Luna

by Julie Anne Peters

Luna

book data

478 ratings, 4.04 average rating, 99 reviews (more data...)

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published

February 1st 2006 by Little, Brown Young Readers

binding

Paperback, 256 pages

isbn

0316011274 (isbn13: 9780316011273)

description

Regan's brother Liam can't stand the person he is during the day. Like the moon from whom Liam has chosen his female namesake, his true self, Luna, on...more

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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 673)

All ratings | 5 stars (174) | 4 stars (174) | 3 stars (103) | 2 stars (23) | 1 star (6) | avg 4.04

all | this edition

Amy

Amy rated it:

(review of isbn 0316733695)

01/05/08

bookshelves: autographed, fiction, i-own

This book is an amazing step forward in YA literature. Other reviewers have given you the premise of the plot, I just wanted to add that I thought it was BRILLIANT that it was told from the sister's point of view. Within the largely conservative area I live in, not a lot of people would be interested in this book had it been told from Liam/Luna's point of view. But as it comes from the sister, it's a safe vantage. It's the perfect vehicle for introducing a LOT of people to an issue they might no...more

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Jessica

Jessica rated it:

10/05/08

Liam has always known that he was a girl and has kept this knowledge locked away in a steamer trunk to be revealed only at night. Regan has been protecting her brother Liam since she can remember; protecting his secret from the world. During one fateful year, Liam and Regan’s carefully orchestrated lives begin to unravel when Liam can no longer keep Luna under lock and key to be seen only at night. Told from the perspective of Regan, Luna takes the reader on a journey through one teen’s t...more Liam has always known that he was a girl and has kept this knowledge locked away in a steamer trunk to be revealed only at night. Regan has been protecting her brother Liam since she can remember; protecting his secret from the world. During one fateful year, Liam and Regan’s carefully orchestrated lives begin to unravel when Liam can no longer keep Luna under lock and key to be seen only at night. Told from the perspective of Regan, Luna takes the reader on a journey through one teen’s transformative process from a body that is foreign to one that begins to feel like home, a sister’s release from a secret that has ruled most of her life, and the disastrous effects of unsupportive parents living in denial.

Luna is a beautifully written, well-developed, and thoughtful novel about the issues confronting transgender teens. Peters employs a few interesting narrative constructs to flesh out her story that include a narrator other than Luna herself and the use of the present tense in the flashbacks. Although Peters’ decision to have Regan as the narrator rather than Luna had to do with authenticity of voice , it was an interesting way to capture the ripple effect transgender identities have on family and friends. The present-tense flashbacks create an immediacy of the past that is at times uncomfortable, as if the characters are in two places at once with barely a tether. Moreover, Luna has been nominated for numerous awards both within the industry and reader’s choice arena and is a National Book Award Finalist.

Overall, this book is a wonderful read. YA literature has come a long way since my teen days in the 1980s. Peters’ writing style is both sophisticated and approachable. The present-tense flashbacks are highly effective in piecing the often storied lives of the characters. As I mentioned earlier, I did struggle a bit with Regan as narrator. I’m not sure I believe that a non-transgendered person couldn’t write an authentic and plausible voice for a TS character. With Regan as narrator, I was unable to delve deeper into Luna’s thoughts and life without having them vetted through her sister first, especially Luna’s unfolding relationship with Terri Lynn. In the end, I guess I didn’t want the book to end....less

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K rated it:

08/20/08

I am so glad this book exists! While working in a public library a few years back, I came across Luna, and have recommended it a hundred times over ever since. It is one of the few young adult books I have seen so far that addresses the reality/experience of transgender teens, which has been needed for years! (Before this book, it was the Francesca Lia Block books that I would love for addressing queer youth experience. They are classics and address issues of gender for sure, but I appreciate ...more

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Jennifer

Jennifer rated it:

05/06/08

bookshelves: personal-read, trt-reviews

Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com

LUNA is the first book I've ever read that deals specifically with transgender issues. Although you get a feel for what the book is about by reading the back copy--in effect, that Regan's brother, Liam, is a woman trapped in a man's body--you don't get the full spectrum of what this actually means until you reach the end of chapter one.

"Rolling over, I muttered, 'You're such a freakshow.' Her hair splayed across my pillow, tickling...more Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com

LUNA is the first book I've ever read that deals specifically with transgender issues. Although you get a feel for what the book is about by reading the back copy--in effect, that Regan's brother, Liam, is a woman trapped in a man's body--you don't get the full spectrum of what this actually means until you reach the end of chapter one.

"Rolling over, I muttered, 'You're such a freakshow.' Her hair splayed across my pillow, tickling my face. 'I know,' she murmured in my ear. 'But you love me, don't you?' Her lips grazed my cheek. I swatted her away. As I heard her slog across the floor toward my desk--where she'd unveiled her makeup caddy in all its glory--a sigh of resignation escaped my lips. Yeah, I loved her. I couldn't help it. She was my brother."

Liam is the type of boy who, even as a small child, wanted to by the Mommy when he and Regan played house. For his ninth birthday, he asked for a Prom Barbie and a bra. Now, as a senior in high school, Liam is consumed with letting out Luna, the name he's taken for his female self. His dad, of course, is adamant that his son will finally play baseball. His mother, lost in a world of uppers and downers, pretends not to notice when her son offers to fix dinner or do the laundry. And Regan, the only one who knows her brother for who he is--a sister named Luna--is losing sleep and a chance for her own life by hiding the secret.

Something has to change, and it finally does when Luna decides to go all the way, to actually become Luna, the woman he knows he is. But what will it mean for his family, especially Regan, who has spent so long loving her brother, protecting his secrets, being a part of his life? It might just be time for Regan to have a childhood of her own, and for Luna to come out of the darkness, out of the shadow of the moon, and into the light.

LUNA is an emotional, heartfelt read that deftly deals with the issue of transgenderism in a way that makes it believable and important. I had never really thought of what it must be like for someone who believes they were born with the wrong body, but after reading LUNA, my heart and support goes out to anyone who has ever suffered with this issue. This is a book not to be missed. ...less

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Jane

Jane rated it:

(review of isbn 0316733695)

01/16/08

Read in January, 2008

My 11 year-old daughter recommended this young adult novel to me, and I got as sucked into it as she did. I love the protagonist: 15 year-old Regan, whose older sibling Liam/Luna is on the way to transitioning from male to female and has made Regan his sole confidante. Regan is the kind of protagonist/narrator who seems to be whispering all her secret yearnings into my ear, which reminds me of my own (past and present) ones. In her case, Regan is determined to love and accept a brother who is...more

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lyNN

lyNN rated it:

12/05/08

Okay so its about this guy named Liam, and since he was little, he always felt like he wanted to be a girl. He doesn't tell the story of his life but his sister Regan does. Her life has mainly revolved around him by trying to protect him from the world especially from their father. Their dad wanted Liam to play sports and do father and son things.Wasn't a bad guy but expected too much. So Regan helps Liam by letting him dress in her room at the middle of the night as a girl and in the day to hel...more

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Carrie

Carrie rated it:

11/25/08

Read in June, 2007

In Luna: A Novel, Julie Anne Peters tells the story of two siblings: Regan and Liam. Liam is a teen in high school who has spent all his life feeling like a woman trapped in a man’s body. One of the ways he has learned to deal with the confusion is to dress as a woman at night, experimenting with clothing, wigs, make-up, and calling himself Luna. When the novel opens, his younger sister Regan is the only person in the world who has seen this expression of self. His dependency on his sister...more In Luna: A Novel, Julie Anne Peters tells the story of two siblings: Regan and Liam. Liam is a teen in high school who has spent all his life feeling like a woman trapped in a man’s body. One of the ways he has learned to deal with the confusion is to dress as a woman at night, experimenting with clothing, wigs, make-up, and calling himself Luna. When the novel opens, his younger sister Regan is the only person in the world who has seen this expression of self. His dependency on his sister has put Regan in an awkward position in her own life. She feels trapped between Liam and their parents because she knows Liam’s secret, and has memories of how her parents have tried to squelch and ignore his desire to be a woman over the years. She has lost her friends due to the secrets and hints that Liam is not “normal.” Regan has lost track of whom she is as an individual, not knowing where Luna ends and she begins. When a new boy in Regan’s chemistry class begins to pay attention to her, her need to be her own person begins to bubble to the surface as she builds a relationship with Chris. Tension develops as Liam begins to experiment with being Luna in public, coming to a head when Luna makes an appearance at school at the same moment that Regan is ecstatic over making a date with Chris. The siblings must figure out how to support each other without being selfish.

Told in part through flashback, Luna: a Novel is uneven at times but wholly captivating. Telling the story through Regan’s eyes will capture readers who cannot relate to a character with gender identity questions, while readers with their own questions might still relate to Liam because the siblings are so close. While supporting her brother, Regan’s other problems are normal issues any teen can relate to: family arguments, lost friendships, trouble with school, a crush on a boy. Her voice is honest, both funny and awkward at times. Empathy for both siblings flows throughout Peters’ writing. The other characters in the book are not developed as well as Liam and Regan. The reader will be left with questions particularly about the mother of the family, who is distant, unhappy, and taking many pills. While Regan’s memories give hints to a story of a woman feeling trapped in her own gender role, the family tends to ignore their mother’s feelings and that piece of the story is left unresolved.

While not a perfect novel, the sensitivity with which Peters handles the topic of gender identity makes this book important for our current society. By staying true to both Regan and Liam, readers will find someone they can relate to, and hopefully grow in understanding by the end of the novel.
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K rated it:

10/15/07

Read in January, 2005

I wish this book was better, since it's such an important subject matter.

Like this review? yes (1 person liked it)

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Dustin

Dustin rated it:

11/13/08

Read in March, 2006

recommends it for: people who want to know how NOT to deal with queer (specifically) issues.

My issues with Julie Anne Peters seem to fly in the face of the norm so keep that in mind when you read the review.

I picked up this book because I am a person with queerness in a lot of areas of my life and I like to keep tabs on what people are writing. I've also read another Julie Anne Peters book (Keeping You a Secret) so when I saw this one I had to pick it up and check it out.

Luna -- a supposedly heartwarming tale about an XY girl (born Liam) who finds herself in th...more My issues with Julie Anne Peters seem to fly in the face of the norm so keep that in mind when you read the review.

I picked up this book because I am a person with queerness in a lot of areas of my life and I like to keep tabs on what people are writing. I've also read another Julie Anne Peters book (Keeping You a Secret) so when I saw this one I had to pick it up and check it out.

Luna -- a supposedly heartwarming tale about an XY girl (born Liam) who finds herself in the possession of unwelcome genitalia and so begins expressing herself at night as Luna. So I'm fine with the premise, let's make it clear. So why did I give it one star?

First of all Peters' prose has much to be desired. I'm convinced the only reason she gets published is that she is one of the only suppliers of G-rated YA queer lit. Plus she gets cred (or so she thinks) for being partnered with another woman. Yes kids, you too can sate your privilege-induced (I'm using the Women's/Queer Studies version of privilege here.) guilt by trying to write convincingly about queer issues if you choose an esoteric enough facet of the movement. Long story short? Uncomplicated writing, bad jokes, and generally overwrought, overdramatic tone.

Secondly, the plot was painfully simplistic. I won't give examples so as not to spoil but boy-howdy was this book right on the money predictable. Not to mention that Peters has a bad habit of relying on stereotypes to flesh out her stories.

FINALLY --- My overall impression of this book was that she has a very shallow understanding of what being trans is all about. It's not about cross-dressing! The cross-dressing is incidental! Maybe it's just that I'm hypersensitive about this stuff or maybe it's the author's fault for not leading me through with understandable descriptions of Luna herself (or Peter's tendency to refer to Luna as "he" and continually highlight her maleness --- a mega gaffe) but I could not bring myself to buy this story at all. The queer experience is a many faceted thing, but this book just wasn't that believable. It was like an after-school special without the heartwarming.

End Result?

I. Hate. This. Book.
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Laurie

Laurie rated it:

01/03/09

bookshelves: did-not-like

Read in September, 2008

Liam is Regan’s brother, friend, and sister. Yes, sister. Liam is a senior in high school who feels his true self is cannot be expressed while he inhabits the image and body of a boy. Liam is a girl; a girl that goes by the surname Luna. Regan is a girl who struggles with her own identity and image, but not in the same way as Liam. Regan struggles with insecurity, guilt, and feeling responsible for anything that might harm Luna or Liam. Regan feels she is held back and often ruled by Luna and ...more

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Grace

Grace rated it:

08/26/08

Read in August, 2008

This was definitely a very interesting read, about a transgender teenage boy, dealing with his overbearing father and his own feelings of unhappiness. It was very enlightening and thought provoking. I enjoyed reading it for what it was, it did not have a very complex plot and was very much "a book about a transgender teenager". Of course, this is a complicated topic in itself, but I found it very predictable and straightforward.

I thought it was interesting the way it was w...more

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J-Lynn

J-Lynn rated it:

06/20/08

bookshelves: lgbtq-kid-and-ya-lit, mental-illness-kid-and-ya-lit, realistic-or-urban-kid-and-ya-lit, romance-ya-and-adolescent-lit, young-adult-and-adolescent-lit

This is a much needed addition to the field of YA literature and helps the readers be empathetic toward transgendered youth. Luna is an excellent parallel read for Ellen Whitlinger's Parrotfish which is told from the point of view of a transgendered teen who is transitioning from a girl to a boy.

I thought Peters did a brilliant job of capturing the histrionics of adolescence in Regan's voice. Regan's dilemma of tring to be supportive of her brother as he transitioned, and her des...more

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Catherine

Catherine rated it:

05/05/08

bookshelves: queer-interest, young-adult-fiction

Read in April, 2008

I am currently compiling a bibliography of LGBT-interest YA literature for a mini-conference at the end of this month. While I have read MANY books, I had yet to read Luna.

This book follows Regan as her brother Liam begins the transition process, so that he may live as his true self: Luna. It is an honest, informative look at the transition process from the eyes of someone who loves a transgender person and sends the ultimate message that the best way to be an ally is to support and...more

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Karin

Karin rated it:

03/06/08

bookshelves: 2008-reads, edgy, youngadult

Regan’s brother, Liam, lives a double life and Regan is the only one who knows about it. Liam assumes the role of “boy” by day and only reveals his/her true self at night. During those moments of peace when she is trying on new outfits, experimenting with different wigs, and trying various makeup techniques she calls herself Luna. Regan witnesses these moments because they always take place in Regan’s room.

Regan’s own life suffers because of the time and effort it takes...more

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Ningerbil

Ningerbil rated it:

01/04/08

bookshelves: fiction, young-adult

Read in October, 2005

Regan, 15, tries to cope with her brother’s transexuality and his decision to tell his friends and parents. Told from Regan’s point of view.

There are frequent flashbacks as Regan recalls instances of her brother’s transexuality even from a very young age. She is not only dealing with her own issues of being a 15-year-old, but her brother’s unhappiness with his current life, her mother’s growing distance from the family and her father’s feeble attempts to connect with his...more

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-syl-

-syl- rated it:

01/27/08

bookshelves: fiction

Read in January, 2008

WOW! A controversial story if I may say. Again, Julie Anne Peters digs deep into the unspeakable world, a shush world, where everyone keep quiet about it, ignore, or pretend that it doesn't exist.

Liam was born as a boy. But deep down inside his heart, he knows that he is actually a girl. He shares his secret with his sister, Regan, who's life got complicated as she has to keep her brother's secrets, to cover him, and keep him safe.

But finally at his 18th birthday, Liam ca...more

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Jarret

Jarret rated it:

10/06/07

bookshelves: youngadultfiction

Read in October, 2007

recommends it for: anyone who is trans or knows someone who is or anyone interested

What I like about Julie Ann Peter's books is that there are no easy answers. Just true to life characters living there lives as best they know how. Luna is about a male to female transperson. Luna's story is told through the eyes of her younger sister Regan. Regan is her main support. She listens to Luna, goes shopping with her and for her, let's her come in her room at night so she can use her mirror to look at herself when she's dressed like she wants to be. The book follows Luna through...more

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Anna

Anna rated it:

06/03/07

bookshelves: doing-my-homework, young-adult

Read in June, 2007

I realize the topic [transgender youth] is a loaded one, but this was a little histrionic for my taste.

A related book that I found exceptionally thoughtful and interesting was Jennifer Finney Boylan's She's Not There, although unlike Luna it (a) isn't targeted at a young adult audience and (b) is, as a memoir of a transsexual woman, inherently less committed to exploring the (presumably more prevalent) perspective of a family member (or friend, or teacher, or whoever) dealing with ...more

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Kelley

Kelley added it (review of isbn 0316733695)

08/10/08

Dredging the archives of my old YA blog--from back in the day when I was a YA para-librarian. Awesome!

Transgender teen Liam/Luna may be one the first trans teens featured in a YA novel. Luna is a FTM (female-to-male), and the story is told from the perspective of her sister Regan. Regan’s confusion and mixed feelings leading up to eventual acceptance of her sibling’s new gender identity create the crux of the plot. Liam starts as Liam during the day, but spends the nights dre...more

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Ari

Ari rated it:

10/22/07

recommends it for: everyone who have brain,,,

bagus lah..about transex gitu...hehe...my 1st so, nervous!!

not that nervous,,,so im gonna continue my review...
ceritanya bout (lupa namanya), anak cowo perfect (just like me..*ehem), from keluarga yang lumayan harmonis,,, adenya, regan, yang jadi orang pertamanya....

si anak cowo ini, emang, dari kecil pengen banget jadi cewe..(maybe he has XXY gene,,,kebanyakan dari waria pan begini),,
yang paling ngenes, waktu dia kecil, dia sadar he has *dick..dia, pengen mot...more

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