Cycler

This one may have been the longest on my "to-read" list. All I knew was that it was about a girl who turns into a boy for five days every menstrual cycle. I was expecting a different story, one about girls versus boys. Differences between masculine and feminine. Today's societal issues. I thought it was going to offer some enlightenment and insight into how we treat each other based on gender. But this is more like a comic novel.

The girl is obsessed with prom. Right off the bat, I was disappointed. How shallow can you get, starting with a girl who has this gift that provides incredible perspective on a giant issue in high school. And all she cares about is the most asinine thing secondary education has to offer. I really couldn't tell show more you one more thing she's interested in besides prom.

And when she's a boy, they trap him/her in his/her room for five days, where he has his own fridge and porn. There is no plot in this story until halfway through, when the boy decides he's in love with his/her girl-ego's buxom best friend. Not to mention the unresolved storylines, like her family's dynamic with a mom and dad who are living separate lives in the same house. And that she doesn't tell her two best friends her secret until the very last line. Dude! That is not where you end your novel, that's where you end your first act!

There's a fantastic commentary locked in this story concept and it's wasted on petty YA junk like making plans for how to flirt with boys and shallow stereotypes and the importance of popularity. It focuses on what some Hollywood executive thinks are problems. show less

Identity, romance, controlling parents - these are tough issues for any teenager to deal with. Turns out they all get a whole lot tougher when your body can't decide whether you're a boy or a girl. Four days a month, Jill McTeague turns into Jack McTeague - and neither one of them is very happy about it. Science can't explain what is happening to Jill, and no one is quite sure what to do about her condition. So instead of subjecting her to a barrage of tests and baffled scientists, Jill's mother hides Jack away and explains Jill's regular absences with a lie about the need for a periodic blood transfusion. Using self-hypnosis and the constantly-repeated phrase "I am all girl," Jill is able to erase her memories of "Jacktime," although show more he sometimes communicates with her by writing notes - usually requesting porn or his preferred peanut butter. Jill's mother has a need to be in constant control, and her father has removed himself from their lives almost completely. It is difficult to know which parent's reaction to Jill's condition is more harmful. While her Mom does everything she can to help Jill deal with her transformation, her treatment of Jack is terrifying cold. As the book goes on, it becomes clear that she does not see Jack as her son, and that she is absolutely willing to abuse Jack in order to keep Jill's life in order. While the father clearly cares about both Jack and Jill, he has no idea how to deal with the situation and turns all control over to his wife. Since the changes began when Jill was in middle school, her mantra of "I am all girl" has spread into all parts of her life. Jill stops playing sports, loses touch with her dad, and tries to erase anything that she identifies with boys from her life, totally paranoid that anything about her might be perceived as masculine. This insecurity is especially interesting when the boy Jill has been crushing on - and who has been showing signs of interest - reveals that he's bisexual. Combined with Jack's lust for Jill's best friend Ramie, Cycler delivers a completely original love triangle. Or is it a square?Lauren McLaughlin's plotting is so completely new, which makes up for a few of the novel's shortcomings. Ramie and Jill speak in their own personal slang, with the words "deeply" and "mal" used constantly in their dialogue, which is distracting and does not ring true. And the pacing sometimes feels rushed, although I think this is because most of the novel is told from Jill's point of view, and Jill has a very limited capacity for self-reflection. Jack does not block out Jill's experiences from his memory, and that is part of what makes him a much more compelling character. Jill is so terrified of associating herself with Jack that she will not reflect on any part of her life. Like her mother, she makes constant plans to control Jill's (and Jack's) life. And like her mother's plans, they often come with unintended consequences. show less

Jill McTeague has a terrifying secret: once a month for four days, she changes—physically and mentally—into a boy named Jack. If anyone finds out she’d just die, and so Jill works hard at repressing her memories during Jack’s days, and continues to live her normal life with her outlandish but beautiful best friend, Ramie, coming up with ways to get her crush, the enigmatic Tommy Knutson, to ask her to the prom.

Unbeknownst to her, however, Jack has been developing desires of his own…for Ramie. Desperate to explore the confines of Jill’s room, he attempts to break out and get to know Ramie for himself, instead of just through Jill’s memories. Unfortunately, the results could be catastrophic.

CYCLER is without doubt one of show more the most unique, thought-provoking, hilarious, and crazy stories that I have read so far this year. It’s an unforgettable mishmash of awkward teen love combined with the deeper implications of gender politics and identity.

A quirky story like CYCLER wouldn’t be successful if it weren’t for the incredibly real characters. Jill, Jack, and Ramie are delightfully well developed and memorable; their conversations crack me up, while some of their actions make me cringe with all-too-familiar empathy. With the sure-mouthed, quick-paced, and acidic wit preferred by authors such as Laura Ruby and Robin Benway, CYCLER’s characters will also stick with you for a long time.

The plot is a little shaky at some points, particularly when important romantic connections occur. In fact, a lot of reality must be suspended to appreciate this character-driven story. Jack and Ramie’s relationship developed too quickly, while Jill and Tommy’s also had a note of incredulity to it. All that is forgivable, however, in light of the characters.

If you’re looking for a smart and odd read that’s worth the reread, pick CYCLER up. Mature teens and open-minded adults will fall in love with this quirky “love triangle”/identity crisis story. show less

This was a great book. It's well written, very creative, with mostly realistic characters. (The mother is a bit too much of a stereotype, my only complaint.) Ms. McLaughlin sets up a unique situation for her protagonist, high school senior Jill McTeague, who must navigate her own sexual orientation in a most unusual way. Aided along the way by her best friend, Jill discovers answers she never would have expected.

Summary: Jill McTeague is a typical senior girl. Except for the tiny issue of how four days out of every month, she turns into a boy named Jack—in both mind and body.

Review: The premise of a cycling hermaphrodite made me think the book would be cheesy and induce frequent eye-rolling. But it was a great read.

This book made it fun to explore the themes of sexuality and homophobia without being hit over the head with a “message.” At first, the non-politically-correct language about non-straight characters bothered me. But then I realized that duh, this is how a lot of teens talk about and deal with issues of sexuality. It wasn’t that long ago that I was a teen myself, after all.

My only criticism of the book is that one of Jill’s show more linguistic quirks—mal—got to be a little much sometimes. I wonder what the “magic” frequency is for using a linguistic quirk but not overusing it. (If you have a Kindle, does it let you search the text? I can see myself buying it primarily for reasons like this!)

One final note to those of you considering reading this: A sequel is planned, so the conclusion is of the open-ended variety. I didn’t mind it in this case, but I just wanted to let you know in case you prefer to wait until an entire series it out. show less

I totally should've reviewed this days ago when it was still fresh in my head and not crowded out by other things. But..Older teen Jill turns into a boy once a month for 4 days before her period. This started with puberty, but she totally hates it, so she meditates to block out the memories. This has led to her boy self developing an identity of his own -- he's Jack.But Jack is always trapped in the house because they don't want the secret to get out. So he spends the four days looking at porn and fantasizing about Jill's best friend. Then he sneaks out, which leads to further restrictions placed on him by his parents.Meanwhile Jill's making the moves on a boy in school, who has a secret of his own.I didn't like either of the personas show more at first. I was annoyed at Jill for surpressing her boy half and annoyed at Jack for being all about the porn and the not-washing. And then the plot is about Jill chasing after this boy and putting plans into action, which you would think would be the worst YA teen plot ever. Banal and stupid and boring.But somehow it wasn't. Somewhere along the way, I got sucked in. And then I started liking the characters. And then it took a few turns I wasn't expecting. And then it ended really cool.I'm ready to read the sequel. show less

So for four days of the month, Jill leaves school for blood transfusions - in reality she is locked in her room, transformed into a boy. Her family treat her as they would a werewolf, all sympathy for the girl, and none for the wolf. Jack is locked up and given no human contact. When jill meets a new boy, who turns out to be bisexual, and Jack escapes and falls for Jill's best friends, and Jack and Jill start to consciously and unconsciously influence each other, well, drama ensues.
I thought the actual story fell short of the premise, mostly because Jack is treated so badly, and given so much less page time than Jill. I couldn't quite sympathise with Jill's wish to wipe Jack form existence, especially because I enjoyed his voice so show more much. I am interested to see how the sequel will play out. show less