For this book blog, I have chosen to write my response in the form of a letter to the author. I had an extremely positive reaction to this text and I wanted to frame my response in the form of a thank you to Julie Ann Peters, an author who I believe has taken an incredible leap and landed with grace. I fully intend on mailing an edited version of this letter upon reception of feedback.
Ms. Peters,
Thank you. You have captured the experience of a transsexual teen with such honesty, intelligence, and heart. Your novel, Luna was a joy to read for a plethora of reasons.
First of all, you gave your characters honest, realistic thoughts and feelings. You did not sugarcoat the incredibly challenging and heartbreaking discussion or experiences that accompany coming out as a trans individual and I think this truly made your book incredible. “She loved hearing that, that she could pass. Most girls spend hours and hours working on themselves so they’ll be striking, eye-catching, desirable. Liam would give everything to live one day as a plain, ordinary girl” (54). This passage really resonated with me. I have had so many similar conversations with my trans friends who have said those very same words and each and every time it breaks my heart. You have crafted this experience with precision and truth.
I was also very impressed with your seamless interweaving of the construction of gender and gender roles within the pages of the text. This allows your reader to place him or herself within the story, even if he or she does not have personal experience with a trans individual. The passage in which Regan is describing her babysitting charges was particularly accurate and succinct: “Pretty. A word for girls. The way handsome described boys. Liam was right; people did use boy and girl language. They expected different behaviors. When kids acted ‘out of role,’ as Liam put it, they were labeled tomboys or sissies” (50). Your mention of sexuality as a spectrum is also very enlightened; a bold yet important choice for a young adult novel.
Although your novel deals with issues of transsexuality, you take special care to not lump the T in with the G, L and B. This is often a challenge and I thought you did an excellent job of separating these identities and describing them respectfully and accurately. As you know, even people who have friends or relatives who identify as G, L, B or T still do not understand the difference between them. This particular inner monologue of Regan really stuck out for me: “He likes guys. We both do. That doesn’t make him gay. It makes him as straight as me because in side he’s a girl, Dad. Just like me. You have two daughters, okay?” (123). The separation of sexuality and gender from one another in your novel is very clear-cut in a way that I think young adults can really “get.” These distinctions and definitions are important and wonderfully effective when voiced by a likeable character in a novel.
In addition, I really admired your decision to give the voice of the novel to Regan rather than her transsexual sibling. Oftentimes coming of age stories are written from the perspective of the individual going through the identity discovery/crisis themselves. I thought having Regan tell the story was the perfect way to construct this narrative. This allows the book to reflect multiple perspectives, not just that of the trans individual. With Regan as narrator, the reader can get a sense of what it might be like to support a friend or family member going through something similar. It is a unique challenge that is not often discussed. I really appreciate the way you portrayed Regan. She was incredibly supportive, but also struggling and learning—a very honest depiction to which your readers can relate.
Overall, I thought your novel was incredibly well crafted, a very possible story with realistic issues and characters. Your willingness to write about a topic that many consider controversial is commendable. Thank you for creating a story in which even the most silenced voices can be heard. I cannot wait to share this story with my future students.
Sincerely,
Sarah Rose
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