Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen by Jazz Jennings
Genre: YA Memoir
Blurb (on back of book):
Jazz Jennings is one of the youngest and most prominent voices in the national discussion about gender identity. At the age of five, Jazz transitioned to life as a girl, with the support of her parents. A year later, her parents allowed her to share her incredible journey in her first Barbara Walters interview, aired at a time when the public was much less knowledgeable or accepting of the transgender community. This groundbreaking interview was followed over the years by other high-profile interviews, a documentary, the launch of her YouTube channel, a picture book, and her own reality TV series—I Am Jazz—making her one of the most recognizable activists for transgender teens, children, and adults.
In her remarkable memoir, Jazz reflects on these very public experiences and how they have helped shape the mainstream attitude toward the transgender community. But it hasn’t all been easy. Jazz has faced many challenges, bullying, discrimination, and rejection, yet she perseveres as she educates others about her life as a transgender teen. Through it all, her family has been beside her on this journey, standing together against those who don't understand the true meaning of tolerance and unconditional love. Now Jazz must learn to navigate the physical, social, and emotional upheavals of adolescence—particularly high school—complicated by the unique challenges of being a transgender teen. Making the journey from girl to woman is never easy—especially when you began your life in a boy’s body.
MY OPINION: *****
So I read this book in a day and really enjoyed it. It helped me to understand a whole different perspective of people and I was taught a lot.
Every year, I try to read at last ONE memoir/biography/autobiography/nonfiction novel. Last year was
Positive by Paige Rawl, and this year was this book.
I found out about this book because I started watching an ABC series on YouTube (it was in my recommended) on a girl called Jazz Jennings who was biologically a boy. I was drawn to her story and I found her life interesting. She has a reality TV show that I have not watched but seems to have a lot of viewers. In one of the ABC episodes, she told us about her book that she wrote when she was fifteen. I thought "Well, why not, I should read it." I rented it at the library and I started it last night and finished it last night.
I thought this book was intuitive and eye-opening. It was a really interesting book and here are all of my general thoughts:
*The pictures. I really liked looking at the pictures in the book that were at the start of every chapter, and there were two collages in the middle of the book. They helped me to understand what she was going through and also made the book a lot more enjoyable. I found myself looking forward to the pictures (I don't really know why).
*The quotes at the beginning of the chapters. She put a quote of her own at the beginning of each chapter and I found those insightful and beautiful. Here are some examples:
"Everyone deserves to be loved." -Page 97
"I'm here for you. I'm fighting for you. That's what I do. Every day I hope you can feel safe and happy." -Page 133
"Different is the new normal." -Page 143
These quotes were honest and true and inspiring even.
*Her voice. I could hear her voice through her writing. I could imagine what she saying and how she is. I thought she was a very influential speaker, if not the best writer.
*At some points, it was really obvious that she was 15. Her writing could be immature and she used a LOT of choppy sentences and non-descriptive writing. I don't know if this was intentional so that it would be easy to read or whatever, but I found it kind of immature at some points. (Yes, I do know one of you guys is going to comment that my writing is horrible too, but that is because I try to make my book reviews "easy to read" and "entertaining".) Also, at some points, it was REALLY blunt.
*Her love life was SO complicated. There were SO many boys and girls who she dated and kissed and whatever and ALL of them were kind of horrible. Wow, one guy even told his mom after they kissed. I mean, what?
*Her friendships were REAL. I could relate to what she was saying about losing friendships because I have lost a lot this year because of drama and guys and whatnot. I hope that my friendships heal, but I do know that this might not always happen, as it was in many of Jazz's relationships and I was glad that she was willing to speak the truth.
*I learned a lot about what it means to be "transgender". This topic is relatively unexplored for me because I never really though too much about it, to be honest. I don't feel any different towards someone who is transgender because why should I? We're all just people...
*This book helped me to understand what changes have to be made to switch genders. Jazz explained the treatments and hormones and everything and that really helped me.
*Quotes I really liked:
"That night, I told my bnrothers what had happened and they yelled at me, saying girls are never supposed to make the first move. I wasn't about to stand for that crap, though. When I know what I want, I'm going to go after it." -Page 102
There was this one part about the "Truth Game" which I thought was the stupidest game I've ever heard. Basically, you "have to swear an oath that neither person will be offended by anything the other one says. You then take turns saying everything you like and don't like about each other." (Page 143) Ummm, what? I would never do that, mostly because I'm a REALLY sensitive person and will probably end up defensive, angry, sad, and in tears, as well as making everyone else around me cry (because I can be MEAN when I want to--don't worry this is VERY rare and is generally towards the middle-school guys in my grade) Anyways, that's one way to break a friendship.
If you're not supposed to really take estrogen (the female hormone, I believe, that causes you to start puberty) before 16, shouldn't you wait and not take it when you're 12? Were you really that desperate to start looking like a woman at TWELVE that you took a hormone 4 years early? That part kind of got on me but I can understand what she was thinking.
Her brothers are SO NICE. Brothers are not that nice, no way. They protected her, helped her with sports, and defended her and WHAT? NICE twin brothers who are KIND to their little sister? What?
So that went on for a LOT longer than expected. I would recommend this book to people who want to read something insightful and honest about living life as a transgender child and teen.
Main Character: Jazz
Sidekick(s): Her brothers, her sister, her parents, her friends, etc
Villain(s): Bullies, etc
Memoir Elements: This book was written by a person about their own life.
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