This book felt similar to Ocean Vuong's "On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous" in that it often hearkens back to a central framing device between slices of the story. While Vuong's is fiction and this is not, both play with themes of gender, race, and sexuality central to both author's identities. I found this somewhat less impactful than the former but no less engaging. It has clear throughlines and allows you to see the narrative and literal ark of someone growing into themself. I quite enjoyed it.