Ciel

I've said this before and I'll say it again: it's really such a special thing to see your identity represented in middlegrade. I've read a few books with non-binary main characters so far, but never one in middlegrade, and it really means a lot. It's just such a healing experience.<br /><br />This book did a really great job at finding a balance between showing the more subtle and heavier transphobia trans people deal with in their day-to-day lives while also showing the love and support and just the happy moments. In that way, it dealt with important and very real themes while being an inherently pretty uplifting and really empowering book. Ciel was a really lovely main character, and one I could really see myself in. And it was great to see multiple trans characters in one book as well, because it shows how there are so many different ways to be trans.<br /><br />CWs: transphobia, misgendering

J'aime beaucoup l'écriture, ça se lit vraiment très facilement. <br />L'aspect visuel est intéressant avec l'affiche, les échanges de textos et le courriel.<br /><br />J'aime beaucoup la personnalité de Ciel. Son humour m'a fait rire. C'est super intéressant de suivre Ciel et d'avoir accès à ses pensées. C'est aussi super pertinent d'avoir la vision de son amie Stéphie pour constater les différences entre la manière qu'elles aimeraient vivre leur réalité de personnes trans. <br /><br />Je me sens vraiment choyée d'avoir eu droit à cette part d'intimité de Ciel. J'aurais lu ce livre-là il y a 2 ans et j'aurais eu une grosse remise en question par rapport à mes réflexions et à mes agissements. Même si j'ai l'impression de ne plus être dans l'inconnu du vocabulaire et de certains concepts par rapport à la transidentité, le lire, ça rajoute vraiment quelque chose de plus.<br /><br />J'ai été choquée de la quantité de commentaires désagréables/méchants que Ciel peut recevoir. C'est encore plus troublant lorsqu'on réalise qu'iel n'a que 12-13 ans. Quel poids sur ses épaules! <br />Le moment du "faux allié" m'a tellement fait mal ou devrais-je dire, les moments.<br /><br />Une lecture ultra nécessaire c'est certain. Ce livre devrait être dans toutes les bibliothèques des classes de 5-6e année et début secondaire!

<b>September 16, 2020:</b> This was so much fun to read for all the happiness it brought through a transgender's story that doesn't completely focus on transition or hardcore discrimination that transgenders experience. It's more about an individual non-conforming trans middle-grader's story as they start high school while being a popular Youtuber, best friends with someone who isn't as ready as Ciel to take on their trans identity in the school corridors, and in a long distance relationship with their boyfriend. <br /><br />Not only is the book great for the under-represented sexual identity but but also features a young boy who loves to dress up as well as some realistic observations around how deeply rooted many are in the binary genders and the subtle yet horrific transphobic experiences. A definite recommendation for those who wish to read a story about a young transgender simply living and enjoying their life while also bringing light to unneeded yet inevitable struggles they always face. <br /><br /><i>The author is ownvoices for the transgender representation. However, I'm not an ownvoices reader so please pay heed of the more authentic reviews before mine.</i> A digital review copy was received via Edelweiss.

Leído gracias a Netgalley :D (English below!)<br /><br />Me encantó este libro.<br /><br />Amo la representación LGBTQIA+ en los libros, mucho más si son middle grade y AÚN MÁS si son own voices.<br /><br />Ciel es une protagonista con mucha frescura, y sentí que tenía esa voz y mente de niñe que está pasando por ciertos cambios-- cortar con tu novie, el miedo a perder a tus amigues, no saber si vas a poder ser quien sos frente a extrañes.<br /><br />De nuevo, me gustó mucho y creo que a les niñes también. La historia es tierna y no da golpes bajos. Ciel perdió a su madre no hace mucho, tiene que esconder el hecho de que su mejor amiga es trans y que está en una relación a distancia con un chico que no le trata como se merece.<br /><br />Lo único que encontré medio meh fue que en sí no hubo un plot que conectara todo lo que va pasando en el libro-- el canal de Youtube, la relación a distancia, el chico trans nuevo en la escuela, el dramón con la otra youtuber trans... obvio está todo relacionado, pero creo que los finales de algunos capítulos quedaban abiertos a interpretación. O la constante amenaza (mencionada numerosas veces) de que su mejor amiga iba a encontrar nueves amigues, que siempre estaba presente pero, a la vez, no lo estaba. No sé si se entiende lo que quiero decir, pero es algo que sentí hasta el último capítulo.<br /><br />IGUAL creo que es un libro HERMOSO, precioso y amable, que me hizo reír en voz alta un par de veces y que nos enseña que la aceptación, el verdadero amor y las buenas y leales amistades quizás conlleven un camino largo que no siempre será fácil, pero al final la felicidad y la emoción hacen que valga la pena ❤️<br /><br />------✄------<br /><br />I found this book really heartwarming.<br /><br />I love LGBTQIA+ representation in books, MORE if they're middle grade and even MORE if they're written by own voices.<br /><br />Ciel is a refreshing protagonist and I felt they really had that childlike voice and mind that's going through some changes-- a break up, the fear of losing friends, not knowing if you're able to be who you are in front of strangers.<br /><br />Again, this was heartwarming and I think it'll be for kids as well. The story is cute and doesn't have any low blow. Ciel lost their mother kinda recently, they have to hide the fact that their best friend is trans and they're on a long distance relationship with a boy that doesn't treat them as he should.<br /><br />The only thing I found quite meh was that there wasn't a plot connecting everything that's happening-- the Youtube channel, the long distance relationship, the new trans boy, the beef with the other youtuber... of course it's all related, but I found some of the chapter endings kinda open to interpretarion? Or like, the constant threat of their best friends finding new friends was always there and mentioned, but at the same time it wasn't. I don't think I'm making any sense now, but that's the perception I got at the end.<br /><br />NEVERTHELESS, it was a GREAT, heartwarming, kind book, made me laugh out loud a couple of times and teaches us that self-acceptance and true love and good and loyal friendship it's a long journey that may not be easy, but in the end the happiness and excitement make it worthy of it all ❤️

This is a nice, quick read that straddles the precarious gap between middle grades and YA. I enjoyed Ciel's story! Their thoughts on transness really resonated with me. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel!

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.

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

Fun fact: this is the second book in a row I read that has no middle or end. Just beginning all the way through. It didn’t help that the book was so short and full of background, making every page feel like the first one. Because of that and the fact that I somewhat enjoyed it, I will be reading the next.

<i>(I received an ARC from NetGalley. Thank you!)</i><br /><br /><b>INCOMING: REVIEW BY ACTUAL NONBINARY BISEXUAL PERSON!</b> <br />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. <br /><br /><br />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.<br /><br />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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />Thirdly: politics. This is not going to be like <i>George</i> 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.<br /><br />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.)<br /><br />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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Okay now I nitpick.<br /><br />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 <i>mildly</i> 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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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. <input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="dac8e041-664a-485a-be89-599938b957d5" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="dac8e041-664a-485a-be89-599938b957d5"> A rival trans YouTuber, apparently an adult woman, makes a video mocking them. They watch this video. It gives them a ton of hateful comments, many racist and transphobic, on their video. They do not tell their father and instead remove the comments on their own, spending time every day to get them off. They then make a response video, the reception to which we do not see. Stephie makes some comments about having been on YouTube/on shows because she transitioned so young, but she says her mother took care of all that.</label><br /><br />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 <i>kids</i>' book. Kids are going to read this. I would not recommend any books promoting online drama or fame-seeking.<br /><br />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.<br /><br /><br />DO I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK? <br /><br />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.<br /><br />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 <i>main</i> 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.

Review by Lisa Pineo<br /><br />*I received this eARC from NetGalley and Edelweiss+ in return for an honest review. <br />My ratings: * I hated it ** It was okay *** I liked it **** Really good ***** Great<br />TW (trigger warnings): transphobia, misgendering<br /><br />Ciel by Sophie Labelle is a contemporary middle grade/YA novel with great LGBTQ representation but a problematic story. 4 stars<br /><br />Description from the publisher: <br />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! <br /><br />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. <br /><br />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. <br /><br />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.