Being Roy

by Julie Aitcheson

The greatest trial Roy Watkins faces isn’t deciding whether she’s gay or straight, male or female, West Virginia country mouse or prep school artistic prodigy. It isn’t even leaving behind her childhood sweetheart Oscar to attend uppity Winchester Academy in the hunt country of Virginia, or acclimating to a circle of friends that now includes privileged Imogen, her sharp but self-conscious sidekick Bugsy, and the tortured Hadley. No, the hardest thing for Roy to face is the world’s expectations about who and what she should be.

As Roy’s journey of self-discovery forces her to cross one hurdle after another, her identity closes in fast. Sooner than she could have ever predicted, she’ll have to decide what that means for her, the people she’s coming to care about, and the life that lies ahead.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Queer

190 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2017

About the author

Julie Aitcheson began her pursuit of writing as a screenwriter, then realized that a little exposition never hurt anyone and switched to books. She has had articles published in Echo Quarterly, Communities Magazine (formerly Talking Leaves Magazine), Isabella, and All Things Girl. Most recently, she received a full fellowship to the 2013 Stowe StoryLabs and won second place in the 2014 San Miguel Writers' Conference nonfiction writing competition.

Julie lives wherever her bohemian heart takes her, and wherever she can hit the hiking trails when her muse decides to take a personal day. She continues to seek out unique life experiences to provide grist for the mill of her imagination, including a job as a truck driver and her work as a medical actress at a simulation laboratory. There, she indulged her love of the dramatic arts and her passion for health education while amassing enough writing material to sink a barge

Reviews

[CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't really have much to say other than the writing is just sadly not very good. Too much telling instead of showing, etc.

[Melanie Ameloot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love love! Spoke from a young adult point of view in the current time we are living. I felt my heart clenching the entire time I was reading it. Would love to read more from them!

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bittersweet and heartfelt, I was immediately drawn in to "Roy's journey of self-discovery." I laughed, I cried, I couldn't put it down! Fantastic insight into the world of a complicated, lovable young person. Looking forward to more from Julie Aitcheson!! Julie Aitcheson

[Marissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

LGBTQIA+ Young Adult Fiction is one of my favorite genres. Having read dozens of coming-of-age, coming-out stories featuring queer and gender non-conforming characters, I found this book stood out with Roy's smart, humorous, and relatable voice. Roy's unwillingness to compromise or apologize for who she is was very refreshing, and her vulnerabilities in questioning who she is becoming as she straddles two juxtaposing worlds were well-written. The characters were well-developed and the plot interesting and compelling. It was a quick and easy read, yet themes of gender, sexuality, class, race, privilege, integrity, and authenticity were thoughtfully and meaningfully explored. I look forward to more from this author!

[Jane Somers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought I was reading this book (that I received as a gift from a friend of the author) to be polite, but then I couldn't put it down!

[Elliot]

Genre: realistic fiction, YA
2 LGBTQ main characters: trans/questioning & questioning sexuality; lesbian
2 LGBTQ side characters: gay

Importance of identities to plot: 4/5
Romance: 2/5
Coming out: no

Notes: A good depiction of what questioning your gender and sexuality is really like in real life. MC is poor and lives in a mobile home park, which also gives perspective.