I should start this review by stating that I am a cishet woman, so I can only really speak from that perspective. Considering that this book was published back in 2014, it was groundbreaking in introducing trans teen voices and stories. The book includes teens who are trans female, trans male, non-binary and intersex. There is a variety in their experiences - some had family support, others had little. But I still have some issues with this book that I think need to be discussed. And I think that with more and more books being published about trans lives, there are probably better books to get now.

My issues:
-Almost all of the teens live in NYC, which makes sense when you read how the author went about finding most of her interviewees - through a specific clinic. But it misses out on how different trans experiences are in different parts of the country and the world.
-The writing feels awkward at times. The sentences are often short and I wonder if it's directly quoting the teens or if it's paraphrasing.
-Gender norms often get reinforced. Some of the trans men talk about things they like about their lives post-transition that could basically be considered toxic masculinity.
-Sexual abuse and pedophilia - Mariah's story is painful and disturbing to read; the abuse she experienced as a child is heartbreaking. It feels like her story is presented just as it is, without any discussion of the wrongness of what she experienced, or any resources for someone who might be going through a similar experience. There is a sense in the way that she talks about it that she doesn't really see anything wrong with this or hasn't reckoned with how this affected her - (at age 6 "I used to love oral... We were really young, but that's what we did" (at age 8 - "There was sex - what I would call curiosity sex. We were experimenting. Isn't that what kids do at that age?" This chapter in particular is why I would not recommend this book for any age below high school.