4 stars rating

i dont know what to say but i totally enjoyed this book it took me by surprise that there was so much to learn from it.
This story is about how Ciel was someone who had youtube channel and had a dream of becoming a better mark out there in the world though she was only a high school girl. She had a best friend names stephie whom was a trans girl .Ciel always relies on her but she happens to be a huge nerd which is the total opposite of Ciel.
Some of the parts in this book caught me by surprise as to how the author manage to share a voice which we teens feel whenever we are being judge from the adults. Ciel did the best to share her thoughts about gender identity, giving them the knowledge and explaining some of the terms which they face and should be treated as dirt. At the end of the day we are all humans.
i honestly think that the author did a good job delivering this important message across the non LGBTQ peeps out there to open up and understand this community better.

Thank you for the arc @netgallery!

I've read Sophie Labelle's comics and so when I saw she had a book coming out, I had to grab an ARC.

This is a cute slice-of-life novel about entering high school as a nonbinary teen. I feel like the author really hit the uncertainties of freshman year well, with stress regarding coming out again to teachers, gender presentation, and keeping and making friends.

This book was really comprehensive in it's portrayal of being trans. Ciel, the main character, is half-Brazillain and nonbinary, but doesn't mind being perceived as feminine and will use Alessandra in classes. They're friends with Stephie, a trans girl who wants to go stealth in high school and later means Liam, a trans boy, who swims competitively. They represent a wide array of how people can be trans and I really appreciated that. Also, I think all of these characters are on hormone blockers, so I'm really excited that that was entirely normalized!

One complaint I had was that the secondary characters didn't have very fleshed out storylines and I feel there was more potential for that, especially with Liam and Stephie. Some dialogue and narration felt weirdly worded as well, but not enough to take away my enjoyment of the story.

I rated this book 3.5 stars! This is the middle grade trans book I've been waiting for, and I'm excited there are trans kids who are going to be able to read this!

Keywords: transgender, nonbinary, middle-grade

Ciel was the first book I read by Sophie Labelle, although I've been following her online comics for a long time now, so I was already familiar with some of the characters. Ciel as a character has been an inspiration for me as somebody who is unapologetic about their transness and their appearance. These kids are so much stronger than I could have been in high school - but maybe it would have helped if I had examples like these in the books I read.

Ciel is a great book because it has several (THREE!) transgender main characters, as well as a cis (?) little brother who likes wearing dresses and doing feminine things, so it really portrays a variety of experiences without making any of them be "The Trans Experience". In school, Sophie, who was out and proud in middle school, would prefer to go stealth and not be known as "the trans girl" in their new high school. Ciel is conflicted about this, and also faces the problem where it is pretty much impossible for nonbinary people to "pass" as their real gender, because people are so deeply stuck in binaries.

Ciel is also a great book because the characters in it all appear as real people, with their own interests and love troubles and whatnot. I mean - WE knew trans people were real people, but it's always nice to show that to the rest of the world! We have three different trans experiences in this book, as well as many different allies who are doing their best in different ways.

Finally, Ciel is a great book because it shows how far we have to go even as a community. I have sadly experienced in both online and offline LGBT groups that the LGB part very often can be transphobic, and even the binary T can be very exclusionary and hostile towards nonbinary people. Ciel's experience at the GSA is sadly very close to some of my experiences in cis queer spaces, and their conflict with an older trans girl is very close to some of my experiences in trans groups.

All in all, Ciel (the book!) is both realistic and uplifting, and a good way to maybe introduce cis children to the topic of trans kids.

I am so glad I picked Ciel up! A friend of mine said they had heard about the original French version and how amazing it was and I absolutely loved the translation!
Ciel is a wonderful story that deals with all topics surrounding trans people finally getting the spotlight they deserve, what it means to be nonbinary, the fear one has to fit in when they tell the world about how they identify and finding friends that are worth sticking up for.
I loved how Ciel had so much going on and how their YouTube channel grew throughout the book and how they did their paper round to be able to afford a new camera to produce better quality content. The first hints that we got at a friendship between them and Liam was also great and I wish we would have found out more about Liam.
But since this is a slice of life kind of story without a real beginning or ending, I was more than satisfied to share a bit of time with Ciel, their family and their friends!
Definitely recommend this book especially to younger readers who want to learn more about being trans or nonbinary!

This is a character-driven, slice-of-life, coming-of-age novel featuring a gender nonconforming trans kid named Ciel as they start their first year of high school in Montreal. For my fellow American readers (I had to google this myself), that covers ages 12-17. Ciel and their friends are on the lower end of that age range, so this is solidly a middle grade novel. Kids will relate to the excitement and anxieties that come with being in a new school, making new friends, having crushes, further exploring one's own identity, and having the courage to be themselves. Ciel's inner dialogue will resonate really well with tweens and young teens. Best of all, trans and nonbinary kids get to see themselves in a happy, wholesome, feel-good read.

Review by Lisa Pineo

*I received this eARC from NetGalley and Edelweiss+ in return for an honest review.
My ratings: * I hated it ** It was okay *** I liked it **** Really good ***** Great
TW (trigger warnings): transphobia, misgendering

Ciel by Sophie Labelle is a contemporary middle grade/YA novel with great LGBTQ representation but a problematic story. 4 stars

Description from the publisher:
Ciel is excited to start high school. A gender non-conforming trans kid, Ciel has a YouTube channel and dreams of getting a better camera to really make their mark. Ciel can always rely on their best friend, Stephie, a trans girl who also happens to be a huge nerd. But their friendship begins to feel distant when Stephie makes it clear she wants the fact that she’s trans to be less visible now that they’re in high school. While navigating this new dynamic with Stephie, Ciel is also trying to make a long-distance relationship work with their boyfriend Eiríkur, who just moved back to Iceland. Add to the mix a cute swim star named Liam, and Ciel’s life is becoming more complicated by the minute!

I had high hopes for this book because I love Sophie Labelle's Assigned Male comics. For me, reading the whole book as one idea wasn't as satisfying as reading the comic strip online, or even a whole comic book. The narrator seemed like a tween (which she was) but was dealing with teen issues. The author had her starting high school which for some kids is at 13 (my kids go to elementary from age 5 to 12 and high school from 13 to 18, meaning they start high school in grade 8) but most kids have middle school. This, along with 12 year olds being in long term relationships, pre-teens having years of time on social media, and dealing with heartbreak, but then making childish comments about it being “unfair and selfish” of her boyfriend's parents to move back to their hometown and not consider her and her 12 year old BF's relationship, made the book jarring.

Things I did like: the main character is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns, there are two other secondary trans kids as well as multiple other LGBTQ characters. Transphobia, misgendering, problems with using the school's gendered washrooms, having teachers use different names for Ciel (but not her chosen name), kids being at different levels of comfortableness with their identity and how many people know about it, are all dealt with realistically and I felt the authenticity of the situations as the author is transgender herself.

All in all, I did enjoy the book as there are only a few well written middle grade books with transgender characters and would recommend this novel to people looking for that specific genre.

TW for transphobia, homophobia

Thanks to Netgalley and Second Story Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ciel is an adorably heartwarming story about being a trans kid going into high school amid sudden YouTube fame and finding and losing friends. It’s an equally a beautiful, happy story about friendship and an incredibly poignant look at the challenges trans kids often face both in school and online.

One of my favourite things about this story was the slice of life aspect. This isn’t a super emotional coming out story, nor does it entirely focus on transphobia- we get to see our main character Ciel do ‘regular life things’, like freaking out about their first day of high school, having sleepovers with their best friend, and keeping in touch with their long distance boyfriend. No trans persons’ life entirely revolves around transphobia and coming out, and this story was perfectly balanced in that aspect.

I also really enjoyed how the author tackled multiple different trans experiences through the different trans characters: Stephie, with wanting to be stealth at school and starting hormone therapy, Liam, a trans boy competing in sports and the backlash from that, and Ciel themself, wanting to be comfortable at school without having to explain everything to everyone (and inevitably encountering resistance). And then on top of each character’s individual problems, they had to deal with normal 14-15 year old stuff like homework and friend groups. Overall, this is just a really cute story about trans kids living their lives and being (mostly) happy.

***MILD SPOILERS***

The one thing that didn’t quite sit right with me was that the story felt a little aimless. Don’t get me wrong, I love stories about trans kids just living their lives, but there were little side plots that felt either unnecessary or not explored enough. I wanted to know more about Frank and his relationship to Stephie, and I wanted to see a resolution to Stephie asking Ciel not to talk about trans stuff at school. I also felt Ciel’s boyfriend Eirikur was a bit of a throwaway character- I understand how he was big in Ciel’s life, and that we didn’t really get to see him before he left, but we barely got to know him before he just fully disappeared. And Ciel didn’t seem to learn anything special from him breaking up with them- they were sad for a little while and then they got over it like nothing happened, which made me wonder why the breakup was in the story in the first place. But, I suppose, without a true overarching plot, it is kind of difficult to understand why any choices were made within the book.

Overall, I loved the amount of trans characters within the book (the more the better in my opinion!) but the book as a whole felt incomplete. To create completeness, I think the book needed a more concrete plot, just something that could come to fruition at the end of the book. The whole story didn’t need to be tied up in a perfect bow, but maybe one or two tied and curled ribbons would have been nice. I do think that this book will be incredibly important to lots of kids in the world, both for discovering who they are and helping them better understand the experiences of the people around them, and I would definitely recommend it to the middle grade readers out there in the world.

This is actually 1.5 stars.
I saw that this book had good reviews in general, and it discusses such impotant topics that I couldn't wait to finally read it. I'm sad to say that it really dissapointed me.
First off, I want to say that many of the problems I had whith this is the way it was written. It doesn't feel natural. I know that this is a translation so I'm not blaming the author for this, but I'm a native Spanish speaker. I grew up with translations. And a good translation doesn't feel like a translation at all. This felt super lazy, and it kept me from being fully invested in the story.
The narration also felt uninspired. There were few adjectives and descriptions. "This happened, I felt this. I did this, I felt like that". I didn't really buy it. This book really needs to learn the rule "show, dont tell". Some people might say that this book being aimed for a younger audience means it cant be too complicated, but I disagree. Just because it is for children doesn't mean it shouldn't be deep and compeling.
Also, nothing in the story was important. There wasn't any actual plot. Ciel's friend not wanting people to know she's trans? Never really resolved, never talked about. Ciel's long-distance relationship? We don't hear about it enough to actually care. The LGBT+ group at school? They go there once and it's never mentioned again. Even the thing with the Youtube channel and Ciel raising money to buy a camera wasn't really developed as an actual plot line. Sure, Ciel said it'd been hard for them, but it didn't read that way! And in the end, when everything is resolved, it was so out of nowhere, cero build-up, that I thought I had skipped twenty pages.
I kinda liked the characters, or at least the few things we learn about them. And I added a half star because it was easy to read and it kept me kinda interested. But overall, this was unremarkable. I do, however, want to read more works by this author. I have faith she'll get better (this is only her first book afer all), and I love reading own-voices.

(this review was posted to GoodReads)

INCOMING: REVIEW BY ACTUAL NONBINARY BISEXUAL PERSON!
For the trans people who hate scrolling for hours trying to get a review from someone who knows what they're talking about. Also, very cool that there's a book out about a kid younger than I was when I realized I was bisexual... who already knows they're both bisexual and nonbinary.


My actual rating for this book is 3.5, and it was a hard one to come to. I thought this over for several days, because this book is so many things it's difficult to rate. I will definitely say that if the overall rating was at a 3, I would've rated at 4 on GR.

Firstly: trans book. It has to be said. There are precious few trans books out there, and rating them can be difficult because there's rarely something better. In terms of trans stuff, this book is great! I like that Ciel uses both she and they pronouns, which is rare to see. They're actually friends with fellow trans people, which is something I desperately want to see more of in books. They espouse a lot of beliefs I've had-- for example, that it would be so much easier if the whole school was trans. In terms of trans rep, I honestly don't think you can get much better than this.

Secondly: plot. Here's where I ran into some trouble. I couldn't tell you seriously what this book was majorly about, because it's about Ciel. There's no one big conflict. It's just slice of life Ciel going to school and making friends and doing their paper route. And in the end... well, that's fine. I was a little uninterested early on because there's no real 'hook', but as I kept reading I found it increasingly entertaining. So it's not boring by any means. You can tell I am still not sure what I thought! I need to get away from thinking only in terms of what's 'expected', I guess.

Thirdly: politics. This is not going to be like George or... struggles to think of another trans book. Well, a non-preachy trans book, anyway. And, honestly, I was fine with that. Ciel thinks about politics and policy and transphobia because they ARE trans, and though I'm sure some may take issue with the open political talk, it's nowhere near as overt as Assigned Male (which I will personally admit is quite soapboxy) and it fits in fairly well. It's mostly Ciel going "hey, why ARE cis people rude about that?!" in a very age-appropriate way. It's endearing.

I'm just going to get into everything else now, because I think those are the most important general thoughts I had, and you know I'm going to nitpick. (If I leave a review under 5 stars, I intend to tell the author why, so they can decide for themself what they want to do in future works.)

First, I want to list some things I really liked. Again, the amount of trans characters. It was wonderful to have a cast with this many trans people AND this many supportive cis people! It's also common for cis writers to go "there are two kinds of parents of trans kids: Pure Evil and Perfect Ally," which is obviously not true. It's refreshing to read a trans person's narrative because Labelle actually knows what this is like, and she's open with the differences in approaches by different parents. She's also able to maintain characters who may be misinformed, but not pure evil.

Stephie goes undercover, and Ciel struggles. They understand why Stephie wants to just act cis, but... they're nonbinary! What can they do? I actually wish that this was better summed-up, because it ends up kind of being a collection of 'moments' (eg not knowing what name to use for themself, pretending to be a cis lesbian (?) at the GSA to avoid coming out as nonbinary, etc) rather than a meditation on how this sort of issue might be handled. That said, it is a real problem for many-- so I'm glad just to see it addressed.

Ciel's little details are wonderful. The book opens telling us about how they always wake up two minutes before their alarm, and they continue to be quirky and adorable throughout. It's a wonderful touch for a middle grade book-- Ciel seems like a real kid, with real uniqueness. Their paper route and their Icelandic boyfriend and their emails are all great touches.

Okay now I nitpick.

My first odd little moment was having no idea how high school worked. When I was fifteen, I got my first partner, and it ended badly because I was fifteen. These kids have dated before? MULTIPLE TIMES? To be fair, I'm very out of touch with both the original comic and the Kids These Days, but... multiple boyfriends by the age of 15... I guess this is not a nitpick so much as a ?! moment. It's not necessarily unbelievable, just.... ?!. Especially because this is a middle grade book, so I went back and forth thinking "how is this romance they're just a boy and girl who are friends" and "well it's a middle-grade book what do I expect them to do." Also mildly odd that, well, I couldn't really get a handle on whether Stephie or Ciel were ever friends with guys. Each time either of them meets a guy, it is Romanceville. But why?! But again this is mostly ?! and has very little to do with my rating.

The translation is... odd. Or perhaps it's the phrasing. It just doesn't sound like an English-language middle grade book. Perhaps it is just the translation; it doesn't sound like a kid with their slang. Especially little things like "Stephie is eating with her girlfriends." Younger kids almost never say that, especially not now. You'd just say "Stephie is eating with her friends" or something to that effect. This doesn't ruin the book, but it affects one's reading experience.

My real issue, which cost this book about a star. The YouTube Channel. Why does Ciel, a freshman in high school, have a YouTube channel. Throughout the book, they run into trouble with it-- I'll put it under a spoiler bracket, but if you've ever so much as heard of YouTube, you can guess. (view spoiler)

My question is... why do they keep this channel. It doesn't appear to actually do them any good, and especially with the problems Society At Large is having right now with famous children and famous children online specifically, one would think promoting seeking fame as a trans child would be avoided at all costs. But no. The book, despite presenting a hundred negative results of this channel, doesn't at all address the idea of... maybe not having it. Privating it. Having a series of videos for Ciel's friends to watch. Having the channel without comments on (permanently.) Having a channel monitored by their dad (who seems to have no idea about it.) This put a major dent in the book for me, because it's a kids' book. Kids are going to read this. I would not recommend any books promoting online drama or fame-seeking.

That said... I still read the book myself. And it was cute and it was good and I don't feel that I wasted my time or would've been better off reading something else. It was worth that read, even if I don't read it again, and if you're a trans book completionist... well, keep reading.


DO I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK?

To kids: probably not, for the aforementioned YouTube channel. I'm sorry. It squicks me out. I would not trust them to pick up on the nuance.

To adults: sure, if you like the comic; part of the reason I requested was that I know the comic. Otherwise, it's certainly written in a middle-grade style, so I'm (waves hand noncommittally) in terms of adult readers. Oh, and if you're looking for anything trans! That's definitely the main reason I read it, and I wasn't disappointed there. So, again, trans book completionists-- it's a great book if you're looking to read every well-written book about trans people.

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley and I’m very thankful!

Love me some own voices trans nonbinary rep, SPECIALLY in a middle-grade <3 And so cute, and light-hearted, and in a kinda positive tone. Love this to heaven and back.

That being said: I was very lost for the first… 15% of the story, and I remained somewhat lost after that, only that I didn’t care anymore because the story just lets you keep reading without worries. BUT midway through the book I felt like maybe this would work better as a comic book. And it’s because I found no substantial, book deep plotline. Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s not because I think comics have less plot than a MG novel, it’s just that this book in particular is… daily events based. It’s a chronicle of the first two weeks of the protagonist’s first year of high school, and it really would have worked GREAT in a comic format. That I thought BEFORE knowing who the author was and her previous work and I wasn’t surprised when I read about it.

Also, I feel like I didn’t get to know the characters, and some plotlines went to nothing (like Martin, or Stephie’s boyfriend??? Or the mean youtuber?), and I would love to, because Ciel is a great protagonist. They’re strong minded and determined, and they’re in that age where they’re forming themselves and I would have really loved to explore them more deeply.

Anyway; the most positive notes of this book are, obviously, the rep (trans boy, trans girl, nonbinary kid, and we even got some latino rep, which I always appreciate) and the themes of family and friendship and the importance of having people who understand and loves you, beautifully approached. I specially loved the ‘new friends’ issue: making friends in HS can be hard for any kid, and Ciel’s worries and concerns are VERY valid.
I liked the youtube subplot and I think lots of kids are gonna feel connected with that aspect of Ciel’s life, I’d have loved to see more of that as well.

I will definitely be on alert with this book and recommend it to everyone!

I was actually a little disappointed by this one. I really enjoy Sophie Labelle's comics and so I jumped at the chance to read this one early, but I had some issues with it.

The characters feel so young! They're in their freshman year of high school, so I guess they are young, and I think this is aimed at middle-grade readers, but then they talk about being in love and dating for two years and like, they're children.

Also, it's like one long stream-of-consciousness (with multiple topic jumps per paragraph) of a 12-13 year-old on a massive sugar high. It's a bit hard to get into because of that. It also... meanders without a clear plot. It's more of a this happened, then this happened, then this happened, the end. So it feels both authentic to the experience of a young teenager but also not the most satisfying thing to read as nothing really wraps up and not much changes. I think it would have actually worked better as a series of comics.

The thing I really like about this book is that it deals with some important issues: what it's like to be trans and nonbinary when a freshman in high school and how to decide whether to be visibly out or not. The different ways Stephie and Ciel approached that were interesting to explore. And the message I got from it of being your authentic self and not being afraid of standing out is a good one. It also deals well with the topic of subtle and more overt transphobia.

I would definitely give it to middle-grade and high school kids who are questioning their gender identity - and really any kids in maybe 6th-12th grade who could use a broadening of perspective. I do think it wouldn't be as jarring to read for them as it was for me since it's been a while since I was in high school.

Ciel is a cute, heart-warming book about a non-binary teen who is struggling with starting high school, a long distance relationship, and their relationship with their best friend Stephie. The book tackles a lot of issues in a short period of time, and does so in a respectful, thoughtful way that absolutely feels appropriate for the target audience.

I think Ciel is a great protagonist for non-binary, trans, and cis kids alike. They're fun, smart, and ambitious, and it's enjoyable to watch them succeed at their goals. It hurts when they're hurt by the people around them, but Ciel generally has an optimistic outlook and their life, and that's good. Ciel as a narrator also takes the time to explain a lot of concepts about gender in very clear ways that don't feel condescending. I hope that the kids who read this book gain a better understanding of what it means to be non-binary. There are also multiple trans characters besides Ciel, and it's nice to see those characters existing and being happy together.

There are a lot of mentions of transphobia in this book, but I think they're handled well and don't go into a territory that would be difficult for middle grade readers to handle. Ciel addresses most of these moments and takes them in stride. In terms of educational but enjoyable content, I think the book hits the nail on the head. It's fun, keeps things relatively light, but also gives a voice to a group of people who are under- and misrepresented in the media quite a lot.

My only problem with the book is that I felt like it ended somewhat abruptly, and not every issue was entirely resolved. This is absolutely fine, and true to real life, because not everything can be tied up in a pretty little bow, but I do wish there had been a clear resolution between Ciel and Stephie.

Stephie is a trans girl who has decided that upon entering high school, she doesn't want to be known as "the trans kid" anymore, and so she doesn't tell any of her new friends that she's trans. This puts a strain on Stephie and Ciel's relationship, because Ciel, who doesn't identify within the gender binary, is much more "obviously" trans and doesn't want to hide that part of themself. In fact, Ciel has a YouTube channel where they talk about their experiences, and one of their videos talking about how pointlessly gendered the bathrooms at their school are ends up going viral.

Ciel can tell that Stephie is pulling away from them slightly, and understands why, but they never have an open conversation with Stephie about the problem. Instead, the narrative ends with them still ambiguously being friends, just not as close as before. When the book ends, Ciel has also just started to form a closer relationship with a trans boy from their school, Liam. Again, I think this is pretty realistic. It's a good representation of how relationships shift and change as people grow up and apart or together. But in terms of the narrative, it left me wanting more. It felt like an awkward ending that didn't quite tie up all the loose ends but also didn't suggest to me that there would be a sequel to address everything. I'd love to see a sequel though!

Overall, I quite enjoyed this book, and I hope a lot of middle grade readers also get to enjoy it and feel represented or learn something or both!

What a refreshing and delightful read!

Having followed Sophie Labelle’s Assigned Male comics for many years, I jumped at the chance to read the ARC for Ciel. This is the first novel that I have read from Labelle and it certainly won’t be my last.
Labelle offers a coming of age/teenage life story that is complete with all the usual complexities of being a teen these days. In addition, the reader is privy to the intricate dance trans individuals face when starting a new school, being introduced into new social circles, and just living in society in general.

Ciel’s character is bright and dreamy. Their voice is clear and mature without being too out of place. Ciel brings a certain amount of optimism in the outlook for treatment of trans kids at their school and in their life without being too naïve. I appreciate how Labelle inserts seamless clarifications in areas where perhaps some readers wouldn’t be too familiar with terms (eg. cisgender). I would anticipate seeing Ciel on the top of any YA “Must Read” list for this year.
Thank you to NetGalley and Second Story Press for the chance to review this book.

Ciel is a non-binary trans kid who is starting high school and is very worried about their friendship with Stephie, who is also trans and doesn't want people at their new school to know.

This is a book that's exactly what I love: not a lot of action, just characters having normal days and talking about themselves. We only get to see the first two weeks of Ciel's high school year, but in those days the author manages to tell us about Ciel's friends, family, boyfriend, job and YouTube channel without making it too much.

I don't know if Ciel is going to be a kid we'll get to know more about, but I'd love it if this became a series. I strongly believe this is the type of book a young trans kid would need in order to know there are people like them out there in the world. The adults in the story are nice and real, which I consider is something that MG/YA books that I read don't usually have.

Overall, I just wished the story was a little bit longer so we could get to know more about characters like the rest of the people at school and Stephie's parents. Still, I'm really impressed on how the ending didn't feel abrupt being such a short final chapter. I hope I get to know more about Ciel soon!

Ciel by Sophie Labelle is a heart warming novella about the fears and assertions of a gender non conforming trans kid Ciel. She is about to enter high school. Any kid would feel the butterflies on the first day. For Ciel it is even more because she fears how her teachers and classmates will respond to her idea of fluid gender.
Luckily she has a best friend Stephie who is also trans but does not want to be open about it unlike Ciel.
Ciel's days begin with her waking up realllly early to deliver the newspaper. She wants to earn enough to buy a camera and tripod that will help her make better videos for her YouTube channel, Ciel is Bored.

The novel is a simple, quick read that brings out the several issues around trans kids and the uncertainties and problems they face because of mainstream binary gendered outlooks. For instance, Ciel has trouble choosing what bathroom to use and only visits it when no one is around. She speaks about it on her channel as well.

This does not mean that Ciel only faces problems and is troubled at her high school. The writer captures the small moments of support she receives, be it from her father, her friend or even her teachers who are willing to accept and understand.
It is a beautiful novel which ends on a superbly positive and uplifting message of being true to oneself!

First, I want to thank NetGalley and Second Story Press for giving me early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

I greatly enjoyed this story. It is a very character driven story that follows the main character Ciel through the first few weeks of high school. The ending style was not at all what I normally except, especially for books aimed at younger readers, but, I think it was a perfect way to end this particular book. And while the ending doesn't suggest at a sequel, I do hope that Labelle will write about these characters again.

Many of the emotions and types of thoughts Ciel goes through are ones that anyone who is a teenager, or an adult who can remember what it was like to be a teenager, can relate to: how to make and keep friends, how much of your true self do you feel comfortable revealing to others, etc. Though, some of the specific things Ciel deals with are specific to those who identify as nonbinary or transgender.

Sometimes, in books that have a younger main character, they can come across as a child/teenager as imaged by an adult. However, I think Labelle did an excellent job capturing the voice of a teenager. Since Ciel is at that age when all people, even those who aren't exploring or questioning their gender identity, are still trying to learn and understand about themselves and others better, there is a decent amount of Ciel explaining about themselves and their identity. If they were an older character who already understood more about their identity, the time spent exploring Ciel's mind on identity might have made the book feel like it was aimed at a non-LGBTQ audience. But, considering the age group this book is aimed it, it feels more like it is a book that could help those who are trying to better understand their identity know that it's okay to question and that they aren't alone.

Ciel is not a girl or a boy; Ciel uses they/them pronouns. Their best friend is Stephie, a girl who happens to be trans. This middle grade book written by Sophie Labelle is a snapshot into the lives of trans and non-binary middle schoolers. Ciel is a relatable character; they have an annoying sibling, they struggle with their teachers, and they also have a vlog. Readers can learn more about LGBT terms while relating to characters like Ciel, Stephie, and Liam. I highly recommend this book.

While I enjoyed the clear way Ciel explains different aspects of being transgender and non-binary as a young teen, I agree with other reviewer‘s who stated the storyline was a little slow and lacking in action that usually engages young, middle grades readers. I also feel like the translation into English may have contributed to The somewhat stilted flow of the rating. I do like that it was that in Montreal, a place that many of my students have never been to, yeah is a super beautiful and interesting city. I wanted to like this book more than I did, because it is so important for our students to see non-binary and transgender youth represented; however, this one just fell a little short for me.

While I loved the general premise of this story and thought the “bones” were good, the translation made Ciel’s character come off as stilted and plastic. Additionally, having the setting in Montreal was wonderful; however, I’m not sure the foreign setting would help my American middle schoolers follow the oftentimes convoluted storyLine compounded with the awkward translation.

I found the writing style of this book was very stilted and boring to read. There's no plot or development in this book. Many of the events in this book are completely unbelievable. I ended up DNFing about 75% through because I was so bored and annoyed with the writing. I also found this book to be very preachy, and kinda guilt tripping the reader in ways. I felt like this book was more to educate cis readers, instead of for trans kids to see representation.