One a Girl, Always a Boy by Jo Ivester

*Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own. 

About the book-

Jeremy Ivester is a transgender man. Thirty years ago, his parents welcomed him into the world as what they thought was their daughter. As a child, he preferred the toys and games our society views as masculine. He kept his hair short and wore boys’ clothing. They called him a tomboy. That’s what he called himself.

By high school, when he showed no interest in flirting, his parents thought he might be lesbian. At twenty, he wondered if he was asexual. At twenty-three, he surgically removed his breasts. A year later, he began taking the hormones that would lower his voice and give him a beard—and he announced his new name and pronouns.

Once a Girl, Always a Boy is Jeremy’s journey from childhood through coming out as transgender and eventually emerging as an advocate for the transgender community. This is not only Jeremy’s story but also that of his family, told from multiple perspectives—those of the siblings who struggled to understand the brother they once saw as a sister, and of the parents who ultimately joined him in the battle against discrimination. This is a story of acceptance in a world not quite ready to accept.

My thoughts

I love to read memoirs and biographies, especially about compelling life stories. Jeremy Ivester's story was both heartwarming and gut wrenching at time, watching him struggle to come to terms with who he is. The absolute best thing about this book, written by Jeremy's mother, is that even when they strugggled through it at times, ultimately Jeremy's parents always supported whatever he wanted to do in his life to make himself feel more like himself. I also liked that several family members wrote smaller pieces througout the book, giving the family memoir a more well rounded voice and to give the reader a chance to see multiple points of view of the Ivester family as they grow and learn with Jeremy throughout his journey. It was hard to read through some of the struggles Jeremy had to go through at all of the different stages of his life to get where he is today. I can not imagine the bravery it took, even with support, to be able to say this is who I am, and this is what I need to do to be myself. I thought this was a great book that I would recommend to anyone, especially someone (like me) who may want to learn more about what it's like to be a transgender person to better empathize with those in the transgender community. 

The Perfect Father by John Glatt

*Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netalley in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own. 

About the book-

In the early morning hours of August 13th, 2018, Shanann Watts was dropped off at home by a colleague after returning from a business trip. It was the last time anyone would see her alive. By the next day, Shanann and her two young daughters, Bella and Celeste, had been reported missing, and her husband, Chris Watts, was appearing on the local news, pleading for his family’s safe return.

But Chris Watts already knew that he would never see his family again. Less than 24 hours after his desperate plea, Watts made a shocking confession to police: he had strangled his pregnant wife to death and smothered their daughters, dumping their bodies at a nearby oil site. Heartbroken friends and neighbors watched in shock as the movie-star handsome, devoted family man they knew was arrested and charged with first degree murder. The mask Chris had presented to the world in his TV interviews and the family’s Facebook accounts was slipping—and what lay beneath was a horrifying image of instability, infidelity, and boiling rage.

My thoughts-

I remember hearing about this case as it unfolded and it was absolutely devestating when it came out that Chris Watts was responsible for the death of his entire family. I was already familiar with the case and was hoping to get more insight into it, which I did get at the beginning with the early years of both Chris and Shannan. At the beginning the book almost felt sympthetic towards Chris, but as the book went on it was evident that it was just giving all of the information that we may not have had before. After reading the book, I don't feel like I understand the case any better, but I don't know that it will ever be possible without Chris Watts telling someone exactly what happened and not changing his story. I felt terrible reading the story and thinking about his own parents trying to process what this person they raised, who was a "good guy" buy all accounts, did. The book was difficult to read in places and isn't for the faint of heart, but if you find true crime interesting I definitely recommend this book to you. 

On the Horizon by Lois Lowry

*Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netalley in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own. 

About the book-

Lois Lowry looks back at history through a personal lens as she draws from her own memories as a child in Hawaii and Japan, as well as from historical research, in this stunning work in verse for young readers.

On the Horizon tells the story of people whose lives were lost or forever altered by the twin tragedies of Pearl Harbor and Hiroshima.  Based on the lives of soldiers at Pearl Harbor and civilians in Hiroshima, On the Horizon contemplates humanity and war through verse that sings with pain, truth, and the importance of bridging cultural divides. This masterful work emphasizes empathy and understanding in search of commonality and friendship, vital lessons for students as well as citizens of today’s world. Kenard Pak’s stunning illustrations depict real-life people, places, and events, making for an incredibly vivid return to our collective past.

My thoughts-

When I was 9 years old I checked out a book at my school library that would spur a lifelong love of reading and a lifelong devotion to reading about WWII. That book was Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. When I saw that she wrote a new children's book about WWII I was on board immediately. The beginning and end of the book talk about Lowry's own experiences during that time as a child in Hawaii and Japan, and the essays in between are about many of the different men who lost their lives in these battles. I love that Lowry wrote this book for children in a way that they could learn about the war without trying to sugar coat what happened, but without being overly gory. I learned new things as an adult too. I recommend this book to anyone, adult or child alike.