Chris’s Comments (group member since Jan 03, 2015)

Chris’s comments from the Diversity Reading Challenge group.

#9: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

This book is narrated by a teenage boy who is autistic. It was really well written and was a very quick read.

#11: Fifth Born by Zelda Lockhart

This book actually fits into several of your categories but I'm using it for #11.

Fifth Born is about a little girl whose parents do not have a good relationship yet they keep having more and more kids. Odessa is the 5th child in the family, and she is treated horribly by her parents (for no good reason), yet her other siblings are not. She yearns to feel affection from her mother but never gets it. She is molested by her father when she is about 6 years old, and her mother convinces her that it didn't happen. She suppresses many bad memories from her childhood in order to survive.

The book was written well and I couldn't put it down, but it was such an emotional read.

#3: Beautiful Music for Ugly Children by Kirsten Cronn-Mills

This book is about a transgender teen named Gabe (his birth name is Elizabeth). As a senior in high school who is about to graduate, he dreams of moving away and starting life over as Gabe.

He has come out to his parents and brother, and they are having trouble accepting it. He has only come out to a couple of other people (who are supportive), but he is bullied at school.

I really liked the book and it was a very easy read. It is a YA book, and there is no sex in it but there is quite a bit of cursing, so it may not be suitable for younger ages.