Luna by Julie Anne Peters

For years, Regan's brother Liam has been nursing a secret. By day, he is Liam, a passably typical boy of his age; at night, he transforms himself into Luna, his true, female self. Regan loves and supports her brother and she keeps his Liam/Luna secret. Things change, though, when Luna decides to emerge from her cocoon. She begins dressing like a girl in public; first at the mall; then at school; then at home. Regan worries that her brother's transgender identity is threatening her own slippery hold on normalcy. 

I have no clue about what to write about this book. I feel completely speechless. When I saw my friend reading this book, I immediately asked if I could borrow it after her. Having read Keeping You A Secret by Peters, I know what kind of standard her stories have - and this was definitely no exception. Nowadays, it is difficult to find a book that truly grasps the topic of LBGT - yes, a lot of fantasy novels have the main character as this beautiful girl, with her cool best friend, and some awesome gay best friend who she can go shopping with. But those books never get down to the nitty-gritty of what it's like to actually be the one who is supposedly 'different', so I suppose I find books like Peters kind of rare - special. And honestly, this is actually the first book concentrating on Transgender I have ever read - and I completely fell in love with it. I think the fact that it was told from the point of view of the sister - Regan - was brilliant, because it was like you were both in the dark about this topic - not fully understanding it, as someone who is transsexual would. I also thought it was brilliant because of the fact Regan was all Luna ever wanted to be, and I liked the fact that although Luna had everything Regan wanted - smarts, a best friend - Regan had something that Luna wanted but could never have. Well, up until she began her transition, that is. I just thought it was such a cleverly crafted novel, and it really did show me the hardships that transsexuals can go through, without being overly depressing. And even though I promised myself I wouldn't cry, at the end I just couldn't stop myself. The ending was both disappointing and perfect - it was the best way to end it, but I just didn't want it to happen; I wanted to know what was going to happen next! Peters is an absolutely amazing author, and I really think that if you are curious about the topics of LGBT, you should really give her a try. Unfortunately, if you don't live in America, it may be a little bit more difficult to get your hands on a copy, since most book retailers don't have them in stock. But maybe see if you can order it in? If not, Amazon is definitely the way to go. And any book of hers you get - it won't let you down. They are brilliant.
Rating:5/5