Questions About My Brother's Name Is Jessica

by John Boyne (Goodreads Author)

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Answered Questions (4)

I'd love to hear thoughts on this book from trans readers! If you're trans, would you let me know what you thought? It's hard to judge a book from cis folks's reviews. (If you already wrote a review and you are trans I apologize, I missed it.)

Ward Maia Hi, I'm a trans and I haven't read this book nor will I be reading it because not only is the title very offensive, but also because someone thought i…moreHi, I'm a trans and I haven't read this book nor will I be reading it because not only is the title very offensive, but also because someone thought it was somehow okay to write this in the blurb:

"Because what do you do when your brother says he's not your brother at all? That he thinks he's actually . . . your sister?"

If she's trans, she's his sister, end of discussion. And I know a lot of people are saying "oh, but it's from the little brother's perspective, you can't expect him to know better." Not only is this offensive, but it's also untrue.

I've lost count of how many times my grown-ass family members have said "you're not a guy, you just think you are" while my 9-year-old nephew completely gets me being trans and calls me uncle. The title of this book and the blurb is just another way to erase trans identities by taking the narrative out of our hands and masquerading it as just a sweet, naive boy trying to come to terms with his sister being trans. (less)

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How do you get trans rep so wrong in the year 2019?

Maxine Webb It's easy for those of us who are trans, or are in LGBT+ bubbles to feel this way. But most people I've personally come out to haven't even met anyone…moreIt's easy for those of us who are trans, or are in LGBT+ bubbles to feel this way. But most people I've personally come out to haven't even met anyone who was openly trans before. Some who had even deadnamed them and disrespected them.

Trans people are not only a super-minority, they are also invisible. It's a lot easier for some of us to go through life not educating those around us in favor of just not disclosing.

Boyne DID talk to some trans people to help him write this book. I don't know what got lost in translation, if the help wasn't enough or if he didn't listen, but at least an attempt was made.

You can see from some cis point of views, that the book was well made. So honestly it's just understanding that the trans viewpoint still has a long way to go to be fully understood by cis people.(less)

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Why do you feel that people on a book review site want to read reviews by people who haven't read the book? It's not fair that people who haven't read this book are giving it 1 star. This is 'goodreads' not 'goodpeople' where you rate the personality of an author. I actually read Orson Scott Card's book before I disagreed with his personal viewpoints not that I'm comparing Boyne to Scott Card's opinions.

rowan isabella I think the main issue people have with this book is the language in the title, synopsis and throughout the entire book for those who have read it. Th…moreI think the main issue people have with this book is the language in the title, synopsis and throughout the entire book for those who have read it. The title is a massive read flag and hints at misgendering throughout the book. Perhaps it would be a good book if it outgrew it's title throughout the book as that would give a reason for the misgendering title. The book has gained notoriety and therefore I think people like to give one star reviews to warn off people who would read a book that just increases stereotypes and would not be ideal for someone new to the topic who may not realise the issues in it. I personally only give one star reviews to books I have read but I think it's fairly safe to say that when people are giving this book one star, they're still rating the book not the author as while most people haven't read it, they have seen quotes, read about plot points and generally know enough to know a book will be harmful(less)

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I haven't read this book, but I've read several 5 star John Boyne books. Regardless of the negative reviews, I will have to read it to see for myself. I am a 72 year old open-minded woman who believes judgment of others is just not our job. A brave thing Mr. Boyne chose to write about?

A I’m not sure if this is actually a question, but let’s go over why judgment of others absolutely is our job in this case.

The blurb for this book is aw…moreI’m not sure if this is actually a question, but let’s go over why judgment of others absolutely is our job in this case.

The blurb for this book is awful. It misgenders its trans character and describes a plot whose main arc is transphobic (cis characters cannot understand their trans loved one, they struggle to accept her, they finally succeed, her perspective is not centered). This isn’t a case of hearsay or not knocking something if you haven’t tried it — there is simply no way that a book like this could be good.

You say you’ve read several other Boyne books. I wonder if you’ve read Boy in the Striped Pajamas, because if you have, that should give you even more cause for alarm: it’s a tearjerker he wrote for children about the Holocaust several years ago with little to no research. If he is willing to write a book full of factual inaccuracies that exploits the trauma of my people for cheap emotional manipulation and blithely sell it to children, who, as Madeleine L’Engle famously said, will accept things far more easily than adults, there is absolutely no reason to think that this book is anything other than another callous and offensive cash grab.

Finally, this book is supposed to be for children and teens. While it will be adults who will give Boyne the money and accolades he clearly wants this book to get, it is a YA book and thus targeted at teens. Cisgender adults who are still this early in the learning process about trans people should seek out books about trans people written for grown-ups — trans identity is not actually as hard and confusing as many cis people make it out to be (or, rather, it is exactly as confusing as cis gender identity, which most cis people think is much *easier* to understand than it actually is), and adults are perfectly capable of reading adult literature! They should certainly not be exploring their hang-ups around trans people by writing books about it. YA and MG lit is not an arena for adults to learn, be titillated, or indulge their insecurities about LGBT youth. Rather, it is meant to provide a reference/identification point for young people in the transitional (haha) stage between childhood and adulthood. This book will not do that for trans teens like the one it is about. It is an exercise in solipsism. Even if it was meant to shut out trans teens but teach cis teens ‘tolerance’, that would still be an asinine goal because tolerance without understanding or solidarity is not much of an improvement on outright hatred. Many of the teachers who misgender my trans friends at school would probably consider themselves very tolerant — they just don’t think about it, which is the issue.

Hope this helps to explain why people are angry. I would strongly advise against reading it “to see for yourself”. This isn’t censure, just acknowledgment that you will probably read it and not see anything wrong with it because the things that are bad about it are not apparent to people who know very little about trans issues. That is what criticism is for — to expand the conversation on a text and explain that it doesn’t exist in a vacuum.(less)

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