| Title | : | Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0735207445 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780735207448 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Audio CD |
| Number of Pages | : | 272 |
| Publication | : | First published June 7, 2016 |
In her remarkable memoir, Jazz reflects on these very public experiences and how they have helped shape the mainstream attitude toward the transgender community. But it hasn't all been easy. Jazz has faced many challenges, bullying, discrimination, and rejection, yet she perseveres as she educates others about her life as a transgender teen. Through it all, her family has been beside her on this journey, standing together against those who don't understand the true meaning of tolerance and unconditional love. Now Jazz must learn to navigate the physical, social, and emotional upheavals of adolescence—particularly high school—complicated by the unique challenges of being a transgender teen. Making the journey from girl to woman is never easy—especially when you began your life in a boy's body.
Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen Reviews
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Feeling inspired - so there's a
Bonus BookTube Video this week - all about the most impactful Pride books I have read.
Now that you know this one made list, check out the video to see the rest.
Jazz Jennings - a young transactivist, TV personality and author of children's picture book
I Am Jazz, has written an autobiography.
Jazz Jennings - a young transactivist, TV personality and author of famed picture book I Am Jazz, has written an autobiography.
Within this book, she reflects on what it was like to grow up transgender and how it impacted her life, her family's lives and her community.
She talks about the highs and lows - from not playing soccer with her friends on the girl's team to meeting Obama.
She writes about what an impact this had on her family and her personal turmoil that came from trying to communicate what she felt.There was never any confusion in my mind. The confusing part was why no one else could see what was wrong.
And, Jazz talks about her hopes and dreams for the future - for both her and the transgender community.
I'm a bit torn on the rating.
It's an important book for a marginalized community but it's written by a fifteen-year-old... and it definitely feels like it's written by a fifteen year old.
The writing of this book is very...simple. And straightforward.
There really isn't as much depth and reflection that I'd typically expect from a memoir/autobiography but you have to remember, the author was 15.
For example, when she felt bad, she felt depressed... and that was as much as we got into it.
It was telling, not showing Jazz's emotions or building us to a conclusion. She told us every thought and feeling, which was great for transparency but it didn't build the book in the way that I felt connected to the writing.
The other thing that really stuck out at me is...well...the content.
There's quite a few reasons that autobiographies are normally written at the end of one's life.
You've experienced more stuff, you've had time to process major life events, and you're perspective has developed over the decades.
Writing a memoir when you're in your teens...doesn't leave a lot of content for you to talk about.
Much of Jazz's book centered on life events that are VERY important when you are young...but don't really matter in the scheme of things.
I wanted to learn about her and her experiences... but with the writing style being so telling-and-descriptive, I found myself stuck reading very (VERY) detailed accounts of childhood gossip that circled around and around.
Again, this is something that TRULY matters when you are younger (he said, she said, then he said this too), but when folks typically write a memoir, they pick and choose the most poignant or impactful moments.,.rather than giving it to the audience word-for-word what happened all throughout summer camp at age 13.
It would have been interesting if she went more into depth with the personal and societal issues that were present during those life events...but she mostly just explained the situation and moved on.
Taking the soccer battle example, many parents objected to Jazz playing competitively on the girl's soccer team. Jazz tells us this, then says that the parents objected to her (a "boy") playing with all girls and that they were wrong.
Then she pretty much moves on to describe all the ways her parents advocated on her behalf.
And to be clear, I'm not saying they're right or that there's a reason that young children can't play in coed teams - I am saying that the way she presented the argument was very black-and-white, when really, the more I do research on this topic myself, I learn that there are a lot of nuances to it.
I think that moment (and many others to be frank) should have been used as an opportunity to teach, explore and discuss such issues - to present her arguments and her logic to the audience rather than just telling them what to believe.
In addition, Jazz was so young in many of these events that she really couldn't do too much.
When Jazz was upset that she couldn't play soccer, it was mom and dad who petitioned and pleaded for Jazz's rights.
Jazz's parents tirelessly advocated for her behalf in a time where having a young trans kid was practically unheard of. I think it would be really interesting to get a book from their perspectives.
Overall
I think this book has value.
I think it has a good message and should be read by the target audience, it just missed its mark with me.
If Jazz had been even just ten years older when she wrote it, I think we would have had an absolutely fabulous book. Having an adult perspective would really have benefited this novel.
If you are looking for a great book about the trandgender community that really takes all those issues into account - check out Sarah McBride's book: Tomorrow Will Be Different: Love, Loss, and the Fight for Trans Equality / csarah McBride
Audiobook Comments
Hats off to Jazz for reading her own book.
Hats back on because she did the squeakiest baby voice for "baby Jazz" that I ever did hear. Nails on a chalkboard. -
I started this at 7:30 in the morning as I got ready then drove to work, and I ended up finishing it at 10 while I was sitting at my desk. Not gonna lie, I definitely cried about 3 times while in the car and while sitting at work. I was so touched by Jazz’s life and her passion for bringing about equality and recognition for young trans people, and listening to the ways she inspired change and stood up to prejudice just got to me. Hearing about her hardships and triumphs was intriguing, and her attitude about instilling change was inspiring. I especially like how this book talks about transitioning a child as young as preschool age, and because Jazz’s mom is a psychologist, Jazz was raised in an accepting family who was eager to find solutions for her and let her live her “authentic self,” as she often coins the phrase.
A lot of people have critiqued the writing style of this book, but I listened to it on audio and found it very genuine to Jazz’s voice. It’s not the most eloquent and jaw dropping prose, but it is honest, and I think the conversational tone is very fitting for such a young teen to have already written a book and contributed so much to the LGBTQIA+ community. Although this wasn’t the most game-changing book I’ve ever read, it was quick, enjoyable, and a good glimpse into the hardships that trans youth encounter but how their communities and families should support them. -
I enjoyed Jazz's memoir, and think that books like this are so important, we absolutely need to see more on the market. But I went in with certain expectations and I didn't quite get what I was looking for.
For the most part, what is explored and shared felt very surface-level. I came away feeling like I didn't really get enough information, as we are told about her activism and experiences but it doesn't go deeper. Jazz doesn't come across as superficial - she expresses how grateful she is for the amazing support and opportunities she has been given, and knows many others aren't so lucky. I guess I just wanted to more reflection and explanation than we were given.
I think that it would have also benefited if it had been written when Jazz was a little older. You can definitely tell that it is written by a 15-year-old girl. I struggled a bit with the writing, though at times it was fun. Perhaps it's a good starting point for trans literature, given how accessible and conversation-like the writing is.
From other reviews, I've since gathered that there is some ignorance to the rest of the LBSTQIAP+ community, and also the promotion of trans literature that is problematic/harmful.
I'd like to direct you to this review, which details some of these problems in Being Jazz:
Avery's review -
...one boy named Kit asked, "So, do you all share the same deep dark secret that I have?"
His question startled me. "I do," I told him. "But for me, being transgender isn't a deep, dark secret. I don't mind telling people, I think I'm great just the way I am, and so are you."
This books has it's strengths and weaknesses. It is about Jazz, born Jaron, a transgender girl. She was 15 when she wrote this.
THE STRENGTHS:
1.) This really helps you understand what is would be like to be a transgender child and also shocks you into seeing what being the parent of a transgender child would be like.
It's easy for cisgender and straight etc. people to dither on about bathrooms and if transgendered people/children are 'mentally confused' and all this crap - but once you read about a transgender kid peeing her pants ALL THE TIME because she's not allowed in the girls' bathroom it really makes you realize what is important and what are priorities. If you are a parent or if you love children and you're thinking about this, you realize how cruel and fucked-up it is. I can't even imagine Jennings' parents anxiety about 'the world vs. my transgender kid' and dealing with something like her bringing home urine-soaked clothing every day is so horrifying. Your kid is wetting herself because she's basically kept from going to the bathroom.
Same thing with blathering on about psychological disorders and 'if she'll want to change her mind and live as a man suddenly' etc. Hearing her voice (not literally, I mean as an author) it's easier to understand that she needs to live and present as a female. I mean, it just is very clear and obvious. If you are curious about transgender people and perhaps don't know any, this book might help clear up some stuff from you FROM A PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE - Jennings doesn't really go into biology or treatments or surgery here.
2.) The book has LOTS of pictures, which really helps and is a huge bonus in my opinion. It makes non-fiction easier, better, and more understandable when there are photos.
3.) This book will help transgender kids by being a resource and reminder that they are not alone. This is very beneficial.
4.) Jennings talks about anxiety and depression, and I think she covers it in a very good way.
It wasn't the fight that caused it. And I knew it didn't have anything to do with me being transgender, either. I felt fine on that front. But almost overnight I developed an overwhelming sense that nothing mattered in life.
And
I know I'm not suicidal at all, but in abstract terms I sometimes start to think of what it would be like to not to be in this world. Not because of school, or dumb fights with my friends, or the stress of soccer, or being transgender. These are all things I'm fine with. What happens is that I will spiral out into this kind of existential dread that there is no meaning to life, that nothing matters because everyone dies someday and we're all just insignificant specks floating through the great unknown.
Anxiety disorders and depression are on the rise in teens and young adults now. This book doesn't really explain anything, but I feel it's a topic that needs to be mentioned frequently, so I appreciate Jennings putting that out there.
5.) She lightly addresses dissonant views, such as, "I see myself as a girl and want to live as a girl but I wish I could walk around with no shirt like a boy." and "I am someone who advocates for people loving themselves and yet I think I have a fat stomach and I hate it. I have a driving need to fit media's idea of a 'pretty girl.'" and also the idea of feminism vs. things like having men holding doors open for you. Can you allow men to hold doors open for you and still be a feminist?*
When he would try to hold doors open for me, I'd get really defiant. Who decided that as a girl I couldn't open a stupid door for myself? A part of me got that he was only being polite, but that came from an idea that women are weak, and I hated that. Whenever he would open a door for me at school I'd insist that he close it and let me open it back up for myself.
She also dates some fuckbois and like most teenage girls, has to learn what a fuckboi is and how to deal with one.
"Wait, did you just go and tell your mother that we kissed?" I asked.
"Yeah," he admitted.
DUMP THIS BOY IMMEDIATELY. He fakes a stomach ache to leave the theater they're sitting in and run and tell his mommy that they kissed. Ew. Come on. Don't kiss and tell is RULE NUMBER ONE, dude.
WEAKNESSES
1.) The biggest weakness of this book is that Jennings wrote it when she was 15. Even though this topic - growing up transgender - is interesting, Jennings is not a strong writer and the book frankly reads as if it was written by a 15-year-old girl. Which it WAS, okay, but still, not very high quality or of much interest to this adult reader.
Jennings talks a lot about teenage girl drama. Not transgender drama, or bullying (although that does occasionally pop up very mildly) but normal, everyday fights like "Jason said he'd call me and he didn't" and "Melissa looked at me weird at lunch!" or "Susie doesn't like me anymore and won't let me sit at her lunch table."
It's boring. It's SO BORING. I mean, I'm no longer a teenager - well, even when I was a teenager I wasn't into drama - and reading about someone else's petty dramas is VERY BORING. I could have happily skipped whole passages here.
And she makes everything seem extremely dramatic, even when nothing is happening. It's really junior high / middle school-ish. Not fun to read, at least in my opinion.
Her long essays about her teenage worries bore me. And she slips a LOT of them in there.
2.) Jennings is not only rich, but she has a GREAT support system. Her mom and dad bust heads to get her everything she wants and needs. Hormone suppressants from a very young age, blockers to stop puberty, getting her into very liberal private schools, fighting tooth and nail to get her allowed on the girls' soccer team.
Her money and her extremely supportive parents and grandparents make Jennings' life miles better than most transgender children/teens. And she has pretty great insurance. I know they whine about it a bit on the show, but trust me, it's pretty good insurance.
Now, to be fair to Jennings, she realizes this and talks about it at least 3 times during the book. It's not as if I think she's in a bubble and doesn't realize the rape and kill rates on transgender people. But it is a privileged world she lives in.
3.) Reality TV. I can't stand reality TV. I am so glad I read this book instead of watching I Am Jazz. I find reality TV to be both incredibly boring and also feel like I am literally getting stupider as I am watching. Her show is no exception.
4.) Even though she mentions struggling with the idea of hating herself because she's (convinced that she's) "fat," she never tells us exactly how she deals with this. She talks about doing some extreme dieting, but admits it only lasts 3 days or so. She doesn't say if she develops an eating disorder, and even though she talks about the irony of this - she fights and advocates for people to be happy with who they are, yet can't stand not meeting media's idea of what a 'pretty girl' looks like - she never reaches a resolution about this and kind of glosses over it. I would have been interested to see what happened with this line of thinking, but we never get to find out.
Tl;dr - The book has its good points and bad points. Keep in mind that it was written by a 15-year-old. 15-year-olds are usually not the best writers, even if they are talented at writing. I don't think Jennings is a talented writer. She's got talent - she homemakes mermaid tails and is creative and gets good grades - but I just don't think writing is her forte.
I feel the same about
Bethany Hamilton's
Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board. Interesting topic, young writer with no real natural writing talent.
However, it's important books like this are written in order to help transgender youth and their parents. This is no
She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders by
Jennifer Finney Boylan is what I'm saying.
P.S. The end of the book, in which they interview all of the members of Jennings' family, was weird to me. For instance, her brothers go on this whole spiel about not wanting her to date and how "boys are only after one thing" etc. etc. and I was like, "Wait. Hold the phone." Jazz shows herself to be sexually assertive (if not sexually aggressive) in relationships. She is sexually curious and doesn't hesitate to initiate sexual activity with boys she's seeing. It's weird that because she presents as female and lives as a female suddenly she's the victim here - a shy flower who is going to be taken advantage of by crass and pushy boys - instead of the strong, sexual individual that she is. It's just strange to me. Strange that people's minds leap from accepting her as a female to assigning her all this sexist shit.
We've still got a long way to go, folks.
*I am a strong feminist and I love when men hold open doors for me. I find it charming and something I always appreciate, especially if I have my hands full. -
This has been on my To-Read List since it came out. So I am so glad that it finally came in! This book was fantastic and the author was in high school at the time of writing this. She was very open and honest about her whole life. That is extremely hard to find from someone so young. I strongly suggest this book! It is also a quick read :) Very short!
"Jazz Jennings is one of the youngest and most prominent voices in the national discussion about gender identity. At the age of five, Jazz transitioned to life as a girl, with the support of her parents. A year later, her parents allowed her to share her incredible journey in her first Barbara Walters interview, aired at a time when the public was much less knowledgeable or accepting of the transgender community. This groundbreaking interview was followed over the years by other high-profile interviews, a documentary, the launch of her YouTube channel, a picture book, and her own reality TV series—I Am Jazz—making her one of the most recognizable activists for transgender teens, children, and adults.
In her remarkable memoir, Jazz reflects on these very public experiences and how they have helped shape the mainstream attitude toward the transgender community. But it hasn’t all been easy. Jazz has faced many challenges, bullying, discrimination, and rejection, yet she perseveres as she educates others about her life as a transgender teen. Through it all, her family has been beside her on this journey, standing together against those who don't understand the true meaning of tolerance and unconditional love. Now Jazz must learn to navigate the physical, social, and emotional upheavals of adolescence—particularly high school—complicated by the unique challenges of being a transgender teen. Making the journey from girl to woman is never easy—especially when you began your life in a boy’s body." -
This is an important story both because of Jenning's ability to share everything that she wants to share to help others like her or questioning and provide a support like those that supported her, but I was not impressed with the writing. Yes, it's her memoir and yes, she's a teenager and yes it sounded very much like a teenager writing about her life, so take it for what it is. It's humorous and seriousness and blends her family's thoughts and actions along with her own and her friends, but again, it was so straightforward it was like sitting and listening to her speak. If I wanted that, I would watch one of the shows that feature her, but I would like more reflection or more of... something from a book written about her life as a transgender teen (as an example,
The Last Lecture is different than watching Pausch's actual last lecture).
I could have also done without the celebrity appearances and name-dropping, and though it might interest others, it doesn't for me. I was more engaged when she talked about her family, her siblings, her friends, and how she perseveres, even while struggling with depression, which is talked about. She also doesn't hide or skirt issues about sexuality and sex, which is honest and open. -
Jazz is an inspiring person and the fact that she has accomplished so much in the short amount of time that she has been ALIVE is so impressive. I think this is just the start of the many books/accomplishments to come and I can't wait for more.
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What I adored about this memoir, aside from the topics it tackles, is you can tell Jazz wrote it herself. It's conversational, with heart, and it talks about tough things with the sort of insight and sensitivity but also freedom that comes with talking about them when you're a young teenager. It's about when she discovered she was transgender, but it's also about how she and her family work together to talk about trans rights and educate others about trans youth. She's levelheaded in a way that teen readers will absolutely relate to.
The back of the book features interviews with Jazz's family members, which was a really great addition to the text itself. Getting insight from more than the main story added nice depth to it. -
This was an excellent audiobook from SYNC, I’m so glad they made it free to teens and others like me this summer. Hearing Jazz tell her own story in her own words and how frustrated she was being born in the wrong body and not being understood by others, through some tough growing up, and finding her own way, inspiring others along the way was so uplifting and such a great positive story.
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This book was very difficult because, even though it's own voices, it was terribly executed.
Check out my full review here. -
3.5 stars
The writing isn't the best and I do wish we had gotten a little deeper in some cases but Jazz's words/story are very moving and inspiring... I applaud her for her bravery and courage and positive attitude. She isn't afraid to be who she is and is living her life the way she wants to.
Like with John Barrowman, it feels as if you are sitting down with Jazz and listening to her tell you her story. It all has an open feel to it and an honesty, which is beautiful.
(I came across this book by chance, though I was aware of Jazz's story and had seen the promos for her show. (I am not a fan of reality shows mostly, nothing against Jazz's in particular so it isn't as genre I watch much overall) I am so behind on movies/tv shows but hopefully I can watch hers one day.)
I would recommend, this is another one of those books that I think is important to read and will help alot of people. -
March 25, 2019 – Finished Reading (Other Audio CD Edition)
March 22, 2019 – Shelved (Other Audio CD Edition)
March 22, 2019 – Started Reading (Other Audio CD Edition)
July 27, 2016 – Shelved as: to-read
July 27, 2016 – Shelved -
Jazz Jennings from the TLC show I Am Jazz is releasing her memoir this month. It's a great look at her life so far - she's only 15 at the moment- and how she always knew she was a girl in a boy's body. I loved hearing stories from her childhood. I'm sure it was tough for her parents to deal with this news, but they seem like great people who only want the best for their children. They allowed Jazz to dress as a girl at home for awhile, and eventually in public. They were constantly learning and advocating for trans rights. Being Jazz is an easy book to read; it's almost like Jazz is speaking to a friend. It's great how open and honest she is about a lot of different aspects in her life. I have an advanced copy that I was given to read/review, so the photos throughout are all in black and white. Each chapter starts with a new photo, which I loved. I believe the finished version will include some color, but I can't 100% say for sure. Overall, I highly recommend this one! It's a great way to get an insider's look at what it means to be transgender.
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This review is also posted on my blog. -
What can make emerging into your true gender identity before high school even more difficult? Doing it on reality tv!
What's fantastic about this story is how she knew as a small child she was female, and because of her extraordinary open-minded and supportive parents, she was accepted and enabled to love herself, become herself, and become a (very public!) advocate for transgendered young people, all at an astonishingly young age! Her strong self-confidence, clearly incubated by great parental love, is unbreakable, even as she goes through, and shares, social and physical challenges both predictable and unanticipated.
Her voice is both charmingly youthful and wise beyond her years, and her life story so far makes a picture of what can and should be possible for young people, here at the relatively early stage of this social conversation. -
This was an informative and interesting memoir written by Jazz Jennings, a transgender teen girl. Jazz knew from a very young age that she was in the body of the wrong gender. Her family was concerned but I liked how they were supportive of her and I really liked Jazz’s positive outlook on life. I am glad she is out there as a role model. I hope her book will help others out there who are in the same situation. I would recommend this book for anyone who might have a family member who is transgender or who would just like to understand about being transgender.
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Jazz is really articulate for her age, but man it’s weird listening to such a young girl telling her story! She sounds like she would be a fun person to get to know, though there were a few bits of the story I admit I didn’t agree with, like her taking a protestor at a speech by Obama to task.
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My friend recommended this book to me after I recommended
This is How It Always Is to her and I think they make good companion pieces.
Jazz Jennings (her chosen first name and a pseudonym for her last name) is one of the youngest people ever diagnosed with gender dysphoria, also known as being transgender. When she was in preschool, she knew that she felt like a girl, even though she was born a boy. (There are a number of similarities to the character of Claude/Poppy in TiHIAI and I would not be surprised to hear that Laurie Frankel was inspired by Jazz's story.) Jazz's parents have been very supportive and proactive (it doesn't hurt that they're fairly affluent and that her dad is an attorney), making sure that her rights at school, on the soccer field, and in various other arenas of her life are protected. They've also been very public about her life, appearing on
20/20 with Barbara Walters when Jazz was just six years old and establishing the
TransKids Purple Rainbow Foundation to support other transgender kids. While they've drawn some criticism for putting their child in the public eye at such a young age, they've provided validation and support for countless families in similar situations that might not have the resources they have.
This shorter, more recent
interview with Oprah gives you a pretty good idea of what Jazz is like now. She wrote the book when she was 15 and it sounds like a pretty perky 15-year-old. If that's not your thing, you might want to find a memoir written by someone older, but (having been a high school English teacher), I was okay with her authorial voice. She writes things like, "I haven't mentioned this yet, but I am obsessed with roller coasters. Completely, utterly obsessed. Whenever my family plans a summer vacation, I always check out what route we're taking long beforehand and see if there are any theme parks with good rides along the way that we can stop at" [dangling preposition all hers]. That's from a chapter that really had nothing to contribute to her overall story, other than to make her more human by depicting the "worst day of her life," in which she vomited all over herself and lots of other innocent bystanders. Overall, her memoir was pretty focused, but there were chapters that went off topic a bit. I also was not crazy about her focus on romantic relationships, starting when she was in 5th grade. (This could be very closely related to the fact that I have a 5th grader who is NOWHERE NEAR being ready for romantic relationships, especially those encouraged by parents. No, no, no, no, no.)
Overall, this is a cute, sweet memoir written for a YA audience (not overprotective moms), that is very realistic about the advantages Jazz has experienced with so much family support, but also highlights difficulties she's experienced as a transgender child/teen, including discrimination and depression. (This 3-star read for me would probably be a 4- or 5-star read for the right audience.) -
This is a book that I had to read, one of my daughters closet friends is transgender. I'm very proud that Bridget has maintained this friendship when others were fickle. Its about the persons heart, not the persona they wear in public.
So it was interesting to see the process that Jazz went through with her transformation, its also important to note that she had the support of her family.
My only criticism of this book is that perhaps, Jazz's recollections and thoughts would have been more focused and more articulate if she was older, she was only 15 when she wrote this book and it shows, but its her truth and I think shes very brave to change her entire way of life at just 15, when most 15 year old's are hormonal time bombs only concerned with boys and shopping. Being Jazz is a very sincere look into her struggles and how she's educating people to be more understanding to those that don't always fit into society's labels.
3.5 -
When I first saw the commercial for this show coming to TLC, I was caught off guard and thought how does a child know at such a young age that they are transgender? Well, this book did a perfect job of explaining it to me. Written by the fifteen year old herself, Jazz tells the story of how she knew as a toddler that she was meant to be a girl even though she had boy parts. I felt like I had a very sincere look into both the struggles and triumphs she and those like her often face. It's a book that can educate people to be more open and understanding to those that don't always fit into society's labels and I'd love to have a copy in my 8th grade classroom for those that would want to read it.
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Jazz has a strong voice for gender identity disorder. She is a transgender teen and manages to tell her story with the help of a very supportive family who created a safe place for her transition. I found this educational. While I know a few people who are transgender, it isn't a topic that they discuss openly in the lunchroom. I can't imagine what it would be like to live with that type of secrecy of needing to hide who you are and the need to have giant walls of protection. T
Now with all that being said, I found Jazz to be kind of exhausting. But she is definitely a fighter. -
Appreciate Jazz’s honesty! Such an important book for many!
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MY OPINION: *****
So I read this book in a day and really enjoyed it. It helped me to understand a whole different perspective of people and I was taught a lot.
Every year, I try to read at last ONE memoir/biography/autobiography/nonfiction novel. Last year was Positive by Paige Rawl, and this year was this book.
I found out about this book because I started watching an ABC series on YouTube (it was in my recommended) on a girl called Jazz Jennings who was biologically a boy. I was drawn to her story and I found her life interesting. She has a reality TV show that I have not watched but seems to have a lot of viewers. In one of the ABC episodes, she told us about her book that she wrote when she was fifteen. I thought "Well, why not, I should read it." I rented it at the library and I started it last night and finished it last night.
I thought this book was intuitive and eye-opening. It was a really interesting book and here are all of my general thoughts:
*The pictures. I really liked looking at the pictures in the book that were at the start of every chapter, and there were two collages in the middle of the book. They helped me to understand what she was going through and also made the book a lot more enjoyable. I found myself looking forward to the pictures (I don't really know why).
*The quotes at the beginning of the chapters. She put a quote of her own at the beginning of each chapter and I found those insightful and beautiful. Here are some examples:
"Everyone deserves to be loved." -Page 97
"I'm here for you. I'm fighting for you. That's what I do. Every day I hope you can feel safe and happy." -Page 133
"Different is the new normal." -Page 143
These quotes were honest and true and inspiring even.
*Her voice. I could hear her voice through her writing. I could imagine what she saying and how she is. I thought she was a very influential speaker, if not the best writer.
*At some points, it was really obvious that she was 15. Her writing could be immature and she used a LOT of choppy sentences and non-descriptive writing. I don't know if this was intentional so that it would be easy to read or whatever, but I found it kind of immature at some points. (Yes, I do know one of you guys is going to comment that my writing is horrible too, but that is because I try to make my book reviews "easy to read" and "entertaining".) Also, at some points, it was REALLY blunt.
*Her love life was SO complicated. There were SO many boys and girls who she dated and kissed and whatever and ALL of them were kind of horrible. Wow, one guy even told his mom after they kissed. I mean, what?
*Her friendships were REAL. I could relate to what she was saying about losing friendships because I have lost a lot this year because of drama and guys and whatnot. I hope that my friendships heal, but I do know that this might not always happen, as it was in many of Jazz's relationships and I was glad that she was willing to speak the truth.
*I learned a lot about what it means to be "transgender". This topic is relatively unexplored for me because I never really though too much about it, to be honest. I don't feel any different towards someone who is transgender because why should I? We're all just people...
*This book helped me to understand what changes have to be made to switch genders. Jazz explained the treatments and hormones and everything and that really helped me.
*Quotes I really liked:
"That night, I told my bnrothers what had happened and they yelled at me, saying girls are never supposed to make the first move. I wasn't about to stand for that crap, though. When I know what I want, I'm going to go after it." -Page 102
There was this one part about the "Truth Game" which I thought was the stupidest game I've ever heard. Basically, you "have to swear an oath that neither person will be offended by anything the other one says. You then take turns saying everything you like and don't like about each other." (Page 143) Ummm, what? I would never do that, mostly because I'm a REALLY sensitive person and will probably end up defensive, angry, sad, and in tears, as well as making everyone else around me cry (because I can be MEAN when I want to--don't worry this is VERY rare and is generally towards the middle-school guys in my grade) Anyways, that's one way to break a friendship.
If you're not supposed to really take estrogen (the female hormone, I believe, that causes you to start puberty) before 16, shouldn't you wait and not take it when you're 12? Were you really that desperate to start looking like a woman at TWELVE that you took a hormone 4 years early? That part kind of got on me but I can understand what she was thinking.
Her brothers are SO NICE. Brothers are not that nice, no way. They protected her, helped her with sports, and defended her and WHAT? NICE twin brothers who are KIND to their little sister? What?
So that went on for a LOT longer than expected. I would recommend this book to people who want to read something insightful and honest about living life as a transgender child and teen.
Main Character: Jazz
Sidekick(s): Her brothers, her sister, her parents, her friends, etc
Villain(s): Bullies, etc
Memoir Elements: This book was written by a person about their own life. -
Reading this memoir of one of today's most famous transgender teens feels like sitting down for an eye-opening conversation with a friend.
Recommended grade level: 7 and up
Pages: 256 (for ISBN 9780399554643)
Genre(s) and keywords: nonfiction, memoir, LGBTQA+
Tone/Style: personal, youthful
Pace: moderate to fast
Topics: transgender people, coming out, media attention, dating, legal battles
Themes: courage, gender identity, being oneself, speaking out
Who will like this book?
Jazz touches on a lot of typical teen issues like changing friendships, bullying, romantic anxiety, and puberty. At the same time, her gender identity and her stance as a nationally known transgender activist mean extra struggles and a bit of glamor. This makes her story both relatable and fascinating, and will likely enforce the idea that transgender teens are the same as cisgender teens in most ways. This book should appeal to a wide range of teen readers interested in looking at the world through the eyes of other teens.
Who won’t like this book?
We'll start with the obvious: some people will have objections to Jazz's gender identity. Readers seeking drama may be disappointed; Jazz's journey is free of emotional blowouts and earth-shattering events. (She considers herself to have had a relatively smooth childhood compared to other members of the transgender community; that is one reason she feels called to stand up for those who weren't as lucky as she was.) It's apparent that this book was written by a teenager. This is effective at making it feel personal and friendly, but those seeking literary prowess might want to look elsewhere.
Other comments
This is an important and timely book worth hand-selling to readers. It is not only informative, but empathy-building.
Readalikes
Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin and Some Assembly Required: The Not-So Secret Life of a Transgender Teen by Arin Andrews (the is latter recommended for mature readers grades 8 and up) also feature the firsthand accounts of transgender teens. Some fiction options: I Am J by Cris Beam (recommended for mature readers grades 8 and up), Lily and Dunkin by Donna Gephart, and Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky (which skews more toward 4th-6th graders).
https://flashlightchronicles.com/2017...
Find more middle school book overviews at Flashlight Chronicles:
www.flashlightchronicles.com. -
More of my reviews at
http://itisabookthing.blogspot.com/
This review is based on an advance reader copy that I picked up at BookExpo America. All thoughts expressed in this review are my own.
OVERALL:
4/5
REViEW:
This was a book that I picked up on a whim at BookExpo America. Before picking up this book, I had never heard of Jazz Jennings, but I'm really glad I now know who she is. Before reading this book, I binge watched all of the episodes of I Am Jazz. Then, once I finished watching the show, I decided to pick up this book. Seeing as Jazz is only 15 years old, this book is fairly short and doesn't really cover anything unique from the television show. There were a couple chapters that were about the filming process of I Am Jazz and about the start of her activism that weren't covered on the show, but for the most part, the passages on bullying and her transition were identical to the stories I saw on the show.
Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this book. It was a super fast read, which allowed me to read this book in one sitting. I enjoyed being able to see pictures of Jazz as a child, and I really loved hearing her unique voice narrate her experiences. I also really loved the extra interviews with her siblings, parents, and grandparents that were included at the end of the book. I found it interesting to hear how Jazz's being transgender affected the family as a whole.
All in all, I enjoyed this book, but I think it would be more successful if Jazz waited to write about her life so that she would have more unique experiences to speak about. I was very interested to hear about what its like being a transgender teenager, but I felt like I didn't get to hear much about her emotional journey. This book seems to focus more on Jazz's public life rather than her private struggles. Although this book wasn't entirely what I expected, I will definitely pick up any other books that Jazz writes because of her unique, engaging voice.
My Favorite Part: I loved being able to see how Jazz became famous.
ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Yes, if you haven't already seen the show I Am Jazz. -
Actual rating: 2.5 stars
I thought this book was pretty mediocre.
Things I didn’t like:
1. The writing is not great, and it’s pretty apparent that it was written by a 15-year-old. It’s not particularly thought-provoking or deep, and Jazz never really gets intimate with the reader. I feel like this book is more of a surface-level type memoir of her laying out the events of her life and inserting proper emotions, but never really reaching that area of intimacy with the audience.
2. The story contains a lot of regular teen friend/boyfriend drama, which is frankly unrelated to the premise of the book and very dull to read.
3. She never talks about nonbinary people and uses terms like he/she instead of they, implying that gender is binary. Nonbinary people are a very valuable part of the trans community, and I was a little sad the book didn’t mention our existence at all.
4. The book comes off as a little braggy—Jazz goes on and on about her many impressive accomplishments like meeting Obama, giving speeches for thousands of people, etcetera, and hardly talks at all about why she receives all those grand honors. She says at one point that she doesn’t like to brag, which I frankly find hard to believe after reading the book.
5. At the end, her brothers say that boys are “only looking for one thing” in relationships, which I found stereotypical and untrue, especially because Jazz is shown throughout the book to be far more hypersexual and hyper-romantic than any of her boyfriends.
Things I liked:
1. It was interesting to hear Jazz’s unique and inspiring tale of growing up trans and transitioning at a time when trans issues were not known about hardly at all. She has had a very unique life, that’s for sure.
2. I loved the multitude of photos.
3. This book does provide an accurate portrayal of what being/raising a transgender child is like.
Bottom line:
This is an okay book that was executed somewhat poorly. I would recommend it to people who are specifically interested in reading about Jazz’s story, because it definitely does a good job of talking about the events in her life up to 2016 and how she got to where she is today. -
I've been "shopping" for new books to add to our library collection in regards to LGBTQ. This memoir by Jazz Jennings is a perfect addition for those students either wanting to educate themselves about transgender people or are transgender themselves. Jazz takes the reader on her journey as early as a 2 year old all the way up to almost 15 years old and currently filming a second season of her reality show. Jazz's family is absolutely supportive and amazing which is what really makes this memoir so special. Many statistics are given about the suicide rate, violence against transgenders and just lack of understanding throughout the book which makes you embrace her family that much more. Jazz has taken on every challenge and struggle any transgender student may have to face in regards to athletics, school community, friendships and of course dating. The book is engaging and has peaked my interest to even tune in to her reality TV show on TLC. What I think is most beneficial to those who read the book is the abundant amount of resources at the end of the book. Resources include: websites, depression outreach services, books for kids, books for teens and adults, educational books for parents of a transgender child as well as movie/TV shows.
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I had the privilege of listening to Jazz speak at the American Library Association conference and I was eager to read her memoir that same day. I was drawn into her story, which is written in a conversational style. She is honest about her struggles, and also includes some humor. She manages to be relatable in addition to being a role model and inspiration for LGBT kids. The writing is informative, and I would recommend this book to any teen as a candid introduction to the issues facing transgender people.
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This audiobook was one of the free downloads with YA SYNC this week. I know next to nothing about Jazz Jennings aside from some basics about her roll as a young transgender activist. I've never seen her reality show and I don't follow her social media accounts. Her memoir, Being Jazz, is a good starting point if you want to start to get to know her and learn about her life experiences so far.
