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Book Reviews of Luna

Luna
Luna
Author: Julie Anne Peters
ISBN-13: 9780316011273
ISBN-10: 0316011274
Publication Date: 2/1/2006
Pages: 256
Reading Level: Young Adult
Rating:
  • Currently 4.2/5 Stars.
 33

4.2 stars, based on 33 ratings
Publisher: Megan Tingley
Book Type: Paperback
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

9 Book Reviews submitted by our Members...sorted by voted most helpful

reviewed Luna on + 14 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This was on my 13-year old daughter's summer reading list this year. She loved this book!
GeniusJen avatar reviewed Luna on + 5322 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
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.
reviewed Luna on + 51 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I don't usually get into teen novels that well, but this is excellent. I love the complicated relationship between Regan and her transgendered brother.
reviewed Luna on + 29 more book reviews
A very interesting book. Like Peters' previous work it was a smooth read and made me think of something I hadn't thought about before.
reviewed Luna on + 5 more book reviews
Poignant account of a young man coming out as transgendered. An quick and easy read that opens your eyes to the inner lives of trangendered teens.
bearcub avatar reviewed Luna on + 20 more book reviews
i loved this book. its one of my favorites. some people dont like it because of the fact the main character is transsexual, however i think this adds to the uniqueness of this story.
yolen avatar reviewed Luna on + 92 more book reviews
Absolutely FABULOUS book about a transgender teenager and family. Written from the perspective of the title character's sister.
aliciagc avatar reviewed Luna on + 29 more book reviews
Heartbreaking.
Chakitty avatar reviewed Luna on + 67 more book reviews
"Yeah, I loved her. I couldn't help it. She was my brother." Regan has always been there for her transgender brother, Liam, sacrificing her needs for his, but when he announces that he is ready to "transition" into Luna permanently, Regan is not sure she can handle the consequences. She has been his confidant all her life, letting Luna dress in her room, buying underwear for her when Liam couldn't, and giving support. However, when the attractive new guy in chemistry class shows an interest in Regan, she wishes her sibling would just go away and give her a chance to live her own life. Liam realizes that in order for his sister to be free, he, too, must free himself to become the woman who lives inside him. Told from Regan's point of view in the present and in flashback, this novel breaks new ground in YA literature with a sensitive and poignant portrayal of a young man's determination to live his true identity and his family's struggle to accept Luna for who she really is.