On the advice of a therapist, Riley starts an anonymous blog to vent those pent-up feelings and tell the truth of what it's really like to be a gender fluid teenager. And between starting a new school and having a congressman father running for reelection in über-conservative Orange County, the pressure-media and otherwise-is building up in Riley's life. Some days Riley identifies as a boy, and others as a girl. Riley Cavanaugh is many things: Punk rock. Symptoms of Being Human was a Lambda Literary Award finalist, a Rainbow List selection, and a YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults selection.Ĭontent note: Sexual assault, transphobic bullying.Starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist * YALSA Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers * ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults List * 2017 Rainbow ListĪ sharply honest and moving debut perfect for fans of The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Ask the Passengers.

Riley also has coping skills that they’ve learned from therapy, and these come across as very natural rather than preachy or heavy-handed. This was really relatable for me, as someone who lives with anxiety. They present as a combination of racing thoughts and physiological changes: heart rate increase, numbness, tingling, tunnel vision, and shortness of breath. I also really appreciated the depiction of anxiety. I loved reading about how they can express “boyness” or “girlness” with a slight hairstyle change. Riley expresses their gender subtly, to ease dysphoria and maintain social safety. Riley never knows how they’re going to feel when they wake up in the morning-will it be a girl day or a boy day? Sometimes they’ll change midway through the day, which causes dysphoria and anxiety. The depiction of gender fluidity in this book is very realistic and relatable. In the midst of election pressure, trying to fit in at a new school, and developing feelings for a friend, Riley must decide whether to come out or delete the blog. But bullies are also leaving comments, and Riley begins to fear that the bullies know who they are. Trans youth start leaving comments asking for advice, which makes Riley feel connected to their community.

They must accompany their father to events, wearing formal clothing that feels stifling and wrong, and perform masculinity for the media.Īt the suggestion of their therapist, Riley starts a blog about gender fluidity and is surprised to find that it goes viral. Riley Cavanaugh is the teenage child of a congressman running for reelection.

Riley cavanaugh symptoms of being human