And I get the book wasn't about them, but it could have *really* been elevated with some character development in this department. A lot of the 'bad' characters in this book existed purely as villains and had no exterior motivations or fears, and were incredibly flat. I don't really mind the unrealistic internet culture but sometimes it made me roll my eyes a bit. ? It felt super idealized but also like it only existed as a plot device. I got some bad vibes from her and some of the things she did made me kind of squirmy. I LOVE that Riley's 'biological' sex is never revealed because it's really. Sometimes they're kind of whiny and annoying, but they're a teen with some major anxiety, so I get it. They're super engaging and kind of unlikable, which makes you like them more. As a character, I found Riley to be really great. There was a lot of good in this book, but there was also a lot of. And Riley must make a choice: walk away from what the blog has created-a lifeline, new friends, a cause to believe in-or stand up, come out, and risk everything.įrom debut author Jeff Garvin comes a powerful and uplifting portrait of a modern teen struggling with high school, relationships, and what it means to be a person. But just as Riley's starting to settle in at school-even developing feelings for a mysterious outcast-the blog goes viral, and an unnamed commenter discovers Riley's real identity, threatening exposure. On the advice of a therapist, Riley starts an anonymous blog to vent those pent-up feelings and tell the truth of what it's really like to be a gender fluid teenager. And between starting a new school and having a congressman father running for reelection in über-conservative Orange County, the pressure-media and otherwise-is building up in Riley's life.

Some days Riley identifies as a boy, and others as a girl. Riley Cavanaugh is many things: Punk rock. Starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist * YALSA Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers * ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults List * 2017 RainbowĪ sharply honest and moving debut perfect for fans of The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Ask the Passengers.

Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin