Parrotfish

I liked this more than I thought I would, TBH. It sounded like it was going to be an afterschool special-ish story about being transgender. But I thought it did a pretty good job explaining gender dsyphoria without being too preachy. Angela/Grady's family felt realistic. I liked Grady's friends from school, and I liked that Grady faced prejudice without it being overwhelmingly grim for him. I think this book would probably be great for any trans teen to read, or just anyone looking for some kind of trans representation in fiction.

I appreciate that everything didn't turn out perfect for Grady, but that he was able to move forward with hope. Characters have a bit of depth, but there are so many players here whose emotions and intentions are attempted that some feel flat or cliched. It's all a bit too pat and peachy keen to be a good primer for the unfortunate reality that the trans* community faces. The dialogue seemed written by an alien's approximation of what might pass for a teen conversation based on a diet of only Disney Channel and “how to talk to your teen” primers. Overall good message, good scripting for kids talking about different situations, and good aspirations for being an ally, but consider this the lite version of the coming of age coming out story.