Call me Nathan

Translated from French and based on true events but not a biography, Call Me Nathan follows a boy demanding to be seen for who he truly is. Nathan's certainty in his identity as a boy is central to the work, underlining his anger at and confusion by parents who want him to wear dresses and be their sweet girl. It explains his frustration, his outbursts of expletives, and his self-harm as he grapples with a world that refuses to call him by his chosen name. It would've been simple to reduce the story to those episodes, but we also see a boy who wants to be a good big brother and who wants to please his girlfriend. The medical transitioning process that Nathan wants to undergo is discussed in clear, clinical detail, and the soft, almost watercolor impression from the art softens what could be truly ugly moments. The scenes from the parents' perspective could help others in their place understand and accept what their children are going through.

Castro's debut with artist Zuttion (The White Lady) is a deeply empathetic coming-of-age tale, based on the real life experiences of Castro's friends. Twelve-year-old Nathan Molina--introduced as Lila--navigates both the jarring changes of puberty and a reckoning with unexpected aspects of his identity. Zuttion's watercolors capture early in Nathan's gender transition the wistful intensity of crushes, pondering whether the attraction is romantic or a desire to "be" the object of affection. Painful, fraught arguments with relatives around gender expectations--"I don't want any of your frilly shit! I'm not your fucking doll!"--culminate in a more gentle reintroduction of Nathan to family: "Lila only existed for you... your illusion." The desperation of those around Nathan trying to help with a problem they don't fully grasp is depicted in frank fashion, highlighting both the difficulty of growing up and how the traumas of adolescence get compounded by the confusion of coming out. Relief in finally being accepted is made palpable in sequences such as Nathan's unburdening to an understanding therapist. This heartfelt and accessible work will appeal to any reader grappling with personal identity or processing revelations within their own family. (Mar.)