Alex as Well by Alyssa Brugman (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Alex as Well by Alyssa Brugman Karen Coats Brugman, Alyssa Alex as Well. Holt, 2015 [224p] ISBN 978-1-62779-014-7 $16.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 9-12 Australian teen Alex was born intersexed, but her parents decided to rear her as a boy. Now, at fourteen, despite the fact that she has both a boy’s and a girl’s voice inside her head, she has declared to her parents that she is a girl, and the family goes into a tailspin. Some searching reveals an initial, annulled birth certificate citing her as female, and she also finds a record of failed daycare placements that marked her as a challenging kid and learns that the medication she has been on all her life is in fact testosterone. At first, Alex is a bit disorienting as a character; she is angry, and when she sees herself in the mirror as a girl, the boy in her is turned on and masturbates (in fact he remains something of a jerk when it comes to girls). However, the book masterfully shifts reader sympathy toward her and away from Alex’s mother once it becomes clear that she has lied to Alex about the purpose of her meds, even attempting to slip them in her food. Fortunately, Alex eventually achieves détente with her father and within herself, and her striking androgynous looks land her a modeling gig that enables her to make her own decisions. The story of biological intersex experience is rarely told, and this one is well related, with balanced attention to the challenges it poses for parents, peers, and the intersex person; the inclusion of characters who respect the stops, starts, missteps and courage of teens negotiating their gender identities adds an additional layer of sensitivity. Copyright © 2015 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois