By Kyle Lukoff
School Library Journal
12/01/2014
Grade
10 Up—This gorgeously produced photo-essay book takes a unique spin on
showcasing LGBTQ youth. The young people in the photographs speak for
themselves, some in longer form essays, others by writing, scrawling, or
drawing directly onto the images themselves. Their words seem truly
their own, not edited or filtered through an adult editorial lens, which
allows them to be messy, contradictory, inspiring, well
spoken, frustrating, occasionally graphic, and interesting, sometimes
all at the same time. The photographs are beautifully presented, and the
technique of including the subject’s writing upon them is compelling.
At times the handwritten notes are difficult to decipher, but that adds
another intriguing layer of complexity to the work as a whole. Some of
the youth also write more at length in formatted sidebars, reflecting on
how their thoughts about their identity have shifted since they were
first photographed. Some of the other text inserts, like a positive
review from the Huffington Post or the Human Rights Campaign, seem out
of place but do not detract too much from the reading experience. Smith
includes an impressive array of youth, diverse in age, race, sexual
orientation, and gender identity. One noticeable lack is that none of
the subjects clearly identify as trans women, though trans men were well
represented. Overall, this is a stunning and unique addition to the
existing literature, with an immediately relevant approach.
