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A review by jenny_librarian
Trans Teen Survival Guide by Owl Fisher, Fox Fisher
5.0
I was given and ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Important note: I am not a trans person. I suggest you also read reviews by trans people to get their own feelings about the book.
5 ⭐️
As a future teen/YA librarian, I am constantly trying to find books I could add to a library that are inclusive and informative, and aren't necessarily the best-sellers "must-have". I am also wary of LGBT+ rep guides, because a lot of them are great at representing the sexual or gender orientation they are written for, but can be incredibly hurtful to other orientations in the process (mainly through erasure). This is not the case with Trans Teen Survival Guide. It touches LGBT+ as a whole, while still maintaining all subtleties about each and every orientation.
They go deep into the explanation of what sex, gender, gender orientation and gender expression are, the differences between them, and how there isn't a good or bad way to be a certain gender. It is not only an explanation of what gender is, but also how ti's viewed in (contemporary western) society and how hurtful some of the stereotypes are. It rightfully warn trans teens about people who might be obsessed with their genitals vs their gender, and about the dangers of stereotyping.
They constantly remind the reader that, no matter how they identify and express themselves, they are queer/trans enough, which is a really important thing. There has been a lot of "discussion" (using the term loosely here) on social media in the past few years about how some people are supposedly not queer enough for this or that reason. This kind of gatekeeping it extremely hurtful to the LGBT+ community, and I am glad that they address the issue in this book.
In fact, they address pretty much every issue in the book. Sexual orientation (with the exception of asexuality, which seems absent), fatness, degrees of gender expression (tomboy, feminine, butch, etc.) and just every different way a person who is trans could present as. All those points are used to remind readers that - no matter who you are - you are valid.
They talk about surgery in details, the pros and the cons and what each procedure is about.They also remind the reader that having surgery or not is a personal choice and doesn't affect the fact that they ARE trans. They are very open about everything, even when they don't encourage some of them. For example, they discourage resorting to the internet to gain access to hormones and hormones blocker, but they explain why some people could want/need to do that. While mentioning the dangers, they also make sure readers are not left in the dark.
They finish with a few advices for parents or people close to trans people. They remind those people to let kids be kids and not try to put them in boxes depending on the gender they were assigned at birth. They also tell parents to take their children seriously if they express a serious want or need to change gender, and educate themselves on the matter. It is really important not to dismiss this, as it can lead children to mental illnesses based on self-hate and guilt.
The whole book is extremely important and was presented brilliantly. There is plenty of resources listed and trans readers are constantly reminded that it gets better, they will be alright, they matter, they are valid and they are enough. I think it's important that we have more books like this exploring each and every aspect of the LGBT+ community.
Important note: I am not a trans person. I suggest you also read reviews by trans people to get their own feelings about the book.
5 ⭐️
As a future teen/YA librarian, I am constantly trying to find books I could add to a library that are inclusive and informative, and aren't necessarily the best-sellers "must-have". I am also wary of LGBT+ rep guides, because a lot of them are great at representing the sexual or gender orientation they are written for, but can be incredibly hurtful to other orientations in the process (mainly through erasure). This is not the case with Trans Teen Survival Guide. It touches LGBT+ as a whole, while still maintaining all subtleties about each and every orientation.
They go deep into the explanation of what sex, gender, gender orientation and gender expression are, the differences between them, and how there isn't a good or bad way to be a certain gender. It is not only an explanation of what gender is, but also how ti's viewed in (contemporary western) society and how hurtful some of the stereotypes are. It rightfully warn trans teens about people who might be obsessed with their genitals vs their gender, and about the dangers of stereotyping.
They constantly remind the reader that, no matter how they identify and express themselves, they are queer/trans enough, which is a really important thing. There has been a lot of "discussion" (using the term loosely here) on social media in the past few years about how some people are supposedly not queer enough for this or that reason. This kind of gatekeeping it extremely hurtful to the LGBT+ community, and I am glad that they address the issue in this book.
In fact, they address pretty much every issue in the book. Sexual orientation (with the exception of asexuality, which seems absent), fatness, degrees of gender expression (tomboy, feminine, butch, etc.) and just every different way a person who is trans could present as. All those points are used to remind readers that - no matter who you are - you are valid.
They talk about surgery in details, the pros and the cons and what each procedure is about.They also remind the reader that having surgery or not is a personal choice and doesn't affect the fact that they ARE trans. They are very open about everything, even when they don't encourage some of them. For example, they discourage resorting to the internet to gain access to hormones and hormones blocker, but they explain why some people could want/need to do that. While mentioning the dangers, they also make sure readers are not left in the dark.
They finish with a few advices for parents or people close to trans people. They remind those people to let kids be kids and not try to put them in boxes depending on the gender they were assigned at birth. They also tell parents to take their children seriously if they express a serious want or need to change gender, and educate themselves on the matter. It is really important not to dismiss this, as it can lead children to mental illnesses based on self-hate and guilt.
The whole book is extremely important and was presented brilliantly. There is plenty of resources listed and trans readers are constantly reminded that it gets better, they will be alright, they matter, they are valid and they are enough. I think it's important that we have more books like this exploring each and every aspect of the LGBT+ community.