If you’re a fan of coming-of-age books, Call Me Him, is definitely a must-read. When I first picked it up, I was skeptical about whether it would resonate with me—but I was wrong to doubt it. Whether you are transgender or not, River Braun masterfully captures the harsh reality of a teenager who isn’t accepted. Showing the struggles of identity, survival, and self-discovery.
Fight, Sleep, Repeat. That’s the cycle for Wylie Masterson, a 14-year-old who has never felt like a woman, except for his mother consistently insisting he’s her “perfect young lady.” His home life is suffocating—his mother is strict, dismissive, and refuses to acknowledge that he is anything but the daughter she believes he should be. He’s constantly at odds with the world around him, battling the pressures of school, authority, and his own body as puberty forces changes he never asked for. Without the knowledge to understand who he is, Wylie struggles to grasp why he insists on taking on male roles or why being seen as a girl feels so fundamentally wrong. He doesn’t have the luxury of knowing other trans people or seeing people like himself represented in the world—so instead, he feels like a mistake, an outsider, a ghost in his own life. The weight of being unheard and unseen pushes him toward self-destructive habits, including drug abuse, reckless behavior, a deepening self-hatred, and eventual suicide attempt. His journey is painful, raw, and at times hopeless—but it’s also deeply real. But his story does eventually see the light, and becomes a brighter world and future for him.
I relate to Wylie in many ways. I’ve never quite felt accepted by most people after they learn I’m trans. It’s a constant reminder that the way I see myself on the inside doesn’t always align with what others see on the outside. Some people might already be lighting their torches, ready to judge me or call me a “snowflake”—but hold on for a second… and just listen…
Trans and queer people exist everywhere, whether you realize it or not. Some live openly; others hide because they’ve never had a safe environment to be themselves. All people should love themselves wholeheartedly and feel authentic as they are, inwardly, and outwardly. Whether you feel that way or not is up to you.
