Rethinking Normal

July 21, 2014
Katie knew she was a girl on the inside, even when she was a suicidal kid named Luke growing up in a disjointed family in Oklahoma. Bullied relentlessly at school and unsupported by administrators, other students’ parents, and even her own father, Katie finds an ally in her mother, who stands by her child as she starts dressing like a girl, legally changes her name, and travels to get genital reconstruction surgery the day after turning 18. Along the way, Katie becomes an advocate for transgender teens, appearing on TV with her trans boyfriend Arin Andrews, whose memoir, Some Assembly Required, is being published simultaneously. Katie’s story provides solid information about what it means to be transgender and to transition, as well as “Tips for Talking to Transgender People” in the back matter. Part of what makes Katie’s story so extraordinary is that many of her struggles are entirely ordinary (she cheats on Arin, for example, lying to him when he finds out through Facebook). Being so open—and openly imperfect—makes Katie relatable on a human level, not just as a spokesperson. Ages 14–up.

August 1, 2014

Gr 8 Up-Like most transgender children, Katie, who was born and raised as a boy named Luke, was aware of her difference early on, though it was years before she found the word to describe herself. Other family problems made it easy for her to withdraw into a serious depression without being noticed. When Katie finally came across the word "transgender" and read descriptions of what it meant, she risked everything and reached out to her mother, who was supportive and relieved to understand her child better. She promised to help Katie make the transition to her internally identified gender of female, if Katie promised not to kill herself. The book opens with Katie starting college. Having chosen to be an out and open transgender activist while still in high school, she decided to "go stealth" at college, a term used to describe transgender people who prefer not to be identified as such. The writing style is open and straightforward, although much of the dialogue is awkward and extraneous. The book starts out a bit slowly and picks up significantly in the later half. This is a worthwhile addition, given how few transgender memoirs there are for teens.-Nancy Silverrod, San Francisco Public Library

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 15, 2014
In a warm, conversational and sometimes-irreverent memoir, a young transgender woman discusses friendship, family and romance, as well as gender, transition and coming out. Readers may recognize author Katie Rain Hill as one half of a transgender teen couple whose relationship was profiled on television's Inside Edition. (Arin Andrews, the other half, has written his own memoir, Some Assembly Required.) Here, the author, a college student at the time of the book's publication, recounts significant moments from her life so far, including being bullied in middle school, coming out to her mom and transitioning as a teenager, and meeting new friends at college. Hill tackles both painful and joyful experiences with a light touch, and background information about gender and physical transition is woven seamlessly into the narrative. Reading Hill's and Andrews' memoirs side by side, readers will notice differences in the way the two-now split-describe their relationship. Of particular interest to celebrity-savvy readers is the way both narratives differ from the version of their relationship shown on television, a contrast Katie likens to "a business proposition, like Katniss and Peeta in The Hunger Games." Will both educate cisgender readers and strike sparks of recognition in those questioning their own gender identities. (Memoir. 12 & up)

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