Look Past

Sweet, popular Mary, the pastor's daughter, has been viciously murdered, and the killer makes it clear that it's because of her relationship with Avery, a transgender boy. The killer is taunting Avery, and his girlfriend, Beth, and best friend Charlie feel pressure from their parents to stay away from him to keep safe. Avery's strong, supportive family, including his uncle Tom, a cop, shield him from the worst cruelty a small town can press on a trans boy, but when the killer demands that Avery de-transition and dress like a girl, even his biggest advocates can't see a better way to keep him safe. In addition to delivering a tense, fast-paced thriller, Devine has done a solid job of writing a teenage trans boy, dealing successfully with dysphoria, the flood of feelings when someone sees one's true self, even the niggling self-doubt that can cast a shadow on even the most loving relationships when gender issues arise. Avery feels true. But there is horrific violence employed to bring home the point that trans people are more likely to be the victims of sadistic predators than to be predators themselves. While writing tragedy for queer (all-white) characters to teach a lesson has become a trope, Devine sidesteps the usual benevolent cis hero and lets Avery address his own problems head-on and be his own hero. A solid serial-killer thriller for horror fans who'd like to root for the queer kid. (Thriller. 13 & up) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

October 1, 2016

Gr 9 Up-Avery is gutted when Mary, the first person to truly accept him as transgender, is brutally murdered. He's barely had time to process his grief when the killer begins sending him grotesque messages threatening that Avery will be the next victim if he doesn't atone for being transgender and start presenting as female. The protagonist's supportive girlfriend and BFF have his back, and they use their combined interest in amateur forensics to help solve this whodunit. Unusual for this genre, Avery is comfortable going to his parents and the police for assistance, which the adults provide. While it's refreshing to read a novel about a transgender teen where gender identity isn't the sole focus, Avery's overall characterization feels slight and the secondary characters fail to develop beyond their initial stereotypes, particularly the saintly girlfriend and best friend. This book contains strong language, and Avery's interest in forensics leads to graphic descriptions of Mary's mutilations. VERDICT This will appeal to readers seeking titles with LGBTQ protagonists, but the pacing may be too slow for fans of teen thrillers.-Ann Foster, Saskatoon Public Library, Canada

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2016
Grades 9-12 Life is hard for Avery, a transgender teen boy living in a town where a large fundamentalist congregation resides. When his once best friend and first love, Marythe preacher's daughteris found brutally slain, Avery is driven to find her killer. However, the few chilling clues doled out by the murderer point to Avery as the reason behind this monstrous crime, and his life is endangered. Flanked by his girlfriend, Beth, and friend Charlie, Avery doesn't feel alone as the murderer taunts him with texts and knowledge of things he or she shouldn't know; but when violence threatens his friends, Avery must be braver than he ever thought possible. Thrumming with suspense, the narrative's main focus is on solving the crime, with Avery's gender identity playing an important but secondary role. That said, readers seeking a hero living with personal identity challenges will find Avery's struggles with social and personal injustice compelling. Devine has written an edgy and timely thriller that readers won't want to put down.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)