Rating: 
Summary: Explores much that the mind never has thought of!
Review: This was an amazing novel to read because it dealt with issues that have never crossed my mind. It makes you think about your own sexuality and makes you question yourself. It made me think what I would do if I fell in love with a transexual and what I would do? whether my friends would still like me. All issues that allison is confronted with. I like will a lot because he underwent a transformation of his own. At the begining he was very mocho and can't think of the idea of this transexual and he become more and more objective about dana, which I find is a great charater change for him. Liked the book and would recommend it for anyone that likes new areas to explore and it has a great twist to the end!
Rating: 
Summary: forced premise, honest characters
Review: I'd never have read this book if my book group didn't choose it, because the premise seemed to me a bit forced. It looked like the author had decided to write a book about the Nature of Love, and involved a transsexual just to breathe new life into an old theme.Reading the book didn't change my opinion much. In particular, shaping the narrative around the NPR transcript seemed like an unnecessary ploy to make the novel appeal to a certain demographic, and to justify its overly clever title. However, though the premise and plot are contrived, the characters are not. They are always honest with themselves and, by extension, with us readers. I found myself more interested in people in the story than the story itself. In the end, it was an enjoyable but forgettable read.
Rating: 
Summary: What a unique book!
Review: Chris Bohjalian is such a great writer!! His books are all so unique! I think that's why I enjoy reading his books so much.
This book was so cool, because as a hetero female, this subject was so foreign to me. But as I read along, I came to understand what the characters might be feeling. Now that's a good book.
I can't wait to see what he will do in his next book.
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Summary: The Emotional Truth of Transsexuality
Review: This book was recommended to me by a friend, who said she gained a lot of insight into my situation as a transsexual woman. I read it in record time. The five stars are not for great writing, or a great story. Rather they are for capturing so many of the fundamental feelings of a transsexual, and conveying them powerfully to me, and I hope, the wider world. And I learned about my own life, which was surprising. The book is not written by an M2FTS, and yet Mr. Bohjalian nailed so many things, I was constantly wondering who gave him the DL. Mr. Bohjalian is very brave, and very ambitious to tackle such a difficult subject. Despite whatever flaws there may be in the story and writing, the book is very important, in that the essential emotional realities of M2F transition are so simply and powerfully depicted. One in particular - that thought that I, and I know, so many other M2F's have had - that in paradise I would be a woman, because if I were not, it would not be paradise. This thought resonated so strongly with me, I wept on reading the passage. Transsexuality is about connecting to the universe in a less complicated way, one that allows us a chance at happiness, because our lives become more authentic. As I have watched my own life emerge in the last couple of years, I have felt an awesome feeling of rightness about my relationship and place in the cosmos. This book conveys that process better than any other writing I have ever encountered. This book is must reading for all who have any desire to understand what it feels like to change sex, and why one would ever do such an insane thing. Listen to the transgendered voices in this collection of reviews. They are all endorsing. Thanks, Chris. You are a sweetie.
Rating:
Summary: Very good until a lousy ending ruins it!
Review: Chris Bojalian has an engaging, provocative premise here: what happens to a romantic relationship between two people of the opposite sex when one-half of the couple undergoes a sex-change? What does that make the relationship in the eyes of the other half---and in the eyes of the people around them? For the most part, Bojalian makes the dilemmas and conflicting emotions each of his characters experience come alive and resonate. Unfortunately, in the last fifty or so pages, he succumbs to the urge to wrap it up neatly with a "happily ever after" ending that feels completely false given what's come before. This error in judgement left a sour taste in my mouth when I finished the book, and it derails what up to then had been a very powerful view of gender issues and "couple-ness." What a shame.
Rating:
Summary: Educational and Entertaining
Review: Interesting read that artfully educates on gender dysphoria and examines the always hidden true feelings of orientation. The story is well written to demonstrate how one person feels about another does relate to their gender orientation even though words temporarily say otherwise. Entertaining story which this author weaves so well. Very much worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: Worthwhile Topic, Executed Weakly
Review: This book definately interested me, as a chance to see transsexuality handled in a more mainstream fashion, instead of just transsexual autobiographies and writings from a more dry, factual perspective. A novel dealing with how people on the outside see the situation, and how it affects them, written from the outside. Sadly, the book felt somewhat lacking. The various chapters, each written in the first-person from a diferent character, never really felt distinct - it was far too common for me to almost forget which character the chapter was supposed to be using. Also, it seemed really short, like there was too much left out - there definately wasn't enough for me to really get into feeling for the characters, for getting a sense of their personality. I did feel it handled the topic well, though. Rather simplisticly, perhaps, but I wouldn't expect a lot of details in such a book. I was disappointed, though, with the point at which Dana tells Allison -- or more appropriately, the lack thereof. I felt that was definately a key scene in setting up the rest of the story, and it really hurt by not actually writing it, and leaving it to the imagination. After all, not many people can imagine someone they love telling them they're transsexual. There were also some factual errors in how Dana's (the transsexual) transition from male to female was handled - there are standards and timelines used by just about all therapists and doctors involved, ones that were disregarded. All in all, I wouldn't hunt down the book, but it's not something you'll be regretting if you do read it.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Winter Read
Review: The book got to me immediately. Even though the outcome was predictable it was great fun to get there. Besides being entertaining, the book was thought provoking and informative. I had one problem...it felt like Dana never had a female voice. Even after the transforming event he/she remained a male voice in the book. Inspite of that, I could not put the book down.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting subject- boring novel
Review: Imagine this situation: you are a school teacher, divorced, with a daughter ready to go off to college. You live in a small town in Vermont, but you could be living anywhere since your life is just about as mainstream as it can get. You have a good, working relationship with your ex-husband & enjoy your work in the school. You are open-minded & liberal. Then, during one summer, you fall in love with a wonderful man...& it's been a while since you've felt this way. Only it turns out that this man has a little secret which is about to come out in the open: he is really a woman, trapped in a man's body & miserable about it. He is a pre-operation transexual, & is scheduled for surgery in January... This is the situation of "Trans-Sister Radio", & this is the situation that Allison Banks finds herself falling into. The handling of the transexual issue is done very well, it's an intriguing subject, raises many questions, both emotional & medical questions. A man trapped in a woman's body, who at some point will "come out" is bound to deal with a lot of bigotry & intolerance. So the first thing that rang false for me is that, apart from some general, vague issues in the small-town community, Dana (the transexual in question) really is very very lucky. His family & friends (& even his new lover) understand him / her & quite easily make the necessary adjustments. I believe that in true life it wouldn't be quite so easy, especially when it comes to the family. Apart from this, the actual writing by Bohjalian is disappointing in my opinion. I agree with other readers that the alternating first person viewpoint is confusing, since the 4 people talking don't seem to have a distinct voice each. Also, I'm beginning to get tired with Bohjalian's topics: he has tackled midwives, homeopathic medicine & now transexuals. In trying to find the next risky, brave, exciting topic, it seems to me that Bohjalian is putting his actual writing in the back burner. Finally, I found the ending (which I won't reveal) to be extremely false. All in all, I learnt quite a lot about gender dysphoria through this book, which is a good thing...but I didn't like it much as a novel.
Rating: 
Summary: As if there isn't enough sex in our world already...
Review: I found this book to be little more than a Jerry Springer situation in novel form. Maybe some people like stories like that, but personally, I found Trans-Sister Radio to be centered completely around the subject of lust, NOT love, as well as a disgusting reflection on the morals of men and the objectivity of women. I shared it with my mother, and when she finished it, she threw it in the trash. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone who enjoys real literature. Mr. Bohjalian writes a lot from a woman's point of view about sex. It makes me wonder if he has a gender identity problem himself.
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