Review by Booklist Review
Labelle's story, translated from the original French by Zanin, centers on 12-year-old Ciel, a new secondary schooler who identifies as nonbinary and trans. Ciel's energetic and eager voice, as well as their passion for life and appreciation for all types of people, shines through the pages as they embark upon school adventures with their best friend, Stephie, and new friend, Liam. Bearing a sweet nostalgic air for school days, Labelle's narrative revolves around relatable situations for readers, from science projects and school assignments to attempting to build and maintain a social circle while exploring one's own self-expression and identities. Working on everything from posters and clubs to their own budding YouTube channel, Ciel is one busy person, and their multiple passions are sure to inspire motivated readers. When Ciel and their friends become involved in a campaign to represent their school's LGBTQ+ Alliance, these charming and likable characters become even busier than they could have imagined, spreading messages of respect, acceptance, and friendship.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A transgender student takes on new experiences, from an awakening crush to student council elections. Twelve-year-old Brazilian Canadian Ciel--who is starting their first year of secondary school--showcases their sense of humor and speaks out about transphobia on their growing YouTube channel with the help of their younger brother. When their science and technology teacher assigns their class a project about mastering a new skill, Ciel decides to pick something that will improve their videos. However, more challenges appear on the horizon for Ciel, like their unfamiliar romantic feelings for their friend Liam, a White transgender boy, and upcoming elections for president of the Gender and Sexuality Alliance, who will also serve on the student council. Set in Montréal, the book depicts natural, casual cultural diversity through side characters such as Ciel's Arabic-speaking classmate Frank, among others. Although Ciel has an outgoing side, they begin the narrative with a lot of insecurities that, refreshingly, have nothing to do with their trans identity. Each time they step outside their comfort zone, they grow and expand their perspective about privacy and consent, relationships, and their own value, even when the outcome plays out differently than they hoped. The conflict around the student council elections offers an important critique of empty hashtags used for mass appeal that do nothing to challenge injustice. A bright and open story. (Fiction. 10-14) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
