"Two boys. Two secrets.David Piper has always been an outsider. His parents think he’s gay. The school bully thinks he’s a freak. Only his two best friends know the real truth – David wants to be a girl.
On the first day at his new school Leo Denton has one goal – to be invisible. Attracting the attention of the most beautiful girl in year eleven is definitely not part of that plan.
When Leo stands up for David in a fight, an unlikely friendship forms. But things are about to get messy. Because at Eden Park School secrets have a funny habit of not staying secret for long…"
As I am neither transgender nor know anybody that is trans I thought it would be interesting to read a book highlighting their issues and struggles. I am deeply interested in the experience of everyone and wanted to get to the nitty gritty emotional heart. However, this isn't what this book is at all.
There is really very little, actually no, indication or exploration as to David/ Kate's inner struggle. We come into the story when they have already discovered their trans and wish to transition. This means that the emotional heart of the story is gone and I am left reading a common high school YA Drama with a very slight difference. I might sound like I am exaggerating but it has the whole group of misfit friends, main character bullied, mysterious new kid, freaks come together and find a home, happy ending at the end of year winter ball. I mean please really!!! So bloody American and it is set in Britain.
I had serious difficulties connecting with the characters, especially with David. She is 15 years old if I am not mistaken, but she acts like a 12-year-old. In most situations, David and her friends seemed way too young and immature. Their behaviour was not according to their age. Their lack of depth and complexity added to my inability to connect with these characters and made them seem even more childish. David is also way too pushy. If she were real I probably would have hit her for being so obnoxiously curious. There is something called privacy and difficult topics. I get that she is supposed to get Leo to loosen up and slowly stop hiding behind his walls. But the level of pushiness (that a word?) that David shows is maddening.
I also have some real issues with the way transsexuality was represented at times. First of all, for 98% of the novel, David, who is, in fact, a trans girl is addressed with male pronouns. Even by Leo in his internal monologue after he finds out she's a trans girl and only refers to her as 'she' when she's wearing feminine clothing. Even in private he calls her a he. That's something that really irked me. From another trangender person, it showed a lack of understanding that was just unexplainable. And secondly, Leo's gender is used as a plot twist, which is not what someone's sexual orientation or gender identity should ever be used for. And no, this was not a spoiler, for the exact reason that I just mentioned.
So after reading I have absolutely no better understanding of the emotional termoil or mental confusion that comes from trying to figure out your trans. I got a light hearted teen flick that bored me.
Age Rating 14+. Leo has an awful family and also describes an extreme bullying event from his past school. Quite a bit of swearing.
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