Book-review post!
And some more YA…
Sarah Dessen – Saint Anything
Dessen’s twelfth book has been pitched as darker than her others, but for me Dreamland will always be that book. In this latest, Sydney deals with being an invisible girl – the one in the shadows in her family, as attention is paid to her charismatic and troubled older brother Peyton. The novel begins with Peyton sentenced to jail time after a car accident that left a kid paralysed; Sydney’s haunted by the thought of this kid, while her parents are more concerned with how Peyton’s getting on. When she makes friends with a family that includes a supportive new friend, Layla, and potential love interest, Mac, she sees their problems too – an ill mother and a recovering addict sister – and starts to process what’s going on in her own life. There’s also a really intriguing subplot about a creepy guy, a friend of Peyton’s, who’s hanging around and not doing anything that pushes the boundaries just yet – but who Sydney finds unsettling. A great read for Dessen fans – I’m not sure it’s her Best Ever but it’s damn good.
Alyssa Brugman – Alex As Well
This book broke my heart. I liked it, but found it horrifying. The central narrator is fifteen-year-old Alex, who’s been raised as a boy but now identifies as female – and what she has never been told is that she was born intersex and the meds she takes are hormones to make her more ‘male’. The mother, in particular, is an utterly awful parent; we see her yammering in parenting forums and people basically supporting her total lack of supporting her kid, and it’s all just a little unsettling. It’s an interesting but not especially in-depth look at gender issues and terrible parenting.
Liz Kessler – Read Me Like A Book
Ashley’s never particularly liked school, but when her new English teacher, Miss Murray, comes along and encourages her talent for debating, it opens a number of doors for Ash – including her interest in women. This coming-out story was fifteen years in the making and is a great addition to the UK queer YA canon. (Interview with the lovely Liz forthcoming in Inis magazine later this year.)
Lisa Williamson – The Art of Being Normal
I adored this. Everyone presumes David’s gay – only his two best friends know the truth. David identifies as female, but has never openly dressed as such or used his female name of choice. New kid Leo just wants to stay out of trouble, but ends up sticking up for David after an incident involving David’s secret notebook – and an unlikely friendship forms. The narration splits between the two characters and explores gender identity alongside bullying, friendship, family and being yourself. This is… I think perhaps the best way to explain what it is for trans YA reads is that it’s its Boy Meets Boy – an important, optimistic read that goes beyond coming to terms with your own identity and instead focuses on what next, and what other things are going on in people’s lives. Highly, highly recommended.
