Alex: A Battle for Self-Identity

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Recommended: Sexuality in literature

Everyone tells Alex that she is something that she is not. Alex is just like any normal teenager. She fights with her parents and has a hard time in school. But things are a little different for her, or him? In the beginning of the book Alex enrolls herself into a new school without her parents knowledge. We then follow her quest to obtain a birth certificate, and be accepted by her parents who continue to call Alex ‘he’. We learn why she left her old school and we see new obstacles come through at her new one. Both at school and at home Alex has a hard time just being her. We see through Alex’s point of view, but once in a while the other Alex comes through, the boy Alex. She is desperate to rid herself of him, and does everything in her power …show more content…

The author has done a fantastic job conveying to the reader what is going on in Alex’s head. There is a constant sense of “what is going to happen next?,” and problems continue to pop up after every fix, or almost fix. We see Alex explore gender and sexuallity and ultimatly decide that ‘girl’ is closer to what she feels, and this is where her problems begin. ‘Alex as well’ is a fiction piece but never felt like one. Brugman has placed real world problems into this realistic life of Alex. There are secrets and cliff hangers throughout the book and Brugman has done a good job keeping readers on their toes. The author writes from the perspective of Alex but also has included writings from the point of view of the mother. Alex’s mom has a blog and she writes about her troubles with Alex. These blog snippets are scattered throughout the book and usually follow a large confrontation, or give background information that is key to knowing what is going on with Alex. It is at this point where the reader can see that Alex’s mom does not support her child. The author makes almost all readers connect with the story by adding in everyday issues. It especially relates to LGBT youth who are not accepted by their family or peers. This book is one of a kind integrating transgender, intersex, and lesbian plot lines. The book highlights social issues that are more frequent than anyone may think. Most

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