Alex as Well

Reviewed by: Carla McAllister - New Gloucester Public Library, New Gloucester, Maine, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: June 5, 2015

Review

This book deals with a fourteen-year old who is struggling with his/her (hs) identity in a big way. Little does he/she(hs) know that hs was born with both female and male anatomy. There is a small penis involved, which hs refers to as a noodle, and ovaries. Hs has been on medication for hs entire life to turn hs toward boyhood, as this was determined the best route by doctors and specialists involved. However, hs now has decided not to take the medication and wants to be female. This is a fascinating and rare topic for a book targeting middle school to high school age readers. Her parents handle it poorly, to say the least and Alex, a nice gender neutral name, has an ongoing two-sided inner dialogue and struggles with understanding whether or not hs is a lesbian, while also having male anatomical reactions to girls h/s finds attractive. This is a good story for young adolescents dealing with identity issues and for anyone who wants to better understand issues of this type, hopefully leading to more open-mindedness and sympathy around the topic.

Overall Book Score: very good