Freakboy

Freakboy by Kristin Elizabeth Clark

Freakboy by Kristin Elizabeth Clark, Farrar Straus Giroux Books, New York, 2013. ISBN: 978-0374324728

Plot Summary

“Freakboy” is told from the point of view of three different teens. Brendan seems to have the perfect life between his good grades, his wrestling meets, and his beautiful girlfriend, Vanessa.  But Brendan keeps having strange thoughts--like  what would it be like to be a girl, so graceful and beautiful? And how can he be transgender if he still likes being a guy?

Vanessa isn’t sure what’s going on with her boyfriend.  Sure he’s been moody and distant before, but this time it’s different.  She knows she’s not the typical frilly girlfriend--after all, she’s on the school’s wresting team with Brendan. Could her being a tomboy have something to do with Brendan’s distance?

Angel is the beautiful, worldly young woman who works at the local LGBTQ teen center. She’s also transgender and seems to be pretty comfortable with her life and who she is. Motivated by her abusive past, Angel is determined to help other LGBTQ teens get help and find their way. But can she get Brendan the help he needs, especially when he’s not being honest?

Critical Evaluation

The narrative in “Freakboy” has two distinct qualities with its  multiple first person points of view (POV) and being written in verse.  Clark makes it easy to figure out who’s speaking in each chapter, not only by their name at the beginning of their section but also their distinct voices. Brendan’s words are as jumbled as his thoughts, Vanessa ties in her family toward how she’s feeling, and Angel uses descriptions such as the color of the sky to correlate with how she’s feeling. The multiple POV’s helps the reader gain a better understanding into each of the characters, much more than a third person narrative might have.

Being written in verse does several favors for the book.  Readers who are fans of Ellen Hopkins and other YA verse authors will find Clark’s writing style familiar. Despite the book being over 400 pages long, it’s a quick read and reluctant readers will find it easy to get into the plot.  Several of the pages are also written out in different shapes: a T for transgender, a question mark for Brendan’s feelings. While the book does deal with several difficult and challenging topics such as gender identity and depression, the POV’s and verse narrative makes for an easy and diverse read.

Reader’s Annotation

If you like being a guy, but also think about being a girl, does that make you a freak? That’s what Brendan Chase thinks of himself, anyway.

About the Author

“Kristin Elizabeth Clark lives and writes in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Northern California. She hikes with her dog and reads to her cats… but she’s not one of THOSE people. Really. She has worked as a child advocate within the juvenile justice system, as a children’s theater producer, and is a proud volunteer at Project Outlet in Mountain View, California. Her young adult debut, Freakboy, was published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) on October 22^nd, 2013.”

(Bio. Retrieved  November 19^th, 2014 from http://kristinelizabethclark.com/about/)

Genres

LGBTQ

Contemporary/Coming of Age 

Verse

Curriculum Ties:

Poetry

Booktalking Ideas

1: Is it easier or harder to express your thoughts through verse?

2: Which of the three characters do you relate with most?

Reading Level/Interest Age

14+

Grades 9+

Challenge Issues

LGBTQ

Mentions of depression/suicide

Defense File

1—Ensure that policies such as “Freedom to Read,” “Collection Development,” and “Challenged Materials” are available for patrons and staff to read and research. Have list of awards and reviews for titles, as well as a “Reconsideration Form” on hand at all branches.

2—Listen to challenges and complaints openly and without judgment. Allow the patron to express their thoughts without inputting your own.

3—Have patron fill out reconsideration form. Provide information and background on challenge material’s author and title.  Forward reconsideration form to appropriate supervisors.

PPLD’s Challenge Materials Policy: http://ppld.org/challenged-materials-policy

PPLD’s Collection Development Policy: http://ppld.org/collection-development-policy

Why Included?

I included “Freakboy,” because it’s a newer YA book dealing with gender identity. I also loved the beautiful verse it was written in.

Luna

Luna by Julie Anne Peters

Luna by Julie Anne Peters, Hachette Book Group, New York, 2004. ISBN: 978-0316011273

Plot Summary

Regan is getting tired of hiding a secret from everyone she knows. Her older brother golden boy Liam, is actually transgender. Nobody else knows about Luna, Liam’s true self, except for Regan, and it’s getting harder to keep the secret. Their dad wants Liam to try out for sports and have a girlfriend like any other ‘normal’ teenage boy. And their mom is too busy with her wedding planning business to notice anything strange going on.

Regan just wants a normal life--one where she understands her chemistry class, has friends, and maybe even start dating Chris, the new, cute guy who seems to like her. But when Liam tells Regan he wants to transition and tell his family and friends about Luna, Regan knows any chance at a normal life is over. Now Luna wants to go out shopping, go to malls and shops, and act like a normal teenage girl. But what will happen when Luna’s secret gets out? How will their parents and friends respond?

Critical Evaluation

It’s easy to identify with both Regan and Liam/Luna.  Regan may not think of herself as a typical teen girl, but she still worries about school, boys, and friends, like many teens do.  Readers can also relate to Regan’s feelings about keeping her brother’s secret: many teens have been in the same position, regardless of what the secret is. Regan is also trying to find out her own identity, as she wants to be her own person, and not just simply Liam’s sister. Trying to set themselves apart from their siblings is something many teens and even adults can identify with. The audience can also identify with Liam/Luna's struggle to be her true self, despite what others might think.

I found the relationship between Regan and Luna to be realistic and emotional. Regan loves her sibling, but  at the same time finds herself embarrassed and annoyed when Luna comes out.  Despite Regan’s thoughts that Luna has ruined and betrayed her, she does come back and help out her sister by going shopping with her, or continuing to keep her secret.  Like many ‘real life’ sibling relationships, Regan and Luna’s relationship isn’t perfect.  They scream, cry, and say terrible things to each other.  But both Regan and Luna realize that as sisters, they will always be there for each other.  

Reader’s Annotation

How much does Regan love her brother? Enough to keep his true self, Luna, safe.

About the Author

 “Julie Anne Peters is the critically-acclaimed, award winning author of more than a dozen books for young adults and children. Her book, Luna, was a National Book Award Finalist; Keeping You a Secret  was named a Stonewall Honor Book; Between Mom and Jo won a Lambda Literary Award; and Define “Normal” was voted by young readers as their favorite book of the year in California and Maryland. Julie’s books have been published in numerous countries, including Korea, China, Croatia, Germany, France, Italy, Indonesia, Turkey, and Brazil.”

“To deal with the devastating possibility that I might have actually failed at my SECOND career choice, I began to write. What came out of me were stories and books for young people. They took me back to the time in my life when the decisions I made, the paths I chose, determined the kind of person I would become.  I still live in Colorado, in the 'burbs. My partner Sherri and I met in college, and we’ve been together ever since. Our home sits on a hill with a breathtaking view of the snow-capped peaks along the Continental Divide. There's a skulk of foxes (that's what my Thesaurus calls them) who've laid claim to our neighborhood, along with the occasional coyote on the prowl for good garbage digs.

My neighbors think I'm slumming because I stay home all day. But they can't see all the places I go to in my mind. Amazing, exciting, happy, sad, horrible, wonderful places. Yeah, okay, these may be psychotic episodes brought on by lack of human contact, but I like to think my brain is a breeding ground for stories. Something is always festering in there. So, readers, sit tight; you're in for a rocky ride. I promise you one thing—it'll be noisy, but fun.”

(My True Story.  Retrieved  November 19^th, 2014 from http://www.julieannepeters.com/files/JPBio.htm)

Genres

LGBTQ

Contemporary/Coming of Age 

Curriculum Ties: N/A

Booktalking Ideas

1:  Keeping a secret: when is it okay, when does it become unhealthy?

2: Being true to yourself, despite what others think.

Reading Level/Interest Age

14+

Grades 9+

Challenge Issues

LGBTQ

Language

Defense File

1—Ensure that policies such as “Freedom to Read,” “Collection Development,” and “Challenged Materials” are available for patrons and staff to read and research. Have list of awards and reviews for titles, as well as a “Reconsideration Form” on hand at all branches.

2—Listen to challenges and complaints openly and without judgment. Allow the patron to express their thoughts without inputting your own.

3—Have patron fill out reconsideration form. Provide information and background on challenge material’s author and title.  Forward reconsideration form to appropriate supervisors.

PPLD’s Challenge Materials Policy: http://ppld.org/challenged-materials-policy

PPLD’s Collection Development Policy: http://ppld.org/collection-development-policy

Why Included?

I included “Luna” for its themes on gender identity. I also loved the relationship between Regan and Luna.