This book was relatable, and that made this both hopeful ...but mostly painful. It's wonderful that more and more books are coming out dealing with gender identity, but I find being a part of the community made this book that much harder to read. I felt for Luna and all her struggles, but the problem is that this is a hard reality to be in so it did not exactly make for fun reading. Not when it hit that close to home. There just wasn't enough escapism to be had. It would not have been so hard if more things were resolved; the story presented a lot of problems without showing how to deal with them. It wasn't very encouraging; (view spoiler)[especially in the end where the solutions was to run away from it all. Was that really the best option? Luna did not even attempt to make peace with her father or wait for her best friend to digest it all. So the message is: when things get too hard, just give up. Start over in a new life that removes everyone. (hide spoiler)] Needless to say, I wasn't a fan of the ending and it just sort of confirmed my discomforts while reading. 
 Luna was not really the role model I was hoping she would be. I wanted her to be confident in her real self but instead she was depressed and resentful. I wanted to hear that it's okay to be who you are and not to care what others think. She was on her way there, but she did not quite reach that point beyond thinking it; but I'm a "show, don't tell" kind of reader. There are reviews saying that she is a stereotypical image of a transgendered person that I sort of agree with. Where I differ is that these personalities do exist, however her interests did feel over exaggerated. Cliche. She is still likeable, but less real. Just a character. I could not get myself invested in this cast. That being said... 
 I disliked the main character a lot. Regan came off very self-centered and it did not sit well with me when she'd blame Luna for all her problems (note: this is not to excuse Luna's own bouts of selfishness; everyone in this book seems to lack empathy for other). Here are spoilerific examples: (view spoiler)[She got fired from her babysitting job because she was irresponsible and made a ton of bad decisions that night, not because her brother got caught doing her job for her. She failed at friendships because she built a barrier, not everyone in the world is transphobic. She even avoided her crush -and put a lot of assumptions about how he felt about her- and somehow found a way to pin it on Luna. Again. Even when Chris was trying his hardest to get her attention, she ignored him and continued to point fingers. THEN she supported Luna only behind closed doors where she was nice and safe ...so she did not seem all that sisterly and loving. The ending -Luna leaving- was exactly what she wanted all along (she tries to deny it, but there is another "show, don't tell" moment). Then there is the fact that the story was written from her perspective when it was Luna's tale (even the title is named after her). It all drives the "me, me, me" in further. (hide spoiler)] 
 As for plot, it could be a little event-less at times. For the most part it doesn't feel like much actually happens and can be a little slow because of this. 
 I think this book was written more for Regans than Lunas; to help those dealing with other people in their lives going through big changes. That is probably the reason I did not like it as much as I could have. BUT if put in the hands of a Regan, this could be a powerful and useful book. Someone who needs it. That redeemed it a few stars, but I'm still rating as someone who lives and breathes transgender issues. One that was hoping this book was more for the community and not those standing on the outside looking in.