---
product_id: 14894495
title: "I Am J"
price: "Bs.271"
currency: BOB
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 13
url: https://www.desertcart.bo/products/14894495-i-am-j
store_origin: BO
region: Bolivia
---

# I Am J

**Price:** Bs.271
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

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- **What is this?** I Am J
- **How much does it cost?** Bs.271 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.bo](https://www.desertcart.bo/products/14894495-i-am-j)

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## Description

desertcart.com: I Am J: 9780316053600: Beam, Cris: Books

Review: Such a powerful, enlightening, skillfully crafted story - Wow, such a beautifully, imaginatively written story! Rich with cultural detail and realistic emotions. As a FTM person myself (who discovered myself and began transition in my late twenties) this gave me such an appreciation for my younger trans folks who are dependent on parents and come from various cultural and religious backgrounds that are very different from my own, and the compounding effect of such intersections. It is also probably one of the best books I've ever read. You have to buy it, regardless who you are, but especially if you are a parent of a trans kid and would like to understand what they might be going through (though keep in mind that everyone is different and this story is only one example of the trans experience.)
Review: Excellent young adult fiction about a 17 year old transgender - It is a rare thing to find a book that truly reflects the transgender experience in a fashion that appeals to young adults. "I Am J" does this, and does it well. There are many autobiographical (non-fiction) books or memoirs that report one individual's experience. This fictional account of a 17 year old FtM transsexual delves deep into this young man's psyche as he struggles with his own awareness, identity, and relationships. Author Cris Beam has drawn upon her years of experience in the transgender community to present a character - J - who represents feelings and experiences of many gender variant teens of both assigned genders. While classmates and family struggle to understand his attitude and behaviors, J is struggling with his awareness of himself. Declaring early in his senior year of high school that he is male, not female, is not a spur of the moment decision; he has known for some time. As with most teens, he is trying to discover who he is as a person and who he will be as an adult. Compounded with that is his anguish over his relationships with his parents and friends; he is trying to express himself while in constant fear of rejection by those he loves. No one who is not transgender can truly understand the emotional stress of accepting oneself and the fear of sharing that knowledge with loved ones. In "I Am J" author Cris Beam has portrayed this superbly.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #1,650,004 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #296 in Teen & Young Adult Loners & Outcasts Fiction #662 in Teen & Young Adult Fiction about Self Esteem & Reliance #1,809 in Teen & Young Adult Friendship Fiction |
| Customer Reviews | 4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars (246) |
| Dimensions  | 5.5 x 1.25 x 8.25 inches |
| Edition  | Reprint |
| Grade level  | 10 and up |
| ISBN-10  | 0316053600 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-0316053600 |
| Item Weight  | 2.31 pounds |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 288 pages |
| Publication date  | November 13, 2012 |
| Publisher  | Little, Brown Books for Young Readers |
| Reading age  | 15 years and up |

## Images

![I Am J - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81OeMav04WL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Such a powerful, enlightening, skillfully crafted story
*by A***D on May 26, 2020*

Wow, such a beautifully, imaginatively written story! Rich with cultural detail and realistic emotions. As a FTM person myself (who discovered myself and began transition in my late twenties) this gave me such an appreciation for my younger trans folks who are dependent on parents and come from various cultural and religious backgrounds that are very different from my own, and the compounding effect of such intersections. It is also probably one of the best books I've ever read. You have to buy it, regardless who you are, but especially if you are a parent of a trans kid and would like to understand what they might be going through (though keep in mind that everyone is different and this story is only one example of the trans experience.)

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent young adult fiction about a 17 year old transgender
*by D***R on March 30, 2011*

It is a rare thing to find a book that truly reflects the transgender experience in a fashion that appeals to young adults. "I Am J" does this, and does it well. There are many autobiographical (non-fiction) books or memoirs that report one individual's experience. This fictional account of a 17 year old FtM transsexual delves deep into this young man's psyche as he struggles with his own awareness, identity, and relationships. Author Cris Beam has drawn upon her years of experience in the transgender community to present a character - J - who represents feelings and experiences of many gender variant teens of both assigned genders. While classmates and family struggle to understand his attitude and behaviors, J is struggling with his awareness of himself. Declaring early in his senior year of high school that he is male, not female, is not a spur of the moment decision; he has known for some time. As with most teens, he is trying to discover who he is as a person and who he will be as an adult. Compounded with that is his anguish over his relationships with his parents and friends; he is trying to express himself while in constant fear of rejection by those he loves. No one who is not transgender can truly understand the emotional stress of accepting oneself and the fear of sharing that knowledge with loved ones. In "I Am J" author Cris Beam has portrayed this superbly.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Great Transgender Coming-of-Age
*by R***5 on February 24, 2013*

J has never had the easiest of lives growing up: his best friend – his only friend – will focus more on herself than their friendship, kids in his public New York high school harass him, his parents aren’t a constant presence, and he’s a guy born in a girl’s body. When J’s best friend and crush Melissa turns her back on him, J decides it’s time to start truly becoming the man he wishes people would see him as, whether that means hormone treatment or just truly accepting himself. I am J is a unique, ultra-modern coming-of-age novel whose highlights include a dynamic protagonist set against a vivid, real world with real-world issues. J’s struggle truly became a riveting part of this novel, and the way his struggle to become the gender he desired became a mission that readers came to cheer for when J succeeded and sighed when he had to take a step back. Clearly, the FTM (female-to-male) transition process was well researched, and J’s hopes for his world to accept him as a boy come to represent all the struggles people face for others to accept them. The reader gets to see each stage: the unsure pre-transition J who hides his body with layers of shirts, the J who is sure of his gender and physically projects that to the world (and passes sometimes), and the J who begins the physical alterations of the transition. It gives a nearly complete curve and leaves the reader a bit more informed about the fascinating life. But, luckily, the book didn’t singularly define J by being a transgender person: he’s resilient, loyal, open to learn, and has a big heart. Also, he’s human. His relationships aren’t defined by being good or bad, but go through patches of both, namely with his mother, Melissa, and the friends he meets along the way. Besides the issues it brings up, J’s world is also wonderfully painted simply in terms of the techniques the author uses. J is a multi-racial child, and many of his friends are as he is, so the diversity of New York is explored. As well, J’s rougher neighborhood and life was an interesting choice, and the reader not only got to learn about transgender life but also about a less read area of New York. The dialogue is top notch and completely realistic. There’s swearing, idioms, and just the syntax of the sentences make it so each line could seriously be said by real people, really pushing the story’s credibility. The writing itself was very frank, and the story didn’t leave out bits and pieces because someone might feel uncomfortable. It leaves the reader satisfied by the end, and a bit more empathetic toward the transgender people community. In conclusion, if you are looking for a great piece of fiction including a well-made protagonist and a setting that isn’t as heavily explored, and/or want to dabble into the still-on-the-rare-side LGBTQ fiction, I Am J is a great choice.

## Frequently Bought Together

- I Am J
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*Product available on Desertcart Bolivia*
*Store origin: BO*
*Last updated: 2026-01-26*