Book #30 of 2016. 
 Okay, so I typically don't like "issue" books, but this one was okay as far as they go. Parrotfish is narrated by Grady, who has recently decided to identify as male. His struggles are understandably difficult. 
 I liked that the bullying in this book was never over the top-- it was very much within the realm of what is realistic for today. The conversations were realistically uncomfortable. 
 The problem (and this is often a problem for "issue" books) is that the characters are not as developed as I would like. Sebastian's support is wonderful, but I just couldn't get my head around the idea that he would grow from quiet nerd into the confident kid standing up for the underdog so quickly. I also never saw the appeal of Kita, and she was supposed to be the love interest. In fact, I think she was my least favorite character. 
 This book was recommended by someone who is trans, and I am glad that he was able to find comfort within these pages. I found them important but not transformative. Oftentimes when I read "issue" books, I am reminded of Perry Moore's "Hero," which in my opinion manages to tackle issues while being compulsively readable. Noted, "Hero" deals more with the LG side of LGBTQIA whereas "Parrotfish" definitely covers a greater deal of the spectrum. I hope that one day we will have a book like "Hero" for me to recommend to students and friends grappling with their gender identity.