Book Reviews by Ava Tanis

 Beautiful Music for Ugly Children

Beautiful Music for Ugly Children. The title says it all… sort of. Despite what it may imply, this novel by Kirstin Cronn-Mills is not about a band of really unattractive kids. It’s actually about Gabe—a trans man trying to navigate life at the end of his high school career and the beginning of his lifetime in the radio industry. The “beautiful music” in the title is accurate; Gabe hosts a community radio show—Beautiful Music for Ugly Children—and plays meticulously curated hits with the expert musical knowledge he gets from his mentor, John. The “ugly children” part of the title comes from the listeners of his show who band together to form the self-proclaimed “Ugly Children Brigade.” 

    With an endearing metaphor about the A and B sides of records reappearing throughout the story, Beautiful Music for Ugly Children, is overall a really sweet book about the reality of being a trans teenager in the 21st century. It is worth mentioning that the author is a cisgender person, or someone whose gender identity matches with the sex they were assigned at birth. Kristin Cronn-Mills actually writes in the author’s note that if she could go back, she wouldn’t write the book because it was not her place as a cis woman. According to some of the LGBTQ+ readers of the book, though, it does a surprisingly good job of capturing the highs and lows of transgender life. 

    With only 262 pages, this young adult fiction book is short and sweet, with a very happy and wholesome ending. A good choice for music lovers or anyone looking for insight into life as a queer teenager, Beautiful Music for Ugly Children provides an in-depth storyline and exposition while still feeling upbeat and nicely-paced. It reaches full speed at the climax, where it takes an unexpected turn that will surely keep you on your toes. In summary, Beautiful Music for Ugly Children is simultaneously emotional, lighthearted, and even comical at times, and it is the perfect read for lovers of love triangles, uncertainty, and good old happy endings.