So. I applaud Frankel for writing what I think is the first modern fiction about raising a transgender child. It's an interesting topic and I think it will help people wrap their heads around what it is to be transgender and all the challenges along the path. Some of her writing was beautiful and clever, like a delicate cocoon spun around a well-constructed story.

Where it didn't work (and what caused me to demote it to 3-stars instead of four) is in some of the dialogue... it feels like she uses the parents' conversations as lectures to the reader, like a shortcut to get her point across. It feels out of sync with the rest of the writing, sometimes patronizing, sometimes cliche, and often artificial.

Even with its flaws, I recommend this book. It has a lot of heart.