Anyone who knows Liam O’Neil knows that he isn’t like other guys this age, nor has he ever been. Though some chalk this up to him simply being “different,” only his sister Regan knows the real truth: Liam is a transgender, and feel that he (or really, she) should have been born as a woman, and only lets her true self, a confident and fashionable woman named “Luna,” out late at night behind closed doors.
Regan has spent her whole life with Liam. Protecting him, supporting him, hiding his secret, and forcing herself to be removed from the rest of the world. But once Chris, an attractive new face who isn’t afraid to challenge Regan’s distant demeanor, arrives in her life, she realizes that things need to change. Liam’s ready to make changes too: to transition and begin living her life as Luna.
This book takes on a very creative perspective not through Peters writing from the viewpoint of Liam, but rather Regan. Regan offers an exciting perspective as she struggles through her own problems in the book, as well as reflects on her brothers. Though she claims that she doesn’t have a future, mainly through her poor grades, she speaks with a mature voice, particularly regarding her acceptance of her brother.
The story itself is told in a modern setting, presenting the reader with a realistic scenario that could play out in any American home, you friend’s, your neighbor’s, or even your own. Flashbacks are occasionally woven throughout the story, and revolve around Liam’s (including their ever-present desire to be female) and Regan’s childhoods, and just how involved they have been in each other’s lives.
I have nothing but love for the works of Julie Anne Peters, who also wrote Rage: A Love Story that I had previously reviewed here, and this book is just one of hers that I believe everyone should pick up at least once. While reading, one can only wonder what one would do were they in Regan’s position, or Liam’s/ Luna’s, and can easily understand why Luna was a National Book Award Finalist, and ponder as to why it took someone so long to write a book on such a serious topic that many deal with in very real ways every day.
5/5 Stars
(Amazon - Goodreads)
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