Parrotfish.

[Guest Samurai_Kid]

I ordered Parrotfish on Christmas Eve, and it arrived last week. I have since read it three times.

It's about a young FtM, around age fifteen, who transitions half way through high school. While I can't relate to Grady much, I do find his experiences quite fascinating. I wish something happened between him and Kita, but reality doesn't work that way.

I'm surprised his parents were so calm on the matter. They just let him be who he wanted to be. It's a bit idealistic, I suppose.

It seems gender identity in children's (kids to young adult) books are appearing more often, since this is for preteens (12 and up).

10000 Dresses.

Parrotfish.

Almost Perfect.

Choir Boy.

Luna.

..

I really wish I had more money, so I could buy more books.

Anyway, what's your opinion on the book?

[Guest Master Zero]

omg I've heard of Luna, I really need to read it!

[Guest sleeping chrysalid]

I can not wait to go to university because I may be able to find some of these books in a library there but if I tried to find them now my parents would have to know. Maybe you already understand the title parrotfish but it is a nice choice on the author's part. The parrotfish is known for naturally changing its sex. The only species that does not doe that is the marbled parrotfish. I guess it is a little silly commenting on the title before I can obtain the book but I just think that it's a clever one. I think the first book I will look for when I am on my own and less restricted is Luna just because of what I've heard about it but I will definitely look for this one next. Thank you for posting this.

[Guest Twist]

While I can't relate to Grady much, I do find his experiences quite fascinating.

I'm surprised his parents were so calm on the matter. They just let him be who he wanted to be. It's a bit idealistic, I suppose.

This is my opinion on the book . No really, it was entertaining but I feel like it's definitely overly idealistic... it really doesn't delve into any of the personal or relational conflict involved with being trans. The most likely outcome when you come out as trans isn't that your parents are going to be cool like that, or that people are going to go so far out of their way to bully you. The people you conflict with most are yourself and your family. I know that it's really hard to understand the emotions from an outside perspective, but authors write things from the perspectives of people they don't understand all the time, with much more fitting emotions and thoughts. I just feel like it lacked substance, you know? Anyway, criticisms over.

The best book I've read on the subject is The Sweet In Between. It's not a trans story as much as some of the others, since the main character doesn't identify as trans or male or whatnot, but it's by far the best understanding of dysphoria that I've ever come across.

To be honest, I'm pretty disappointed with most trans literature... I'll have to check out some of the ones you posted and update that opinion. If I have the time, I'm gonna write a legit trans story, although I don't know if a book with that much angst will be readable

also, cool blog about lgbt young adult literature http://www.leewind.org/

[Guest seanjamie]

I read Parrotfish and enjoyed it for what it is , it is alot more simple than we as transgender people have it- but it was enjoyable and I would not trade my copy for anything as it took me ages to get ahold of it .

I did however find that Luna is a great story on the perspective taken from a sibling.

There is a new book from down here where I live called "F2M : the boy within" which was co-written by an FtM. It is a pretty good book but it still lacks some of the depth and really there isn't alot of fictional stories that delve into the true issues involved in be transgender.