Something else I appreciated was the ongoing commentary on the ways in which trans people’s struggles are part of a more universal human struggle. An older man with leathery skin and a sweat-stained work shirt scanned me from my feet to my neck without making eye contact. Similarly, the revelation that someone is trans does not entitle one to ask that person all sorts of intrusive questions.

He got up without waiting for a response and threw a twenty-dollar bill on the table next to our half-finished meals. Also, Amanda is a very simple trans case - a complete girly girl without any confusion over her gender identity.This isn’t a book where Amanda’s trans-ness is but one aspect of her character and the plot is about other things (although I like those too). I would run up and hug him, and he would kiss the top of my head, and for the first time in a long time, I would feel safe.

While the primary narrative of the book takes place after Amanda has transitioned, interspersed throughout are chapters recounting past experiences before and during transition.And, just when I was getting bored of the romance aspect, the author seemed to know and brought the focus away from Grant for a bit. This book is exactly what YA is for: to break ground, to break hearts, to teach us empathy, to find the universal in the specific. If you have an article you like, or a worry to talk about, or you just want to vent a bit about trans life, then we're here! I felt like I learned so much from this book yet in such a way that wasn't boring or preachy, just a well written story in the voice of a trans character. Grant wants to open up to Amanda and let her into his life so he brings her home to his small trailer that houses himself, his mom, and his sisters.

We definitely don't need another trans horror story, but I wish one of the first mainstream YA trans books by a trans author didn't play it so safe. So my criticism isn’t necessarily against the author individually as it is against the industry that favors this kind of narrative for the spotlight.It’s a wonderful introduction into LGBTQ literature and would be a great place to start for people who may not have many LGBTQ connections in their own lives. If I’d had the strength to be normal, I thought, or at least the strength to die, then everyone would have been happy.