Tag Archives: transgender

Review: This is How We Roll edited by Rosiee Thor

Anthology or Collection, Blogger's Favorites, Contemporary, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , , ,
This is How We Roll edited by Rosiee Thor

This is How We Roll
edited by Rosiee Thor
PageStreet YA
Published September 16, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About This is How We Roll

The magic of tabletop RPGs lives in the creativity of the players. Given the chance to explore gender, relationships, and queer existence across vast worlds with completely different sets of rules, queer players throughout the years have found acceptance, camaraderie, and joy by rolling the dice and kicking ass. This anthology celebrates that TTRPG rite of passage with a diverse lineup of queer authors who are just as mighty with their pens as with swords? and shields? and spells!

This collection of fourteen stories includes critically acclaimed authors such as New York Times Bestseller Marieke Nijkamp, New York Times Bestseller Andrew Joseph White, Pura Belpré Honor winner Jonny Garza Villa, LAMBDA Literary Award winner Rebecca Podos, LAMBDA Award finalist Linsey Miller, Indie Bestseller Margaret Owen, and Morris Award finalist Akemi Dawn Bowman.

My Review

My last DnD campaign (and my first as DM) fizzled out as the holidays hit and players got busy with other adventures. Reading this book made me remember all the reasons I love playing Tabletop Role Playing Games (TTRPGs) to begin with.

First off, the stories are all super entertaining. Most balance the in-game storytelling and at-the-table experience of the players perfectly. There are a couple that really only show one side of the experience, and those are so creative. They all fit perfectly into the collection.

The stories also encapsulate a wide variety of gaming experiences, from playing with longtime friends to a new group playing for the first time, or a new player joining an established group. Sometimes the story is from the perspective of a new player, and at other times, we follow the experienced player as they navigate feelings about the newbie at their table. Some groups play the game in person, while others play online. Some homebrew the experience, while others meticulously follow the rules of the game.

The players represent an inclusive group, too. In the opening story, the point-of-view character uses a wheelchair (from an injury). Some stories center queer identity and/or neurodivergence and show how creating a game character free to interact with the world sans the expectations of the people who “know” us can help people recognize truths about themselves and others.

I also like that the stories include the interpersonal challenges that can come from playing the game. In one story, a player’s character makes unwelcome romantic advances at another player’s character. It’s handled safely, but shows the discomfort and the anxiety the player feels about how to resolve the situation. In another story, a group welcomes one player’s rival as a new player at the table. One story shows a DM whose behavior threatens to extinguish the campaign, and how the players respond.

The authors also explore the circumstances surrounding the gameplay creatively, too. One of my favorite stories takes place in the far distant future in space, where a group of kids uses a “prespace” artifact (a DnD player handbook) to try out what they rightly assume was a popular game on earth. That was such a fun take.

In one story in which the characters play the game online with separate chat logs from in-game dialogue and secret character identitites, I had a hard time keeping track of who was who at first. I’m still not sure I understand all of the connections between the players. I like that the collection showcased that style of gameplay and the development of relationships between players, though.

All in all, this is a fabulous tribute to TTRPGs and people who love them. I think both people familiar with the games and those with a passing interest will enjoy this collection. It’s so much fun.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.

Spiritual Content
Stories include descriptions of characters’ TTRPG sessions fighting mythical creatures, using magic, etc. A couple stories include characters from Christian families with religious objections to DnD in particular, referring to the game as leading players astray from their faith.

Violent Content
Descriptions of situations of peril. One story includes a wild animal accidentally trapped indoors and the attempt to get it outside without putting the characters at risk for disease or harming the animal. References to homophobia, transphobia, and prejudicial comments about ace identity.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: These Vengeful Gods by Gabe Cole Novoa

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , ,

These Vengeful Gods
Gabe Cole Novoa
Random House Children’s
Published May 27, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About These Vengeful Gods

ALL GODS MUST DIE in this searingly relevant YA from award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of The Wicked Bargain and Most Ardently. In a world bound by violence, a teen descended from the god of Death must keep their true identity a secret as they fight their way through a gladiator-style competition towards victory and rebellion against the gods who murdered their family.

Years ago, the descendants of the god of Death were murdered. The few that remain are in hiding, including Crow, a teen who survived the genocide and hides their magic to stay alive. After fleeing their village, Crow now lives with their uncles in the lowest part of the the Shallows.

Life in the Shallows is tough, but Crow’s even tougher. Hiding their magic has made Crow resourceful, cunning, and unbeatable — which comes in handy as a fighter in the city’s lucrative underground fighting ring.

Then, Crow’s uncles are arrested for harboring Deathchildren.  

With fists tightly clenched, Crow vows to set their uncles free. But to do that, they’re going to need to enter a world that threatens Crow’s very existence. Carefully navigating the politics of the wealthy and powerful, they enter the Tournament of the Gods — a gladiator-style competition where the winner is granted a favor. As they battle their way towards the winner’s circle, Crow plans to ask the gods for their uncles’ freedom as their reward.

But in a city of gods and magic, you don’t ask for what you want.

You take it.

My Review

I absolutely devoured this book. When I first opened it, I wanted to read the opening line, and I think I literally didn’t look up from the pages until twelve chapters later. So, yeah, this one is pretty immediately engrossing.

The story world is rich. A class system divides the people in Crow’s world, with levels ranging from literal gods to the poor barely scraping by in the Shallows. Crow’s one chance to escape the Shallows and rescue his family from prison comes in the form of a game in which competitors battle, often to the death. This part has a little bit of a Hunger Games vibe. Crow and the other fighters are signed up to compete in this tournament, and there’s all this pageantry surrounding them. And yet, essentially, their potential deaths are part of the entertainment.

Crow becomes part of a team who help each other within the competition. I enjoyed the way those relationships developed and the balance it brought to the story. Crow is the kind of character that gets pretty lost in his own head, so it worked well for there to be allies that drew him out.

If you’re looking for a fast-paced, tournament-focused fantasy novel, I highly recommend this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used periodically.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing. In one scene, a couple fall into bed kissing.

Spiritual Content
Some characters are literal gods with certain kinds of magic. Runemagic also allows people to cast spells.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. References to genocide. Battle scenes. Also, spiders appear in multiple scenes.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Trans and Gender Diverse Teen Resilience Guide by Jayme L Peta, Deb Coolhart, and Rylan Jay Testa

Book Review and Content, Nonfiction, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , ,

Trans and Gender Diverse Teen Resilience Guide
Jayme L Peta, Deb Coolhart, and Rylan Jay Testa
New Harbinger Press
Published May 1, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Trans and Gender Diverse Teen Resilience Guide

A teen-friendly guide to help you embrace your identity, build resilience, and thrive.

As a transgender or nonbinary teen, you may sometimes feel like you are alone. The world can be a scary, unkind place, and if you’re struggling to find support, you may be tempted to lose hope. But it’s important for you to know that there are other teens out there just like you—as well as a whole community of folks who have been where you are now, and who are thriving as adults. Finding hope, happiness, and community takes time. In the meantime, this compassionate guide can help.

Written just for trans and nonbinary (TGNB) youth, this book offers trauma-informed skills to help you embrace who you are, give and find support in community, and thrive. You’ll discover tools to help you manage intense emotions and stress, cultivate self-compassion, prioritize self-care, and create communities of support. Finally, you’ll learn how to focus on creating the life you want to live, in a positive community of others.

When faced with life’s challenges, it’s vital to remember that you are not alone, and you deserve to be happy, safe, and loved. No matter what. This book can help support you as you navigate the world and discover all the wonders that make you you.

My Review

I read this book as a part of expanding my knowledge as an ally. Even though the content isn’t directed at me, there are lots of ways in which it still applied. So, that was a nice bonus.

The book helps readers thoughtfully develop self-care habits and routines. It’s packed with solid, tried-and-true information explained clearly and gently. I love that the suggestions include practical steps for how to navigate relationships with unsupportive versus supportive people.

The book includes journal prompts and encourages readers to dance or exercise or get outside in nature to help manage anxiety and other difficult emotions.

The only thing I wish was different about the book is the way it’s organized. Though it’s pretty short– I think the whole book is only 122 pages– it’s only broken up into seven chapters. The text is broken up by bold subheadings. Each chapter ends with a bulleted list of “takeaway” ideas.

I think breaking up the text with dialogue boxes or separating out the journal prompts (or repeating them at the end of the chapter) would make the book easier to use. It’s possible that the final version has better formatting– I just read an electronic ARC (advanced review copy) that I got on NetGalley.

As a person connected to a couple of people who are trans and/or gender diverse, I found the book helpful, too. I learned some things about internalized transphobia that weren’t obvious to me before. It also helped to sit with information about the experience of being trans or gender diverse.

I’ll be reviewing another book shortly on gender identity called The Gender Binary is a Big Lie, and I’m interested to see if there are ways in which the two books overlap.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to dating relationships.

Spiritual Content
Briefly encourages mindfulness practices.

Violent Content
Vague references to bullying.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Joy to the World by Kai Shappley and Lu Bunker

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , , ,

Joy to the World
Kai Shappley and Lu Bunker (writing at the time as Lisa Bunker)
Publisher
Published May 9, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Joy to the World

A young Dumplin’ meets Melissa in this joyful and energetic middle grade novel about a twelve-year-old girl living her life to the fullest, celebrating her love for sports and fighting for her right to cheer.

Joy, a twelve-year-old trans girl, just moved to Texas with her mother and older brother. Her family has accepted Joy as the girl she is early in her transition, with little fuss, leaving Joy to explore her love of sports, competition, teamwork, school spirit, and worship. But when she is told she’s off the cheerleading team, Joy wants to fight for her right to cheer.

As her battle with the school board picks up momentum, Joy attracts support from kids all around the country . . . she even gets the attention of her hero, trans activist Kai Shappley. Inspired by Kai’s own life, Joy, to the World is a timely story of living life to the fullest, celebrating and centering trans joy, courage, and resilience. 

My Review

I picked up this book because I want to read more fiction by and about transgender characters, especially trans girls. What I found here, though, is such a beautiful story about a family and community coming together to celebrate cheerleading and validate a young girl’s existence.

I imagine there are still a lot of places in which people don’t meet transgender kids. It’s not a super common thing, and some, like Joy, choose to live in stealth and not advertise their identities, for very understandable reasons. Books like this one offer readers a chance to read about the experience that a trans girl and her family might have. Joy is a sweet, friendly girl who loves cheerleading and enjoys spending time with her friends.

I really enjoyed the portrayal of Joy’s family unit. Her mom takes time to think things through, but she remains supportive of Joy and cares about her feelings. Joy’s older brother, Will, doesn’t always see eye to eye with her, and sometimes takes the opportunity to tease her in the way older brothers do. But when push comes to shove, he supports her and offers helpful insights into how Joy can speak up for herself.

Though in the story, Joy experiences hate and ignorance, the narrative remains positive and often very gentle. Joy relates a positive experience with her faith. She also loves cheerleading. These things challenge the tendency that we have to reduce people to one part of their identity.

This book is an essential narrative about the experience of growing up transgender. I highly recommend it for readers looking for a positive, uplifting story about living authentically, celebrating your interests, and building community.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Joy is a Christian and attends a LGBTQIA+ affirming church. She references finding comfort in her faith and closes each of her journal entries with a brief prayer asking God to bless others around her.

Violent Content
The book contains some transphobic comments, though these are often summarized or referenced rather than outright stated. Joy is misgendered a few times. She experiences hateful comments from people online. One person uses emojis to suggest that they would shoot a transgender child.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Flyboy by Kasey LeBlanc

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Magical Realism, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

Flyboy
Kasey LeBlanc
Balzer + Bray
Published May 14, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Flyboy

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda meets the speculative twists of The Night Circus in this standout debut YA novel, about a boy who visits the magic-filled circus of his dreams each night in order to escape his daily reality where his trans identity remains a secret.

After an incident at his school leaves closeted trans teenager Asher Sullivan needing stitches, his mother betrays him in the worst possible way—she sends him to Catholic school for his senior year. Now he has to contend with hideous plaid skirts, cranky nuns, and #bathroomJesus.

Nighttime brings an escape for Asher when he dreams of the Midnight Circus—the one place where he is seen for the boy he truly is. Too bad it exists only in his sleep. Or at least, that’s what he believes, until the day his annoyingly attractive trapeze rival, Apollo, walks out of his dreams and into his classroom. On the heels of this realization that the magical circus might be real, Asher also learns that his time there is limited.

In his desperation to hang onto the one place he feels at home, Asher sets both worlds on a collision course that could destroy all the relationships he cares about most. Now he must decide how far he’ll go to preserve the magical circus, even if it means facing his biggest challenge yet—coming out.

My Review

I love the concept of this story. Ash’s daytime life in Catholic school, the constant pain of being misgendered and living unseen juxtaposed against his life in the Midnight Circus, in which his body matches his identity and people truly see him, is brilliantly done. When he arrives at the circus at one point, Ash takes a full breath and notes that this is something he can’t do in his waking life. It’s a powerful moment.

His relationship with his mom is complex. He hasn’t come out to her at the story’s start, and he experiences so much frustration with her. It’s like he wants her to figure out that he’s a boy without telling her, even though he also knows he’s keeping her from knowing by not speaking up himself. That internal struggle felt so raw and so real.

The only thing in the story that I struggled with at all is the pacing. This is a big story, with two different worlds and casts, plus a romance subplot, plus a coming-out. There’s school drama, family drama, and friend drama, too. That’s a lot to fit into 364 pages.

There are a few big moments that I wish had had more space to breathe. For example, when we finally learn what happened that day in the bathroom, which left Ash needing stitches. That resolution was so important to the story, and it felt a little bit rushed to me.

On the whole, I think that’s a small thing. This is still an incredible debut novel that draws readers into understanding the pain of a closeted life and allows us to join in Asher’s triumph as he embraces his identity. I really enjoyed reading this book, and I’m truly excited to see what the author writes next.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Some swearing and a handful of F-bombs.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.

Spiritual Content
Asher attends Catholic school and mass with his grandparents.

Violent Content
Homophobia and transphobia, including the use of a slur. Ash is misgendered by people who don’t know his identity, and he describes the hurt and dysphoria this causes. He witnesses a fight between three boys. He hears rumors that someone burned down a school. One scene shows a fire with people inside the building. References to a fatal car accident. Ash witnesses someone having what appears to be a stroke or heart attack. Ash punches a boy in the face.

Drug Content
Ash attends a party where teens drink alcohol. In one scene, Ash and two friends drink cheap wine and get very drunk.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: This Day Changes Everything by Edward Underhill

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , ,

This Day Changes Everything
Edward Underhill
Wednesday Books
Published February 13, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About This Day Changes Everything

Dash & Lily meets Ferris Bueller’s Day Off in Edward Underhill’s new whirlwind rom-com about two queer teens who spend one life-changing day together in New York City.

Abby Akerman believes in the Universe. After all, her Midwest high school marching band is about to perform in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City—if that’s not proof that magical things can happen, what is? New York also happens to be the setting of her favorite romance novel, making it the perfect place for Abby to finally tell her best friend Kat that she’s in love with her (and, um, gay). She’s carefully annotated a copy of the book as a gift for Kat, and she’s counting on the Universe to provide an Epic Scene worthy of her own rom-com.

Leo Brewer, on the other hand, just wants to get through this trip without falling apart. He doesn’t believe the Universe is magical at all, mostly because he’s about to be outed to his very Southern extended family on national TV as the trans boy he really is. He’s not excited for the parade, and he’s even less excited for an entire day of sightseeing with his band.

But the Universe has other ideas. When fate throws Abby and Leo together on the wrong subway train, they soon find themselves lost in the middle of Manhattan. Even worse, Leo accidentally causes Abby to lose her Epic Gift for Kat. So to salvage the day, they come up with a new mission: find a souvenir from every location mentioned in the book for Abby to give Kat instead. But as Leo and Abby traverse the city, from the streets of Chinatown to the halls of Grand Central Station and the top of the Empire State Building, their initial expectations for the trip—and of each other—begin to shift. Maybe, if they let it, this could be the day that changes everything, for both of them.

My Review

I enjoyed Edward Underhill’s debut novel, but this one is my favorite of the two. It has so many fun references to New York City, marching band nerdiness, and a celebration of books and fanfiction. I had a lot of fun reading this one.

The story alternates between Abby and Leo’s points of view, so we get to watch them get to know one another and learn to read one another as they experience a wild “lost in New York” kind of adventure. Abby’s relationship with Leo starts out as a bond between people who got on the wrong train, but it becomes so much more. I thought the pacing of the relationship was really nicely done.

Abby loves a romance novel set in New York and wants to celebrate her love for the book on her trip to the city. She thinks about the scenes in the book set in different places and wants to capture the magic of reading the book and falling in love, but things keep unfolding in ways that are at odds with her plans. I liked the way she and Leo navigated the unexpected moments.

Both Leo and Abby are from marching band groups that visit New York City to perform in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. I’ve never read a book with that kind of plot before, and I felt like this one did really capture both the essence of marching band rehearsal and what I imagine the parade is like.

I think the only thing odd about this book is the timing of the release date. It came out in February. Because of the story centering around the Thanksgiving Parade, I would have thought it would come out in the fall or closer to the holidays.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book so much. It’s got lots of sweet moments and fun antics. If you love visiting New York City, this is definitely one to put in your reading list!

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Main characters are white. One close friend is Black. Another is Asian American. One main character is a trans boy. The other has questions about her sexual identity.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
When something goes right or wrong, Abby comments that the Universe is sending her a message either supporting or redirecting her.

Violent Content
A few people misgender Leo. A school policy won’t allow him to be roommates with the other boys. Leo’s parents don’t want him to tell his extended family about his identity and instead expect him to tolerate being misgendered and deadnamed at family events.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of THIS DAY CHANGES EVERYTHING in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own.