CIEL

Nonbinary teen Ciel deals with friendship, romance, and internet drama in their first year of high school.

Ciel’s gender confuses the teachers, all the bathrooms are gendered, and even the Gender and Sexuality Alliance isn’t the safe space it should be, but Ciel remains optimistic. They are saving to buy a camera and take their YouTube channel to the next level. But as their channel gains popularity, it also gains attention from trolls who disparage nonbinary identities and say Brazilian Canadian Ciel should “go back to [their] country.” Meanwhile, the Montréal teen and their best friend, Stephie, seem to be growing apart, and their long-distance boyfriend Eiríkur (he lives in Iceland) takes weeks to respond to their emails. Refreshingly, Ciel is not the only trans character in their story; both friends and foes are trans or queer. The most vicious attacks on Ciel’s gender come from a believable trans character, not a transphobic straw man. Ciel doesn’t win a victory for trans rights but simply triumphs over personal hurdles. Though accessible and filled with likable characters, the book suffers from a meandering plot, dangling threads, and language choices that weaken the authenticity of Ciel’s voice. In particular, Ciel sounds like a technological dinosaur with their reliance on email communication. The translation from the French seems to commit only halfway to recasting the story into an English-speaking setting, landing on a confusing middle ground. However, Ciel’s heart shines through the stylistic issues.

This charming novel depicts a realistic slice of life as a nonbinary teen.