About This Book:
Covid lockdown is over, but A’s world feels smaller than ever. Coming out as trans didn’t exactly go well, and most days, he barely leaves his bedroom, let alone the house. But the low point of A’s life isn’t online school, missing his bar mitzvah, or the fact that his parents monitor his phone like hawks—it’s the weekly Save Our Sons and Daughters meetings his parents all but drag him to.
At SOSAD, A and his friends Sal and Yarrow sit by while their parents deadname them and wring their hands over a nonexistent “transgender craze.” After all, sitting in suffocating silence has to be better than getting sent away for “advanced treatment,” never to be heard from again.
When Yarrow vanishes after a particularly confrontational meeting, A discovers that SOSAD doesn’t just feel soul-sucking…it’s run by an actual demon who feeds off the pain and misery of kids like him. And it’s not just SOSAD—the entire world is beset by demons dining on what seems like an endless buffet of pain and bigotry.
But how is one trans kid who hasn’t even chosen a name supposed to save his friend, let alone the world? And is a world that seems hellbent on rejecting him even worth saving at all?
*Review Contributed by Adrien Guerra, Social Media Assistant and Staff Reviewer*
A came out as trans during the covid lockdown which is now over but A’s life still isn’t going according to plan. A’s parents drag him to weekly Save Our Sons and Daughters (SOSAD) meetings hoping that A being trans is only a phase. At the SOSAD meeting, A has made two friends, Sal and Yarrow, and they all sit silent as their parents deadname them so that they don’t get sent away for “advanced treatment”. After all the SOSAD individuals who have been sent away were never heard from again. Yarrow is tired of staying silent and finally speaks up, only to vanish shortly after that. A decides to try to find Yarrow and in doing that finds out that SOSAD is run by a demon who is feeding off the pain and misery of trans youth. It is up to A to defeat the demons who seem to be all around the world along with the help of some new friends. Will he be able to figure out this puzzle?
What I Liked: This book opens by introducing you to A and the life he is currently living. At the beginning of the book you also get a glimpse at some SOSAD meetings and get to meet Sal and Yarrow along with all of the character’s parents. Right from the start of the book, it was clear that this book was reflective of the current political climate towards transgender people.
A is fairly young and makes a lot of mistakes throughout the book which makes him a realistic main character. This book shows how everyone can make mistakes and that there is even room for Trans people to make errors on people’s pronouns as they are learning. The book shows the importance of intent when it comes to the errors made when interacting with Trans people yet it also shows that even when the intent is well-mannered there can still be a negative impact. There are moments in which Sal calls A out and speaks about the differences between life as a Trans woman. While this book is fiction there is a lot that one can learn from reading it about what life is like for Trans people and the lessons that A learns as he has more conversations with the golem.
This book touches a lot upon Jewish religion and folklore which was fascinating to learn about. The lore that surrounds the Golem and the various demons that A encounters is explained in a way that is accessible. There are moments in which the Golem is speaking in a manner that may be difficult for a younger audience to understand but the context clues surrounding those passages are helpful.
Throughout the whole book, there are people who deadname the transgender characters but as a reader, you don’t get to ever know the deadnames as they appear as dashes. Throughout the book, A hasn’t decided what their permanent name will be and has this discussion with his friends. There is a beautiful moment in which A is sitting with the Golem who has told him to move forward. There is a lot that he has to let go of, it is in this moment that you watch as A lets go of his expectations of others and learns of the harm he has caused his friends unintentionally because of some of those expectations.
Final Verdict: A World Worth Saving is a powerful and insightful read that offers representation and education on transgender experiences while also incorporating Jewish folklore. This book provides a realistic portrayal of a young trans character navigating identity, mistakes, and personal growth which makes this a great story for children who are exploring their own gender identity so that they feel seen and less alone. This is also an important read for adults who are looking to better understand trans experiences, and the impact of language, intent, and expectations.
*Find More Info & Buy This Book HERE!*
