin the transition to his rightful gender. We first meet J going to a party so his best friend Melissa wouldn't have to go alone. Since the party wasn't J's scene, it's not a great place to meet him. I felt the author through J tried to squeeze in as many facts about J and Melissa's family and friendship as possible. It felt forced and unn More...

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Mar 28, 2011

CD rated it:

This is the first book I have read Other than Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil that had a transgender character. J is the main character and is a transmale, although physically female. I found this book to be compelling and real. The struggle that J goes through, but his internal conflict, the familial conflict and the problems that arise with J's relationships with peers are told in such an unflinching and forthright manner that they seem honest, real and natural. I did not get that ai More...

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Mar 02, 2011

Lawral rated it:

I was a little scared of this book. I knew that Beam had it in her to realistically portray the transgender experience, so my expectations were super high. I also knew that a book like this has the potential to be filled with well-meaning stereotypes in order to present the most inclusive picture: of trans folk, of Puerto Rican New Yorkers, of the dream of being a "real boy," and more. But my fears were unfounded; I loved this book. J really rang true to me as a character and as a tran More...

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Feb 27, 2011

Angela rated it:

An intense and necessary novel. While I am cisgendered, this certainly feels like an authentic story of one transgender teenager, and Beam is careful to point out in an author's note that this is a fictional story written by a cisgender author, albeit one based on extensive personal research.

I loved that, unlike many other LGBT novels, the angst and main conflict in this doesn't stem from J questioning his identity and freaking out over it - from page one J knows that he should have More...

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Feb 20, 2011

Minli rated it:

Issue novel, though not said to detract from its value. J was born female, but in his mind he has always been a boy. Not only is it about a transgender teen, J is also biracial. I am really happy to see this book in publication, because for the people who need it, it has the potential to change lives.

However, in terms of structure, it's written almost like narrative non-fiction... a factual account of the struggle/process, even interspersed with resources available to questioning teens More...

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Jan 23, 2011

Jaclyn rated it:

I enjoyed Cris Beam's non-fiction book "Transparent" about transgender teens, and I enjoyed this book too, and it certainly isn't a commonly covered topic. J was born a girl but has always felt like a boy, and this book covers the resulting struggles, the changing relationships with friends, family and the outside world, attempts to get testosterone, meeting other transgender teens, etc. I cared about J and the characters rang true to life-Beam's personal experience with transgender te More...

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Oct 26, 2010

Shawnta rated it:

There are not many novels that are written for the NYC teens of color about issues of gender. Beam offers us a chance to introduce to teens the complexities of indentity, the ramifications of lying, and the integrity that is built when one is true to oneself.

This is a great read for the student with the hoodie on who sits in the back corner of the library, talking to no one, but always peering with one eye out towards the world, watching, wondering if anyone notices his/her stare. More...

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Feb 20, 2011

Kelly rated it:

J was born female but has known his entire life that he's really a guy. Now that he's almost 18, he's starting to really understand this part of himself and wants to learn about how to make the transition to actually living like a man. (Step one: Testosterone.)

I struggled with this book early on. I feel awful for J but at the same time, it's SO hard to like him because he's such a complete jerk for most of the book. He's bitter because people think he's a lesbian (since he dresse More...

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Nov 06, 2010

Maggie rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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Feb 03, 2011

Laura rated it:

Some mixed feelings on this one, but in the wash it comes out positive. J was an awesome, well-realized character, which is great even on it's own - and he's also a biracial transgender teen. Talk about characters we don't see in YA lit. Many of the other characters didn't ring as true - J's best friend Melissa in particular felt a little bit caricatured to me. Their actions moved J's story along, but they didn't always feel natural.

This also veers into mildly didactic territory som More...

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Aug 23, 2011

Daniela rated it:

Summary:
J’s not your average 17-year-old. He’s always felt like he didn’t quite fit in. Born female, but indisputably a male at heart, J struggles to embrace his true identity in this coming-of-age novel by author Cris Beam.

I am J is one of the few novels that takes on the challenges of being a transgendered youth. We see J come to terms with himself as he struggles to maintain relationships with both his parents and his best friend Melissa. J’s friends and family are at once More...

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Feb 09, 2012

Christina rated it:

I've generally avoided any YA fiction with trans characters, because I'd heard pretty negative things about the 5 or 6 available titles. But then a few thoughtful people on the internet wrote reviews saying that I Am J was different, and that it actually felt realistic, complex, and sensitive.

I still had my reservations going into this book, knowing that it was a white(?) cisgender woman writing about a biracial trans teen guy. But I ended up feeling pretty good about it by the end More...

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Oct 28, 2011

CiderandRedRot rated it:

After a somewhat slow start, this book comes into it's own as a story about identity, gender, ethnicity, family, and - well - how truly messy being a teenager really is. Whilst I always felt for J and his predicament, it was refreshing that at times he, and the characters around him, weren't always especially likable. The supporting cast were well drawn and, for the most part, they loved J wholeheartedly and wanted to support him in his goal to transition, to feel comfortable (finally) in his ow More...

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Mar 01, 2011

Adriana rated it:

This book really, really made me think. J (born as Jenifer Silver) considers himself a boy trapped in a girl's body. Throughout the book J is referred to as a he. When anyone (including his parents) refer to him as a girl, J feels like they are blind to what he already knows about himself. J has grown up being taunted for his appearance and for his personality as well. From a very young age he has always felt like a boy. He hates looking at his body and feels as though nature betrayed him. More...

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Jan 29, 2011

Hderaps rated it:

Ever since I was little, I have always known that I was a girl. I am definitely not a "high maintenance" type of woman, but I have an inner girly-girl that will not quit. I cannot imagine what my life would have been like had I been born in a body that did not match the gender that I felt myself to be. I think it would be devastating.

Yet, this happens to people all of the time. They grow up feeling like their insides do not match their outsides. And, in our current society, t More...

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Mar 24, 2011

Beverly rated it:

I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of I Am J by Cris Beam. I did not receive any compensation for my review.

This is a very intense and engaging read about a bi-racial teen's gender transition. Beam's story provides great insight to life a transgender teen. This is an issue that prior to reading this book I did not know much about. Fortunately, as well as writing an engaging story, Beam also takes the time to explain the issues.

However, I was puzzled about why J, who has More...

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Jan 07, 2012

Melanie rated it:

This was an engaging read about a transgender youth. The struggles he endures are similar to many teenagers - finding yourself, balancing what you want with what your parents want, uncertainty about the future, relationships with parents, friends, opposite sex. For J he has the additional struggle of coming to terms with the fact that he was born female, but has always felt he was male. This was a challenge for him and his parents which is to be expected. The novel is well written and although i More...

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Mar 21, 2011

Ms.P rated it:

I really enjoyed this book. It is the story of J, a transgender teen who is trying to figure out how to become the person he knows he is inside. J was born a biological female, but ever since he can remember, he has known that he is really a male.

The book is an exploration of the issues that transgendered teens face, from being harassed by others to dealing with family acceptance to figuring out how to tell friends to dealing with romantic relationships.

The story does spend More...

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Sep 01, 2011

Cole rated it:

Identity is a challenging thing to understand and come to terms with, especially during high school and middle school. J is a Puerto Rican-Jewish high school senior struggling to discover his identity, as many people before have struggled. We are introduced to J on his way to a party with his best friend. From the beginning, J’s discomfort with people perceiving him as female is obvious, but this discomfort is only just beginning. J soon has to deal not only with his normal teen angst, but with More...

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Oct 31, 2011

Evanston Public added it

J, born Jennifer, has known for a long time that he was born in the wrong gender. After years of hiding his secret from his parents and classmates and hiding his changing body under a chest binder and big clothes, J finally decides to run away from home and live as the male he has always longed to be. Although the main plot line deals with J's life as a transgender teen, the book also covers universal challenges of just being a teenager. Beam, also the author of Transparent: Love, Family, and Li More...

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Apr 10, 2011

Geebowie rated it:

This is only the second book that I know of that contains a FTM character as the protagonist. Not being on my self I cannot comment on how accurate the author got it. however based on autobiographies of trans men I have read it seems pretty good. The Story concern J a 17 year trans man. He has just recently found out about testosterone shots. He wants to get them. However he has alot of bad stuff to deal with his mother has as kick him out of the house. due to the fact that his dad will not More...

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Jan 22, 2012

Lanora rated it:

Reading I Am J brought me back to my college days when individuals are allowed to really hone in on who they are. I found myself able to cry with J and feel his anger. Beam's book touches on a very sensitive topics and I feel it is important for not only teens to read I Am J, but for parents and teachers to read it.[return][return]What I liked most about I Am J is that throughout J's struggles, he still knew he was transgendered. I applaud the character on that level. So many children and ad More...

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Jun 04, 2011

Cathy rated it:

J, born Jeni, has always been a guy, always identified with his dad, but as he hit middle school, his body started to deceive him and he started to wear really baggy clothes to cover it up. He never touches himself, wears really short hair and a cap pulled down. He started smoking because that was a guy thing he could do just right. After a fight with his friend Melissa, he starts missing school and researching what it means to be a boy trapped into a girl's body. He learns about binding his More...

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Feb 06, 2012

Cheryl rated it:

J is a seventeen year old guy. He has a crush on his best friend Melissa. But he has a problem, he was born a female. His mom thinks he's a lesbian. He hates school because he is teased and tormented. Growing up he prayed to be a boy.
J decides to run away. He ends up at a cheap motel. He meets Marcia there. She tells him to go to the shelter for GLBTQ youth. The shelter told him he had to attend school to stay. If he didn't want to go back to his old school, he could attend the special sc More...

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Feb 17, 2012

Jenni rated it:

J is a boy trapped in a girl's body. His family thinks he is just going through a phase or has an interesting personality, but they do not understand how he could possibly be a boy when he was clearly born a girl. J does as much as he can to make himself look like a boy and even goes to therapy in hopes of being able to get hormones to begin his transition. Meanwhile, he is forced to move out of his house while his mother and his father come to terms with his transgenderism.

I enjoyed More...

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