Parenthetical.net

This was a request from Zix, who wanted to know what I thought of this after reading Luna. (I do take requests, btw — if there’s a YA novel you want me to review, just let me know! I’d rather post stuff I know people want to read.)

Parrotfish opens in the middle of Angela’s transition to Grady: he’s already decided he’s done with being a girl, he’s shared his new name with his family, he’s bought some boy’s clothes, and he’s about to tell his teachers about the pronoun switch.

Of course this doesn’t go smoothly. His mom and sister are wigged out, the principal and several teachers are predictably rigid, his best friend can’t deal with the fact that being friends with the school freak makes her a freak, too.

But what’s cool about this book is how many things do go smoothly. His gym teacher’s reaction is a weary, “Don’t tell me. Good Lord, you’re transgendered, aren’t you?” at which point she gives him her office to change in and goes to bat for him in her gruff way with the rest of the school. He segues into a new group of friends with minimal fuss, including a beautiful girl who might actually like him back. And his dad just says, “Nice name,” and goes back to treating him the same way he always has. There’s no illusion that this is an easy process, but Grady has enough love and support in his life to stay believably strong.

Some characterizations are shallow (Grady’s mom and siblings, the popular girls), but they’re balanced by more entertaining characters (his new friend Sebastian, his Christmas-decoration-obsessed dad), and Grady’s own funny, engaging voice. That’s right, this is a funny book: Grady can be bitter and cynical, but he never wallows. (And nothing’s hilarious like a house all dressed up for Christmas with Victorian picture windows and moth-eaten bears.)

Eventually there will be enough books on this subject that I’ll be able to judge them on their own merits without comparing them to “that one other book about the transgendered kid.” In the meantime, I’ll say that this isn’t a 5-star novel, but it does rise above the generic problem-novel status of Luna. It’s a very good book on the subject of transgendered teens, and that is a thing we need more of.

Also reviewed at: Emily Reads, Bookslut, and A Chair, a Fireplace, & a Tea Cozy.

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