Gephart, D. (2016). Lily and Dunkin. NY:
Delacorte.
Timothy McGrother
is a transgender 8th. grader who prefers to be called Lily. He was
biologically born a boy but has always felt he is a girl. No one
knows about this except his family. His mother and sister support him, but his
father had a hard time until he spoke to a doctor. He still appears as a boy at
school since he is afraid to come out and see how others react, especially
because he is already bullied by some of the boys on the basketball team.
Slowly and with the support of his sister and mother, Tim becomes comfortable
expressing his true identity as Lily. Dunkin Dorfman whose birth name is Norbert Dorfman is the new
kid in town that is dealing with bipolar disorder but attempts to hide it. He also has to deal with peer pressure of hanging out with the
popular basketball players who bully Tim. He definitely knows bullying is wrong
but is afraid of being isolated and not popular. Dunkin joins the basketball
team just because he is very tall and everyone simulates he is good at playing.
However, he ends up in a mental hospital when he goes off his meds to ensure he
has enough energy to play. At the end, Lily faces her fears and goes to the
school dance dressed as a girl. Dunkin is released from the hospital and is
also able to attend. Their friendship seems to grow stronger as they each went
through their own struggles.
This novel clearly represents what
adult literature is. It included a youthful and highly independent protagonist. It basically
drew upon a sense of how adolescents develop. The main characters went through
confrontations, significant changes in life, and obtained the consequences of
decisions and actions. The point of view clearly presented a youth's
interpretation of the events that happened within the story. The format is very
similar to All the Bright Places by
Jennifer Niven. Each protagonist take turns relating their own situations and
then they give their versions of the same events.
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