Hardcover, 182 pages
English language
Published June 27, 2014 by Candlewick Press.
In Beyond Magenta, six teens tell what it is like for them to be members of the transgender community. Portraits and family photographs grace the pages, adding immediacy to the emotional and physical journeys of these unwaveringly honest young adults.
Another banned book. For me, this was a remarkable and eye-opening read. The interviews in the book are candid, direct, inspiring and heartbreaking all at once. Brilliantly illustrated by photographs.
I wanted to like this, but I can't recommend it. Granted, it's almost a decade old, and the discourse has evolved since then. But the author leaves gender essentialism and some stories that verge on abuse unaddressed. It's great that these teenagers' stories are told verbatim, but it's not great to miss out on the nuanced commentary that they demand. I love the idea and I hope someone executes it better than this.
