Review
“Lang’s book is a necessary work of patient, dogged reportage. . . . [A] searing overview of government barriers that transgender youth face.”―WASHINGTON POST
“A series of complex, sometimes searing and always sensitive portraits of young people whose right to existence currently hangs in the balance.”―BOOKPAGE, Starred Review
“Tender and informative. . . Lang evokes a strong sense of urgency and importance in shifting the perspective on what it means to be a trans teenager in the current heated political climate. . . A necessary and compassionate collection of stories that is a must-read for anyone looking to expand their horizons.”―KIRKUS REVIEWS
"American Teenager is a must-read on the trans teen experience . . . [An] important, powerful, and necessary book for these divided times . . . Groundbreaking, thoroughly informative, and compassionate . . . The empathetic yet noticeably objective stories Lang writes are as varied as they are inclusive — and each allows the myriad emotions of its subject, from fear and depression to confidence and pride, to truly shine."―SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
“An incredibly intimate, varied look into the lives of American trans youth.”―THEM
“In this deeply humanizing and thoroughly researched book of reportage, former Them news editor Nico Lang visits families across the country who are grappling with this political climate, showing that trans kids are, at the end of the day, just kids.”―THEM, 33 Queer Books, Movies, TV Shows, and Albums for Fall
“American Teenager never forgets that these are normal American teens in every way: These teens dance, sing, ride floats in parades, and wear too much Axe body spray. [An] urgent, powerful narrative, not just for the kids at its center, but also for the rest of us, whose decisions and whose empathy may help determine whether the world they have to navigate is one they can survive.”―VOX
“By turns silly, sweet, serious, funny, and sad. The book is not only a crucial intervention into rampant institutional transphobia targeting American youth, it’s a riveting, empowering read.”―AUTOSTRADDLE, The Best Queer Books of 2024
“A deeply personal and revelatory work of journalism, American Teenager looks at the lives of eight trans and nonbinary teenagers across the country as they experience all the highs and lows of growing up trans in an increasingly hostile world.”―AUTOSTRADDLE, 72 Most Anticipated Queer Books Coming Out Fall 2024
“A crucial book for anyone engaging with young people today.”―MOMBIAN
“[By] offering nuance and allowing the subjects to propel the narrative, Lang reminds us these young people are just young people, trying to live their lives as their fully authentic, healthy selves. This humanizing approach aims to take the fear out of the trans conversation, and — Lang hopes — replace it with empathy.”―CITYBEAT
“A crucial book for anyone engaging with young people today. Lang weaves compelling and in-depth portraits of each teen's life, sharing everyday details as well as broader reflections from the youth and their families . . . A powerful and personal look at these young people and those who support them . . . Parents, advocates, educators, policy makers, health care providers, and others should be less likely to doubt that after reading this vital volume.”―BAY WINDOWS
“An urgent and heartfelt chronicle of families under attack, American Teenager is a master class in journalism as a force for change. Nico Lang cuts through the political ping-pong over transgender rights to surface the human stories that too often go ignored. As rigorous as it is compassionate, this daring journey through the Heartland shows that love remains the best way to disarm fear. As right-wingers try to make boogeymen out of our most vulnerable, Lang’s lucid and clear-eyed account of their lives offers an essential corrective, reminding us that there's nothing more American than the freedom to be yourself.”―SAMANTHA ALLEN, author of Real Queer America
"With humor and compassion, Lang shows trans teenagers as they really are: kids trying their best, day by day, to grow into their truest selves and fullest potential. The various chapters are by turns deep, silly, introspective, sweet, and smart, just like teens themselves."―MAIA KOBABE, author of Gender Queer: A Memoir
"With tremendous empathy and the kind of precision that only comes with a years-long commitment to truth-telling, Nico Lang amplifies the dreams, fears, and resistance of transgender teens in the United States at the current moment. Lang proves how rich the discourse is when trans youth take their rightful place at the center of their narratives."―RAQUEL WILLIS, activist and author of The Risk It Takes to Bloom: On Life and Liberation
"Nico Lang’s American Teenager provides a heartwarming and honest look into the real lives of young trans people and their loved ones as they navigate growing up in the U.S. today. By centering the real moments in their lives, Nico reminds us the experiences of young trans people are not universal, but are also so similar to that of all teenagers: filled with navigating regular problems like falling in love for the first time, getting ready for college, or finding a prom date. What pervades all of their stories however is the simple reality that these young people are growing up amid a terrifying rise of anti-trans bigotry––where new laws and policies create real barriers to their abilities to thrive. American Teenager provides an intimate window into the stories that the anti-trans hate machine doesn’t want you to hear: the real experiences of trans kids and their families."―IMARA JONES, CEO, TransLash Media
“As a transgender woman who transitioned during childhood, American Teenager resonates deeply with me. With heartfelt empathy, Nico Lang uncovers the human stories overshadowed by political rhetoric, showcasing the struggles and resilience of transgender youth amidst adversity while simultaneously amplifying their voices, which are all too often silenced. In a society where ignorance and bigotry seek to vilify the most vulnerable among us, Lang’s sincere portrayal pulls back the curtain to unveil remarkable youth who simply want to be kids. As a child, I would often say, ‘Get to know us, you'll love us.’ American Teenager allows readers to meet these extraordinary kids along with their families and fall in love with their hearts, minds, strength, and, most of all, the courage to embrace their authentic identities and face the world as their true, beautiful selves. With raw honesty and emotional depth, Lang sheds light on their heartwarming journeys, intense challenges, life-changing moments, and the true meaning of unconditional love.”―JAZZ JENNINGS, author of Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen
“The transgender children and their families who are finally given the megaphone in Nico Lang’s American Teenager love this country. Unfortunately, it so rarely loves them back. Lang weaves this broad bleak terrain with warm insights and a clear immediacy of message. In Lang’s pages, these families aren’t talking points bandied about on Capitol Hill or coastal elites out of touch with ‘real America.’ They are real America—and in Lang’s expansive and compassionate writing, they’d rather be stretching a dollar and going to soccer games than being forced onto an unnecessary political battlefield.”―GABE DUNN, New York Times bestselling author of I Hate Everyone But You
"Nico Lang’s American Teenager is an urgently necessary book, bringing the voices of trans teens (and their families) to the forefront of a conversation that has been about them and around them, but which has all too often ignored their actual words and experiences. By allowing trans teens to tell their stories themselves, with all the messiness and complications that come with being teenagers, Lang has given them––and by extension, all of us––a great gift."―HUGH RYAN, award-winning author of When Brooklyn Was Queer
“American Teenager provides a beautiful—often uplifting, occasionally heart-wrenching—window into the lives of contemporary trans kids and their families as they navigate their teen years amid ever-increasing anti-trans legislation and prejudice. Tune out the politicians and pundits, and pick up this book if you actually want to learn more about trans kids.”―JULIA SERANO, author of Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Feminin
“American Teenager is an incredibly important, humane account of the joys and struggles of so many youth currently under attack in our country. I pray this book will one day be seen as a historical work that sheds light in a dark world and that Lang’s message of love and acceptance becomes the story we carry forward into the future.”―GARRARD CONLEY, New York Times bestselling author of Boy Erased
"American Teenager speaks profound truths about the modern experiences of trans youth and their journeys toward becoming their true selves. Lang has crafted a vivid portrait of the environments and challenges that trans teenagers navigate daily. Helping readers understand that these kids just want to be kids. They long for the simple pleasures of youth—friendship, acceptance, and the freedom to explore their identities without fear or judgment. I hope everyone picks up American Teenager to gain a better understanding of these young lives, beyond the hate and prejudice that too often cloud public perception. This book is not just a collection of stories; it is a call to recognize and celebrate the humanity in all of us."―MAXWELL POTH, photographer and author of Young Queer America
"In their powerful new book, American Teenager, Nico Lang shares the very raw, very real experiences of trans youth and their families at a moment in time when so much and so many things are conspiring against them. In doing so, Lang reminds us all of our shared humanity—and most especially, our capacity to find joy even in the hardest of times."―BRIAN K. BOND, CEO, PFLAG National
“An evocative and authentic story of the love and resilience of transgender teens and their families. Lang's storytelling is intimate and illuminating, walking a tightrope between the complex narratives of trauma and joy, without ever leaning too heavily into one and discounting the importance of the other. Simultaneously heart-wrenching and heart-warming, American Teenager is an absolute must-read.”―RODRIGO HENG-LEHTINEN, Executive Director of the National Center for Transgender Equity
About the Author
Nico Lang (they/them) is a nonbinary award-winning journalist with over a decade of experience covering the transgender community’s fight for equality. Their work has appeared in major publications, including Rolling Stone, Esquire, the New York Times, Vox, the Wall Street Journal, Salon, Harper’s Bazaar, Time, The Washington Post, and the L.A. Times. Lang is the creator of Queer News Daily and previously served as the deputy editor for Out magazine, the news editor for Them, the LGBTQ+ correspondent for VICE, and the editor and cofounder of the literary journal In Our Words. Their industry-leading contributions to queer media have resulted in a GLAAD Media Award and 10 awards from the National Association of LGBTQ Journalists (NLGJA). Lang is also the first-ever recipient of the Visibility Award from the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund (TLDEF), an honor created to recognize their impactful contributions to reporting on the lives of LGBTQ+ people.
