Freakboy

by Kristin Elizabeth Clark

[Angie]

Freakboy made my heart hurt, but it also made me smile. It was my first novel about a trans character, and I think the author handled the subject really well. There's actually three connected narratives: Brendan, Angela, and Vanessa. Brendan appears to be the typical, All American guy. He's a wrestler and a gamer, and has been dating Vanessa for the past year. But on the inside, he's confused. He often dreams about being a girl, and wanting to be part of "the girl world." He doesn't think he's gay, because he does love his girlfriend, but then what is he? Then he meets Angel at the LGBTQ Teen center, and things start to click into place.

Freakboy is a verse novel, which I think worked really well for this story. It's not as "flowery" as other verse novels I've read, which will probably work for readers new to the genre. I do kind of wish I had read it in print though, since some of the poems are formatted into shapes that fit the content, and others have shorter imbedded poems, which I'd have to flip back a few pages to read. But they were well worth the extra button pushes, since those smaller poems were so heartbreaking, because they showed Brendan's deeper turmoil.

I loved how the author didn't make Freakboy just a sad book about a boy struggling with his gender identity and sexuality. Yes, she does show Brendan being bullied, losing his girlfriend, and beating himself up for not fitting in. But she does balance this with the brighter side. Angel has always known she was a girl, not the little boy society tried to make her. Now, at twenty, she works at the LGBTQ teen center to offer support to those who need it. She's comfortable in her skin and is open about who she is. She's just an all around optimistic person, despite some trouble in her past. Brendan really needed her as he figured out who he is and who he wants to be.

I just really loved Freakboy. Brendan's journey was a sad one, but ultimately it ended on a note of hope. I appreciate that the author didn't wrap things up super neatly by shoving Brendan into some box with a neat label. Not everyone falls completely into the gender binary, and I liked that she showed that. This novel was also more about Brendan's self-acceptance, rather than his coming out. While I would have liked to witness him taking the next step, I do like where Freakboy ended.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.