I started this book, but ended up having to put it down, due to sexism and transphobia, in how the story implies that gender is a binary.

Book Review
Title: Boy2Girl
Author: Terence Blacker
Genre: YA/Family/Social
Rating: ****
Review: In the beginning of Boy2Girl we meet Matthew Burton as his American cousin Sam arrives after the death of his mother; Matthew’s aunt Galaxy. Sam is exactly what you’d expect a 13-year-old orphan to be angry, withdrawn and everything else. As he tries to adjust to a life in a London he struggles but seems to be trying at least. Even for a multiple P.O.V. novel there are loads of them. Also, I know we are meant to feel sorry for Sam, but I just don’t like him, he is rude, cruel and violent and I am hoping that his character will change as the novel progresses. After the fight Sam does apologize to Matthew and he agrees to let him hang out with them if he can pass the initiation, but they plan to set him something that he will never be able to achieve. They ask him to dress a girl for a week and infiltrate their rival gang which he eventually agrees to and he mellows out a little and they prepare for the start of school.
On the first day of school Sam manages to get everyone including the teachers to believe he is a girl and immediately makes an impression on Charley and Zia from the Shed’s rival gang but makes an enemy in Gary. Although Charley comes to Sam’s rescue the boys are concerned that this may come back to haunt him later. Sam makes a great impression as a girl even taking down the school bully, but he isn’t catching on quick enough about girl things like using the correct bathroom. While Matt does save him a few times and give him direction it seems a little too lucky and convenient, you would have thought in the 2 months before school started they would have talked through these things are some point. Things become a little bit difficult when we learn that Sam’s mother has left him a sizeable amount of money and his dad is now out of prison, although he dad has only just learned of Galaxy’s death and is now trying to find Sam.
People soon start to notice that Sam seems to be more at home as a girl despite the fact he keeps many of his male mannerisms even getting a lot of the other girls to catch one although a few still see there is something suspicious about “her”. In the first days of school Sam settles so easily into his role as a girl that it begins to unnerve Matthew but there are so invested in the game that they can’t stop now even having to come up with an alibi to tell Matt’s parents. This plan also starts to bring Matthew and Sam closer together although things are getting difficult as we know Crash is on his way to get Sam from the Burtons. Crash arrives in Britain and the police have been alerted to watch for an unsavoury American who is going to kidnap his own child for the money his mother left him, all the while it seems like Sam has absolutely no idea about what is going on and I am starting to get the sinking feeling that something bad is going to happen. Meanwhile, at school Mark is still trying to win Sam’s attention despite blowing him off several times and it makes me wonder how these people will react if they find out that Sam is a boy but there are only three days left then everything can go back to normal, but I am not sure Sam would want to as he seems quite at home in his female skin.
Crash continues searching for Sam, but Sam sees him first, as things get more and more difficult in the Burton home Sam realizes that he doesn’t want to go back to America because his new life feels more like home than it ever did before. The boys also come clean about Sam dressing as a girl and they take it well as supportive parents do. They agree as a family that Sam is going to stay with them and they will tell Crash should he ever come knocking. The family pull together when Crash comes calling and Sam is now a girl full time until his father disappears again, but Crash isn’t so easily deterred and calls all the local school until he finds one where a Sam Lopez is registered, and I have a feeling that things are going to get very messy very soon. One thing Sam learns very quickly is that becoming a man is going to make being a girl a lot harder with the facial hair and the breaking voice.
Just when you think Sam’s life couldn’t get any more complicated it does when teenage relationships are thrown into the mix, Mark has his sights set on Sam but so does Zia although she is reluctant to admit it even to herself. Sam however, has remained very aloof to any romantic involvement but I have a feeling it is because he is questioning his sexuality rather than because he doesn’t want to be with anyone. Sam seems to be making a huge impression on the school especially as the talent show approaches, she helps Jake with his family troubles, gets Tyrone’s mother of his back and confesses what he is to Zia and may have even formed a relationship with her. All the while, Crash is planning to find Sam at the talent show and forcibly take him back to America even if he does want to.
In the final 20 pages of this novel, the night of the talent show arrives, and some truths are going to be revealed that will change the town forever. In the end all hell breaks loose and that’s ok. The ending of this novel was perfect, it was chaotic, sorrowful and joyful all in the same moment and rounded off the story perfectly. Boy2Girl is highly recommended to all.

Im not sure who the author aimed this book at. It is obviously a reluctant reader but it is way too long for a younger reader and too immature for an older reader, - it eludes to Sam swearing a few times but doesn't say the swear words - whats the point in that if not for a young audience??. I also lost the thread at the beginning of the story, too many characters having a say when you are getting use to the individual narrative text. I also wonder if the author really understood the subject he was writing about? It is very important for young people to access information that might help or inform them and i think he dressed a boy as a girl and didn't address anyone's problems or feelings - no one had a negative reaction to it, now while that is what the LGBTQ+ community strive for it is not the norm yet.

'Boy2Girl' is a wonderful novel about friendship, understanding one another, loss and finding your true self. Since it's written from different perspectives of all the book characters it is a really fast read and a really humorous one. I love the idea presented by the book that it doesn't matter if we you are a girl or a boy, you are still important to the society. The genders aren't enemies, they can help each other and they need each other in prder to find some balance in the world. From my point of view as an educator as well as a YA books lover I recommend this book with all my heart!

When Sam arrives in Matthew's life after his mum dies, the people around them all have their views on Sam from his jailed dad to his crazy anger outbursts.

Then Sam gets dared to start school as a girl, Sam takes the challenge, fooling them all getting friends in Elena and Charley while Gary dislikes her after she turns a him down for a date.

However, Sam has a mighty inheritance coming his way but while his jailbird dad tracks him down to Matthew's he doesn't suspect Sam is Sam the girl or Simone from Canada either as he poses with Matthew to cover his identity and soon the transition becomes permanent while his father hangs around.

We hear from lots of the characters in this book and their take on new American Sam joining their school. It was an interesting read but I did honestly find the ending very anti climactic and not how I expected. The rest of the book was fun but hard hitting at the same time as people fell trick to the gender swap not realising the truth.

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

A story about fitting in, finding yourself...and working out what's important to you.
In this story Sam is set a challenge - to pass himself off as a girl for a week. He goes into this with gusto, and chaos ensues.
While it's a fun read in places, the concept made it sound like it would focus more on issues of gender and identity.

Boy2Girl was an absolutely hilarious book. It follows the story of Sam Lopez - who arrives from America to live with his cousin Matthew in England. Sam must dress as a girl for his first week in his new school as a result from Matthew and his friends - they think it's the ultimate test for Sam to prove himself to be good enough for their gang and Sam is determined to succeed at this challenge. 

Uniquely enough, this book isn't told from just one perspective, or two or three or four...but more than 15! When I first realised this I thought I was going to have difficulty telling the difference between each of the characters but that wasn't the case. I thought the author pulled this off really well and it really suited the wildness and chaos of this book. I also love how the author never told it from Sam Lopez's perspective. He cleverly told Sam's story through every other character - because he had such a big impact on each of their lives. 

When I saw this book's title and read the summary, however, I did think it was going to challenge gender more deeply - what it means to be a boy or a girl or anywhere in between. I was kind of disappointed when I was reading it because the gender aspect that didn't play that much of an important role. I suppose I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions but that I was definitely something that would have made the book stronger, in my opinion. 

Other than that, I didn't have any problems with the book. It had a slow start for me but once I got into it I couldn't stop. Plenty of humour and I can guarantee this book will put you in a better mood!