He quickly takes on the role of Gabe’s parent (or “uniparent” as Gabe might describe him). A 70-year-old chain-smoker with a southern drawl, John’s influence on Gabe is refreshing and inspiring. It’s John-Gabe’s neighbor and mentor, “the oldest DJ in the universe”-who becomes Gabe’s saving grace. And while his new job as a DJ for a local radio station allows him to be himself as he is, at home his parents struggle to come to terms with losing their daughter Elizabeth. Seventeen-year-old Gabe knows he’s a boy-he’s known that for a long time. Ages 12 up.‘Beautiful Music for Ugly Children’ by Kirstin Cronn-MillsĪ trans teen’s local southern Minnesota radio show inspires an unlikely cult following in Kirstin Cronn-Mills‘ quiet coming-of-age novel Beautiful Music for Ugly Children (Flux). It's impossible not to root for Gabe as he finds the courage to live the life he wants.
Gabe spins Elvis, Devo, and Prince on the radio, and old media meets new as his fans come together via Facebook.
Cronn-Mills never minimizes those challenges (Gabe faces some terrifying abuse), avoiding a too-happy ending, but Gabe and Paige's supportive friendship and Gabe's love of music shine through. So much so, in fact, that the book sometimes feels like a PSA exposing the challenges a trans teen faces. Gabe's difficulties from dealing with freaked-out parents and bigoted classmates to navigating love, sex, and whether to use the men's or women's room are well documented. Cronn-Mills, whose The Sky Always Hears Me and the Hills Don't Mind featured a teenage girl grappling with her sexuality, has clearly done her research. Overshadowing it all: everyone knows him as Elizabeth. He's about to graduate from high school, he's just started hosting a radio show, and he's got a crush on his best friend Paige.
0 kommentar(er)
