Kirstin Cronn-Mills

Evvie Chambers is doing her best to skate through the last month of high school to graduation. The only thing standing in her way is a biology report on foxes—and her teacher, Mrs. Audrey Dearborn. The same Mrs. Dearborn who’s been a thorn in Evvie’s side for years, refusing to acknowledge or accommodate her neurodiversity. Evvie would much rather be doing her report on Aretha, the octopus she cares for when she volunteers at the Minnesota Zoo but deviating from the exact assignment show more isn’t allowed—and Mrs. Dearborn isn’t going to make following the rules easy.

Evvie’s only escape from high school hell is the Lair: a safe haven for kids whose brains need some time away. But when Mrs. Dearborn refuses Evvie’s pleas to finesse the final report assignment to her strengths, and persistent bully Vandal McDaniel directs his harassment toward Lair members, Evvie finds herself more desperate than ever for stability and support.

When a shocking act of violence pushes the whole mess over the edge, Evvie, with the help of her friends and the others who love her, will have to figure out how to find her place in the wide world, while remaining true to herself. show less

Although shorter than many readers might expect (the entire volume clocks in at shy of 90 pages), Transgender Lives: Complex Stories, Complex Voices is actually a perfectly sized collection of trans* narratives.

Kirstin Cronn-Mills has put together a lovely little collection here, one that intersperses personal narratives with educational pieces on trans* issues, labels, trends, health, and more. In reading this, I was immediately struck by how open it is in terms of community/spectrum, and show more how wide of a definition of trans* it embraces. It's refreshing to read a work where cross-dressers, drag queens, and genderqueer individuals are celebrated alongside those who identify as intersex or transsexual.

We open with the narrative of Hayden (a female-to-male transsexual), her sister, her mother, and her fiancée. It's a story of both story of personal pain and family acceptance, capped off by the love of a woman who sees Hayden not as a trans* man, but simply as a man. Katie, who identifies as transgender, talks about overcoming the chemical imbalance of too much testosterone, and offers some very positive thoughts about embracing her trans* identity, along with the new experiences it opened to her. In Dean's narrative, he talks about trusting your instincts and having the courage to be yourself. He shares the painful story of having temporarily escaped or retreated into drugs, and of a transition delayed by the expense of university treatment programs. Ultimately, however, his is a story of triumph, capped off by his legal victory as the first transsexual in Oregon to win a discrimination case.

The next narrative is that of Dave, a drag performer who has come to accept and embrace aspects of "woman" into his every day. Brooke, meanwhile, sees herself as an intersex role model, able to embrace both worlds. Although her body has developed more towards male since puberty, she still identifies as female. As for Julia, she identifies as genderqueer, and has considered medical transition options (surgery and hormones), but enjoys the freedom to fully express her gender. The last narrative, that of Natasha & Nancy, it's a fascinating one. Natasha is transgender, at very beginning of her transition, while Nancy identifies as genderqueer. A couple since 2010, they are planning for their marriage.

As for the educational pieces interspersed between the narratives, my favorite had to be the chapter on Trans* History Narratives, covering the entire range from Greek mythology, to Native American cultures, to gender fluidity in Asia and India. The final chapters on gender timelines and who's who are fascinating, if a bit brief, but a nice sampling of the community.

Overall, Transgender Lives: Complex Stories, Complex Voices is very well put together. It's nicely laid out, looks extremely professional, and has (as I mentioned) a wonderful balance in its content. While it does lend itself to a quick read, it's also something I suspect readers will find themselves returning to over and over again.


As published on Bending the Bookshelf show less

First published at Booking in Heels.

Amazing.

It's told in the first person perspective of Elizabeth/Gabe, presumably to emphasis the inner conflict as she/he makes fundamental decisions about gender and identity, and deals with the reactions of friends and family. What I really appreciated about this book is that we jump in a short time after the big announcement has been made. I've read novels about the decision to 'come out' as gay (although I understand that is a very different issue) but show more Beautiful Music for Ugly Children takes it a step further. After all, those people have to live their lives after they've made that decision and this book tries to highlight that.

Obviously I have no idea how accurate a portrayal of a young female-to-male transsexual this is, but it feels right. It's clear that a huge amount of care, effort and research has gone into this book and so it never feels forced or like it's trying to make A Point. It's just a moving story about a young man trapped inside the body of a woman.

There's that word, 'moving.' Look, I hardly ever agree when a book is supposed to be moving or powerful. Beautiful Music for Ugly Children though... for once I actually care deeply about the main character and understand that they are in a terrible situation. More than that, they're actually likeable, which helps.

Even the relationships are perfect. There is a romantic sub-plot, but it's just that - a sub-plot. Even then it's always within the context of what love/sex could mean for a transsexual; it's not a pointless romance shoved into the story for the sake of it - it is relevant and it does need to be there. I like how it ended as well - kind of... open. It's actually kind of perfect. Elizabeth/Gabe's relationships with their parents is very well done too. It's not black or white; instead it's a very gradual alternation and you're shown the emotions, not just told that they're present.

If I had one criticism, it's that Elizabeth/Gabe sounds like a girl. Their narrative 'voice,' I mean. I understand that in real life that's probably a very offensive thing to say as it's not my call to make. However, as a fictional character whose head I am actually inside... yeah, she's a girl. It's possibly just because the author is female and it's very, very difficult to write in the tone of a gender not your own, but as a result I do think of Elizabeth/Gabe as female and therefore as 'Elizabeth,' despite the fact that she/he introduced themselves to me as Gabe. Perhaps that proves a cultural point about my incorrect perspective, I don't know.

However, it's not just about transsexuals and gender - there's also a great deal about music. Music is Elizabeth/Gabe's absolute passion and she/he hosts a radio show once a week. I'm not 'into' music myself (I just don't understand it - although that's a story for another day), but it doesn't matter here. It's not written so that you need any prior knowledge, so I was able to sit back and enjoy the musical discussion as the main character plans her/his show themes.

I should probably also clarify that it's never graphic or explicit. There are a few mentions of the words 'penis' and 'vagina,' but come on... what do you expect, really?

You've probably gathered, but I LOVED this book. I don't understand why it's not way more popular than it actually is, but maybe this review will go a tiny way towards fixing that. Everybody needs to read this, both for the message that it sends and also because it's genuinely a damn good book. show less

Transgender Lives is a small, but ground-breaking book. Written with junior high and high school readers in mind, it alternates stories from trans* individuals’ live with chapters on topics like transgender health and transgender life challenges. [Note that this book primarily uses the term trans*, rather than transgendered because the identity is much more complex than the term "gender," which still implies the binary male/female dichotomy, allows.] Opening materials explain that show more “Transgender Lives helps you understand what it means to be trans* in America while learning more about transgender history, the broad spectrum of transgender identities, and the transition process.”

The book is written to inform and to generate respect. The language is at a seventh grade level, which makes it accessible to a great many readers. The author uses analogies and hypothetical situations to put readers into the kinds of situations trans* individuals face daily:

Awsome! It’s the day you get to apply for a driver’s license. As you fill out the form, you realize you have to choose between the boxes labeled “male” and “female.” But what do you do if you feel neither box fits you? Today you’re dressed like a guy. Tomorrow you might wear a skirt…. Sometimes you identify with both boxes, some days with neither, and someday you might transition from one gender to another. But what do you do now? Do you make a new box? Do you lie?

The brevity of this Transgender Lives means that it won’t provide a definitive understanding of trans* life, history, and culture. It will, however, provide a vocabulary and structure for considering trans* identity—an issue of particular importance to its readers, who may be becoming aware of their own trans* selves or who may be encountering trans* peers for the first time. show less