Before I had the words On being a transgender young adult

Transgender activist, YouTube personality, and multitalented artist Kergil felt secretly a boy in childhood, feelings that intensified during adolescence, resulting in her beginning transition from female to male at age 15. He legally changed his name from Katherine to Skylar and began his surgical transition at 17. From being a tomboy with his older brother JT and sometimes being mistaken in public for a boy to binding budding breasts, his true self was always apparent. Kergil tells his story in a conversational tone, sharing deeply personal, sometimes funny revelations, including one about his first prosthetic, all told from a position of self-acceptance bolstered by his loving, adaptable parents and therapy. He includes interviews with his parents, and, most affectingly, his brother, who was initially upset and angry at losing his little sister, but who eventually accepted his little brother. Kergil's openness and authenticity has made him a speaker who inspires hope, especially in young adults and their families, and this encouraging transition chronicle, distinguished by his eloquence and inclusion of other voices, will do the same.--Scott, Whitney Copyright 2017 Booklist

A transgender person tells the story of his transition.At an early age, Kergil, an activist for the transgender community, began wearing his older brother's hand-me-down clothes, cutting his hair short, and playing games more readily associated with boys than girls. His birth name was Katherine, but that didn't feel quite right to him. It was only when he reached his teens that he began to learn about transgender people and suddenly recognized he was also a man born into a woman's body. In youthful, enthusiastic prose, the author tells the story of how he shifted to thinking of himself as a boy and the fears, anxieties, and doubt he experienced as he gradually told his closest friends and family members of the change he was going through. Some people accepted him readily with warmth and love, while others had difficulties with this shift. Kergil recalls the harassment he endured from a wide variety of people, but despite the physical and emotional pain, he continued to push toward a goal of full transition. He explains the exploration stages he went through with various girlfriends and the process of physical transition, beginning with hormone treatments, then top surgery, and beyond. Kergil's straightforward account gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at the mental, emotional, and physical aspects of being a transgender person. He shares how difficult the road has been toward acceptance and some of the tactics and words that have helped him. Although the writing tends toward immature, Kergil's story should help many who are in the beginning stages of gender identity exploration understand they are not alone as well as aid those who want to be more empathetic to the transgender community. An unremarkable but honest account of the young life of a transgender person. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.