All Boy by Mia Kerick

What I Loved:

The realness of the characters written by Mia Kerick was just amazing. The struggles and fears that each of these characters live with was described so well. I appreciated that both Callie and Jayden had a physical thing that they were fighting with. Callie struggles with her weight and Jayden struggles with his female body. The author drew me into to both of their stories and I was in awe.

How I Felt:

Jayden’s need to hide his true self from his family is heartbreaking. He must continue to be Jada at home to hide the truth about himself. He did have a few family members that could be supportive, but overall, his family made me pretty angry. I struggled to read his story at times because it was just so sad.

The relationship that develops between Callie and Jayden was wonderful. I was frustrated when Jayden felt the need to hide himself from Callie, but I should have felt that. The truth is that people in real life are hiding their true selves every day and I appreciated a book that gave some light to situations like this.

Overall, All Boy by Mia Kerick is a beautifully written story and I highly recommend it.

To Read or Not To Read: This book is for anyone that is interested in an LGBTQ perspective on transitioning and romance.

Where To Find This Book:

Callie and Jayden are students at Beaufort Hills Academy, repeating their 5th year of high school. Callie is looking forward to stepping away from her past, while Jayden is looking forward to his future at their new school.

Callie and Jayden meet at their new school and begin to have feelings for each other. Jayden struggles with keeping his secret from Callie. How will she react when she finds out that Jayden is a transgender man? Will she still love him, or will she run away?