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It Gets Better . . . Except When It Gets Worse

And Other Unsolicited Truths I Wish Someone Had Told Me

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The irreverent and candid coming-of-age memoir of Nicole Maines, trailblazing trans actress, activist—and sometimes someone who’s just existing, which is actually pretty hard!
Nicole Maines knows a little something about “happily ever after”—not just because she’s a self-professed expert in the Disney princess canon, but because she’s lived it. After coming out at an early age, her family had not only to educate themselves, but also those around them as they fought and won a landmark court case in the state of Maine before she graduated high school. She made it into college, got the guy, and finally had The Surgery™. She achieved her lifelong goal of becoming an actress when she landed a major role in the CW’s Supergirl, playing television’s very first live-action transgender superhero.
Cue sappy music and sunsets, because we’ve got ourselves a happy ending, right?
Ha! As if.
For the first time, in her own words, Nicole tells the story of her journey from childhood in rural Maine to the spotlights of Hollywood, sharing the lessons she’s learned along the way. With clever wit and unflinching honesty, she tackles some of the most insidious messaging absorbed by queer kids and all young women, from the idea that any one thing can (or should) ever really “fix” you, to wondering what’s wrong with you when things don’t always feel better, and reminding us that, sometimes, a happy ending is only the beginning of the story.
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    • AudioFile Magazine
      Nobody else could narrate this memoir like its author, actor and transgender activist Nicole Maines. Raw and candid, she lets the listener hear her anger and joy, frustration and hope. Her authenticity when describing messy moments in her life is all the more compelling in her own voice. Her story may be familiar from the book BECOMING NICOLE, which is about her and her family's experiences when Nicole made her gender known. Now Nicole tells her own story--a simple one made complicated by others' preconceptions, prejudices, and fears. Moreover, it's an important story for anyone who wants more understanding of what it means to be transgender. Nicole explains the controversies over bathrooms in school and puberty blockers, along with the harmful effects of the current political environment. J.E.M. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      Starred review from December 6, 2024

      Actor, trans rights activist, and YA author Maines (Bad Dream) presents a compelling coming-of-age memoir that covers everything from trans legislation to "The Little Mermaid." Listeners may be familiar with Maines's story owing to Amy Ellis Nutt's 2015 book Becoming Nicole, which describes Maines's childhood and the landmark Maine Supreme Judicial Court case that allowed her and other transgender people to use bathrooms consistent with their gender. Now, Maines presents her personal experiences in her own words. In this enlightening narrative, she recounts challenges such as code-switching, gender affirmation, the pressures of Hollywood, and simply surviving as a human being. Though she has already accomplished so much, Maines recognizes that life and its lessons have only just begun. Narrating her own story, she fills each part with a humorous, heartfelt air that makes her memoir relatable and poignant. From the tears in her voice as she talks about her late grandmother to her slapstick use of comedy as a coping mechanism, her tone is conversational and engaging. VERDICT This audio will appeal to listeners seeking a witty yet moving LGBTQIA+ arts and entertainment autobiography. Recommended for fans of Adam Rippon's Beautiful on the Outside or Jonathan van Ness's Over the Top.--Lauren Hackert

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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  • English

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