Freakboy

(Paperback)

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Description

From the outside, Brendan Chase seems to have it pretty easy. He's a star wrestler, a video game aficionado, and a loving boyfriend to his seemingly perfect match, Vanessa. But on the inside, Brendan struggles to understand why his body feels so wrong--why he sometimes fantasizes about having long hair, soft skin, and gentle curves. Is there even a name for guys like him Guys who sometimes want to be girls Or is Brendan just a freak In razor-sharp verse, Kristin Clark folds three narratives into one powerful story: Brendan trying to understand his sexual identity, Vanessa fighting to keep her and Brendan's relationship alive, and Angel struggling to confront her demons.

Reviews

"...a gripping story about a complex topic..." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

"*This gutsy, tripartite poem explores a wider variety of identities--cis-, trans-, genderqueer--than a simple transgender storyline, making it stand out." --Kirkus Review, starred review

"It succeeds in conveying the message that "you are not alone" to transgender youth while helping everyone else get a handle on these often-tortured teens. The author succeeds in her mission to foster "greater understanding and acceptance of gender's vast and lovely variation." --School Library Journal

"A sincere, profound rendering of sexuality, queerness, and identity." --The Horn Book

Author Bio

Kristin Elizabeth Clark always knew she wanted to be a writer. She began dabbling in haiku in the third grade - this "experimentation" turned out to be a gateway to the harder stuff: book-length verse. She lives and writes in Northern California, where she has worked as a child advocate within the juvenile justice system and as a children's theater producer. She is a proud volunteer at Project Outlet in Mountain View, California. Freakboy is her young adult debut. kristinelizabethclark.com