Symptoms of Being Human

Books | Young Adult Fiction / Coming of Age

3.9

(1.8K)

Jeff Garvin

Starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist * YALSA Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers * ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults List * 2017 Rainbow A sharply honest and moving debut perfect for fans of The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Ask the Passengers.Riley Cavanaugh is many things: Punk rock. Snarky. Rebellious. And gender fluid. Some days Riley identifies as a boy, and others as a girl. But Riley isn't exactly out yet. And between starting a new school and having a congressman father running for reelection in über-conservative Orange County, the pressure—media and otherwise—is building up in Riley's life.On the advice of a therapist, Riley starts an anonymous blog to vent those pent-up feelings and tell the truth of what it's really like to be a gender fluid teenager. But just as Riley's starting to settle in at school—even developing feelings for a mysterious outcast—the blog goes viral, and an unnamed commenter discovers Riley's real identity, threatening exposure. And Riley must make a choice: walk away from what the blog has created—a lifeline, new friends, a cause to believe in—or stand up, come out, and risk everything.From debut author Jeff Garvin comes a powerful and uplifting portrait of a modern teen struggling with high school, relationships, and what it means to be a person.

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More Details:

Author

Jeff Garvin

Pages

338

Publisher

HarperCollins

Published Date

2016-02-02

ISBN

0062382888 9780062382887

Ratings

Google: 5

Community ReviewsSee all

"I've read a lot of lgbtq romance and stuff but this one really stood out. It also helped me understand gender fluidity more."

Maia Wolinetz

"This is the first book I’ve read that talks about gender identity and I absolutely loved it. Riley is such an amazing human and the writer of this book created them anyway that made me want nothing more than to hug them. The supporting characters, the plot, the location, all of it was absolutely amazing and I highly suggest you read this book"

dria (they/them)

"This is such a good book with fantastic lgbt+ representation, and its one of my favorites. Yet I never hear anyone talk about it! Its such a phenomenal book and so very human. Please read🙂"

Natalie Scott

"as a genderfluid teen this book is very sentimental to me "

slug - they/them

"Everyone needs to read this book!!!! It’s a tale of a protagonist that is the first of its kind. Riley is strong and they go through a big change and is scared to come out. Their father is a congressman running for re-election and they are always under pressure. This book brings up a good point that we need to address there’s a huge uptick of sexual violence against trans/gender non-conforming people and we need to fight this because violence of any kind shouldn’t be accepted, but Riley’s story is the story of our trans and gender non binary brothers, sisters, and siblings. Just want to put a big TW on this book: gender dysphoria, and sexual assault. Tread lightly! And also, thank you Jeff garvin!"

Finn Hughes

"Genuinely can feel and relate how the person handles things. You get to see the struggles and possibilities that they experience, i really like it and thought I couldnt relate to everything it gave me a new perspective. "

Asher 🐾

"Being human has its quirks...and its irks. And most of those occur within yourself. You'll never cease to stop learning about yourself. And that's okay, because like all things, we're destined to change. Not finding out who you are is not a problem, its an adventure. Because you won't have to settle so soon. And it doesn't matter how old you get, you won't stop changing. And that's okay, enjoy it🖤😋"

Jokers wife But cheating on him with jade west

"This book helped me identify who I am or at least gave me a good starting places. Not only that but I can give it as a good LGBTQ rec. LOVE IT #lgbt #bullying #helpedme #lovedit "

🌧 Rain 🌧

"Genderfluid, lgbtq perfect combination of romance, high school drama, and mystery"

K A

Kelsey Allyn

"This book is wonderfully written and made me cry and times. It almost feels to relatable when it comes to the never ending journey of gender identity, would definitely recommend!"