Rating: 
Summary: Lacking in Candor and Poorly Written
Review: For an English professor, this is a poorly written memoir of a man's transition to a woman. It is sprinkled with lengthy conversations that seem contrived at best. The author is supposedly a writer of humorous novels, but this work contained very little. Most puzzling at all is the lip service the author gave to the agony and confusion that he inflicted upon his family and friends. A father of two boys, he displayed very little sorrow over what this could all mean for his children. His wife's (and his mother's) eventual complacency was the most bewildering. Any normal wife would be dumbstruck with seething rage. Apparently his transition was mostly a big group hug.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting book
Review: I agree with some of the amazon reviews. This is a chilly account of a very uncomfortable issue. But, I Think Jenny is good at getting all the various emotions that she experienced in her life out in written form. Like Jenny, our lives are full of so many emotions good and bad. I walked away with an uncomfortable feeling of how she lived most of her life. I also walked away with a feeling of friendship shown by her family and friends. But, most importantly, I see a person that was brave enough to be their authentic self at great risk for loss of family, friends, and career. I admire her for sharing her story. Starts out a bit disjointed and jumps around but, ends strong. I think the way it jumps around at the start gives you an uncomfortable feeling that is meant to reflect his life prior to the chnage.
Rating: 
Summary: I loved it.
Review: I enjoyed every page. Well done. Bravo, Jenny.
Rating: 
Summary: high on name dropping, short on content
Review: I found little heart in this self-congratulatory book, little care or concern for anyone save the author herself. Everything is a joke. Everything is trite. Everything is an excuse to exclaim (once again) that the author is friends with a famous author. I waited to be touched or moved, but closed the book thoroughly dissatisfied with the flatness of the prose, the extreme self exaltation and inflation, and the thorough lack of regard for other people in the author's life. Once again hard covers have been used to enclose a marketing ploy, as opposed to a story.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book Professionally Well-Written
Review: I have read a large percentage of the available transgender literature and I'm very interested in the subject. I'm writing a novel that has several trannie characters. Sadly, the literary quality of most of the trans lit does not seem high. I'm not an expert on English literature, but I have trouble reading much of the trannie material.
IN CONTRAST, Boylan's book has all the virtues of great literature. It reminds me of a milder "Lucky Jim," except the humor is more subtle and more self-effacing.
The book is touching without being maudlin and hilarious without being too cute. It's written so well that it's hard to tell how Boylan does it, but the feeling I get from reading and rereading this book convinces me she's good, very good.
I just hope she goes on to write other things, not only about herself and the trans life but about other subjects that interest her. Actually, I think she has already written other books. I should look them up on Amazon!
I have no special personal interest in Boylan or her book, as I do not know Boylan. If she were near, I would very much like to know her. She seems to be someone who could be a great friend to one of either gender, and of course to those in transition. That quality of substance comes through in her book.
Rating:
Summary: An absoutely beautiful story
Review: I LOVED this book. The story of James's transformation into Jenny was riveting and beautifully told, but what moved me most was the unconditional love shown to Jenny by most of her friends and family. Though they found her condition difficult if not impossible to understand, they remained loyal to and supportive of the "inner" person whom they loved. In many ways they can be seen as even more courageous than Jenny, and I think on this point she would probably agree.
Rating:
Summary: Shallow, fictionalized memoir
Review: I made an effort to like this book, but found it hard going. The author fails at Job One, which is to make the reader care about the main character(s). The tone of this book is dstinctly frivolous and chilly, as though Boylan were deathly skittish of self-revelation. Reticence is understandable, but when you say you're writing a memoir--and then accept a big advance for it--you'd better be prepared to spill a few pints of blood. The material in the book probably needed a few years of ferment and reflection. Boylan wrote most of it in late 2001, nearly a year before going through the genital surgeries, and while he/she was just starting to act as Jennifer. Thus, the book ostensibly presents a first-person man-to-woman story, but is actually authored by a 40-something husband-and-father who at the time of writing is only hoping to become a woman! Boylan is a creative-writing teacher, and knows how to fill up a page with frothy, fictional dialogue. Unfortunately this story called for insight, courage, and critical-writing skills, and these are sorely lacking. Boylan should develop those skills and then give the James-to-Jennifer saga another go.
Rating:
Summary: Extraordinary
Review: I never, ever write reviews on Amazon -- dare I confess that I am an oft-reviewed author on this site -- but I am moved by this gorgeous book. There is so little courage and authenticity to be found in this world. Here is a small gift of pure inspiration and beauty -- accessible to any reader who has ever wondered about herself, feared a next step, or faced a life challenge. Jenny and Grace Boyland are true heroines. Thank you for this treasure.
Rating:
Summary: It's really quite goodq
Review: I picked this book up, probably like most people, because of the subtitle and cover of the book. It got me interested in it. I read the synopsis and decided to get this book. And let me tell you, it was not a mistake. This is a wonderful book. It's well-written, highly entertaining, and helps you to understand the plight of the transgendered. Boylan is a remarkable author. I have no trouble highly recommending this book.
Rating:
Summary: Well-written and Candid
Review: I read this book in one sitting. Once I started, I could not put it down and I think in doing this, I was able to get into the flow of Boylan's writing. The momentum seems to build, chapter by chapter and once the decision is made, it is clear that there is no going back. I enjoyed the humor that the author interjects into the story. Sure, this is a touchy issue and certainly such a decision is, as the author points out, like an atomic bomb. The fallout is far-reaching and continues for years after. However, to me at least, the author seems to plunge forward, maintaining his/her sense of humor despite the personal pain. I was particularly drawn in by the relationship between Jim/Jenny and Grace. Boylan does not soft-pedal the impact of his/her decision on Grace. Grace and Jenny are a new kind of couple, not husband and wife nor lesbian partnership - just two people who love each other in a new, yet not unique fashion. I thought it particularly interesting that they remain legally married and yet if they chose to divorce, they could not legally chose to remarry. I found myself hoping that they will be able to reconcile the change within the relationship and stay together. My only criticsm was in the heavy use of correspondence within the text. In some cases - the letter to NASA for example - this is a bit too cumbersome. Otherwise, Boylan writes about an intensely personal experience with both humor and candor and really allows the reader to better understand the difficulties endured by people who find themselves to be in the same situation. This book should be read by anyone who is faced with this problem as well as by those who will be affected by the decision. Of all the books that I have read on the subject, She's Not There is the first one that really helped me to understand the inner struggle. I think this will help families and loved ones of others similarly afflicted to better understand and ultimately be more supportive throughout the process.
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