Sam Waver es un chico solitario al que le cuesta hacer amigos, y sus padres están tan ajetreados que a veces se siente invisible. Por suerte, cuenta con su hermano mayor, Jason, quien parece tener una vida perfecta: no sólo es encantador y popular, también es la estrella del equipo de fútbol, y todas las chicas están deseando salir con él. Sam lo idolatra.

Sin embargo, un día, Jason reúne a su familia para contarle un secreto que lleva guardando mucho tiempo: en realidad se llama Jessica. Sus padres no dan crédito y Sam descubre que no son las personas abiertas y tolerantes que creía. Las vidas de todos dan un vuelco y parece que las cosas nunca volverán a ser como antes.

Boyne looks at the very topical issue of transgender in this novel told from the point of view of 12 year old Sam, the son of a very prominent British politician and younger brother to Jason, who in Year 12 announces to the family that he wants to be a girl. With the family being in the public eye the effect of this announcement causes Sam's parents to react very badly, and Jason decides to leave and go live with a more supportive aunt while he becomes Jessica. This is about Sam's journey to understand why his brother wants to do this and also to grieve the "disappearance" of Jason, the brother he has idolized his entire life.

Although Sam's observations and actions are very convincing ( as are Jason's) I found Boyne's treatment of the parents a bit cartoonish. If he meant to portray a one dimensional view of them through Sam's eyes he succeeded because they aren't really fleshed out as people with feelings and consideration for others until the end of the book. Unfortunately, I think this detracts a bit from the story as I kept thinking, "No mother would act/speak like that" but perhaps that the part that only Sam hears and sees, and therefore the reader doesn't receive the whole picture.

I also thought it was interesting how Boyne kept Jason/ Jessica out of the main picture until towards the end, and we only saw them through Sam's loving and then hurt eyes.

All in all, a fairly sensitively handled topic which might hep some Young adults with their own or sibling's journeys. ( )

124-5