This book is ridiculously beautiful. The prose is lovely. The story is poignant and it took my breathe away.

A spooky story mixed with an unapologetic queer narrative? More of this please.

An incredibly sweet book about grief and identity. I don't want to spoil this at all but the culmination of this story brought me to tears with it's acceptance and gentleness. Bug's voice gets stronger and more confident with each turn of the page, and it's a joy to watch. One of the reviews on the back of the book predicts that it will probably be banned. But I deeply hope that isn't true. It's a beautifully written story full of ghosts and nature and becoming.

I've read various picture books about trans kids, or romance books with adult trans characters. Most of them, had already figured out they were trans, so here it was an all journey to follow them as they process their grief for their uncle and learn more about their true self in the process.

I have to admit I struggled reading at first, and needed to read a bit at the time, to process the grief the kid is facing, as it reminded my own for the lost of my parents. This quote was a perfect example. Such an emotional and powerful way to illustrate grief: "I stare at the comics, not actually reading them. Smiling seems like it would hurt, like clay has dried on my cheeks and a twitch of my lips would crack it off."
Also the ghosts were way creepier than I expected, as I have zero tolerance for spooky movies.

But I thought the author did such an amazing job to slowly help Bug to their journey by learning more about themselves. The way they can't look at their own reflexion in the mirror because they feel like something is 'wrong' felt very realist: "when I lookup at the window behind the sink, a strange face stares back at me, darkly reflected in the glass. ... This happens a lot. I'll be minding my own business, and catch a glimpse of something in the mirror that isn't me. Just a face that isn't quite mine. Almost mine. But different enough that it gives me a shock every time."
It's something I couln't understand as a cis woman, and it's way queer books written by own voices are so important. Lukoff help me have a better understanding of how it could be like for a trans person, in the early stages, when they don't even understand it themselves.

The link with the ghosts and the grief were also so well done. I completely understand why this book got all the recognition and prizes. It's so very well deserved.



"Still rubbing my head, that scratchy sensation calming me down, I straighten up. Drop my palm. And slowly look into my own eyes.
And it's me. Just me.
There he is, I think. Then I stop thinking, for just a second, and feel.
I see a boy in the mirror. I see myself in the mirror."

"And yet I'm more here, more present, then I've ever been before. That first moment I saw myself in the mirror at Moira's house switched on a light bulb inside of me."