Official Review: My Ladybird Story by Magus Tor

katiesquilts · Post by **katiesquilts** » 12 Jan 2016, 15:13

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "My Ladybird Story" by Magus Tor.]

4 out of 4 stars

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My LadyBird Story by Magus Tor is the most profound YA novel I’ve ever read, ever. Unlike Tor, I’m not proficient enough in my writing to wax poetic about how amazing this novel is and actually do it justice. However, the issues touched upon in the novel are very controversial and dear to my heart, so it was practically a godsend to come across such a well-written novel concerning issues I had just recently been arguing about with family friends.

The story centers around John Bird, a teenage boy who has never quite felt right in his own skin. John is feminine, physically and mentally, and that difference causes him to be bullied incessantly. One day John meets a new transfer student, Aureus, and although she seems nice, John is sure that she’ll realize how different he is and he will lose her friendship. Aureus is stubborn, though, and thus, John finally makes his first true friend and meets someone who will stick by him even when he starts questioning his very existence.

The writing expertise of the novel is just stunning to me. Everything was nigh on perfect. There were a variety of characters, all with strong personalities. The dialogue was so smooth and natural, shaped by the characters’ emotions but not overwhelmed by them. The pace of the storyline was refreshing and never confusing, despite the many time leaps as John grows up and into his new body and lifestyle. Also, the same characters that John encountered in high school show up again to test his new confidence. Finally, the approach to transgender teens and the transitioning process is the most realistic, down-to-earth writing I’ve seen so far in the YA genre. The description of John’s discomfort, his complete assuredness that something is wrong with him but he has no idea what, is something that people sometimes just do not understand.

I will say that although the book started out with very nice editing, as it went on I saw more and more typos and grammatical errors. There were also a few sentences with words missing or extra words added in, problems that could be solved with another vigorous round of proofreading. Also, towards the second half of the book after John has gotten help in starting his transformation, he becomes overwhelming positive about the entire process. Although there are a few moments of worry, he is always quickly reassured by Aureus or another character. I would have liked to see a little more drama from complete strangers, because part of transitioning is showing yourself to the outside world and having to deal with other people’s reactions.

Overall, I give this book 4 out of 4 stars. I would recommend it to mature young adults and adults alike, as the topic of transgender and transitioning people as well as those around them is fairly simplified but still imaginably realistic and easy to understand. However, there are some mentions of sexual acts, assault, and attempted rape. Nothing overtly sexual or detailed, but some of the characters find themselves in some very scary situations that could happen to any of us.

In my opinion, everyone should have to read a book like My Ladybird Story at least once in their lives, if only so that they can better understand the pain and hardships that transgender and transitioning people have to go through just to feel at home in their own bodies. It’s not as simple as putting on clothes of the opposite sex. It’s about making your inside match your outside.

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My Ladybird Story
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gali · Post by **gali** » 13 Jan 2016, 02:13

The story of John, a boy who has never felt right in his own skin, sounds very touching. It is good that the author approaches the issue of transgendering in a sensitive and realistic way. Too bad about the editing issues in the second part of the book. Sounds like a great book. Nice review!

Congratulations to the author for the positive review!

charysma_lilly · Post by **charysma_lilly** » 13 Jan 2016, 10:52

Great review! The book sounds great and better yet if it has such a powerful topic. Congratulations to you and to the author

chytach18- · Post by **chytach18-** » 13 Jan 2016, 13:29

Very very interesting review. I keep an eye on the book.

bluemel4 · Post by **bluemel4** » 14 Jan 2016, 10:16

Great review! I really enjoyed reading it. It seems like there is a lot more discussion going on about transgender people in the last 9 years. When I was getting my counseling degree in 2007 this was a very new topic. It's nice nice to see it become part of cultural awareness.

katiesquilts · Post by **katiesquilts** » 14 Jan 2016, 14:26

bluemel4 wrote:Great review! I really enjoyed reading it. It seems like there is a lot more discussion going on about transgender people in the last 9 years. When I was getting my counseling degree in 2007 this was a very new topic. It's nice nice to see it become part of cultural awareness.

Thanks! As much as it seems to be growing as a topic, there are still a lot of older folks out there who don't seem to be getting it. Some people mock Caitlyn Jenner for her late-in-life transition but don't listen to children or teens when they start to have the same questions about whether or not they fit into their own bodies.

It really is a touchy topic, and it's hard to take a moderate stance on it.

kimmyschemy06 · Post by **kimmyschemy06** » 23 Jan 2016, 05:23

Personally, I'm not much into transgender stories. However your review made it sound very interesting, so, I might give it a try. Great review!

magus tor · Post by **magus tor** » 16 Feb 2016, 08:31

Thank you for the great review. Am glad you like it.

katiesquilts · Post by **katiesquilts** » 16 Feb 2016, 14:42

magus tor wrote:Thank you for the great review. Am glad you like it.

It was no problem! My pleasure, really.

Eckhart Aurelius Hughes · Post by **Scott** » 28 Mar 2016, 08:41

katiesquilts wrote:My LadyBird Story by Magus Tor is the most profound YA novel I’ve ever read, ever.

Wow! What an endorsement!

I am excited to announce this book is today's Book of the Day. It is priced at a generous discount of only $2.99, but you can read it free with KU which you should also hopefully be able to get free.

Great review @katiesquilts !

And congrats to @"magus tor" on the impressive endorsements and amazing ratings.

ALynnPowers · Post by **ALynnPowers** » 28 Mar 2016, 08:58

So jealous you got to review this one!!! I wanted to read it but it was taken before I could get to it... hmm.. now I know who got it...

Kidding!

Heidi M Simone · Post by **Heidi M Simone** » 28 Mar 2016, 09:30

Wow, what a great topic for a book - a teenage boy who never felt like he fit in anywhere until he meets Aureus. Transgender and transitioning is something that should be talked about more. The more exposure, the better, in my opinion. I love how you mention that this was a well-written book and that the character were written strongly with much emotion. Too bad about the editing not being as strong towards the end, but I'm that you were still able to enjoy this one!

katiesquilts · Post by **katiesquilts** » 28 Mar 2016, 13:36

ALynnPowers wrote:So jealous you got to review this one!!! I wanted to read it but it was taken before I could get to it... hmm.. now I know who got it...

Kidding!

Awww! I'd say that I'm sorry I snatched it from you, but I really enjoyed it...

Hopefully you were able to get it when it was on sale.. Once you've read it, I'd love to know what you think about it!

-- 28 Mar 2016, 13:39 --

hsimone wrote:@katiesquilts, beautifully written review! It sounds like an interesting topic to read about.

Thank you!

If you've never read a book with transgender topics, I highly recommend My Ladybird Story as a starting point!

literarycat · Post by **literarycat** » 29 Mar 2016, 16:46

What a great review, you did a wonderful job explaining the book and recommending it. I think this would be the perfect fit for my niece. Thanks for sharing.