Luna (original 2004; edition 2006)

I mean, look, this book is very much of its time. ( )

I liked this book. It was a quick read, interesting and good to get into. I did feel it left a little something to be desired, but I couldn't quite put my finger on what that was. ( )

Luna is a transgender girl at the tail end of high school. She's a computer genius, managing to earn an evidently substantial income from doing computer work on the side. She lives with her younger sister, Regan, and her parents. Dad is a former jock, working for Home Depot. Mom is a self-centered almost prescription drug addict. And Luna is not out. With the exception of her sister Regan, she is known by her given name, Liam, and is known as a boy. To everyone.
What makes this book a little different than the bulk of transgender themed middle grade or teen books out there now (and there have been many of late) is that Luna is not the narrator or the protagonist. That would be Regan, the sister. There is a great deal about Luna's need to be her true self; but the story line is more focused on Regan, and how constantly worrying about her brother/sister is affecting her own life. She has a boy interested in her, and she wants desperately to date him, but in one way or another, Luna keeps inadvertently getting in the way. Regan feels she can't ever really live her own life, because she's always obsessing about Luna/Liam.
I wanted a more dynamic conclusion to the book than I got, but otherwise, a good read on a relevant subject, from a different perspective than most of the other books in the genre. ( )

First off, I highly enjoyed this book. I read a previous review which stated that the characters felt "cliché". I, however, felt that the characters seemed spot on to how "differences" are perceived, reacted to, and "tolerated" in our society. When things are "different", people don't always respond in acceptance, whether secondary to fear, confusion, or what not. Likewise, it's easy for people to say "how they would have responded" or "what they would have done". However, making a good decision in hindsight allows extra time for the most idealized response.

I especially identified with Liam's sister, Regan. It pained me to witness her life (seem to) crumble and placed on hold as she was left to carry the weight of intolerance. At times I also found myself upset with Regan for not setting boundaries in her life. This frustration spilled over to her brother, Liam, and his excessive neediness and tunnel vision, failing to recognize the heavy burden and expectations he placed on his sister.

In saying this, both Liam (Luna) and Regan's story only highlighted the struggle that a family faces trying to maintain the status quo. But, I also sympathized with the parents, too. The dad, disconnected from his own father, trying to do what he felt was right for his son. The mom, wanting more in her life, disconnected at times from the friction in her family. The societal pressures and expectations, turning the family away from completely understanding one another.

This book seemed to subtly mock parental expectations of safety and success for their children (not sure if the author intentionally did that). As Regan put it, "...comforted in the knowledge, no doubt, that Liam and I were safely locked away in our holding cells. Wake up, Dad". Under the roof of their parents home, still Liam and Regan suffered in silence. Honestly, a part of me cheered Regan as she began to take back her life from Liam, but hated her for waiting so long. But, in the end, I respected Luna for finally letting Regan, and herself, free.

This is a good book. I FELT this story---I can't say that about too many books. ( )

Throughout the years, Regan has always been there to support her transgender brother, Liam, or Luna. But when she decides that she wants to make the transition to a female permanent, Regan isn't sure that she is able to handle the consequences. When her new chemistry lab partner takes an interest in her, Regan just wishes that her brother could be normal, that his conflict would just go away. But in order to do that, Liam/Luna needs to learn to free her true self, for only then can Regan truly be free.

In young adult literature, there aren't many novels about transgender youth, which makes this novel especially unique. Despite the fact that the number of LGBTQ novels in general has been rising, novels about transgender teens still have surprising low numbers. I think that was one of the main reasons that I liked this book. Even though the transgender teen wasn't the main character (if you're look for one of those, check out I am J by Cris Beam), Luna is a big step for the transgender community. Readers get a look into the lifestyle of a transgender person, and while it doesn't necessarily help them to see how transgender people think, it does show what their lives are like, the things they struggle with, and the kinds of things their family might go through. The main character, Regan, is also a relatable character because of how she goes through school, and interacts with her brother. Those who have siblings will be able to relate with how she feels about Liam/Luna sometimes, even though their own siblings may not be transgender. Overall, I think this is a beautifully written book that speaks volumes about the transgender lifestyle. I only hope that soon, more books like this, and maybe even books improving on this, can be published.

As for a classroom, this might be a tricky book just because it deals with transgenderism, and a lot of parents might not be comfortable with that topic. However, this is an important book to use in classrooms because of this fact. Not many people know a lot about transgender people, and Luna could definitely be used to show students that transgender people aren't all that different from them. This book could be used to promote acceptance, as with any LGBTQ book. ( )