Have you ever seen a teenager who is not comfortable with who they are, or who they are destined to be? (If not, just watch as the local high school dismisses for a day and youll see a whole lot of them.) If youre in that situation, what do you do about it?
In being emily , Rachel Gold documents the story of a High School student named Christopher, who inside believes s/he is really Emily Christine. (Gender pronouns are going to be tricky from this point forward, especially to avoid spoilers.) The book, written in the first person, documents Christophers / Emilys junior year, jumping in just before the point where Chriss parents realize something may be bothering him and make an appointment with a therapist. In an attempt successful to provide some counterpoint, the author changes the narrator (changes clearly marked) to Chris / Emilys girlfriend, Claire, who is the first person that is brought in on this secret. I especially appreciated the fact that Claire was depicted as religious, but not judgmental or zealous; too often, it becomes a stereotype to combine those things into a description.
The book, targeted at Young Adults, was a quick read, and successfully held my interest throughout. I believe it would be a must-have for anyone with concerns regarding a difference between their physical and mental gender. I would have liked to rank the book at 5 stars, but have had to settle for 4 1/2 due to a few things I questioned. (NOTE: Most of this may seem and probably is nit-picky on what I thought was a very good book, but it is simply explaining why I couldnt rate it at the maximum.)
1) It felt a little too easy to differentiate heroes from villains. With exception of his/her parents, and to a small extent Claire, if you agreed with Emily, you were one of the good guys. Disagreement designated you with the traditional black hat. Either the current characters or perhaps new ones could illustrate that you could be a caring individual and still believe that Christopher was simply confused, or sympathetic to Emily and an SOB at the same time.
2) Christopher becomes to come to terms with being Emily through a website called GenderPeace. I believe the author missed an opportunity to present emotions, experiences, etc. outside of the protagonists experience by more fully utilizing the site and its members.
3) The good counselor seemed too quick to determine gender dysphoria, while the evil counselor was close-minded to that particular option but willing to consider others.
I suspect that all of this was not due to a lack of ability or attention from the author. Rather, it appears part of a successful effort to keep the length of the book within reason for the YA audience it targets in particular, those like our main character who have questions about their place in the world. I would strongly suggest that this book be one of their references.
In being emily , Rachel Gold documents the story of a High School student named Christopher, who inside believes s/he is really Emily Christine. (Gender pronouns are going to be tricky from this point forward, especially to avoid spoilers.) The book, written in the first person, documents Christophers / Emilys junior year, jumping in just before the point where Chriss parents realize something may be bothering him and make an appointment with a therapist. In an attempt successful to provide some counterpoint, the author changes the narrator (changes clearly marked) to Chris / Emilys girlfriend, Claire, who is the first person that is brought in on this secret. I especially appreciated the fact that Claire was depicted as religious, but not judgmental or zealous; too often, it becomes a stereotype to combine those things into a description.
The book, targeted at Young Adults, was a quick read, and successfully held my interest throughout. I believe it would be a must-have for anyone with concerns regarding a difference between their physical and mental gender. I would have liked to rank the book at 5 stars, but have had to settle for 4 1/2 due to a few things I questioned. (NOTE: Most of this may seem and probably is nit-picky on what I thought was a very good book, but it is simply explaining why I couldnt rate it at the maximum.)
1) It felt a little too easy to differentiate heroes from villains. With exception of his/her parents, and to a small extent Claire, if you agreed with Emily, you were one of the good guys. Disagreement designated you with the traditional black hat. Either the current characters or perhaps new ones could illustrate that you could be a caring individual and still believe that Christopher was simply confused, or sympathetic to Emily and an SOB at the same time.
2) Christopher becomes to come to terms with being Emily through a website called GenderPeace. I believe the author missed an opportunity to present emotions, experiences, etc. outside of the protagonists experience by more fully utilizing the site and its members.
3) The good counselor seemed too quick to determine gender dysphoria, while the evil counselor was close-minded to that particular option but willing to consider others.
I suspect that all of this was not due to a lack of ability or attention from the author. Rather, it appears part of a successful effort to keep the length of the book within reason for the YA audience it targets in particular, those like our main character who have questions about their place in the world. I would strongly suggest that this book be one of their references.
Extraordinary, readers of all ages will find Emily a most sympathetic character. An important book that has a permanent place in my collection!
