Transgender Day of Visibility (Older)

(2) YA This novel in verse follows the first romantic relationship experiences of a Black, queer, fat teenage boy learning to find love and acceptance within himself. Mack lives in London with his movie director father, whom he rarely sees. His loneliness lifts when he begins a romance with his longtime crush, male classmate K, who is not out; Mack reluctantly agrees to keep the relationship secret but wishes their time together included more than handholding and kissing. When Mack and his father move to Glasgow for two months to film a documentary about Fin, a social media–famous transgender teen, Mack struggles with long-distance intimacy and with his newly developing feelings for Fin. Short stanzas break up the lengthy text, easing readability. Mack's romantic struggles and insecurities are relatable to a broad audience, and the characters are varied enough in race, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity that many teens will recognize themselves.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2022

(2) YA Winner of the 2020 Stonewall Book Award, this British verse novel by a poet and drag performer offers a welcome exploration of the intersections of race, gender, and sexuality. In first-person narration, Michael chronicles his journey through childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood. Michael is born to a Jamaican father and Greek-Cypriot mother; though his father is distant, he has support from his mother and uncle, as he figures out where he stands in terms of both ethnic identity and sexuality. His penchant for Barbies manifests itself by age six, and crushes on boys follow, but it's a few years before he comes out to his best friend. And it's not until university that he experiences his first sexual relationships and also develops his drag persona. ("When it's time to go onstage, / know that you're not ready but / this is not about being ready, / it's not even about being fierce / or fearless, it's about being free.") The verse can be pedestrian, largely serving to advance the plot, but the development of the Black Flamingo, as a symbol of Michael's queer identity ("I often feel / like a bad egg that was not meant to be...somehow / living and thriving"), is aptly woven throughout this memorable YA debut.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2020

(2) YA Before Sasha Masha, there was Alex; a soon-to-be-junior struggling to make sense of who he is and where he belongs. The only person who seems to understand him is his best friend, Mabel. She was there the day Alex put on the green velvet dress and became Sasha Masha, the elegant and unafraid. When Mabel moves away, Alex worries he'll return to school more misunderstood than ever. But this year holds many surprises for Alex, some of which he accepts reluctantly (such as his first girlfriend) and others he leans into with an excitement and openness he never expected. It doesn't take long for Alex to realize something doesn't feel right in his new relationship, and soon his confusion brings him to a queer teen group where he meets the gender-bending, ever-confident Andre. Andre introduces Alex to the world he's been looking for: a world full of drag, dancing, and the freedom to be yourself. Borinsky walks the reader slowly and thoughtfully through Alex's transformation without rushing past the uncomfortable and often painful parts of his journey. The tone of the book shifts alongside Alex, moving from quiet and morose with his discomfort to one of excitement and hopefulness as Sasha Masha is further revealed. The book's conclusion is satisfying in its open-endedness, leaving both protagonist and reader with a great curiosity and optimism for what comes next.

Reviewer: Hill Saxton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2021

(3) YA This history of the struggle for LGBTQ+ civil rights (originally published in the UK) begins in antiquity and progresses through Magnus Hirschfeld's groundbreaking 1900s research, to the seminal Stonewall Riots in 1969 and the civil rights victories of the present day. Sidebars profiling noteworthy people, including Anne Lister, Oscar Wilde, Marsha P. Johnson, and Matthew Shepard dot the chapters, along with testimonials from LGBTQ+ youth about "Why I Have Pride." Line drawings and rainbow colors make the retro design pop. The emphasis on international current affairs will broaden American readers' perspectives. The book concludes with a timeline, glossary, index, and a list of resources (PFLAG, the Trevor Project, etc.) for queer and questioning youth.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(2) YA At seventeen, Felix Love feels marginalized as a Black teen, an aspiring artist, and a trans male. His mom left the family when he was ten, and although his dad tries hard to be supportive, he still calls Felix by his deadname and struggles to "understand" his child. Felix is attending his prestigious prep school's summer program to better his chances of winning a coveted art scholarship to Brown University, but he has difficulty focusing on his all-important portfolio. When someone hacks archived pre-transition images of him from Instagram and mounts them in the school's gallery, Felix's already fragile self-image is shaken to the core. His initial thirst for revenge leads him to dig deep, open himself to others, and learn to accept and affirm who he really is as a person (a demiboy) and an artist. Meanwhile, his safe friendship with classmate Ezra Patel becomes a source of conflict--and then a new relationship altogether. The writing is smart and engaging, and #OwnVoices author Callender includes sound information and responsible psychological guidance without bogging down the storytelling. Felix does ultimately find love in this sweet and tender trans romance, but his hardest-won victory is in the fight to validate his self-worth.

Reviewer: Luann Toth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2020

(2) YA Ash Woods is an unlicensed alchemist, a groundskeeper at a college that will employ him but not admit him to study and train to practice alchemy openly and legally. When Ramsay Thorne, a graduate apprentice, catches Ash working a bit of creation alchemy, he proposes a deal: if Ash will help search for the Book of Source, Ramsay will teach him what he needs to know to pass the licensing exam. In the process, Ash falls for the alchemist. Ramsay (who is genderfluid and uses alternating pronouns) has her own skeletons in her past and now seeks to destroy the Book. When the quest goes awry, Ramsay abandons Ash to the authorities to find the Book herself, and Ash is taken captive, kept under the watch of -- coincidentally -- Callum Kendrick, who broke Ramsay's heart back in boarding school, and whose gentleness Ash also finds irresistibly attractive. This elaborate adventure leads to some surprising places -- alternate universes; a threesome involving Ash (who is transgender), Callum, and Ramsay -- but readers will thrill to the high-stakes predicaments and appreciate the characters' attempts to remain true to themselves, no matter the cost.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(4) YA In a serviceable overview of LGBTQ+ athletes in U.S. sports at the professional, collegiate, and high school levels, Cronn-Mills considers the prejudices, fears, and other cultural forces that shape these athletes' experiences. Although the history is scattered, the narrative offers engaging introductions to iconic and/or trailblazing individuals. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross

(3) YA In the irreverent voice of an occasionally profane favorite aunt, Dawson, a transgender woman, talks about her coming out process before presenting a comprehensive introduction to all things transgender. Discussion includes basic definitions; FAQs; a history lesson; the decidedly-not-cut-and-dried science of gender; and frank discussions of hormones, surgery, sex, legal issues, religion, violence, bathrooms, coming out, and more. Mini-bios from the "Transgender Hall of Fame" sprinkle the text, sidebars from guest explainers address related topics, and an informative section for parents and caregivers calms nerves. The appendix of websites and hotlines has an international slant (Dawson is British), while a reading list, glossary, references, and index (not seen) round out the humorous, eye-opening presentation.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) YA When eighteen-year-old Ben comes out as gender nonbinary, their conservative parents kick them out. Ben moves in with their estranged sister, but healing family wounds while starting at a new school proves overwhelming. Through therapy, art, and a flirtatious friendship with a male classmate, Ben begins to heal. This is a moving if occasionally didactic story about finding strength and self-worth in the face of emotional trauma.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald

(2) YA In a haunting work of speculative fiction incorporating African diaspara cultural markers, adolescent Jam (a transgender hearing person who communicates selectively, using both sign language and vocal speech) lives in a utopian town now free of "monsters" (oppressors and manifestations of evil). When a creature in one of her mother's paintings comes to life, Jam learns that it's hunting a monster--a monster that lives in Jam's best friend's house. The plot moves steadily as Jam investigates the creature's claims, and the story intensifies to a startling climax.

Reviewer: Elisa Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2019

(2) YA Spencer Harris begins sophomore year at a new school in Ohio, hoping for a fresh start after having had to transfer because of "the Incident" at his previous school: Spencer is trans, and he was outed and threatened during his freshman year. He succeeds at finding his circle on the soccer team and in the Queer Straight Alliance, but even there he's tentative about revealing his queer and, especially, his transgender identity. To Spencer, fitting in seems dependent on remaining in the closet, but a love interest and other circumstances force him to consider whether he wants to live with a secret. The story briefly touches on secondary topics such as racial identity (Spencer is described as Black, his family as interracial) and disabilities (Spencer's brother is autistic) but keeps the focus on the trans experience. Debut author Fitzsimons's conversational writing style invites empathy for the cast of clearly drawn characters and their journeys of self-discovery. In addition to providing a basic understanding of some of the daily challenges faced by trans youth and their families, the story models how a community can come together to take care of one of its own. A heartwarming tale of determination and one teen's path to authentic living.

Reviewer: Nicholas A. Brown | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2021

(4) YA Gender-fluid teen Riley's congressman father is campaigning for reelection, which makes coming out difficult. Blogging gives Riley a voice and amplifies it after a transgender girl in crisis reaches out. Witty, articulate Riley (whose biological sex isn't mentioned) navigates hostilities (including a physical attack) in an accessible way. Though the novel is occasionally didactic, its ultimately hopeful story more than compensates. LGBTQIA resources appended.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(3) YA Beginning with basics (e.g. how sex, gender, and sexuality differ), this guide to "inhabiting a body in a gendered world" covers an astonishingly broad yet interrelated array of topics in double-page-spread sections. Discussion includes intersectional feminism, the "pink tax," women in STEM, trans issues, violence against black males, abortion, sex work, advertising, alternate genders in Indigenous cultures, and snail sex and sea turtle gender. "Spotlight" pages highlight gender nonconforming role models like Laverne Cox and Prince. Gottlieb's simply drawn and colorful illustrations lighten each page with a striking image and plentiful white space, and a concluding section reveals her unfolding understanding of her own gender. Back matter includes a bibliography, websites and hotlines, and an index. This is the paperback edition of a book previously published in hardcover.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) YA Dylan, in "miracle" remission from cancer, takes an unplanned, anger-fueled road trip away from his negligent mother. On the way, he collects his longtime gaming friend Arden, a trans teen whose father won't accept her identity. Their "quest" is fierce and bittersweet, its resolution open-ended. The dynamics of a friendship moving from online to face-to-face are thoughtfully drawn, as is the almost-romance.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross

(2) YA As Dino started falling for his first boyfriend, Rafi (who is trans), he became ex–best friends with July. After July unexpectedly dies of a brain aneurysm, Dino gets a shock in his family's mortuary: July's corpse inexplicably comes back to life. Dino and July are complex characters; their easy banter is witty, philosophical, and engaging as Hutchinson's story blends speculative fiction, existential dread, morbid fascination with death, and surrealism.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2019

(2) YA Bug has always believed his family's old Vermont farmhouse is haunted--partly because of shadows and creaks, and partly because he often "catch[es] a glimpse of something in the mirror that isn't me." Since Uncle Roderick's death, that haunting has seemed more directed specifically at Bug: "Some presence is trying to send me a message." Lukoff (When Aidan Became a Brother, rev. 7/19) lets readers decide for themselves whether the haunting is real or whether it stems from Bug's believably portrayed grief and process of growing up (Bug is about to enter middle school). Either way, Bug figures out a great deal via some exploring about Uncle Roderick, who was openly gay and had worked as a drag queen, and finally realizes his own transgender identity. (Bug, eventually known as Tommy, uses she/her pronouns at first and transitions to he/him pronouns.) Bug's first-person, present-tense narration gives readers a close look at his sense that things don't quite fit, both in interactions with peers and on his own, and his gradual understanding of why that is: "I've never recognized myself before, but now I do."

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2021

(3) YA When fourteen-year-old trans boy A discovers that the conversion therapy group his parents force him to attend has connections to evil supernatural forces, he runs away hoping to save one friend who disappeared from that group. His quest, set during the Jewish High Holidays, features allies including a golem-like creature; A’s rabbi; and the unhoused young residents of “the Transhack,” who have complicated emotional dynamics. Though its messages are at times overexplained, this is a welcome fantasy starring a trans and Jewish hero that engages thoughtfully with both those identities.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(2) YA In a relatable voice, cheerleader Jenna describes how things got "weird" with best friend Raejean junior year; her pain erupts in revenge during a team trip. Readers in it for mean girls and competitive cheerleading may be surprised when the plot incorporates queer romance (with transgender boy James) and Live-Action Role Playing. But MacCarthy pulls off this combination of topics with aplomb in an affirming story about having multiple conflicting selves.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2019

(2) YA Two teens--both brown, trans, and neurodivergent--reunite years after a chance meeting and find themselves bound together by their most personal experiences and by the magic of a local lake. Bastián copes with ADHD and the next step of their gender transition by creating alebrijes--brightly painted, fantastical, papier-mâché creatures--and sending them into the lake. Lore, who is dyslexic and was bullied at their old school, moved to town after a devastating fight. As the lake's magic breaks its usual boundaries, seeping into Bastián's and Lore's lives on dry land, they realize that it is responding to the painful emotions they've released into the water (Bastián via alebrijes, Lore through cans of paint) and that they can't reject their own pain or imperfections. The book is committed to its characters' gender, racial, and neurodivergent identities; while this focus can feel overworked at points, the intimacy and seriousness with which it addresses neurodivergence in particular is welcome. McLemore (The Mirror Season, rev. 5/21) successfully binds the novel's fantasy elements to the inner lives of their characters, strengthening the narrative effects of both the mundane and the magical. Readers with identities in common with the protagonists will find relief and recognition in this impassioned book, and teens in general should feel welcomed by its warmly open storytelling.

Reviewer: Anne St. John | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2022

(2) YA Waylon Brewer does not fit in at Clover City High School. He's fat; he's gay; and he loves drag, particularly a drag-competition TV show called Fiercest of Them All. But no one, not even his twin sister, Clementine, knows that he wants to actually perform in drag: that is, until his audition video for the show, starring "Miss Pumpkin Patch," is accidentally posted publicly on Facebook. It goes viral, naturally, earning Waylon immediate mockery at school and a nomination to prom court--as queen. Along with Clementine's girlfriend, a similarly gender-bending candidate for king, Waylon embraces the joke and campaigns to win the crown; it doesn't hurt that his cute classmate Tucker is a fellow nominee (for king). This third story set in Clover City, Texas, features a genuine and unbreakable sibling bond; a strong romantic connection; and a cast of well-developed supporting characters, including guest appearances from Willowdean (­Dumplin', rev. 11/15) and Callie and Millie (Puddin', rev. 5/18). Like those ­protagonists, Waylon learns to love who he is and refuses to settle for anyone who doesn't. Or as he tells Tucker: "I'm done being with people who are embarrassed by me...I'm too good to keep secret." It's easy to cheer for Waylon--who eventually triumphs both as himself and as Pumpkin--in this celebration of individuality and self-expression.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2021

(2) YA In an alternate version of 1983 England, eighteen-year-old Susan Arkshaw travels to London to search for the father she's never known. Almost immediately, Susan encounters dashing Merlin St. Jacques and is thrust into the dangerous world he inhabits. Merlin is a member of a sprawling family of "booksellers" who do incidentally sell books but whose primary duty is to protect humanity from entities from other realms. (Merlin's pronouns are he/him--for now; among the booksellers it is accepted to magically transition one's gender, something Merlin is "pondering.") With the help of a motley crew of booksellers both left- (the fighters) and right-handed (the researchers), Susan and Merlin face off against fantastical creatures, unravel the mystery of Susan's supernatural parentage, and fall a little bit in love along the way. As in his high-fantasy novels (the Abhorsen Chronicles; Angel Mage, rev. 11/19), Nix puts a strong, capable, and resourceful young woman front and center within a diverse cast; here, the grounding in our own world (sort of) allows him to work in plenty of pop-culture references and tropes from British spy stories. A thrilling, suspenseful romp with lots of humor and romantic tension; the ending is satisfying but implies we haven't seen the last of Susan and Merlin.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2020

(2) YA Desert and rural landscapes from the U.S. Southwest serve as the backdrop to the coming-of-age stories of two childhood friends. High school senior Magdalena "Mags" Herrera, who lives with her abuela, is in a secret relationship with a girl at school. Mags is afflicted by grief, guilt, and uncertainty for a variety of reasons, and when her childhood friend Nessa, who is trans, comes back to their small town, it stirs up a rollercoaster of emotions. As the two friends spend time together, they uncover repressed memories, including a friend's death. A mysterious creature that lives in Mags and Abuela's basement brings mythical elements to the narrative and connects to family and personal secrets. The illustrations in this graphic novel effectively shift between black-and-white for the present story and color to represent childhood memories. Although Mags's heritage isn't specifically named, the incorporation of Spanish language (with occasional errors and, at times, an overly formal tone), settings, names, and motifs indicates a Latinx Catholic household. Strengths of the novel include the fully fleshed-out queer characters as well as the depiction of their internal and external battles as Mags and Nessa release their respective hurts and discover their real selves. An author's note, with images, reflects on Ostertag's process.

Reviewer: Sujei Lugo | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(4) YA Jaya is a transgender boy from a wealthy Gujarati family in Hawaii. Devoted to protecting her siblings, beautiful Rasa is a victim of sex-trafficking. Each protagonist's childhood has been riddled with different kinds of pain and abuse, but their love provides each teen with hope and maybe even a path forward. The romance is ultimately underdeveloped, but Patel's novel tackles difficult issues without flinching.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(3) YA Illustrated by Zoë More O'Ferrall. This collection of mini-biographies of queer historical figures, from Roman emperor Elagabalus to contemporary American actor George Takei, is full of personality and written expressly for the digital generation. Introduced with background about queer history around the world, this volume will likely be welcomed by queer teens and anyone who delights in uncovering history not necessarily learned in school. Websites. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Sarah Hannah Gomez

(2) YA This dual-point-of-view novel visits friends Morgan and Eric on their shared birthday each year from ages thirteen to eighteen. Morgan is transgender, secretly so (and male-presenting) for much of the book. Eric's father objects to the friendship, which eventually takes on romantic elements--and related strain. Russo doesn't shy away from heavy subjects, including abuse and suicide, but also shows how a difficult situation can reach a mostly happy ending.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2019

(4) YA A year after his transgender, internet-celebrity girlfriend Vivian's attempted suicide left her in a coma, eighteen-year-old pansexual Miles visits Iceland to try to move on. Miles's fluid understanding of gender and sexuality feels current, and the distinct Icelandic culture and landscape provides a rich, provocative backdrop for his emotional recovery. Unfortunately, Vivian's flat, stereotypical characterization--related through Miles's instant messages to her--is disappointing.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald

(2) YA In 2013, on the 57 bus in Oakland, California, African American Richard, egged on by friends, set white, genderqueer Sasha's gauzy skirt on fire. Sasha survived but sustained third-degree burns; Richard was arrested for a hate crime. Using interviews, court documents, and news accounts, Slater has crafted a compelling true-crime story that goes beyond the headlines to tell the very human stories behind these individuals and their families.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2018

(2) YA Maia is adrift following the sudden death of her sister. Chris, recently out as a transgender boy, is spending the summer in rural North Carolina, where Maia lives. The two are initially antagonistic--but quickly find themselves falling in love. With chapters alternating between the characters' points of view, this compelling love story delves into the challenges of trust and honesty and doesn't shy away from the consequences of revealing difficult truths.

Reviewer: Christina L. Dobbs | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2019

(2) YA The remarkable life of Black activist, attorney, and Episcopal priest Pauli Murray (1910–1985) is presented in an engaging, extensively documented nonfiction account in verse. Drawing heavily on Murray's autobiography, poems, and other writings, the book spans her entire life and identifies her influences as she became determined, from a young age in Jim Crow North Carolina, to learn and help others appreciate the true history of her people. She endured great hardships in order to graduate from Hunter College, but her efforts to get ahead were thwarted by the Great Depression. She began a lifelong passion for writing to newspapers and public figures about social issues, which she called "confrontation by typewriter," and was very successful at making those messages heard by people in power, including President Roosevelt. Later, at Howard University Law School, Murray was a strong proponent of overturning Plessy v. Ferguson because "separate could never be equal." In the later chapters, the authors acknowledge the limitations of language employed at the time, speculating that today "transgender / is possibly / what Pauli would call herself... Pauli's pronouns may have been / they/them/their." This is a compelling biography of an "unsung force"--an inspiring and transformative figure who broke barriers pivotal to both the civil rights and women's movements. Appended with photographs, authors' notes, a timeline, source notes, and a bibliography.

Reviewer: Luann Toth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2022

(2) YA Until senior year, seventeen-year-old Dean had identified as a "tomboy lesbian" but now increasingly identifies as a guy. When a forward-looking theater teacher casts him as Romeo in a production of Romeo and Juliet, Dean, who finally feels like himself in the role, comes out as transgender. Each new step--changing his pronouns, getting a chest binder--makes him feel more comfortable in his body, as does acceptance by his best friend and the new friends he makes in a support group. But his relationship with his girlfriend deteriorates (she's a lesbian who, understandably, struggles with Dean's transition: "I don't want to be some guy's girlfriend"), and he worries about how his parents will react. Dean authentically and accessibly describes his experience as a trans man; his body, for example, "literally doesn't fit me. Like it's a piece of clothing that shrank in the dryer. It's not terrible most of the time, but it's weird." Dean's story demonstrates the courage that it takes to come out: he faces loneliness, a breakup, and bullying, and knows that it could be even worse (the film Boys Don't Cry helped Dean understand that he was trans). But by year's end, he sees freedom and possibility in life after high school: "I'm closer to being myself than I ever have been...I wouldn't trade who I am for anything."

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2021

(2) YA Thomas returns to Reino del Sol, the fantasy world introduced in The Sunbearer Trials (rev. 1/23). Teo's refusal to sacrifice a fellow demigod at the end of that novel has caused the sun to vanish. Now a horde of monsters with immense destructive power has been released. It's up to Teo -- with his impulsive best friend and his broody crush -- to steal back the Sol Stone so they can avert the apocalypse. They fight monsters, learn brutal truths about Reino del Sol's history, and kiss a little along the way. To resurrect the sun, someone still needs to be sacrificed, but Teo is determined to find another course of action. As he and his companions visit cities with more communal structures than they're used to, Thomas expands the first book's exciting world-building to explore what a more just society might look like. Frequent fight scenes are broken up by considerable humor and thoughtful humanizing moments, as characters grapple with the immense pressures placed on them as the children of gods. Though the metaphors for transness are subtler in this installment, there are still some moments of gender exploration -- and many of queer joy.

Reviewer: Bodie Shanis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2024

(2) YA Unlike the rest of his family, Yadriel is kept from having a quinces, the traditional coming-of-age ceremony to become a brujo. Yadriel is trans and gay, i.e., "Head Black Sheep among the brujx." Despite his family's reluctance to even try and find out if gender identity will affect his abilities to guide spirits into the afterlife, Yadriel holds his own ceremony with the help of a fellow black sheep of the family (for her vegan principles, which preclude her using her healing magic), his cousin, Maritza. When another cousin meets an untimely death, Yadriel and Maritza seek answers of their own, teaming up with a mysterious spirit, Julian, who is also queer and has an unconventional found family. Packed with eerie adventure, tingly romance, and family drama, the novel lays bare the tension between upholding tradition and reaching full self-acceptance. Cheeky, relatable characters bring humor and lightness into Thomas's debut, which also takes on themes of death, loss, abandonment, and rejection. The natural integration of phrases in Spanish, Día de los Muertos traditions, and varied community structures showcases the broad range of experiences that make up Latinidad.

Reviewer: Gabi K. Huesca | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2021

(2) YA Every ten years in the fantastical but contemporary-feeling Reino del Sol, ten demigod children are chosen to compete in the Sunbearer Trials, a sacred ritual deemed necessary in order to avert the apocalypse. Although winning the Trials brings glory, it comes with a price: it's the Sunbearer's duty to sacrifice the competitor in last place. Seventeen-year-old Teo, whose family wields little power, is certain he won't be chosen to compete--but the god Sol selects both him and thirteen-year-old fellow trans boy Xio. Teo and his best friend, Niya, vow to keep Xio from becoming the sacrifice and find a way to put the other, stuck-up competitors in their place. Each city that hosts the competition is devoted to one of this world's gods, with elements richly drawn from Mexican culture to create a narrative setting that's colorful, expansive, and unique. Reino del Sol is devoid of queerphobia, with powerful gods in same-sex relationships or using they/them pronouns, and Teo's dysphoria about his wings serves as an intriguing metaphor for transness. Though the cast of characters is large, the individuals are engaging and distinct. The novel successfully balances magical, action-packed battles with lighter interactions and dialogue. A cliffhanger ending sets up a promising second half for the projected duology.

Reviewer: Bodie Shanis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2023

(2) YA "Brilliant" debate team star Finch is a young trans man who is months away from transition surgery. The high school senior's parents struggle financially, which makes debating success and the potential scholarship especially important to Finch's hopes for college and a political career. His friend and debate partner Jonah is a similarly talented debater (and, as Finch observes, strikingly handsome). The two friends are tested when a debate topic requires them to argue against trans rights and everything they believe in. As the teens develop clearer understandings of themselves and their relationships, they are confronted with unconscious bias, including from generally supportive loved ones. Jonah, who is Filipino American, also faces racism. A cast of characters who are wise beyond their years and embrace their nerdiness exemplifies the diversity and spectrum of gender identity and sexual orientation. Debut author Thomas's conversational writing style is highly engaging and should draw readers in with a compelling story of self-realization and a bit of youthful romance.

Reviewer: Nicholas A. Brown | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

(2) YA Twelve-year-old Sparrow's life revolves around keeping their mother happy; a difficult task given her struggles with mental health and addiction. Sparrow believes that by being the perfect child they can keep Mom's "shadows" at bay and deflect any attention from well-meaning outsiders. This includes hiding their shifting gender identity and sexuality. When Mom is unexpectedly put in rehab, Sparrow is sent to live with family members they've never met in the childhood home Mom has only ever discussed disparagingly. Sparrow is surprised to find not only that Aunt Mags is a source of comfort and support but also she's trans herself and the renamed "Rainbow House" is now a community of loving families and gender-diverse individuals. Sparrow is caught in a tug-of-war between trying to be the daughter Mom wants them to be and the person they truly are. Sparrow's own magical shadow, a trickster-like creature, provides guidance and pushes them toward realizing their identity. This fantastical touch, as well as the friendships Sparrow forges with new classmates Sully and Wynn, add some lightness to the protagonist's difficult circumstances. Van Otterloo's authentic and inspiring transgender adult characters serve as mentors to Sparrow on their journey of self-discovery, but perhaps more importantly as essential representations of trans adulthood for young readers.

Reviewer: Hill Saxton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2023

(3) YA Illustrated by Ellen T. Crenshaw. High-school junior Amanda finds her own realizations regarding her sexuality reflected and amplified in a troubling family secret she discovers involving her father’s transgender parent. This well-executed graphic novel plumbs the complexity of family relationships and changing friendship dynamics as its protagonist explores sexual and gender identity. The imperfect, complicated characters--all with their own motivations--are compellingly illustrated in grayscale panels.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(4) YA Eighteen-year-old tennis star Dara is shocked to unearth a family secret: her single mother, Mellie, transitioned from male to female after Dara's birth mother died in an accident. Reeling, Dara hits the road to locate her grandparents; along the way, emails from Mellie fill in missing family history. While the road-trip story line is rather generic, the sensitive depiction of a delicate family issue is noteworthy.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald

(2) YA Mariachi is everything to seventeen-year-old Mexican American Rafael Casimiro Álvarez, given his natural singing talent and the musical chops that run in his family. After the death of his abuelo, upholding his mariachi legacy becomes a way to cope with the loss. When Rafie's family moves from (fictional) North Amistad to San Antonio at the start of his senior year, he expects to be lead vocalist in his new school's perpetually second-place mariachi group, Todos Colores. His hubris wins him few fans and he is instead made to sing backup for Rey, a cute boy Rafie hooked up with at a party during the previous year's Mariachi Extravaganza Nacional competition. Rafie's ambition forces him to suppress his lingering feelings for Rey, but both find their mutual attraction difficult to ignore. Determined Rey, who is afromexicano and trans, is an antidote to Rafie's attitude, as are the queer and proud members of Todos Colores, a fully realized group who celebrates their Mexican heritage, and counter any mariachi conventions steeped in machismo and homophobia (as addressed in an author's note). The use of Mexican argot adds relatable humor, while Rafie's frustrating road to growth and the mariachi musical backdrop make for a memorable queer romance.

Reviewer: Jessica Agudelo | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(1) YA Prince Sebastian hires young seamstress Frances as his personal clothier; some days he feels comfortable identifying as male, but others he prefers his dress-wearing alter ego, socialite Lady Crystallia. The teens struggle to keep Sebastian's secret, resist stifling expectations, and sort out their feelings for each other. The graphic novel's illustrations balance the finery of clothing and setting with relatable, endearing protagonists. Dynamic panel shapes and sizes accentuate the emotions of each scene.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2018

(1) YA Miles Abernathy lives in a struggling West Virginia town in 2017. Power is monopolized by the Davieses, the family of the sheriff and the Abernathys' mortal enemies in a blood feud that began with the murder of Miles's great-great-grandfather, who dared to challenge the corrupt ruling class. Tired of the Davieses' ruthless pursuit of dominance and control, Miles tries to undermine the sheriff but is wholly unprepared for the chain of events one small act of defiance sets off. White (The Spirit Bares Its Teeth, rev. 11/23) crafts a high-stakes thriller that is atmospheric and suspenseful -- with a touch of the supernatural -- while also nuanced and incisive in its exploration of violence (at times extreme and graphically depicted) and its impact on individual and collective psyches. The story raises and addresses questions of power, agency, and complicity through an intimate first-person narrative of a teen who feels the injustice of the world on a deep and personal level and must decide how far he is willing to go to change his situation. Miles also experiences the trials and tribulations of coming out as trans in a small town, realizing that he is autistic, and questioning his romantic orientation. These elements are well integrated into the story and coincide with developments in the thriller plotline, making for a multilayered, engrossing read.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2024

(2) YA Alienated from his alternate Victorian London's society by behaviors and sensitivities common to people with autism, Silas is nonetheless valued for his eyes. Their violet color allows the possessor to reach through the Veil and converse with the dead--but only if you're male; violet-eyed females are valued only as breeding stock, and Silas was assigned female at birth. Self-taught in surgical techniques, Silas morbidly dreams of using his knowledge to excise his own womb, but when an attempt to gain the independence to live as his true self goes wrong, he's sent to Braxton's Finishing School and Sanitorium. It's a place where "girls like you" are cured of "the Veil sickness"--and true peril awaits. Can Silas discover why the students are disappearing? The protagonist's travails are coming from so many different directions that readers' sympathies are fully engaged. Secondary characters are rounded as well, creating intriguing dynamics. A well-sustained body horror suffuses the book with tension, and (as an opening note warns) the "transphobia, ableism, graphic violence, sexual assault, discussions of forced pregnancy and miscarriage, mentions of suicidal ideation, and extensive medical gore" can be a lot to take. But readers who are up for it will follow Silas's exploits in horrified fascination and (potentially) delightfully sick dread. A closing note places this fantasy's use of medical experimentation in real historical context.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023