Riley Cavenaugh is a 16-year-old high school student who
does not know from day-to-day what would be the proper gender choice. It’s
called being “gender fluid.” This person has the agony of not knowing how to
fit in with his/her high school peers, who to fit in with her family, and how
to think about himself/herself. The characters literally jump off the page in a
very real and most compelling manner. And, just to complicate matters, Riley’s
dad is a congressman who is in the process of running for re-election at the same
time Riley chooses to “come out.”
Symptoms
of Being Human is geared toward teens and young adults, a debut novel by
Jeff Garvin, and is published by a subsidiary of Harper Collins. The book
launch occurred less than a week ago, and this one is on the fast track to be
one of the important books of 2016. Considering other events in the news in the
past year (think Bruce/Caitlyn Jenner), it could not be more timely. The
audience for this story should be to a much wider crowd, not just to people who
are struggling with their gender identity, although they are the main target
audience. Parents, friends, therapists, and anyone who is interested in the
topic will find this novel illuminating.
The screenplay has already been written and Harper Collins
is already negotiating with Hollywood for the film rights. I attended the book
launch and now expect that Jeff Garvin, who may be a debut novelist but is also
an experienced storyteller, is someone who you’re bound to see and hear on the
talk show circuit. As a public speaker, he has a commanding presence. He is one
impressive young man.
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