Kirstin Cronn-Mills

Evvie Chambers is doing her best to skate through the last month of high school to graduation. The only thing standing in her way is a biology report on foxes—and her teacher, Mrs. Audrey Dearborn. The same Mrs. Dearborn who’s been a thorn in Evvie’s side for years, refusing to acknowledge or accommodate her neurodiversity. Evvie would much rather be doing her report on Aretha, the octopus she cares for when she volunteers at the Minnesota Zoo but deviating from the exact assignment isn’t allowed—and Mrs. Dearborn isn’t going to make following the rules easy.

Evvie’s only escape from high school hell is the Lair: a safe haven for kids whose brains need some time away. But when Mrs. Dearborn refuses Evvie’s pleas to finesse the final report assignment to her strengths, and persistent bully Vandal McDaniel directs his harassment toward Lair members, Evvie finds herself more desperate than ever for stability and support.

When a shocking act of violence pushes the whole mess over the edge, Evvie, with the help of her friends and the others who love her, will have to figure out how to find her place in the wide world, while remaining true to herself.… (more)

3.5 stars, really. I am resisting the urge to give it 4 or 5 stars because it would only be in comparison to the other horrible clunkers I (tried to) read recently, [b:I am J|8140535|I am J|Cris Beam|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1305820681s/8140535.jpg|12936997] and [b:Parrotfish|522782|Parrotfish|Ellen Wittlinger|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348477148s/522782.jpg|510662]. I didn't make it more than ten pages into either of those books, and they happen to be Beautiful Music's main competition in the trans subset of YA Issue Books.

Beautiful Music for Ugly Children builds some lovable characters and interesting, complicated relationships. Cronn-Mills doesn't spend much time with Gabe's parents, but their reactions are contradictory, pained, confused, and loving, in a way that feels realistic. Gabe and Paige's relationship explores all kinds of new territory for them and resists resolution. Gabe and John, Gabe and Mara, John and Gabe's family---I could go on, but they all resist easy categories and they're all interesting.

The issues Gabe runs into around being trans are handled very well (yay!!), even if it dips into melodrama sometimes. Beautiful Music for Ugly Children mostly succeeds at being a book about a person who has other interests and other things going on in his life, and also happens to be trans. I hope other books will do it even better in the future, but this is, so far, the cream of the crop.… (more)

Original de: El Blog del Gato - El Extraño Gato del Cuento

Me encantaría decir que amé Beautifull Music for Ugly Children de principio a fin, no fue asi, aunque tiene varios puntos importantes que quizá te animen a elegir este libro para una futura lectura.

Primero, creo que es mi primer libro donde quién narra la historia tiene más que decidido que el género con el que nació no es el adecuado y esta haciendo todo lo posible para que su familia y sus pocos amigos acepten quién es. Esa idea, además del curioso titulo, fue lo que llamó mi curiosidad.

¿Obtuve lo que esperaba? ¿O fue una historia que solo llamaba a la controversia?



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