I did mention that Luna was a little too stereotypical- very into make-up and clothes and shopping, but not all females are. I also thought that Luna needed a lot more development, and she wasn’t very nuanced to me. I felt very much removed and distanced from what was going on, and even the flashbacks we get are more about Regan than they are about Luna. Luna is going through a lot, and Regan’s selfishness and need to be a martyr really took away from Luna’s story.

That’s not a bad thing, but we get no insight into Luna as a person and how much Luna is struggling to be accepted for who she is. Considering how close they were supposed to be, all I can tell you about Luna is that she is very stereotypical female. Instead of feeling for her, and how hard it has to be to be your sister’s confidante and secret keeper, I instead spent most of the book feeling like she needed to get over herself. Regan came across as really selfish and whiny, and I felt like she was the stereotypical “it’s so hard and it’s such a burden to have a sibling who’s different, woe is me because I have to keep their secret, and if people find out that my brother is transgender, I’ll never have my own identity because I’ll only be seen as the sister of someone who is transgender” sibling. It was really frustrating to read Luna’s story through Regan’s eyes. I have mixed feelings about it, though, and it’s mostly because of the characters and (to me) the reliance on stereotypes and lack of nuance.

I’ve heard some really good things about Luna, and figured I’d read it. But are Liam’s family and friends ready to welcome Luna into their lives? Compelling and provocative, this is an unforgettable novel about a transgender teen’s struggle for self-identity and acceptance. Now, everything is about to change-Luna is preparing to emerge from her cocoon. In the secrecy of his basement bedroom Liam transforms himself into the beautiful girl he longs to be, with help from his sister’s clothes and makeup. Like the moon from whom Liam has chosen his female namesake, his true self, Luna, only reveals herself at night. Regan’s brother Liam can’t stand the person he is during the day. Where I Got It: I borrowed the e-book from the library Published September 2008 by Little, Brown Books For Young Readers|248 pages

Luna by julie anne peters