![]() The cover of Symptoms of Being Human even poses the question, “Boy or girl?” and answers it with, “Yes.” This itself is accurate and enticing for readers who wonder about Riley and people like Riley. People always want to know if Riley is a girl or a boy. In Riley’s old and new school, there are incidents of homophobia and transphobia. Of course, Riley has always been bullied for dressing this way. Especially being the child of a congressman up for reelection, Riley is spotlighted as part of the father’s campaign as well as the new kid in school who dresses androgynously. ![]() That dysphoria can come up when Riley is feeling either more feminine or more masculine but is forced to appear a certain way contrary to Riley’s instincts. Riley also suffers from dysphoric episodes, in which Riley doesn’t feel like the physical body the character is in. ![]() Riley describes being gender fluid as being on a “dial,” which I find to be a fantastic metaphor for gender fluidity. ![]() Furthermore, there is the distinction between being gender fluid and being transgender, though trans characters are present in the novel, as well. Riley’s attraction to Bec, a female, has nothing to do with the way Riley feels on a day-to-day basis. While Garvin touches on sexual orientation, he mainly focuses on gender identity, being sure to clarify the distinction between the two notions through the characters’ interactions (mainly in the awful things people say to Riley, the main character). Jeff Garvin’s Symptoms of Being Human is the first book I’ve read with a gender fluid protagonist. ![]()
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