It is rare to see trans stories, especially within the YA genre, so Luna was quite eye-catching. I kept in mind that Julie Anne Peters is herself a cisgender woman, but given her history of responsible queer story-telling, I figured Luna was worth a shot. Also, to clarify, I am well aware that people are more than capable of writing compelling narratives and characters that fall outside of their own gender identity/personal experience (Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides being a good example), but if I was going to share my honest, anxiety-riddled stream of consciousness impression, I figured Goodreads would be as good a place to do it.

That being said, I really enjoyed Luna, and am still rooting for her even now that the story has ended. Told from the POV of her younger sister, Regan, the reader is given (for many - much-needed) exposition on trans terms and information.

Much of the story takes place in the present, but it is intercut with memories of Regan's childhood. As she bumbles through the winding curves of memory lane, she is better able to comprehend who her sister is in the present. It was also an interesting look at how one can misinterpret past events when people do not act according to their societal expectations. Denial ain't just a river in Egypt.

Perhaps Luna's biggest strength, is how it presents imperfect characters in a sympathetic light. You want people to accept young Luna for who she is, but are able to see that the reality of living in a culture of strict gender expectations does not allow for the situation to unfold in a straight forward manner. Even protagonists need time and space to emotionally process complex events and feelings.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book.