Luna (novel)
Encyclopedia
Luna is a young adult
novel, by Julie Anne Peters
, and was first published in 2004
.
, and wants to transition and live as a girl named Luna. (Liam adopts the name "Luna", which means "moon
," to reflect the fact she can only show herself as a girl at night.) Regan helps Luna dress as a girl in secret, but panics when she announces her plans to become Luna full-time
. Regan dreads what her parents will think, and how society will accept Luna. Furthermore, Regan's own romantic life is put in danger when she is forced to constantly look out for her sister. Although she wishes to have a "normal" sibling, she knows that she is Luna's only hope for happiness. There are many other problems for Regan and Luna in the book. Their mother is a busy wedding planner who uses a variety of anti-depressants and is not home enough to take care of her family. The father loves Regan, and tries to get her to confess to him that Liam is homosexual. He also has tried to get Liam to wrestle and play baseball
, but has been unsuccessful in his attempts. Regan and Liam try to get Liam's best friend, Aly, to accept her transsexuality, and are not immediately successful. In the end Liam (now going fully as Luna) leaves town to Seattle so that she can transition and be free. Regan also is freed by Luna's leaving and is happy for her sister and proud to be her sister. She is freed of having to protect her sister and worry about her secret affecting her life and she is allowed to live her own now.
Luna/Liam: Luna is a transgendered 17-year-old born in the body of a boy, Liam. Luna is the name she adopts as her female name, her real name. Luna is a smart, pleasant individual, as shown by her top grades and positive demeanor towards her often rude parents. She is also fashion forward, which makes Regan envious. She is often portrayed as being lost in her own world while she is Liam during the day. Luna needs Regan to help her become Luna by using her room to dress up in, but mainly she needs Regan for her emotional support as she begins her transition in public places like the mall, and Taco Bell.
Chris: Chris is Regan's lab partner in her chemistry class. He is a new student so he does not know many people, but he quickly becomes popular. He immediately develops a crush on Regan despite her socially awkward antics. He is kind, but not smart, as he had to drop out of chemistry class so he would not flunk. He is caring and understanding, shown by the fact that he worries about hurting Regan's feelings and empathizes when he realizes that she has many family problems. He even says, "My family's so dysfunctional, I bet it beats yours any day", to which Regan remarks, "How big a bet can you make?"
Jack (Dad): Regan and Liam's father. He loves jokes and loves his children, but he cannot accept Luna. He pressured Liam to do 'manly' things, such as go out for sports and date girls, mainly his friend Aly.
Patrice (Mother): Regan and Liam's mother. Patrice is a wedding planner who is obsessed with her job. She appears to use her job as an expression of an identity and to escape her 'subserviant' duties as a homemaker. She has known that Liam is a transsexual since he was young, but forced him to keep it secret, especially from his father. She ignores the 'problem' because she does not know how to cope with it, regardless of the emotional damage it caused to Liam.
Young adult literature
Young-adult fiction or young adult literature , also juvenile fiction, is fiction written for, published for, or marketed to adolescents and young adults, roughly ages 14 to 21. The Young Adult Library Services of the American Library Association defines a young adult as "someone between the...
novel, by Julie Anne Peters
Julie Anne Peters
-Personal life:Julie Anne Peters was born in Jamestown, New York, on 16 January 1952. When she was five, her family moved to the Denver suburbs in Colorado. Her parents divorced when she was in high school...
, and was first published in 2004
2004 in literature
The year 2004 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* Canada Reads selects Guy Vanderhaeghe's The Last Crossing to be read across the nation....
.
Plot summary
The novel is told from the point of view of sixteen-year-old Regan. She struggles with the secret that her older brother, Liam, is transgenderTransgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
, and wants to transition and live as a girl named Luna. (Liam adopts the name "Luna", which means "moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
," to reflect the fact she can only show herself as a girl at night.) Regan helps Luna dress as a girl in secret, but panics when she announces her plans to become Luna full-time
Real life experience
Real-life experience is a process where transsexual and transgender people live full-time in their preferred gender identity for a period of time, in order to demonstrate that they can function as a member of said gender...
. Regan dreads what her parents will think, and how society will accept Luna. Furthermore, Regan's own romantic life is put in danger when she is forced to constantly look out for her sister. Although she wishes to have a "normal" sibling, she knows that she is Luna's only hope for happiness. There are many other problems for Regan and Luna in the book. Their mother is a busy wedding planner who uses a variety of anti-depressants and is not home enough to take care of her family. The father loves Regan, and tries to get her to confess to him that Liam is homosexual. He also has tried to get Liam to wrestle and play baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, but has been unsuccessful in his attempts. Regan and Liam try to get Liam's best friend, Aly, to accept her transsexuality, and are not immediately successful. In the end Liam (now going fully as Luna) leaves town to Seattle so that she can transition and be free. Regan also is freed by Luna's leaving and is happy for her sister and proud to be her sister. She is freed of having to protect her sister and worry about her secret affecting her life and she is allowed to live her own now.
Characters
Regan: Regan is a 16-year-old sophomore in high school. She often puts the needs of others, mainly her brother Liam/Luna, before herself. Because of this, she does not feel like she has an identity of her own. Throughout the course of the book, she develops a relationship with a classmate named Chris, and desires to spend more time with him making herself happy and less time looking out for Liam as she transitions to Luna permanently.Luna/Liam: Luna is a transgendered 17-year-old born in the body of a boy, Liam. Luna is the name she adopts as her female name, her real name. Luna is a smart, pleasant individual, as shown by her top grades and positive demeanor towards her often rude parents. She is also fashion forward, which makes Regan envious. She is often portrayed as being lost in her own world while she is Liam during the day. Luna needs Regan to help her become Luna by using her room to dress up in, but mainly she needs Regan for her emotional support as she begins her transition in public places like the mall, and Taco Bell.
Chris: Chris is Regan's lab partner in her chemistry class. He is a new student so he does not know many people, but he quickly becomes popular. He immediately develops a crush on Regan despite her socially awkward antics. He is kind, but not smart, as he had to drop out of chemistry class so he would not flunk. He is caring and understanding, shown by the fact that he worries about hurting Regan's feelings and empathizes when he realizes that she has many family problems. He even says, "My family's so dysfunctional, I bet it beats yours any day", to which Regan remarks, "How big a bet can you make?"
Jack (Dad): Regan and Liam's father. He loves jokes and loves his children, but he cannot accept Luna. He pressured Liam to do 'manly' things, such as go out for sports and date girls, mainly his friend Aly.
Patrice (Mother): Regan and Liam's mother. Patrice is a wedding planner who is obsessed with her job. She appears to use her job as an expression of an identity and to escape her 'subserviant' duties as a homemaker. She has known that Liam is a transsexual since he was young, but forced him to keep it secret, especially from his father. She ignores the 'problem' because she does not know how to cope with it, regardless of the emotional damage it caused to Liam.
Awards and nominations
Luna has been nominated for four readers' choice state book awards, including the Vermont Green Mountain Book Award, Rhode Island Teen Book Award, Missouri Gateway Book Award, and the Michigan Thumbs Up! Award. In addition, it has won numerous awards.- 2004 National Book Award Finalist in Young People’s Literature
- 2005 Stonewall Honor Book, awarded by the GLBTQ Round Table of the American Library Association
- An American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults 2005
- 2005 Colorado Book Award for Young Adult Literature
- 2005 Lambda Literary Award Finalist
- 2004 Borders Original Voices Award Finalist
- Chicago Public Library Best of the Best 2004, Books for Great Teens
- Michigan Library Association 2005 Thumbs Up! Award Nominee
- Rhode Island Teen Book Award 2006 Nominee
- Missouri Gateway Book Award 2006 Nominee
- Vermont Green Mountain Book Award 2006 Nominee
- New York Public Library Books for the Teen-Age List 2005
- An Original Voices selection by Borders Books and Music. Original Voices recognizes innovative and ambitious books from new and emerging talents, as well as outstanding works from established authors.
- 2004 Book Sense Summer Reading List for Teens
- An ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults