Hello, fellow Ugly Children.

I have one request to make of you before you read this review: find Hanson's Scream and Be Free and put it on repeat. Because that is my theme song for this book. Because this book means a lot. And Hanson has been an important factor in my life since middle school. And as this book uses music as a strong, important theme, it seemed appropriate to bring that up.

sing it if you know it
scream it if you feel it
there's nothing standing in your way
follow along with me
Scream and Be Free

Gabe's story is, for all intents and purposes, your typical YA coming of age novel - he's finding his way in the world, figuring out life and dating and friendships and the big What Comes Next question.

The only difference between Gabe and your typical YA protagonist is that Gabe is Trans*. Obviously, Gabe's being Trans* plays an important part in the story, as it's a huge part of his life with regards to that big What Comes Next question, not to mention navigating the dating scene. But what I like about this book is it doesn't read like a Trans* Book. It reads like a YA coming of age novel that happens to be about a Trans* guy.

Gabe lives his life and makes mistakes and tries new things and puts himself out there. Things go well, things don't go well. That's life, and Gabe learns to deal with the hits and the misses (Catch the Hanson references :P).

Gabe is still figuring things out at the end of the book, because that's how life goes, and his story isn't over just because the book is.

And it's definitely a story I'll be revisiting.

If we look to another for our dreams
they may never become our own.