Elizabeth has always known that he was a guy, and once he gets through graduation, he can finally live his life as Gabe. He’s trying to transition, but without acknowledgment from his family and with all of the harassment from his peers, the transition is difficult. He only gets support from his friend Paige, who he incidentally has a crush on, but can’t act on it without the risk of losing their friendship. So all Gabe is really left with is his music, his radio show, “Beautiful Music for Ugly Children,” and his neighbor, John. But is that enough to get him through the end of high school and onto the next step in his life?
Beautiful Music for Ugly Children by Kristin Cronn-Mills is probably one of the best novels I’ve read this summer, so far. The story was engaging, as were the characters. Gabe was probably my favorite. And what I liked was that he is a trans* character who was complex, who worried about transitioning, but worried about other things as well. I think it’s important to have characters like this in the young adult genre, because teens need to be able to see themselves in the literature, no matter what.
I don’t normally comment on the cover art, or the design of the book, but the design of this book particularly stood out to me. The cover is visually pleasing, and that element of design can be seen throughout the rest of the book. It really drew everything together. I really think this is a powerful book, one that everyone should read. And teachers, I think this is one to keep on your shelves. 🙂
Next, I will be reading Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick. Until next time, happy reading!