Not Just For Kids: 'I Am J' by Cris Beam
Biologically, J is female. But J, a transsexual, feels male.
By Susan Carpenter Los Angeles Times
March 6, 2011
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-cris-beam-20110306,0,7963262.storyAlthough transsexualism is often confused with homosexuality, it is really about being born with body parts that don't match an individual's gender perspective. It is a situation that sometimes leads to gender reassignment surgery. Invariably, it's fraught with conflict, as transsexual individuals wrestle with their self identity and struggle to fit into a society that prefers clear-cut gender roles.
The new young adult novel "I Am J" by Cris Beam is a wonderful addition to the few novels that have dared to tackle a subject that has long lived in the cultural margins. Transsexualism is a natural if unusual subject for young-adult literature, geared as it is to teen readers whose bodies are already forcing them to think about budding sexuality. "I Am J" is a tender, surprisingly relatable story that is at its core about a girl who is struggling to figure out who she is.
