My Life in Transition: A Super Late Bloomer Collection

Gr 9 Up–Kaye follows up her first graphic novel, Super Late Bloomer: My Early Days in Transition, with a new collection of comics documenting her day-to-day life three years after her gender transition. Kaye enjoys good times with friends and finds joy in being seen as the woman that she is. She still struggles with internalized transphobia and managing the gender dysphoria that sometimes creeps back in. Kaye, who identifies as pansexual, describes her sometimes conflicting feelings about dating. Readers will feel her anguish when accepting family members refuse to stand up for her against transphobic relatives. Nevertheless, she’s made huge strides and feels the peace that comes with finally being the person she was always meant to be. The deft black-and-white cartoons are simple but expressive. Though for the most part illustrations are realistic, when addressing her feelings, Kaye uses powerful imagery to express her joy—a body being cracked open, with a new person emerging—or dysphoria: Kaye floating in space. Kaye is Jewish and most of the people in her world appear to be white.