‘Pageboy’ — Matthew’s Book Club
By Rashauna Herm
Recommended reading age: 17 & up
“There are an infinite number of ways to be queer and trans, and my story speaks to only one… we are all but a speck in this universe, and I hope that in speaking my truth I have added yet another speck to dispel the constant misinformation around queer and trans lives.”
Pageboy is a sincere coming-of-age debut memoir from iconic actor Elliot Page. We follow Page as he shares details about his quarrelsome family dynamics growing up in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and his revelations about gender, sexuality, as well as healing from trauma. Page also reveals intimate personal stories regarding: struggles with gender dysphoria, eating disorders, sexual harassment and instances of transphobia/homophobia while dealing with life in the complicated, and sometimes alienating culture of Hollywood.
2023 was the year of the celebrity memoir, and among all of the many excellent choices, I was eager for Pageboy. I have always been a huge fan of Elliot Page and his work on screen. It was beautiful to be reintroduced to him properly, and I am so happy for him to live happily as himself.
Page employs a nonlinear writing style in Pageboy, and personally, I adore stories that jump in and out of certain significant moments, especially in a memoir that focuses so much on healing from trauma. Healing does not happen in a linear fashion, so the out of order storytelling reinforced that idea for me. Highs and lows are totally normal in anyone’s healing journey, and I enjoyed this honesty from Page.
While I thoroughly admired Elliot Page’s reflections about his life, discovering himself as a transgender man, embracing his sexuality and his family dynamics — something that I especially related to was Page’s appreciation for learning. He mentions how, even though he didn’t go to college, he still “devoured” nonfiction books in an effort to gain knowledge from other perspectives, to shed ignorant narratives he grew up with. Even though I am a college dropout, I still made it a personal goal to read books that would challenge me and help me expand my world, since I had grown up relatively sheltered. Page realizes what privilege he does have in this world and strives to use his voice for good. It was refreshing to hear this revelation from such a well known actor.
I was so invested in Page’s memoir as he paints each scene with so much detail, that at certain key points of the book, I would smile when Elliot’s experienced moments of gender affirmation, or mumble in frustration under my breath when he experienced harassment or moments of embarrassment. I could visualize his experiences and get a strong sense of empathy for what he was feeling in those moments.
While Pageboy is best suited for adult readers, I would recommend this read for the older YA audience (17 to 19 years old) as well, because of how candid it is. Pageboy could be an excellent resource for allies, but it is mainly a book for queer and transgender audiences to know that they are not alone. As mentioned before, there are potential triggers concerning harassment, transphobia, homophobia, etc., but Elliot’s sly humor and openness make this book a true delight to read. If you grew up as a fan of Page’s work, or you want to understand his journey as a transgender individual, I encourage you to dive into this book!
About the Author
Rashauna Herm is a 30 something Denver local. She enjoys a good potato-based dish, scary movies and glitter.
