Being a teenager is hard. Even if you have a pretty privileged life. Add on top of that trying to figure out your gender identity, someone bullying you for who you are and worrying about your future, and things definitely get complicated, to say the least.

I love how honest this book is about the struggles facing queer teenagers. For Felix specifically, he also has to deal with the fact that some people aren't accepting of the fact that he is transgender. He feels like his marginalizations are piling on top of each other and he can't even figure out if he's actually a guy like he thought for so long. All Felix wants is to be loved, but with everything working against him, he's not even sure he deserves to be loved.

Callender really delves into some of the issues facing queer trans teenagers, and does it with honesty and heart. They don't shy away from the hardships that queer trans teens of color might face, and they do it in a way that helps readers figure things out along Felix's journey without ever being preachy. Felix is messy and at times immature, but what teenager isn't? But he also finds moments of joy and happiness amongst all the challenges he faces, which I think is super important.

So often, stories about trans people (usually those not written by trans people) focus on the trauma and struggles of being transgender. And yes, those stories are important. But it is arguably more important, I think, to have stories where trans people get to just be people. They get to make mistakes and be silly and have friendships and fall in love just like everyone else. And yes, the hard parts are also part of the story. But it doesn't have to be the whole story. And I think Felix Ever After does a fantastic job telling the story of a transgender teenager who is just trying to figure themselves out.

In the hands of the right kids, this story could be life-changing. And I hope that the kids who need it the most get a chance to read it. Even if you are not the target audience for this, read it just so you can get a peek into what life is like for someone else. Honestly, that is one of the main reasons i read so much: I love seeing how other people see the world, especially when we get to see the world from the perspective of people whose stories have been silenced for so long.