Book Talks: Luna

Hey there readers!

One of the assignments for our YA lit class was to give a "Book Talk" to our class about a young adult novel that we enjoy.  A "Book Talk" is basically where you have three minutes to try to sell the class on why they should read your book.  You need to be engaging, bring a copy of the book, and read a small section of the book aloud.

The book I gave my talk on was Luna by Julie Anne Peters.  The story follows Regan, a high school girl who deals with the basic troubles of life: babysitting, getting good grades in her advanced classes, crushes on guys she's friends with, female friend trouble, and of course her relationship with her parents.  But there's one part of Regan's life that doesn't fit the normal equation: her older sibling.  By day, he's Liam: brother, son, and high school genius.  At night, he becomes Luna: sister, prom queen wanna be, and make up expert.  The story deals with gender roles, expectations, what it means to be transgender, and how being transgender can affect a family.

I read Luna when I was in high school and it has stuck with me every since.  It's really well done and is absolutely heartbreaking in places.  I remember being 16 or 17 and just bawling my eyes out by the end.  Peters writes in a way that gets you emotionally involved with her characters and that tackles issues without being in your face about it.  (I read a lot of her stuff as teen; I really loved Define Normal which follows two teens - one a prep and one a goth - as they become friends through a school counseling program.)  She's also a local author (which you can read about on her website) who I had the fortune to meet through a writer's group I was in as a teen.

I highly recommend Luna, especially if you're looking for something in the LGBTQ genre for highschoolers.

~Meaghan