Title: Luna Author: Julie Anne Peters
ISBN: 978-0-316-01127-3
Recommended Grade Level of Reader: 9th to 12th
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Media Type: Book
Copyright: 2004
Genre: Fiction
Reader's Annotation: While Regan is battling to have her own life, Liam is struggling to become the woman he always wanted to be.
Plot Summary: Regan, the female protagonist, is a seemingly normal high school student. Little does everyone know that she is dealing with a unique family life. Her brother Liam has always felt like a girl. Regan is the only one who knows Liam’s true feelings and identity. Regan is the only one who knows Luna. Luna, Liam’s female identity, has confided in Regan from an early age, snuck into her bedroom to play dress up, and almost revealed herself at one of Regan’s slumber parties. Regan has spent so much of her life protecting her brother that she hardly has time for herself. Luna captures the struggle of a girl trapped inside a boy’s body and the desire of another girl to have a life outside of her family.
Evaluation: (A) Julie Ann Peters has created a captivating story of sibling connections, dysfunctional family relations, and quests for personal identity. In particular, Luna’s character is unique, intriguing and convincing. Although Luna’s story is told through Regan’s point-of-view, this method effectively delivers pertinent information the reader needs to know in order to understand and possibly empathize with Luna’s struggle. Regan’s inner dialogue helps to highlight Luna’s journey from a young boy to a teen battling with gender identity issues. Julie Ann Peters’ writing is so effective, descriptive, and suspenseful that on can’t help but to see the theatrical promise in this literary piece.
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