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The Best Boy Ever Made
Alecia Mueller, a conservative country girl, knows how her life is going to turn out. She is going to grow up, meet "the one," get married and live in the country. When her best friends Sam comes out as a Female to Male Transgender, she chooses personal loyalty and friendship over politics. But what if the boy that Sam is becoming is "the one?"
282 pages, Paperback
First published February 14, 2014
36 people are currently reading
734 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Eliason
25 books65 followersRachel Eliason is a transgender woman and writer. Ms. Eliason is both a writer and a fan of deeply immersive science fiction and fantasy novels. She loves to share with her fans the worlds she is creating, and the ones she is discovering. Her contemporary YA work is published as Rachel Eliason and her Science Fiction and Fantasy work is under R. J. Eliason.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
September 11, 2014
What can I say about this....
Humph....
This book had the potential to be so much. The story of an FTM trans teen and his best friend becoming lovers could've been so much. It was penned by a trans woman, someone with personal knowledge of the struggle of life as a trans teen, and how that shapes a person. The story had a decent pace, an intriguing storyline, a relatively well-developed plot, and somewhat interesting characters. It had all of the basics of a great YA novel.
Here's where it goes off the rails...
First, the grammar is incredibly bad. It appears and reads like a first draft. It's as though Rachel Eliason was so desperate to hit "publish" that she rushed it. There are many spelling and punctuation errors, as well as possessive use errors, and syntax errors.
Second, The language in the book makes little-to-no sense. The lead character in the book prides herself on her grades and her speaking skills (policy debate) yet, she uses double negatives, and it doesn't come across as being used sarcastically.
Third, the writing tends to be very juvenile, and not in a "first person POV and they're young" sort of manner. It's more like, "this is my first book, and it's no secret" sort of manner. The book is written as though it's being spoken, not penned, even though in the end of the book, she says she's "not yet written..." or something to that effect.
Fourth, (eff, I feel like a bitch, but this book had SUCH potential, and it's one that NEEDS written!!) There is discussion of "not being able to have kids" between an FTM and typically-gendered female. No, the FTM is never going to miraculously start ejaculating semen into anyone's baby maker, but there is NO reason that the lead character couldn't be artificially inseminated, as MANY, MANY FTM/F couples do. There is also this sort of off-hand reference to her sister being able to be a surrogate? WHY?!??! Why use a surrogate if the typically gendered female can carry a baby? No reason. None. Made no sense.
If this author could maybe hook-up with another author with more experience, (clean up the characters, slow the pace in some areas, add depth to some relationships) a good editor, and did more research on certain aspects of the FTM/F life, and re-released that book, I'd read it.
Humph....
This book had the potential to be so much. The story of an FTM trans teen and his best friend becoming lovers could've been so much. It was penned by a trans woman, someone with personal knowledge of the struggle of life as a trans teen, and how that shapes a person. The story had a decent pace, an intriguing storyline, a relatively well-developed plot, and somewhat interesting characters. It had all of the basics of a great YA novel.
Here's where it goes off the rails...
First, the grammar is incredibly bad. It appears and reads like a first draft. It's as though Rachel Eliason was so desperate to hit "publish" that she rushed it. There are many spelling and punctuation errors, as well as possessive use errors, and syntax errors.
Second, The language in the book makes little-to-no sense. The lead character in the book prides herself on her grades and her speaking skills (policy debate) yet, she uses double negatives, and it doesn't come across as being used sarcastically.
Third, the writing tends to be very juvenile, and not in a "first person POV and they're young" sort of manner. It's more like, "this is my first book, and it's no secret" sort of manner. The book is written as though it's being spoken, not penned, even though in the end of the book, she says she's "not yet written..." or something to that effect.
Fourth, (eff, I feel like a bitch, but this book had SUCH potential, and it's one that NEEDS written!!) There is discussion of "not being able to have kids" between an FTM and typically-gendered female. No, the FTM is never going to miraculously start ejaculating semen into anyone's baby maker, but there is NO reason that the lead character couldn't be artificially inseminated, as MANY, MANY FTM/F couples do. There is also this sort of off-hand reference to her sister being able to be a surrogate? WHY?!??! Why use a surrogate if the typically gendered female can carry a baby? No reason. None. Made no sense.
If this author could maybe hook-up with another author with more experience, (clean up the characters, slow the pace in some areas, add depth to some relationships) a good editor, and did more research on certain aspects of the FTM/F life, and re-released that book, I'd read it.
July 17, 2019
I surprisingly really enjoyed this
I came across this book a few time in my kU recommendations but it never really appealed to me to read. Then it popped up on Audible and I gave the sample a listen, then decided why not give it a read. I am surprisingly happy how much I actually enjoyed this book.
The writing is not blow me away phenomenal. Its basic and simple and told completely in first person where it some times address the reader. I usually hate that but it worked perfectly for this book. I honestly do not know why I really enjoyed it, flaws and all.
A quick recap, this is told by Alecia who is country girl who lives in small town and has a best friend named Sam. Sam has finally come to terms with being a transgender male and wants to move forward with his life as such. This is really their story of their senior year.
It's not a perfect read by any imagination. And it will frustrate you how small minded people where not 10 years ago. But for some reason this YA book made me feel better...I enjoyed it. 4.65*
I came across this book a few time in my kU recommendations but it never really appealed to me to read. Then it popped up on Audible and I gave the sample a listen, then decided why not give it a read. I am surprisingly happy how much I actually enjoyed this book.
The writing is not blow me away phenomenal. Its basic and simple and told completely in first person where it some times address the reader. I usually hate that but it worked perfectly for this book. I honestly do not know why I really enjoyed it, flaws and all.
A quick recap, this is told by Alecia who is country girl who lives in small town and has a best friend named Sam. Sam has finally come to terms with being a transgender male and wants to move forward with his life as such. This is really their story of their senior year.
It's not a perfect read by any imagination. And it will frustrate you how small minded people where not 10 years ago. But for some reason this YA book made me feel better...I enjoyed it. 4.65*
Read
March 7, 2014As with all my books all I can say is I did my best and I sincerely hope the story on the page is half as good as the story in my head.
August 9, 2015
I went into this book with high expectations. I've been reading a lot of different trans-related books and this was one that had a synopsis I was interested in. I'm all too familiar with falling for your best friend, it's happened to me in the past, and the thought of someone transitioning while being a country boy was fascinating, given that group isn't known for being open minded. It was an interesting concept, and the book was decent, but it wasn't anything special. The writing was fine, even though I'm not a fan of first person--but the editing was horrendous. I found so many errors I felt tempted to correct them and mail the book to the author. It really took me out of the story. This isn't my only qualm... It's also very cheesy and pretty predictable. Basically it was a good idea but wasn't executed that well. The whole thing with her sister and what happened at the end almost made me laugh it was so ludicrous. I was just really disappointed with this! There need to be more YA trans books, but not if they are all like this.
April 20, 2015
I stumbled across this one and I'm not sure how but I'm so happy I did. I found this book to be about an amazing and brave journey that left me with a huge smile!
July 22, 2022
I am genuinely surprised how much I enjoyed this book. Is it the best book ever written? No. Is it an adorable, sugary-sweet book that you can devour in one sitting when you need a quick pick-me-up? Holy shit, yes.
August 25, 2022
What's with all the casual fatphobia ???
September 18, 2014
Seriously?
I am not sure what age this book was written for but I will continue with this review without this knowledge.
This is a different world now and readers should be aware of transgender and gay issues from the media. No matter the stance you take, most heartfelt people will recognize the difficulty and the anguish transgender individuals face. From any point of view there will be all sorts of reasonings for and against the choice to change one's sex.
Though I was initially excited that an author would take up a storyline of a transgender main character I became disappointed at the wooden and trite situations that the characters were placed in......high school...farmland...best friends...so much an obvious formula and too hard to be believed. To me the principal characters truly loved each other for years so much so that the idea of one of them becoming a "real" man was morbid, in fact...to me.....Love is love. We want to believe in the tormented Sam but in reality she was exactly who she wanted to be way before she considered changing her sex......with as much explanation as changing a lightbulb......you just change your sex.
Really?
Without giving too much of the story away the book ties everything up in a neat package of happily ever after.....not in this world.
You can read this book....or you can go online to read about transgender REAL people.
As far as readability?.....way to trite for such a controversial topic.
I am not sure what age this book was written for but I will continue with this review without this knowledge.
This is a different world now and readers should be aware of transgender and gay issues from the media. No matter the stance you take, most heartfelt people will recognize the difficulty and the anguish transgender individuals face. From any point of view there will be all sorts of reasonings for and against the choice to change one's sex.
Though I was initially excited that an author would take up a storyline of a transgender main character I became disappointed at the wooden and trite situations that the characters were placed in......high school...farmland...best friends...so much an obvious formula and too hard to be believed. To me the principal characters truly loved each other for years so much so that the idea of one of them becoming a "real" man was morbid, in fact...to me.....Love is love. We want to believe in the tormented Sam but in reality she was exactly who she wanted to be way before she considered changing her sex......with as much explanation as changing a lightbulb......you just change your sex.
Really?
Without giving too much of the story away the book ties everything up in a neat package of happily ever after.....not in this world.
You can read this book....or you can go online to read about transgender REAL people.
As far as readability?.....way to trite for such a controversial topic.
September 22, 2014
* I recieved a free copy to write an honest review*
Woah. Honestly, I haven't been transgender's greatest fan. But Alecia not only did amazing in the debate, she changed my mind. Sam and Alecia were so perfect for each other. Loved how Brit and Alecia became closer and the preggy plot twist. Lots of people are quick to judge when it comes to same sex marriage and transgender. They don't think about the people they talk crap about, feel strongly about that kind of stuff enough to put up with their crap. Wished the book didn't end so quickly though. Also, wish Emma was at the wedding. But over all, if you (like me) can keep an open mind about everybody--you'll read and enjoy this book.
Woah. Honestly, I haven't been transgender's greatest fan. But Alecia not only did amazing in the debate, she changed my mind. Sam and Alecia were so perfect for each other. Loved how Brit and Alecia became closer and the preggy plot twist. Lots of people are quick to judge when it comes to same sex marriage and transgender. They don't think about the people they talk crap about, feel strongly about that kind of stuff enough to put up with their crap. Wished the book didn't end so quickly though. Also, wish Emma was at the wedding. But over all, if you (like me) can keep an open mind about everybody--you'll read and enjoy this book.
June 27, 2019
Read it
I love this book. As a straight coming of age story it is a delightful read. Even a 'city girl' like me can immediately relate to Alecia as she struggles with coming of age and all the changes in her life.
But it isn't a 'straight' coming of age story.
We are used to seeing transgender and LGB characters in urban stories. Rachel Eliason's strength, possibly based in her own history, is showing the reality of transgender kids growing up in 'God's country'. The unusual juxtaposition makes the story all the more engaging and all the more powerful.
I love this book. As a straight coming of age story it is a delightful read. Even a 'city girl' like me can immediately relate to Alecia as she struggles with coming of age and all the changes in her life.
But it isn't a 'straight' coming of age story.
We are used to seeing transgender and LGB characters in urban stories. Rachel Eliason's strength, possibly based in her own history, is showing the reality of transgender kids growing up in 'God's country'. The unusual juxtaposition makes the story all the more engaging and all the more powerful.
October 7, 2019
It took me a while to warm up to this little YA romance/family drama. It's definitely well meaning and full of heart. It's just that it's deeply and fully rooted in the POV of its narrator, a pretty conservative country girl learning the ways in which she's wrong about life and her expectations, growing as a person and a friend. Alecia is a bit much to take at times, and the whole country vs city thing was a bit obnoxious, but then it occurred to me that that might be deliberate, and it did keep with her personality and the whole talking to the reader thing. So I got used to it before it got too tiresome.
A lot of the characters were a bit caricature-ish, especially the mother. (Then again, I know exactly That Type of Person, and it fit, so maybe that's not a bad thing.) I found the twist with Brit to be on the wrong side of melodramatic. I'm glad the sisters got close again, but it also felt like Brit was being punished by the narrative.
The romance was very very sweet. I loved Sam, and how clueless he often was in the midst of drama, and how unfailingly good and kind he was. Alecia's stubbornness and borderline obnoxiousness was honestly a great match. The ending tied everything up in a neat little bow... and I'm not gonna complain about it because fuck yeah, happy endings.
3.5 stars.
A lot of the characters were a bit caricature-ish, especially the mother. (Then again, I know exactly That Type of Person, and it fit, so maybe that's not a bad thing.) I found the twist with Brit to be on the wrong side of melodramatic. I'm glad the sisters got close again, but it also felt like Brit was being punished by the narrative.
The romance was very very sweet. I loved Sam, and how clueless he often was in the midst of drama, and how unfailingly good and kind he was. Alecia's stubbornness and borderline obnoxiousness was honestly a great match. The ending tied everything up in a neat little bow... and I'm not gonna complain about it because fuck yeah, happy endings.
3.5 stars.
June 21, 2019
It’s a really great story, but it was difficult to really get engaged with it until around 30 pages in. But after that, I couldn’t put book down! (Fellow grammar police, beware.) The grammar isn’t terrible, it just bothers me a little bit, but that’s something personal to me. One thing that bothered me as a trans* person is that Eliason used she/her for the FTM main character for the majority of it, but looking back, I realize it was from the POV of someone who is completely new the the LGBTQ+ community so it was hard for them to adjust to the pronoun change. But other than that, it is really well written and not something I expected to enjoy very much but did. I would recommend this to others.
September 18, 2014
I got this from a free deal at BookBub. After I downloaded it, I whipped out my Kindle and instantly entrenched myself in the story.
My full review here
Set in a small country town in Iowa during the thick of the debate around gay marriage and Proposition 8, Alecia prepares for her school county’s debate on the subject. Alecia’s ready to take the side of “traditional marriage”, the side her conservative Catholic family expects her to take. But Alecia’s beliefs are shaken when Sam confesses to her that she wants to become a man.
Alecia supports Sam wholeheartedly, knowing the only alternative to a transitioned Sam is an incomplete and suicidal Sam. As she watches her closest friend gradually grow into the person he always wanted to be on the outside, Alecia’s own inner values, beliefs, and identity – as well as those of her family, friends, and community – slowly evolve. So too do Alecia’s feelings towards Sam start to take a new shape.
Despite the arguably juvenile opening sentence, I immediately liked Alecia, her voice mature, fun, and believable for a teenage narrator. I enjoyed her awareness as the storyteller, often breaking the fourth wall and speaking directly to her readers, her frankness when describing certain… awkward situations, her internal monologues when sorting out her opinions and feelings towards her family, friends and Sam. Eliason does an especially good job of really getting the reader to occupy Alecia’s headspace.
This is very important to note particularly when Alecia begins to struggle with learning to call Sam ‘he’ instead of ‘she’. In real life, people may find it difficult to start acknowledging their loved ones by the correct pronoun during and after transition. Indeed, as an outside party, the readers would find it difficult to start recognizing that ‘he’ refers to Sam after knowing him as ‘she’ for most of the book already.
But the writing of Alecia’s perspective makes this easy for us. Through Alecia’s eyes, halfway through the book we the readers start picturing Sam as a boy and not as a girl tomboy. We accept him. It’s then through Alecia narration that Sam becomes the Best Boy Ever Made. I thought that was so cool!
To add to Alecia’s unique narration, Alecia is actually an extrovert. There aren’t many notable extrovert narrators and main characters in YA LGBT novels and in the YA genre overall. In most YA novels that address LGBT themes, the main character struggles with their queer identity, and more often he or she is an introvert and already social outsider to begin with. Certainly, the story would have been quite different if it were told from Sam’s point of view.
Instead, we get Alecia’s story. A its core is a love story and coming of age story, and the story of realizing and becoming comfortable with one’s sexual and gender identity is told secondhand through her observations and conversations with Sam. And though it’s revealed she does briefly question her own sexuality, Alecia is the average, popular, attractive, straight girl, and that status affords her a place with the “in-crowd”. But while she doesn’t subscribe to some of the views of said crowd, her gregariousness brings her to join them in usual high school functions, – prom, dances, senior campfires – understand their behaviors, and play the game of high school social life and win.
Alecia is unafraid to make new friends, seek out new experiences, and to stand up for what she believes in, proclaiming it loudly. She’s confident in herself and loyal to her friends and loved ones. Alecia’s a perfect YA role model to a tee.
Alecia’s friends are a treat as well. Quiet and shy, Sam is a strong and brave individual with noble qualities that make him a great role model too.
The other LGBT characters are fun and diverse in ethnicity, personality, and style. Their characterizations broke many queer stereotypes, which I appreciated. They fit in with all the other ordinary, ambitious, sassy, rebellious, and hormonally-charged teenagers, and it’s entertaining to read.
Also breaking some overplayed tropes is the portrayal of religion. Alecia’s family is Catholic, but other religions mentioned are Lutheran and Christianity. It’s interesting to see the different religious stances on the issue of gay marriage and their reactions towards Sam’s transition. I liked that Alecia never outwardly denounces her own Catholicism, but rather simply revised her beliefs.
Other recurring themes and motifs in The Best Boy Ever Made include Country vs. City lifestyles. Alecia enjoys poking fun of and criticizing the city kids, and she always assumes that most her readers are city folk.
Another motif is the structure and hierarchy of high school social life, which naturally comes up very often. Alecia frequently notes how the school is divided between supporters and non-supporters of Sam, and how the numbers of the two groups fluctuate, something that really irks me.
And of course, there’s the classic YA themes of family, friendship, and loyalty.
Alecia constantly tells Sam she’s on his side, and at the end of the story, they find more friends and family in Sam’s corner than they ever expected.
There’s a happy, kind of cheesy, ending, but the whole story is a beautiful one. Highly recommend The Best Boy Ever Made to anyone and everyone. Even if it’s completely out of your genre, or you’re too embarrassed to add a YA novel to your reading list, read it anyway. A sweet, simple, and uplifting read.
My full review here
Set in a small country town in Iowa during the thick of the debate around gay marriage and Proposition 8, Alecia prepares for her school county’s debate on the subject. Alecia’s ready to take the side of “traditional marriage”, the side her conservative Catholic family expects her to take. But Alecia’s beliefs are shaken when Sam confesses to her that she wants to become a man.
Alecia supports Sam wholeheartedly, knowing the only alternative to a transitioned Sam is an incomplete and suicidal Sam. As she watches her closest friend gradually grow into the person he always wanted to be on the outside, Alecia’s own inner values, beliefs, and identity – as well as those of her family, friends, and community – slowly evolve. So too do Alecia’s feelings towards Sam start to take a new shape.
Despite the arguably juvenile opening sentence, I immediately liked Alecia, her voice mature, fun, and believable for a teenage narrator. I enjoyed her awareness as the storyteller, often breaking the fourth wall and speaking directly to her readers, her frankness when describing certain… awkward situations, her internal monologues when sorting out her opinions and feelings towards her family, friends and Sam. Eliason does an especially good job of really getting the reader to occupy Alecia’s headspace.
This is very important to note particularly when Alecia begins to struggle with learning to call Sam ‘he’ instead of ‘she’. In real life, people may find it difficult to start acknowledging their loved ones by the correct pronoun during and after transition. Indeed, as an outside party, the readers would find it difficult to start recognizing that ‘he’ refers to Sam after knowing him as ‘she’ for most of the book already.
But the writing of Alecia’s perspective makes this easy for us. Through Alecia’s eyes, halfway through the book we the readers start picturing Sam as a boy and not as a girl tomboy. We accept him. It’s then through Alecia narration that Sam becomes the Best Boy Ever Made. I thought that was so cool!
To add to Alecia’s unique narration, Alecia is actually an extrovert. There aren’t many notable extrovert narrators and main characters in YA LGBT novels and in the YA genre overall. In most YA novels that address LGBT themes, the main character struggles with their queer identity, and more often he or she is an introvert and already social outsider to begin with. Certainly, the story would have been quite different if it were told from Sam’s point of view.
Instead, we get Alecia’s story. A its core is a love story and coming of age story, and the story of realizing and becoming comfortable with one’s sexual and gender identity is told secondhand through her observations and conversations with Sam. And though it’s revealed she does briefly question her own sexuality, Alecia is the average, popular, attractive, straight girl, and that status affords her a place with the “in-crowd”. But while she doesn’t subscribe to some of the views of said crowd, her gregariousness brings her to join them in usual high school functions, – prom, dances, senior campfires – understand their behaviors, and play the game of high school social life and win.
Alecia is unafraid to make new friends, seek out new experiences, and to stand up for what she believes in, proclaiming it loudly. She’s confident in herself and loyal to her friends and loved ones. Alecia’s a perfect YA role model to a tee.
Alecia’s friends are a treat as well. Quiet and shy, Sam is a strong and brave individual with noble qualities that make him a great role model too.
The other LGBT characters are fun and diverse in ethnicity, personality, and style. Their characterizations broke many queer stereotypes, which I appreciated. They fit in with all the other ordinary, ambitious, sassy, rebellious, and hormonally-charged teenagers, and it’s entertaining to read.
Also breaking some overplayed tropes is the portrayal of religion. Alecia’s family is Catholic, but other religions mentioned are Lutheran and Christianity. It’s interesting to see the different religious stances on the issue of gay marriage and their reactions towards Sam’s transition. I liked that Alecia never outwardly denounces her own Catholicism, but rather simply revised her beliefs.
Other recurring themes and motifs in The Best Boy Ever Made include Country vs. City lifestyles. Alecia enjoys poking fun of and criticizing the city kids, and she always assumes that most her readers are city folk.
Another motif is the structure and hierarchy of high school social life, which naturally comes up very often. Alecia frequently notes how the school is divided between supporters and non-supporters of Sam, and how the numbers of the two groups fluctuate, something that really irks me.
And of course, there’s the classic YA themes of family, friendship, and loyalty.
Alecia constantly tells Sam she’s on his side, and at the end of the story, they find more friends and family in Sam’s corner than they ever expected.
There’s a happy, kind of cheesy, ending, but the whole story is a beautiful one. Highly recommend The Best Boy Ever Made to anyone and everyone. Even if it’s completely out of your genre, or you’re too embarrassed to add a YA novel to your reading list, read it anyway. A sweet, simple, and uplifting read.
November 10, 2021
it was interesting to read about a place/culture I know nothing about, and I mostly enjoyed the story, but I still wished it had been told by sam, or at least in alternating povs. I'm not big on reading how hard transitioning is for cis people.
I felt that alecia really needed to talk to other people about her trouble with sam's journey, he's got enough on his plate, his best friend should be a source of support, not stress, or worry. she does get over it, eventually, but I still dont think she shouldve said, and that there shouldve been an acknowledge of 'this is sam's story but he's not good with words' or whatever
I felt that alecia really needed to talk to other people about her trouble with sam's journey, he's got enough on his plate, his best friend should be a source of support, not stress, or worry. she does get over it, eventually, but I still dont think she shouldve said, and that there shouldve been an acknowledge of 'this is sam's story but he's not good with words' or whatever
March 23, 2018
A great FTM transgender transition story. I really enjoyed the small town take on this transition, and I also liked how the story was told from the POV trans guy's best friend/eventual girlfriend. I am not usually a huge fan of transgender transition stories--in the LGBT YA genre I usually stick to the more common "gay teen coming out" plotlines--but this one was a real heartwarmer for me.
October 18, 2018
God doesn’t make mistakes.
Sam was born a “girl,” but his brain tells him that he is a boy. His best friend Alicia supports him through the transition. The story of their friendship is a wonderful depiction of growing into the best boy ever made and all the people who support him. Recommend.
Sam was born a “girl,” but his brain tells him that he is a boy. His best friend Alicia supports him through the transition. The story of their friendship is a wonderful depiction of growing into the best boy ever made and all the people who support him. Recommend.
March 18, 2020
Earnest but slight romance between a young woman and her best friend, who has just come out as a trans man. Some of the writing is a bit clunky, and the narrator (the young woman) has a bit of a slut-shaming problem, but overall I still enjoyed it.
April 25, 2022
I adored this tale of small town love
Representation matters and I hope this book ends up in the hands of all of the young people who need it.
Representation matters and I hope this book ends up in the hands of all of the young people who need it.
June 21, 2014
I received a copy in exchange of a honest review.
I kind of don't know where to start with this book. I think it's best to just start at the beginning.
The book opens with this as the first sentence: "Hi, my name is Alecia Mueller and I will be your narrator for this story." I feel like that is such a classic beginner's mistake. The beginning just read like you read a diary of a person or something and it's just such a cliché. And it feel like it doesn't do the story justice (or at least, what it could have been). And things like this continue throughout the story: she keeps talking to you like you are there and what you both could be seeing if you actually were there and the more it happened the more it annoyed me.
So as you read, Alecia is the main character of the book, along with Sam who is a Female to Male Transgender. Alecia seems a bit like a twelve year old: her way of thinking and acting comes across as a bit childish. But as the story progressed I think that may also be because her parents treat her like such and because how uneducated they are (so it could be done by the writer because of that, or the character is just not that well thought out of). So yeah, Alecia's parents: total a-holes. They can easily win the worst parents of the year, nope make that decade award. Alecia has a sister who is also kind of an a-hole, but she has some great development throughout the story and there's a little brother who's never really seems there (or he's just not important to the story).
Then you got Sam (actually Samantha, but towards the end Samuel). All his life he knew he wasn't really a girl and when he was 17 he decided to really look into options and told his father. His father who is by the way super nice and supportive. So he starts therapy and later on tells his best friend Alecia the truth. Alecia gets really confused, having never been educated by her a-hole parents and school about LGBT. But she accepts, because Sam is her best friend and somewhere she always knew. Not everyone is so supportive though. Alecia's parents ban her from seeing Sam and people at school also aren't that nice. The rest of the story is just really overcoming all of that (and the start of a romance).
There are certain points in the story that I feel moves a tad bit fast. A thing that makes it difficult to keep track off is that there also isn't a real transition when the writer moves on. You're reading and all of a sudden you a month later; you just don't see it coming. Also, certain events seem to happen really fast, which makes it seem unreal to me.
There is also a couple of times that I noticed there were mistakes in the story. Character's names were mixed up, some facts were wrong (at least from mentioned in other parts of the book) and those are just things I wished attention was paid to it.
And can I also just say that the story had a really Degrassi - Adam feel to it? Not sure if you know the show and the character, but I just really felt like it could have been Adam and Becky: they were going through quite the same thing, though Adam had already had most of his transition done.
It was an okay book, but I thought it could have been a lot more.
I kind of don't know where to start with this book. I think it's best to just start at the beginning.
The book opens with this as the first sentence: "Hi, my name is Alecia Mueller and I will be your narrator for this story." I feel like that is such a classic beginner's mistake. The beginning just read like you read a diary of a person or something and it's just such a cliché. And it feel like it doesn't do the story justice (or at least, what it could have been). And things like this continue throughout the story: she keeps talking to you like you are there and what you both could be seeing if you actually were there and the more it happened the more it annoyed me.
So as you read, Alecia is the main character of the book, along with Sam who is a Female to Male Transgender. Alecia seems a bit like a twelve year old: her way of thinking and acting comes across as a bit childish. But as the story progressed I think that may also be because her parents treat her like such and because how uneducated they are (so it could be done by the writer because of that, or the character is just not that well thought out of). So yeah, Alecia's parents: total a-holes. They can easily win the worst parents of the year, nope make that decade award. Alecia has a sister who is also kind of an a-hole, but she has some great development throughout the story and there's a little brother who's never really seems there (or he's just not important to the story).
Then you got Sam (actually Samantha, but towards the end Samuel). All his life he knew he wasn't really a girl and when he was 17 he decided to really look into options and told his father. His father who is by the way super nice and supportive. So he starts therapy and later on tells his best friend Alecia the truth. Alecia gets really confused, having never been educated by her a-hole parents and school about LGBT. But she accepts, because Sam is her best friend and somewhere she always knew. Not everyone is so supportive though. Alecia's parents ban her from seeing Sam and people at school also aren't that nice. The rest of the story is just really overcoming all of that (and the start of a romance).
There are certain points in the story that I feel moves a tad bit fast. A thing that makes it difficult to keep track off is that there also isn't a real transition when the writer moves on. You're reading and all of a sudden you a month later; you just don't see it coming. Also, certain events seem to happen really fast, which makes it seem unreal to me.
There is also a couple of times that I noticed there were mistakes in the story. Character's names were mixed up, some facts were wrong (at least from mentioned in other parts of the book) and those are just things I wished attention was paid to it.
And can I also just say that the story had a really Degrassi - Adam feel to it? Not sure if you know the show and the character, but I just really felt like it could have been Adam and Becky: they were going through quite the same thing, though Adam had already had most of his transition done.
It was an okay book, but I thought it could have been a lot more.
November 20, 2016
Good idea, bad grammar
The premise of this book -- a transgender love story -- was so sweet. I loved Sams story and could really relate to it. There was definitely love that went into the basic plot, but it didn't overcome the lack of editing. There were quite a few errors and cringe-worthy moments, including (but not limited to):
The grammar and spelling -- there were quite a few mistakes like run on sentences and word misspellings.
Dialogue-- this was perhaps the worst part of the book. The way characters interacted was choppy and robotic, and I couldn't imagine anyone actually saying things like "I am angry. I am sorry." Use a few conjunctions please!! Also, the actions adter dialogue, ex "hello!' I exclaimed." Usually didn't make sense.
Character development-- there was a few heartwarming moments, but for the most part other relationships were underdeveloped and bland.
Mistakes -- at some points in the book there were some mess ups and inconsistencies, such as Alecia talking about her own pregnancy instead of Britney's, and not mentioning Forrest until somewhere in chapter 17.
Sam and Alecia-- I loved the idea of their romance, but it came on a bit quick. There was no mention of Alecia's attraction to him until she's masturbating, and then suddenly she's in love? She mentions at one point she thought she might have been a lesbian; at no other point in the book before this moment was this mentioned. Maybe a few off hand comments and snippets of attraction in previous chapters-- a bit of unrequited love, have you -- would have brought the book to be well rounded. Along these lines, Sam is never mentioned to even be attracted to Alecia, which should have been addressed.
Sams transition-- while there was a large emphasis on this in the middle of the book, it fizzled out near the end. Too much emphasis on Britney took away what we were reading the book for -- Sam becoming the man he is inside. Perhaps a chapter or two in his perspective would have really brought that together.
Overall, this book was alright. As a ftm, I've read this book probably 4 times already. It's hard enough to find age appropriate books on ftm guys with likable personalities, but it's even harder to find love stories. While it is about a topic I love, the errors in the book brought its score down a few pegs. Overall, I'll give it a 5/10. I would recommend if you're not going to read into the errors too much :-)
The premise of this book -- a transgender love story -- was so sweet. I loved Sams story and could really relate to it. There was definitely love that went into the basic plot, but it didn't overcome the lack of editing. There were quite a few errors and cringe-worthy moments, including (but not limited to):
The grammar and spelling -- there were quite a few mistakes like run on sentences and word misspellings.
Dialogue-- this was perhaps the worst part of the book. The way characters interacted was choppy and robotic, and I couldn't imagine anyone actually saying things like "I am angry. I am sorry." Use a few conjunctions please!! Also, the actions adter dialogue, ex "hello!' I exclaimed." Usually didn't make sense.
Character development-- there was a few heartwarming moments, but for the most part other relationships were underdeveloped and bland.
Mistakes -- at some points in the book there were some mess ups and inconsistencies, such as Alecia talking about her own pregnancy instead of Britney's, and not mentioning Forrest until somewhere in chapter 17.
Sam and Alecia-- I loved the idea of their romance, but it came on a bit quick. There was no mention of Alecia's attraction to him until she's masturbating, and then suddenly she's in love? She mentions at one point she thought she might have been a lesbian; at no other point in the book before this moment was this mentioned. Maybe a few off hand comments and snippets of attraction in previous chapters-- a bit of unrequited love, have you -- would have brought the book to be well rounded. Along these lines, Sam is never mentioned to even be attracted to Alecia, which should have been addressed.
Sams transition-- while there was a large emphasis on this in the middle of the book, it fizzled out near the end. Too much emphasis on Britney took away what we were reading the book for -- Sam becoming the man he is inside. Perhaps a chapter or two in his perspective would have really brought that together.
Overall, this book was alright. As a ftm, I've read this book probably 4 times already. It's hard enough to find age appropriate books on ftm guys with likable personalities, but it's even harder to find love stories. While it is about a topic I love, the errors in the book brought its score down a few pegs. Overall, I'll give it a 5/10. I would recommend if you're not going to read into the errors too much :-)
September 13, 2014
I was so excited when I heard about this book. I love reading YA books with LGBT characters, but I have never read any with a transgender character. Also, although I run a gay-straight alliance in the school I work for, I am not very knowledgeable about people who are transgender and want to learn more about this. The Best Boy Ever Made did provide information that I was previously unaware of. For example, I didn't realize that if a female identified as a male and is attracted to girls that this person is still considered to be straight since they are identifying as a man and wanting to be with a woman. It makes sense, but I never thought of it that way before.
I love how the protagonist, Alecia, is raised in a strict, Christian family where she always went along with her parents' beliefs that being gay is a sin. Despite this, when her best friend, Sam, told her that she was transgender and identified as a boy, she stuck by her even though it went against everything Alecia was taught and thought she believed in. It couldn't have been easy for her, but she showed extreme loyalty to her best friend.
The story line of this book was great, and I enjoyed reading about the slow transitions that Sam was making to become male. However, it started to lose me as it got closer to the end, after Sam and Alecia became an item. It's not that I had a problem with that at all...it's just that I think things moved incredibly quickly with them, and they become very serious very quickly without much description to make it believable to readers. The ending, although sweet, just seemed very unrealistic. There were also several grammatical errors that I noticed when reading the book on my Kindle.
Despite these things, I'd still recommend this book if this is a topic that you're interested in. It's great to see that so many authors anymore aren't afraid to feature LGBT characters! It's important to have a book like this for teens who are struggling with their gender identity, so I'm so glad that it was written.
I love how the protagonist, Alecia, is raised in a strict, Christian family where she always went along with her parents' beliefs that being gay is a sin. Despite this, when her best friend, Sam, told her that she was transgender and identified as a boy, she stuck by her even though it went against everything Alecia was taught and thought she believed in. It couldn't have been easy for her, but she showed extreme loyalty to her best friend.
The story line of this book was great, and I enjoyed reading about the slow transitions that Sam was making to become male. However, it started to lose me as it got closer to the end, after Sam and Alecia became an item. It's not that I had a problem with that at all...it's just that I think things moved incredibly quickly with them, and they become very serious very quickly without much description to make it believable to readers. The ending, although sweet, just seemed very unrealistic. There were also several grammatical errors that I noticed when reading the book on my Kindle.
Despite these things, I'd still recommend this book if this is a topic that you're interested in. It's great to see that so many authors anymore aren't afraid to feature LGBT characters! It's important to have a book like this for teens who are struggling with their gender identity, so I'm so glad that it was written.
October 12, 2014
Reading books like this, it made me glad I grew up in an agnostic household. For quite a large chunk of this book, I wouldn't have been surprised if the mom had went off to join the Westboro Baptist Church, she was being that freaking bigoted. Though admittedly, a lot of the characters were being as bad as she was. The main character, though? Yeah, I hated her guts for a decent portion of this as well. The worst part of all, though, was how realistic this whole book was. People really do treat homosexuals and transgendered people that badly. They usually don't even completely understand why they do. It just makes me so sad that people out there are going through way worse than this, just to live life how they were supposed to live it, were it not for the one little chromosome messing up whether it should be an X or a Y. This book had a bit of a happy ending, but most real stories don't. But still, that mother, grr... Yeah, I'm chewing out fictional characters, I think that means I need to stop this review before it gets much worse. That mother just made me so angry. People like her shouldn't be allowed to have kids. >_<
November 3, 2014
I enjoyed this book that addresses some transgender issues. I have to start by saying this is definitely a YA book in content as well as writing style. One reason that I don't read a lot of YA is that in general I don't enjoy the "voice" or the writing style. I feel that the writing is not as developed or sophisticated, maybe because the authors are trying to connect with younger readers. This book also had some editing issues, but I would imagine that perhaps this is a self-published book. There were some really negative reviews about the grammar errors and writing, which I get, but the book was free so I can overlook more when I'm not paying $7.99 a download. I didn't love the way the book starting with Alecia announcing she was narrating the book - it made it more stilted than it needed to be.
The main reason I gave this book 4 stars was because of the way Sam was portrayed. Taken as a whole, the book was decent but not really ground-breaking. However, I thought that Sam was really a well-done character. When I started the book, Sam was a teenage girl in my imagination, but by the end of the book, Sam had transitioned not just on the page, but in my head as well. I loved Sam's personality and strength, and I did appreciate that Alecia stood by her best friend no matter what. I think this book has a lot of potential, it just needed slightly better execution.
The main reason I gave this book 4 stars was because of the way Sam was portrayed. Taken as a whole, the book was decent but not really ground-breaking. However, I thought that Sam was really a well-done character. When I started the book, Sam was a teenage girl in my imagination, but by the end of the book, Sam had transitioned not just on the page, but in my head as well. I loved Sam's personality and strength, and I did appreciate that Alecia stood by her best friend no matter what. I think this book has a lot of potential, it just needed slightly better execution.
September 23, 2015
I have mixed feelings about this novel. The concept of the story intrigued me, and for that reason, I'm glad I read it. I think the author could have taken the story-line a bit deeper, though. I'm aware the story is written for young adults, yet this seemed a bit too white-washed even for that age group. The main character is supposed to be rather brilliant, a great debater, etc., yet her insights into her friends and family seemed rather shallow. Since this was written as a first person narrative, her perspectives were all we got.
The biggest problem I had with the novel was with the writing itself. Jumping between present tense and past tense, along with several typographical errors kept drawing me out of the story. The other problem I had was the feeling I was constantly being beat over the head with the fact that the MC was from the country. This is repeated so many times, that it became intrusive and annoying.
Despite these issues, I can recommend this story to any reader that might be interesting in dipping a toe into the Transgender world, and don't feel quite ready for a more adult and/or clinical book. There are lots of concepts and memes that are addressed that might be just the first step someone needs.
The biggest problem I had with the novel was with the writing itself. Jumping between present tense and past tense, along with several typographical errors kept drawing me out of the story. The other problem I had was the feeling I was constantly being beat over the head with the fact that the MC was from the country. This is repeated so many times, that it became intrusive and annoying.
Despite these issues, I can recommend this story to any reader that might be interesting in dipping a toe into the Transgender world, and don't feel quite ready for a more adult and/or clinical book. There are lots of concepts and memes that are addressed that might be just the first step someone needs.
March 12, 2014
Wonderful and thought provoking story.
As this story began, I was held spellbound by the fascinating characters as their intricate lives unfolded. It is one thing to hear about the controversy over the transgender issue, but experiencing Sam's feelings about knowing he was a boy in a girls body allowed me to really understand what the deep unhappiness someone may feel. Alecia's initial confusion about what Sam was talking about was understandable, but her standing behind him was inspiring. It was sad how Alicia's parents seemed to be unwilling to accept that Sam was changing and they used their church's beliefs to try and get Alicia away from Sam. Sam's parents stepped up to the plate to help not only Sam, but Alicia's sister Brit when she needed adults to stand by her after their parents again were not there for their girls. The friendship between Alicia and Sam slowly evolved into something that neither expected as Sam changed into the person that Alicia has been looking for. This was an inspiring story that I will never forget and I hope Sam and Alicia's story isn't over yet!
As this story began, I was held spellbound by the fascinating characters as their intricate lives unfolded. It is one thing to hear about the controversy over the transgender issue, but experiencing Sam's feelings about knowing he was a boy in a girls body allowed me to really understand what the deep unhappiness someone may feel. Alecia's initial confusion about what Sam was talking about was understandable, but her standing behind him was inspiring. It was sad how Alicia's parents seemed to be unwilling to accept that Sam was changing and they used their church's beliefs to try and get Alicia away from Sam. Sam's parents stepped up to the plate to help not only Sam, but Alicia's sister Brit when she needed adults to stand by her after their parents again were not there for their girls. The friendship between Alicia and Sam slowly evolved into something that neither expected as Sam changed into the person that Alicia has been looking for. This was an inspiring story that I will never forget and I hope Sam and Alicia's story isn't over yet!
October 19, 2014
The Best Boy Ever Made by Rachel Eliason follows transgender Sam on his journey from female to male, through the point of view of his best friend, Alecia. Alecia and Sam are high school students and country kids who are more comfortable with the animals than with a crowd of teenagers. They live in a small town in Iowa, making an already difficult situation even more so as Sam has to deal with small-town attitudes and stereotypes.
I've read some of the reviews that said the writing in this book is terrible, but it is not. There are a few typos, but the worst mistake with the mechanics of the book is the switching from past to present tense and back again. That jolted me the first few times it happened, but the story was so interesting that I was able to overlook the tenses.
The characters are written quite well and they are realistic - Sam and Alecia and their friends could have gone to school with me - and the situations they faced were genuine and relatable.
I struggled a bit with the ending but I won't say more and give away anything. I truly enjoyed these characters, though, and would love to read another story about them a few years down the road.
I've read some of the reviews that said the writing in this book is terrible, but it is not. There are a few typos, but the worst mistake with the mechanics of the book is the switching from past to present tense and back again. That jolted me the first few times it happened, but the story was so interesting that I was able to overlook the tenses.
The characters are written quite well and they are realistic - Sam and Alecia and their friends could have gone to school with me - and the situations they faced were genuine and relatable.
I struggled a bit with the ending but I won't say more and give away anything. I truly enjoyed these characters, though, and would love to read another story about them a few years down the road.
July 17, 2015
WOW
I really liked this story. Maybe because I'm a former Iowa farm girl. Maybe because the general places where the events took place were so vivid in my mind, it took me back to all those memories: 4-H, farmland, the State Fair....even the running (I ran the 800 in what was called Junior High.)
Thank-you Rachel for taking me back there, (even if this was setting in contemporary times!)
Also, I give Rachel a hand for writing. There needs to be more stories like this; more stories need to be written from rural areas, to prove to the "outside world" that farmers daughters aren't all straight; that small towns have transgenders. I wish I had access to stories like this one when I was younger.
The style it was written in made it all the more real, and personal somehow.
One small ding was when Sam was transitioning. It was she, and few details, then he. It's a delicate subject, and one I'm not personal with, but I felt that part was a bit glossed over.
Still, I really appreciated the length of the story. It hit my sweet spot for time read.
I will definitely be following this writer. And I'd give her a hug if I met her.
I really liked this story. Maybe because I'm a former Iowa farm girl. Maybe because the general places where the events took place were so vivid in my mind, it took me back to all those memories: 4-H, farmland, the State Fair....even the running (I ran the 800 in what was called Junior High.)
Thank-you Rachel for taking me back there, (even if this was setting in contemporary times!)
Also, I give Rachel a hand for writing. There needs to be more stories like this; more stories need to be written from rural areas, to prove to the "outside world" that farmers daughters aren't all straight; that small towns have transgenders. I wish I had access to stories like this one when I was younger.
The style it was written in made it all the more real, and personal somehow.
One small ding was when Sam was transitioning. It was she, and few details, then he. It's a delicate subject, and one I'm not personal with, but I felt that part was a bit glossed over.
Still, I really appreciated the length of the story. It hit my sweet spot for time read.
I will definitely be following this writer. And I'd give her a hug if I met her.
September 6, 2014
3.5 because I'm torn, I think this is a pretty awesome YA book, but the writing bugged me a bit. Given the consistence, I'd guess it's not a grammar issue so much as dialect variation. But I'm fussy. Ah, there's also the issue of it being written as though the narrator is speaking to the reader...not my favorite style, but it seems more common among YA works so maybe that works for YA fans.
The story in some ways seems to me like a YA version of Jodi Picoult's 'Sing You Home' - the stories and issues are different but similar, I just don't know how else to explain it. It tackles important issues that aren't addressed enough publicly and deals with people's innate stubborness (in good and bad ways). I'd definitely be interested in checking out any adult novels by this author.
Would recommend this book to readers looking for a little insight into transgender youth and the people that care about them (obviously this is fiction and not research material, but it still seems like a valuable resource). And, at the risk of spoiling things, it ends on an upbeat note.
The story in some ways seems to me like a YA version of Jodi Picoult's 'Sing You Home' - the stories and issues are different but similar, I just don't know how else to explain it. It tackles important issues that aren't addressed enough publicly and deals with people's innate stubborness (in good and bad ways). I'd definitely be interested in checking out any adult novels by this author.
Would recommend this book to readers looking for a little insight into transgender youth and the people that care about them (obviously this is fiction and not research material, but it still seems like a valuable resource). And, at the risk of spoiling things, it ends on an upbeat note.
March 26, 2015
This is my first transgender book and I enjoyed it, except for the ending was a bit to fairy tale ending for me. I liked that he wanted to take things slow while he figured everything out in what was no doubt a confusing time but then they went to prom and then got married and adopted a baby. That is not being patient and figuring things out. It was a good ending and was a happy ending but more of a fairy tale ending than real life. Also a very predictable ending, as soon as her sister said she was pregnant and she started crying because she couldn't have a baby of her own I guessed that was how it would play out. And the parents completely changing everything they have done and said throughout the novel and becoming a happy family again the second they see their grandchild? Sorry I don't buy it. The other thing that bothers me about this book and it was a personal issue is that even while showing that religion teaches hate it still has a strong pro religion feel to it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2014
I wasn't sure how to review this book simply because I couldn't get into it. I appreciate the author for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review. This was my first ever transgender book and I was going into it with high expectations.
It didn't go so well.
Alecia to me sounded like she was a ten year old trying to sound grown up. Her voice wasn't natural. I found myself nitpicking at the fact that she had o knowledge about transgender people and how she kept thinking it was a sexual orientation issue, but that had more to do with her parents. They didn't educate her in the matter. I'm not holding that against her.
I did love Sam though. He was one thing done right. At first I saw a girl when Sam came onto the pages, but as the story progressed I couldn't get the image of Sam out of my head. He turned out to be incredibly sweet.
It didn't go so well.
Alecia to me sounded like she was a ten year old trying to sound grown up. Her voice wasn't natural. I found myself nitpicking at the fact that she had o knowledge about transgender people and how she kept thinking it was a sexual orientation issue, but that had more to do with her parents. They didn't educate her in the matter. I'm not holding that against her.
I did love Sam though. He was one thing done right. At first I saw a girl when Sam came onto the pages, but as the story progressed I couldn't get the image of Sam out of my head. He turned out to be incredibly sweet.
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