Description

National Bestseller A 2025 Stonewall Book Award Honoree

Award-winning journalist Nico Lang presents a compelling and deeply moving exploration of the lives of eight transgender and nonbinary teenagers across the United States. This groundbreaking book offers an intimate look at their daily experiences—their victories, challenges, and everything in between—as they navigate growing up trans in today’s America.

Too often, media coverage sensationalizes the debate over trans youth, leaving out the most important voices: the young people themselves. In *American Teenager*, Lang gives readers a rare opportunity to hear directly from trans and gender-nonconforming teens about their realities. Over the course of a year, Lang traveled the country, from conservative communities in Florida to affirming queer spaces in California, from churches in Texas to mosques in Illinois, engaging in hundreds of hours of interviews with these teens, their families, and those who shape their worlds.

Through the stories of Wyatt, Rhydian, Mykah, Clint, Ruby, Augie, Jack, and Kylie, *American Teenager* offers an unfiltered view of what it means to grow up trans today. While political discourse often reduces their existence to a talking point, this book reframes the conversation by centering the voices of trans youth themselves—revealing their hopes, resilience, and pursuit of a brighter future.

Critics and advocates alike praise Lang’s work for its powerful storytelling and compassionate reporting. SAMANTHA ALLEN, author of *Real Queer America*, describes it as “a master class in journalism as a force for change.” MAIA KOBABE, author of *Gender Queer*, commends how Lang portrays trans teens with humor and empathy, showing them as “kids trying their best.” Activist and author RAQUEL WILLIS highlights the significance of their representation, stating that Lang “proves how rich the discourse is when trans youth take their rightful place at the center of their narratives.”

GARRARD CONLEY, bestselling author of *Boy Erased*, calls the book “an incredibly important, humane account.” JAZZ JENNINGS, author of *Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen*, praises Lang for amplifying voices that are too often silenced. HUGH RYAN, award-winning author of *When Brooklyn Was Queer*, describes it as “an urgently necessary book,” while GABE DUNN, New York Times bestselling author of *I Hate Everyone But You*, acknowledges its warmth and immediacy.

BRIAN K. BOND, CEO of PFLAG National, affirms that *American Teenager* is a vital reminder of our shared humanity, and RODRIGO HENG-LEHTINEN, Executive Director of the National Center for Transgender Equity, calls it “an absolute must-read”—a work that is both intimate and illuminating.