Regan O’Neill has many of the same problems that other teenagers face. However, she also has to share her time and space with her brother Liam…who is also her sister. At night, Liam becomes Luna: the girl trapped inside the body of a seventeen year-old boy.
Regan provides support and understanding, often sacrificing her own needs for those of her brother. Liam, on the other hand, withdraws deeper into himself. His only real happiness comes with transformation into Luna. Unfortunately, Luna can’t exist around the clock. The O’Neill parents can’t or won’t acknowledge the signs around them. Life at high school would be miserable for a transgender teen as well.
Julie Ann Peters chronicles Liam’s courageous path to recognition as Luna. The novel is told from Regan’s viewpoint, so readers see and understand her struggles as well as Liam’s.
Self-acceptance of a transgender teen makes Luna a compelling tale. Peters tackles the topic with a spectrum of emotions and utmost honesty. Flashbacks are utilized to illustrate key events that lead the O’Neill family to this moment as well as help readers understand transgender issues.
Luna is written for a teen audience, though adult readers will enjoy the story as well. As with her previous novel Keeping You a Secret, Peters writes about sexuality in a frank and acceptable manner. The story of Luna is ideal for engaging dialogue, or to promote tolerance and understanding of others.
