Author: John Boyne
Published: 18 April 2019
Series: -
Rating: 2 stars
Synopsis:
Sam Waver's life has always been pretty quiet. A bit of a loner, he struggles to make friends, and his busy parents often make him feel invisible.
Luckily for Sam, his older brother, Jason, has always been there for him. Sam idolises Jason, who seems to have life sorted - he's kind, popular, amazing at football, and girls are falling over themselves to date him.
But then one evening Jason calls his family together to tell them that he's been struggling with a secret for a long time. A secret which quickly threatens to tear them all apart. His parents don't want to know and Sam simply doesn't understand.
Because what do you do when your brother says he's not your brother at all? That he's actually your sister?
Luckily for Sam, his older brother, Jason, has always been there for him. Sam idolises Jason, who seems to have life sorted - he's kind, popular, amazing at football, and girls are falling over themselves to date him.
But then one evening Jason calls his family together to tell them that he's been struggling with a secret for a long time. A secret which quickly threatens to tear them all apart. His parents don't want to know and Sam simply doesn't understand.
Because what do you do when your brother says he's not your brother at all? That he's actually your sister?
I listened to this as an audiobook.
Unfortunately, I hadn't read any of the reviews of this book before I bought myself a paperback copy -- the main reason I'd purchased it being that it sounded like I might like it and I liked the rainbow-type colours on the front.
I was wrong, however.
While I didn't hate this book, it also wasn't for me. After also having read some other reviews I've noticed that they're thinking along the same sort of lines that I am.
I didn't mind that the point of view was written by Jessica's younger brother, but it was definitely annoying when Same referred to his sibling as "my big brother, Jason" every single time he went to talk about Jason.
The story also isn't as much about Jessica, and more along the lines of Sam dealing with the information he's been given suddenly. Also really didn't like how their parents almost ignored them their entire lives up until the point where Jessica being hot news in the papers ruins their mother's chance at being P.M. -- that's when the parents finally wake up and realise that they've just handed their children off to a million other people besides themselves and now they're teenagers.
I do understand that Sam didn't necessarily understand what was going on as he had been brought up to essentially think that there was no such thing as transgender. However, whether you believe those that say they're transgender or think it's a bunch of bologna -- they exist and they are human beings just like you!
One part I really liked was when the coach of the school football team showed up and wanted to know whether Jason would be leaving the football team thanks to the rumours throughout the school about their family. The coach didn't see a male or a female on the team -- he saw a human being who was a damn good player who he didn't want to lose.
Unfortunately, I hadn't read any of the reviews of this book before I bought myself a paperback copy -- the main reason I'd purchased it being that it sounded like I might like it and I liked the rainbow-type colours on the front.
I was wrong, however.
While I didn't hate this book, it also wasn't for me. After also having read some other reviews I've noticed that they're thinking along the same sort of lines that I am.
I didn't mind that the point of view was written by Jessica's younger brother, but it was definitely annoying when Same referred to his sibling as "my big brother, Jason" every single time he went to talk about Jason.
The story also isn't as much about Jessica, and more along the lines of Sam dealing with the information he's been given suddenly. Also really didn't like how their parents almost ignored them their entire lives up until the point where Jessica being hot news in the papers ruins their mother's chance at being P.M. -- that's when the parents finally wake up and realise that they've just handed their children off to a million other people besides themselves and now they're teenagers.
I do understand that Sam didn't necessarily understand what was going on as he had been brought up to essentially think that there was no such thing as transgender. However, whether you believe those that say they're transgender or think it's a bunch of bologna -- they exist and they are human beings just like you!
One part I really liked was when the coach of the school football team showed up and wanted to know whether Jason would be leaving the football team thanks to the rumours throughout the school about their family. The coach didn't see a male or a female on the team -- he saw a human being who was a damn good player who he didn't want to lose.
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