Some Assembly Required: The Not-So-Secret Life of a Transgender Teen

by Arin Andrews, Joshua Lyon

Seventeen-year-old Arin Andrews shares all the hilarious, painful, and poignant details of undergoing gender reassignment as a high school student in this winning memoir. We've all felt uncomfortable in our own skin at some point, and we've all been told that it's just a part of growing up. But for Arin Andrews, it wasn't a phase that would pass. He had been born in the body of a girl and there seemed to be no relief in sight. In this revolutionary memoir, Arin details the journey that led him to make the life-transforming decision to undergo gender reassignment as a high school junior. In his captivatingly witty, honest voice, Arin reveals the challenges he faced as a girl, the humiliation and anger he felt after getting kicked out of his private school, and all the changes, both mental and physical, he experienced once his transition began. Arin also writes about the thrill of meeting and dating a young transgender woman named Katie Hill and the heartache that followed after they broke up. Some Assembly Required is a true coming-of-age story about knocking down obstacles and embracing family, friendship, and first love. But more than that, it is a reminder that self-acceptance does not come ready-made with a manual and spare parts. Rather, some assembly is always required.

Genres: LGBT, Nonfiction, Memoir, Transgender, Queer, Biography, Biography Memoir

256 pages, Hardcover

First published September 30, 2014

Reviews

[Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This memoir has all the makings of the classic (and cliché) trans narrative. Arin was trapped; Arin always knew; Arin had no doubts at all; Arin despised anything feminine (because femininity is weak and lesser!) even at a young age. Arin also says people tried to push him in to gender norms and he resisted (even though he is clearly binary and therefore conforms to the other side of said norms without questioning them at all but whatever). In short, Arin makes me want to slap him upside the head.

This book has no emotion in it, no depth. It's just "this happened, then this, then that." It's like the most boring documentary where the narrator is monotone and unenthusiastic in print. Plus, this dude says some really insensitive things. He also does crappy things but insists he's grown up and over them (all in, what? Two years? Sit down, man, you are literally still a teenager.) Not to mention all of the ridiculous claims he makes about how quickly T worked for him. Sorry, did you just say your voice changed the day after your first injection? Head, meet desk. My forehead could use an ice pack now.

This started out fine and then shot down hill fast. What made this kid's story so unique that he got a book deal? Oh wait, all that "first trans teen romance" crap. He redeemed himself slightly though when he admits being white, attractive, and heterosexual made people care about his story. I mean, who wants to read a memoir about a trans WoC, right?

Done.

[teddy bear · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot and I like Arin a lot. This book was straight forward and I love that he held no details back. If he did I don't believe I would have liked this book as much.
But honestly my favorite thing about this entire book was the cover. I know people say not to judge a book by it's cover, but this was perfect. It was so extremely well planned out and every time I had the chance I would study it and almost always find something new. It really relates to the story and it takes the reader through Arin's transition. It made me very happy to look at it and think, "This is here because of what happened at this part of Arin's life!" I found it exciting.

[Jayde Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

On July 9, 1995, what I thought was my older sister was born. I followed her on November 17, 1999. We never got along too well, but that's not what mattered.

When she came out as transgender, our family immediately started calling her male pronouns; we even called her Jordan, her "male" name.

I found out about this amazing book in a time when I was looking for answers. After reading it, I understood him better. I know what he talks about and how to respond to it.

Arin helped me understand something I never thought I would, and I thank him greatly for that.

Too all of the people out there searching for their "true selves," being the person you are now is perfectly okay, and I will NEVER judge you for it. Judging my brother for it was a bad idea, and I never should have done that.

Thanks for reading this shitty review!

~ Jayde Carter

[Práxedes Rivera · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very honest and endearing memoir of a transboy undergoing the transition from a female to male body. I know: it sounds strange to have a memoir at nineteen years of age! However, Andrews manages to make his plight accessible to anyone who has felt shunned for not fitting into a traditional lifestyle, be it as a geek, a nerd, a weakling, or a teenager with an alternative view of life.

Highly informative --and at times humorous-- about the physical and emotional challenges faced by transgenders today, this book explores the multiple layers of a highly complex subject. Acceptance by family, friends, society, church, loved ones; all of them are touched upon in this book.

Andrews is very explicit about operations, sexuality, and fear, making this title reach even the least empathic of us. My sister gave me this book and I will now incorporate it into my Library's permanent collection as a resource for any member of our community who may be undergoing a similar plight.

[Brandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Arin was always pleased to be called a tomboy as a child, because it had the word "boy" in it. He always felt like a boy, in spite of his body. His mother's insistence on dresses and pageants was torturous. His first girlfriend--a lesbian--was enlightening for Arin, but his mom saw her as a terrible influence and forbid them from seeing each other. Arin struggled with depression and suicidal thoughts: who was he? Why did he feel so out of place with everyone, with himself? It was a YouTube video that clarified things for him, introducing him to the idea of transgender. With the help of a family therapist specializing in gender dysphoria and a teen LGBT support group, Arin begins the journey toward transition to the self he knows he is.

I admire Arin's bravery in writing about his journey from female to male, and writing frankly about his romantic relationships. But the whole book has a dry, journalistic tone: there's something about it holding the reader at arm's length. There's a lot of discussion of the personal journey, but lacks the heart, the emotional connection. He tells us his thoughts and feelings, but the showing part doesn't really happen--he tells us what's in his head but we never really get inside it ourselves.

I still think this is a great book to have in library collections--a memoir from someone who has, in fact, been through it, not a fictional account. (Thinking here of Cris Beam's I Am J, which really got inside the teen's head, with family issues and body issues and everything.) Arin provides many resources at the end--organizations, websites, YouTube channels--to help teens and their parents understand being transgender.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really, really wanted to like this. It's an important, underrepresented topic and I was looking forward to a nonfiction account of being transgender.

When I realized I wasn't going to like it, I decided I just needed to finish it. Whether it was compelling or not, the topic was still important and there's not a ton published on it at this point. It was still worth reading.

Then I began coaxing myself to read just a chapter at a time, and I knew it was time to finally throw in the towel.

This book just has no soul! Arin's personal journey is laid out very methodically and factually, like someone gathering information to later turn into a book, but that second part never happened. This was published the same year Arin graduated from high school so I was prepared to chock it up to his youth, but it's ghostwritten. I don't know what happened, but even with the benefit of a ghostwriter this book read like a longer version of the "what I did over the summer" essay. This is a pretty typical paragraph:

Mom ended up becoming good friends with Andi's mother, Kelli. Our families would caravan on trips, like to the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas, where our pretend adventures could actually come true because we'd get to go for digs on actual gems. We never found any, but that wasn't the point. The fact that our mothers indulged and encouraged these fantasies was its own sort of treasure.

The next paragraph told about a makeshift boat made with Andi, and the next paragraph was about the basketball team, followed by a paragraph about a girl named Heather who was not on the basketball team, followed by a paragraph about Heather's friend Jillian who was on the basketball team. And on and on.

I'm rating it higher than this review suggests because I still think it's an important topic, and for someone beginning to explore their own gender, this could be a book to devour. Finding yourself represented in narrative, especially when you are part of a marginalized population, is priceless. I also appreciated the inclusion at the end of additional resources and a guide for talking with your new transgender friend.

[Ashleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read as digital ARC.

My rule of thumb for rating memoirs is that as long as it is your life, interesting and reasonably well-organized, then it should be 5 stars. As I found myself up till nearly three in the morning, unable to stop reading, I believe Some Assembly Required qualifies.

I picked this book up because I saw the TV special when it first aired and thought Arin and Katie were the cutest couple ever. I thought Some Assembly Required was an amazing read and can help readers gain understanding. I mean, reading this book and walking in Arin's shoes reminded me that people are just people. They rely on the Internet to figure their shit out, they like certain things and dislike others and sometimes they treat each other like crap. No big deal, nothing to see here. I applaud Arin for being so open and honest as he discusses a lot of private and personal topics, and when it's really none of our business. Our world is neither black and white, nor is it pink and blue. It takes some time for society to redefine "normal," but this book is both a small step and a giant leap. The craziest thing is that Arin's story is far from complete; Arin is part of a life in progress, and it can be hard to step aside, evaluate and draw meaning from your experiences thus far. I thought he wrote a kickass book.

[Zee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I was expecting this to be a memoir along the lines of Warriors Don’t Cry by Melba Pattillo Beals (awesome novel, check it out), but this wasn’t quite as narrative, though some parts were, and more like Talking as Fast as I Can by Lauren Gram. I was surprised at how in-depth this was. I was not expecting Andrews to reveal his dead name. But it lacked that little something to make it five stars.

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably more of a 3.5. At the beginning there was some very negative views about girls expressed (eg. pink = weakness and fragility), which really irritated me. I really hope it was the author trying to express how he felt at the time (as a little kid), but the writing didn't make that clear. Apart from that it was a pretty good book.

[Keegan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is insightful, very honest, and intimate - sometimes pushing into the uncomfortably real. That’s a good thing, as many of the experiences Andrews shares were uncomfortable as well, and the author’s writing is immediate and emotive in its narrative approach.

From 2014, I think this is a valuable book for those looking to better understand the trans experience, with the knowledge that it comes from a specific and young voice and that it can’t stand as your only resource. I’d be curious to see, if Andrews continued writing, how strong a voice he would develop.

[Emily Mead · Rating 4 out of 5]

*THIS IS A COMBINED REVIEW OF RETHINKING NORMAL AND SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED*

The reason these books made me angry is because we are still SO far from reaching acceptance and equality.

Memoirs affect me in ways that fiction books don’t, because they are obviously very DIFFERENT ways of conveying ideas – they’re true, at least in the sense that they’re true to the writer.

Both memoirs are from transgender teens.

Arin is a trans boy and Katie is a trans girl.

That’s not the only reason I’m reviewing them together, though – it’s also because they’re both memoirs, and because the writers actually KNEW each other and dated. Their stories are as intertwined as it’s possible to be.

Let’s get back to why they made me angry.

Both Arin and Katie come up against some pretty awful bullying and mental health issues and really, really difficult times. I guess because being trans often affects who you are on the outside (not necessarily, but often), it’s a lot harder to escape notice from the people around you.

And the parents…oh my goodness. I just wanted to shake them and say oh my goodness, this is your CHILD. What are you DOING???? If I ever have a kid, they can be whoever they want. But not accepting something they are seriously trying to tell you, or limiting who they can be around? Some of the things Arin and Katie went through…well, let’s just say I don’t know how they did it.

As you might guess, religion comes into it.

Okay, okay, work with me, I’m trying not to be cynical. I know that there are many, many, many loving Christians in the world. I know that. I am friends with lovely Christians. So it really bums me out when people use their religion as an excuse for not accepting someone’s identity. I’m not going to talk too much about it, because I’ll turn into a giant squid of anger, but…yeah, I was not impressed.

In the end, I liked Some Assembly Required more than Rethinking Normal.

It’s hard to say things like that when they’re memoirs, but ultimately I liked Arin’s writing style better than Katie’s, and his story seemed to flow better. It was interesting reading parts of their stories that overlapped, though…and how each of the pair had misunderstood or taken things the wrong way.

I’m really glad these two books have been published.

I’m always going on about diversity in YA, and trans characters hardly EVER appear. Non-fiction is one step – I’d love to see more in fiction as well, because the only fiction book I’ve ever read with a trans character is I am J by Chris Beam.

Some Assembly Required and Rethinking Normal are both intensely powerful stories that will make you cry…but they also give hope that future generations will be kinder, more accepting people.

[Vibha Ramesh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learning to Find the Light

Isolated. Desolate. Lonely.

All synonyms for a word that we know so well.

Alone.

I’ve definitely experienced this feeling. It’s a darkness that washes over you, abducting all hope and happiness from your life. Sometimes it can take away your most joyful memories. It may even be the cause of losing friends, support systems, and family.

As a growing teenager, I have lost and gained many friends and supporters even during the short period of time that I’ve been on this earth. There have been times when I have felt like nobody else can relate to me, or that nobody else cares about what I’m doing. This has severely demolished my self-esteem, taking me down several notches. It has caused me to not believe in myself and somehow arrive at the delusion that I can’t live without the validation of others. I used to strive to somehow “perfect” myself so that many people would want to befriend me, but now I know that I don’t have to do that.

Recently, I have come to the epiphany that the only opinion that matters is yours. If you don’t like yourself, that’s what you need to work on, not what others don’t like about you. Everybody has their own opinion, and if you get hung up on them, they will drown you. They will suffocate you and consume all of the hopes and dreams that you ever aspired to have. Moving past these is difficult, understandably. How do you suddenly accept who you are when all you’ve been doing is tearing yourself down? You can’t. It takes work. Hard work. Although it doesn’t happen overnight, it is still possible to turn your future around and secure it.

Most of us can say that we have felt alone, at one time or another, but not many have been tormented by these feelings as much as Arin Andrews in his memoir Some Assembly Required.

Arin Andrews grew up as Emerald, a young girl with a zest for life. She had always felt different, not the same as the other girls around her, and later on, in her teenage years, she went through several changes both mentally and physically that helped her discover who she really was. She lost friends, family, and her entire school pitted against her when she tried to figure out her identity. She went through many difficult times, and as a result, became depressed. With the help of many specialists, she was rerouted and saved. She was saved from her own self. She discovered that she was a transgender, and became Arin, a teenage boy who devoted his life to spreading the word about those who feel out of place and need support and guidance to continue on their journey.

Take a minute and think about this: How would you feel if you were suddenly found yourself all alone in a split second?

“‘I don’t have a place here anymore,’ I said slowly. ‘I don’t see the point.’” (Andrews 106)

Arin had just broken the news to his mother: He was transgender. He was heartbroken knowing that his mother didn’t want to talk about it, didn’t try to understand it, and didn’t mention the fact at all. With each day that passed, Arin grew more and more depressed. This was the darkness, the darkness that had swallowed him whole, the darkness that had consumed his mind, the darkness that had been his worst nightmare. Although some can relate to his exact scenario, many can relate to the darkness in relation to loneliness. Even then, I can’t relate to the magnitude of how many people start to remove themselves from his life. Arin is in a bad place at this point in the book, and for a while, it may only get worse.

“I could live with that. Because I finally felt as though I were going to be able to start living.” (Andrews 120)

Throughout the book, Arin battles mental health issues and building himself up. However, this is one of the only times that we see Arin with a lot of hope. He can finally start to be himself, even if others don’t appreciate his change. It’s a turning point in the memoir. In this passage, Arin is able to obtain a physical change in himself that will allow him to be closer to his true identity. In the midst of the dark times that he’s going through, there’s a glimmer of hope for him. A bright light, at the end of a dark tunnel. Arin can see where his life is going, and he’s hopeful for it. He’s working hard, bringing his situation to others attention, and prioritizing himself first.


“I’ve been blessed with a crazy amount of love in my life, and I’ve got so, so much to give back in return. (Andrews 236)

As one of the last sentences in the book, you can truly see how far Arin has come. He started this novel, unsure of who he was, drowning all alone, nobody lending him any support. He has overcome his depression and mental health issues, made new connections, found a new support system, and overall, he has become a better version of himself. In this particular moment of the book, Andrews is giving a speech to raise awareness of the transgender population. The bright lights shining down, creating that almost-orange tint on your eyelids as you close your eyes, the massive stage with the regal-looking podium, the crowd cheering, screaming and yelling at the top of their lungs. He had really made it far. He started shrouded in darkness, alone, with nobody to help him, and here he stood with the past winners of the Youth Leadership Award, like a phoenix rising from the ashes.

People come and go. Sometimes you feel like you’re running and running in circles and chasing after those who have left you. We need to learn to survive without the validation and support of others. There are always going to be people who don’t appreciate you for who you are, and those who don’t agree with your opinions. When you let it control you, the darkness starts to creep in. Obscuring your worldview, exhausting you beyond compare. But then, when you’ve hit rock bottom, a glimmering light can be seen from afar. As you progress forward, the shining orb-like sight is coming nearer and nearer. The light increases in magnitude until all you can see is this magnificent, luminous power. This is when you know you’ve succeeded. Our lives are in front of us, ready to play out. We know what true happiness feels like, and we know what we want. This is that final moment of realization. This is our moment, the moment where we’re in the spotlight, ready to start to exist again.

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5
This is an incredibly valuable perspective, that goes without saying.

It was also very candid. It conveyed a small taste of real life as both a trans teen and a trans man in the middle of transition and I appreciated the bravery it takes to open up that kind of intimate window. I've heard some comments complaining that the tone was too bland or too "just the facts," but I actually appreciated the simple, straight forward honesty of it.

I suspect it packs the most punch with teens. It comes across as a teenager writing a book for other teenagers and it has a casual, conversational style. Teen romance also plays a critical part in the book, and it's an important thing to see Arin as any other teen as he goes through high school relationship dramas.

There were points in the beginning where the author seemed to talk down towards "girly" behaviour in other kids. I can only assume that's due to his frustrations as a child and that the purpose was to express his feelings through those events, not to be disparaging.

All in all, I didn't enjoy it quite as much as an adult reading the book, but I certainly see the value in getting this story out there.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very readable memoir about the trials and tribulations of discovering who you are, and fighting to make the people in your life accept you. I really liked the first 3/4's of the book, but the last quarter started to read a little too "he said/she said" relationship drama. I recognize the urgency of telling a story like this, to advocate for trans issues in teenagers, from an author who is still a teenager himself, but I feel like some of this story will definitely be more interesting in several years, when experience and time to reflect has added another layer to these experiences. I'm excited to read Katie Hill's (Arin's transgender girlfriend) memoir and see what her take on the experience is.

[Danni Sterman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arin Andrews describes his early life when it was care free before he hit puberty. Andrews explains his life from living as female to transitioning to male. He goes through his love life with a transgender girl named Katie Hill.
This book is one of my favorite books that I've ever read. Andrews included dialogue that captured his thoughts at the moment, such as the following, "'I hate it,' I whispered. 'I hate myself. Being alive isn't worth this.'" (Andrews 106)
When Arin gets his first binder I wished he went over the safety rules of wearing one. That is something someone with a binder should know.
His book gave me hope for the future that I could transition like he did.

[Lea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific. Definitely must-read for teachers, librarians, and teens.

[Gail Griffith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honest and real account of a transgender child/teen. Good for kids and anyone looking for understanding of what it is like to be born with the wrong body.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book until close to the end.

Arin grew up in Oklahoma in a Christian family. The Christian school he went to was into creation, not evolution, and regarded everything not heteronormative as a sin for which the offender would go to hell. He was always a tomboy, which was okay (though his mother kept getting him very feminine outfits, which he would ignore in favor of his regular grubby male-style clothes).

But when, as a young teen "girl," he started being interested in girls, that was totally unacceptable. His mother allowed him no contact with his girlfriend, his best friend dumped him, and he was kicked out of the Christian school. Around then, he found out on the internet that there was such a thing as transgender men, and immediately know he was one.

When he came out to his mother, still a younger teen, it took her a while to understand and accept Arin as a boy. Actually not all that long a time, to his mother's credit, but everything seems like an eternity at that age and especially in that situation.

Amazingly, the administration of his two public high schools were both very accepting, and the kids there had never known him before he started living as a boy. Oklahoma, I'm impressed. Even though he had to use the school nurse's bathroom. (He had no desire to use the boys' room.)

Arin's memoir is written and organized well, shows his identity and feelings very clearly, and is charitable to people who were less than supportive. Where it lost me, and not too badly, was his public appearances, alone but mostly with his (trans) girlfriend, where they got to know how to look and act most appealing and cute-trans-couple for the cameras. They kept this up even while they were breaking up and essentially broken up. I guess each well-known person has a public persona, but it seems...I don't know, too much artifice for someone that young? But I guess he was already a performer as a child, with dance and beauty pageants, and that's how it works.

Anyway, it's a book that doesn't dodge the hard issues but is overall very positive and easy to read

[Noah Gregory · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.
I was gifted this book by my lovely mom right when I came out senior year of high school. I didn't read it for the next 8 years because it felt too "close to home" and I reasoned that there was no point in reading about what I'm living through.
The fact that Arin is still a teenager at the time the book was published makes the content and style of the book make more sense. I can't say I'm entirely sure who this book is "for".
The book mentions sex a little bit too much to be an optimal choice for young kids who are questioning their gender or adults who are undecided on how they feel about transgender issues due to conservatism. On the other hand, the book is too cookie-cutter for a lot of the people who are already supportive or have already transitioned.
Stylistically, the book uses foreshadowing too heavily but moves at a fast enough clip to be an enjoyable read. As at least one other person said, the description of going on testosterone was not realistic. The process takes months and months to have any noticeable effects, especially to other people.
The book is a good read if you have it but if you are only going to read one trans memoir, I would have to recommend looking for another. I finished it in two sittings, so it isn't a huge commitment time-wise.

[Bryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometime last year I had read Rethinking Normal: A Memoir in Transition by Katie Rain Hill. Well, Arin plays quite a role in that memoir so I was delighted to find his memoir on my last Half Price Books trip.

This was a very quick, easy, and enjoyable read. Also, it was nice to read about a FTM transition as the majority of memoirs, interviews, or fictional narratives I've personally have encountered usually tend to be MTF.

Why only 3 stars? Well, as informative and enjoyable as it was, I'm not going to have the desire to reread this. It wasn't engaging enough to the point where I'm going to find myself itching to pull this off the shelf for repeated readings.

However, I definitely think teens, preteens, and possibly folks in their early 20's who perhaps are going through a transition or beginning/currently questions their gender identity will probably find their reading of this memoir far more beneficial than I did. I think if I read this book at an early age it would've definitely been a staple of my personal favorites.

Thank you Arin for sharing your story! I hope you're currently doing well and plan on checking out your YouTube channel if it still exists!

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this today and yesterday while at work in the library. I think it is my favorite young adult book about being trans and figuring things out that I've read so far, probably because it's a memoir written by someone who has clearly done a lot of self-reflection. It doesn't get caught up in weird tropes about gender or feature a trans man caught up in toxic masculinity to prove how manly he is. It is a little sexually frank so it was a little weird for me as an adult to be reading that, but it was honest and true to the author's self and I would have loved to read this book when I was 16 or 17.

[Laura Vultaggio · Rating 4 out of 5]

This open and honest memoir is an important read for transgender teens and their parents. Arin wrote this memoir at 17 while he was still in high school. The memoir takes the reader through his misgendered childhood as Emerald, taking dance classes and entering beauty pageants, to finally discovering what it meant to be transgender and realizing that he finally had an explanation for what he had been feeling all of his life.

Arin’s story highlights the journey that he himself went through as he transitioned but it also highlights the journey that his family and friends took to understand and support him through his transition. Arin discusses being bullied and treated badly by people who didn’t understand him and he also does not shy away from talking about times when he mistreated others throughout his journey of self acceptance.

This is an important and quick read that would definitely appeal to teens and parents alike.

[Jay Jolles · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't read YA in about a decade, so I'm not sure if my expectations of a book of this nature are skewed by the fact that I don't really read in this particular genre anymore. As such, it's possible that my grievances with the text are merely generic conventions that I find particularly annoying/grating. This book, while obviously important with regards to its subject matter, kinda whomped in execution. Despite its obvious desire to be relatable to younger audiences, the text very much read like an adult/young-adult attempting to be relatable to a group of teens. That, and, some of the moments in the text were so treacly and cliched that I wanted to stop reading. All of this being said, it's a breezy read and I got through it in a day.

[Marjorie Elwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the antidote to the book I read earlier this year (fiction) in which all sorts of horrible things happened to the transgender teen. This memoir details - yes, the bullying and suicidal ideation - but also the support system that he has, the factual information about transitioning, and the triumph of becoming who he was meant to be all along. It's a balanced and ultimately optimistic look at one person's lived experience that helped me better understand how it feels to be in the wrong body.

[molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

es war an sich ein schönes memoir aber ich hab halt gemerkt dass ich fiktionale bücher lieber mag als so wahre geschichten.

war trotzdem schön über Arin‘s leben zu lesen, auch wenn ich es jetzt nicht so bewegend fand wie das letzte memoir was ich gelesen habe. das andere war mit sehr viel mehr emotion geschrieben, das hat diesem hier einfach gefehlt.

trotzdem nh solides buch und ich hoffe Arin gehts gut

[Avani Deshmukh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. It was inspiring but I'm not really into books like this

[Lorea Roson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an amazing book about a boy who is born as a girl and his transitioning in becoming a boy. I really liked this book.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for a book club at work. I enjoy learning about the topic but I didn’t love this. It was just okay

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this teen memoir of a trans young man going about the business of being a teen while while struggling with gender dysphoria. A quick read and a close look into the mind of this trans teen.

[Elise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. This is the book I needed. Arin gave a great explanation of what it feels like to be transgender. I have been struggling to "get" it and this helped immensely. I feel better equipped to support my transgender friends now.

Also, it was disconcerting at first to know so many of the towns mentioned in the book. I have many friends in the Broken Arrow area.

Thank you for this book, Arin.