Symptoms of Being Human - Review

Symptoms of Being Human is a young adult book by author Jeff Garvin; it was released on February 6th 2016.

The story introduces Riley, a witty and humorous teen. Riley struggles to navigate the world through the pressures of having a congressman father, being genderfluid, dealing with mental health struggles and transferring to a new school. After following the advice of their therapist Dr. Ann Riley, they start a blog about their feelings (about being genderfluid). This is when things start to get more interesting for Riley...

I absolutely loved this book! The fact that Garvin gave the majority of key characters a believable backstory that went deeper than surface level added a more complex understanding of the story that made it unique. I'm non-binary myself and could heavily relate to how Riley felt struggling with dysphoria in their daily life.

My favourite moment from the book was definitely when we saw Riley on their first LGBTQIA+ panel. It was heartwarming to see Riley finally feel accepted and loved by those around them.

I would highly recommend reading this book! I haven’t stopped re-reading it!

By Daisy Brown (any pronouns)