My Year Zero

My Year Zero by Rachel Gold is the story of one young woman finding her place.

Lauren lives with her father in Duluth, Minnesota. She is one of three out lesbians at her high school and she is hoping she doesn't have to wait for college to find her first girlfriend.

A visitor to her school will change everything. Sierra is in town from the Twin Cities visiting a friend. She is much cooler than the people in the school. And Lauren is drawn to her. After a conversation, Sierra invites Lauren to join her story group. They are writing an epic science fiction story online. Lauren can take over one of the characters already in the story - she just has to stick with is already know about her.

Convincing her father to let her travel to Minneapolis to stay with Sierra over break, Lauren joins the group. She tries to spend time with them, but lives three hours away. The distance between herself and the life she wants is more obvious than ever. And her life at home is not great. Her father pays no attention to her except to criticize. Her only outlet is the story and other people writing with her.

Gold is quickly becoming one of my favorite YA authors. I loved this book. The characters, both the ones I like and the ones I don't, are compelling and real. The story within the story was great - and a great idea. And two people coming together who understand each other - at a time in their lives when not many do - was beautiful.

Gold, Rachel. (2016). My Year Zero. Tallahassee, FL: Bella Books.

Just Girls

Just Girls by Rachel Gold is an amazing book that highlights many of today's civil rights issues and the ongoing need to push for equality - all in the guise of a coming of age, first year of college novel.

Jess Tucker is in line in her college cafeteria at the beginning of the school year when she overhears someone behind her saying she saw a memo about a trans woman in the dorms. The girl goes on to say pretty negative things about "him" and before Tucker can think anything past some poor woman has to deal with this crap all of the time, she outs herself as trans and confront the girl and her friends. Tucker thinks that she got through high school as an out lesbian, this will be similar.

What Tucker doesn't count on is the level of transphobia being much higher than that toward gays and lesbians. She tells her friends in the LGBTQIA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, Intersex and Allies) student club what she did and they back her up. But when someone spray paints her dorm room with anti-trans slurs, her girlfriend decide Tucker should move in with her.

Ella Ramsey is the trans woman who Tucker is protecting. They have never met and only a couple of people in administration know she was born into a boy's body. She has a two suite dorm to herself as a result.

When Ella sees the paint on Tucker's door she stops and stares. Tucker catches her and is surprised she is not there to add insult to injury. After a short talk, Ella invites Tucker to move to her extra room so she can start over.

This is Gold's second novel featuring trans characters. Claire and Emily from her book Being Emily appear in this book, too. Gold creates real characters who readers will want to befriend. Her books are great. Buy a copy of each and start reading today.

Gold, Rachel. (2014). Just Girls. Tallahassee, FL: Bella Books.

Being Emily

Being Emily by Rachel Gold is a coming of age tale about a young woman trying to be herself.

On the outside Chris looks like the typical high school junior. He is on the swim team, has a girlfriend and does well in school. On the inside he is a she. Since a very young age Chris, would would like to be called Emily, was confused when people kept saying she was a boy. She never felt like a boy and always got in line with the other girls in school - but the teacher always moved her to the boys line. Eventually, Emily decided to pretend to be a boy to stay out of trouble.

But now, at seventeen, it is time to tell Claire, Chris's girlfriend. Claire is the most unique person at school. She dresses goth, quotes famous poems and the Bible, and is an out bisexual. Chris is scared to tell Claire the truth and risk losing the most trusted person she has, but knows she has to talk to someone.

Gold has written a loving account of one young woman's struggles to find the courage to be herself in a small town in the Midwest. The book is factual and informative as well as a great novel. This is an important book for people who are not trans to begin to understand some of what it is like to have to fight to be your own gender.

Gold, Rachel. (2012). Being Emily. Tallahassee, FL: Bella Books.