REVIEW for I am J

Thank you to Little, Brown Books for Younger Reads for sending me this great book!

TITLE:             I am J

AUTHOR:       Cris Bream

GENRE:         YA

RATING:       4 Stars

It seems to me as though there are more and more YA novels on the subject of sexuality - more specifically on teens discovering who they are and what they want in life and I think this is a blessing.  Unfortunately, when I was younger, books did not tackle the social issues that are so important to bring out in the open and honestly talk about.

This is where the book I am J comes in and is at its mos valuable.  While it is in novel form, I can very well imagine quite a few teens (and not so teens) who are struggling with issue of sexuality, transgender and most importantly of feeling good in their own skin.

Firstly, I have to admit to feeling completely confused when I began this novel.  Our main character J is a girl on the outside who is, deep inside, a boy.  While I grasped this early on, I found myself confused at times with the pronouns being used - depending on who was speaking to J.  This was a bit jarring at first, but once I got into the storyline I was fine.

What follows is an extremely touching and deep story about a human being who is struggling to find his place in life - not only to the outside world, but also to himself.

This novel is incredibly well written and talks about the subject of transgender in a moving and respectful manner that made reading this novel a joy.

I have to be honest, I did not know much about transgender issues at all.  But after reading J's story and of feeling what he felt, I have a new appreciation for the pain and the struggle that can be experienced.

Having said that, I also have to say that this book is about empowering teens to be who they truly are and to walk through the pain and stay true to themselves.

I loved it.