Rating: 
Summary: Sympathetic, charming, and very real.
Review: I must say, it's been a long time since I've read an entire novel in a single sitting, but I just couldn't put this one down.Chris Bohjalian obviously put a huge amount of research and effort into this novel. It's thoughtfully written and downright inspiring. The ending, whilst a little sad, isn't entirely unexpected. I've never before seen the subject of transsxuality treated in such a caring, understanding, compassionate, and above all realistic way. One only wishes that a few more people had his level of understanding and compassion. In a word, Mr Bohjalian; Thanks.
Rating:
Summary: An Unconventional But Lovely Story
Review: Trans-Sister Radio is the story of how someone's search for identity in the face of societal resistance affects them and the people they love. Although Dana Stephens goes through a sex change, the novel is not so much about the change as about society's prejudices and the consequences. Most interesting is that although it is Dana who goes through the most significant physical changes, it is Dana's female lover Allie Banks who has to face the most significant consequences--both her own perplexity at loving the person Dana is but conflicted about her feelings toward Dana's new sex, and the small-minded wrath of certain members of the community who are more incensed at her apparent flaunting of the situation rather than the situation itself. I was reminded of what I'd read about kidney donation--that the person who gets the new kidney recovers quickly and dramatically, but the donor who had previously been healthy suffers significantly from the loss. This seemed to me exactly analogous to the situation faced by Bohjalian's characters--after surgery Dana finally feels healed and complete, but Allie suffers as a result. Bohjalian is thoughtful and sympathetic to all of his main characters' plights and viewpoints--be aware that if you are not a tolerant person this is not for you. But if you can accept that such a thing as transsexuality can exist as a medically treatable condition, you will find this is a beautifully told story, full of the ring of truth about us all.
Rating: 
Summary: An unconventional love story...
Review: Having read both MIDWIVES and THE LAW OF SIMILARS, I must begin by saying that TRANS-SISTER RADIO is neither my favorite book by Mr. Bohjalian, nor his best. Yet, Mr. Bohjalian has taken a risque subject and crafted a well-written, intelligent and compelling novel. Told in the alternating voices of the four main characters---Allie, Carly, Will and Dana, TRANS-SISTER RADIO is a sensitive and thought provoking view of love, sexuality and gender that is sure to leave you examining your own emotions and beliefs long after the novel's end.
Rating: 
Summary: Not his best work
Review: I normally love Bohjalian's books, but his characterizations in this novel were frankly unbelieveable. In order to sustain his pious, preachy message that transsexuals are just misunderstood individuals with a correctable medical problem, Bohjalian never delved into what Dana surely must have been feeling prior to and after her surgery -- pain, terror, misgivings, and low self-esteem. I think that he made her the sanest person in the book just so that he could paint anyone who might not think that a sex change is the answer to gender dysmorphia as an intolerant, homophobic nazi. The political agenda aside, this story was weak, and the ending was ridiculous. For example, Carly's first sexual experience was portrayed in an unrealistic way. Very few teenage girls view their first time with such jaded eyes. In fact, strangely enough, the characters all talked and thought in very similar ways -- Carly, Dana, Carly's mother and father were all given an almost identical voice. The book would have benefitted from a greater distinction in voices as it shifted views. For readers who haven't read Bohjalian, I would recommend some of his other books -- specifically Midwives and The Law of Opposites (both WONDERFUL books) -- over this soggy mess.
Rating: 
Summary: Fascinating
Review: I found this book well written, interesting, with well thought out characters. It brought up a lot of issues dealing with who and how we love, what gender means, and the changes that people are capable of. I thought it was thoroughly enjoyable, but I really was disappointed with the ending,also. While Chris Bohjalian tried to show the complexities of love and gender and sexual identity, why did he have to have everyone remaining straight in the end?
Rating:
Summary: Didn't think I would like it...
Review: but I loved it! Me? A straight, married, never gave a second thought to the transgendered community? Yep. Midwives was unavailable at the library so I picked up his new one and was pleasantly surprised. All of the main characters are well developed, and the NPR sub plot was wonderful. A good read for the thoughtful straight but not narrow community. (And any other community for that matter!)
Rating:
Summary: Trans-Sister way short
Review: Boo - I don't know what else to say. I tried, it didn't work, I tried again, I tried harder; in the end, this book simply sucks. No where near what Bohjalian has done with Midwives. Bohjalian is a talented author who's descriptive qualities are superb, but he really needs to find some interesting material that strikes a chord with the masses...
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating story about a transgender lifestyle
Review: I just love Chris Bohjalian's writing style. I have read all his other books and I continue to be fascinated by his subjects. He did an excellent job with this very senstive subject: what happens when someone changes their gender? Not only to that person, but to the family, friends, and loved ones? I was very disappointed in the end of the story, which I did see coming. I had been hoping I was wrong, and that Mr. Bohjalian wouldn't wrap it up so neatly. However, having everyone happy in the end isn't the worst thing that could happen to a storyline. Having the story told by four different perspectives was interesting, but at times confusing. Because everyone felt pretty much the same, it wasn't always easy to remember who was talking. All in all, I'd say Tran-sister Radio is a hit, a fascinating look at a subject that I know nothing about. And it's wonderfully, sensitively, written.
Rating:
Summary: Quietly beautiful
Review: Mr. Bohjalian is the first fiction writer to succeed in handling the emotional aspects of this very difficult subject without yielding (much) to sensationalism. He succeeds in capturing the tone of an NPR broadcast in providing a voice for each of the characters; Allison's anger, Dana's own perplexity as she fails to recognize that as a woman she can't fulfill the needs of the woman who knew her as a male, the irritation and gradual enlightenment of Allison's ex-husband, all play out vividly, with very light touches of wry and sympathetic humor.
Rating:
Summary: Really made me think
Review: I read this book the way that I usually read mysteries -- I just could NOT put it down. There were so many things I loved about it: it made me think about things I had never considered, it gives you four different perspectives, it's beautifully written...My one criticism is that it's a tad bit unbelievable. Transexuals do not receive much support in the real world, and I found it a little hard to swallow that Allison, Carly, and Will were ALL so liberal and supportive. Other than that, though...an amazing read.
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