Being Emily
Winner - 2013 Moonbeam Children’s Book Award
in Young Adult Fiction – Mature Issues
Winner - 2013 Golden Crown Literary Award
in Dramatic/General Fiction
Finalist - 2013 Lambda Literary Award
Young Adult
Engrossed… Enchanted… Rachel Gold has crafted an extraordinarily poignant novel in Being Emily… The unique mechanism of depicting Emily’s speech as computer code is striking, defining the character distinctively. The careful and deliberate spacing of Claire’s chapters are extraordinary; resulting is a pacing of action that is gripping. There is definitely gold to be found in this well-constructed novel.
-Lambda Literary Review
It’s rare to read a novel that’s involving, tender, thought-provoking and informative… What’s impressive is Gold’s delicacy in handling the physicality of Emily’s story. She smoothly navigates the more intimate parts of Emily’s transformation. And the author can bring you to tears as you read about Emily’s struggle with gender identity.
-TwinCities.com
I couldn’t put it down… It’s not a sad or angst-ridden story at all. Instead it feels incredibly honest, and there are moments of joy, anger, and sorrow, laced together in a way that will make you cry and laugh along with the characters. It doesn’t shy away from the hardship but it also doesn’t make the claim that this hard stuff is all a trans person’s life is ever… All in all, I think this is an excellent book that captures an honest, painful, but ultimately hopeful and joyful story of a young trans teen.
-YAPride.org
Just Girls
Winner 2015 Golden Crown Literary Award in Young Adult
The novel covers all manner of sex, sexuality and gender identities and is an excellent educational tool, as well as a very good read… This book sits particularly well in the teen / young adult audience category, but can be enjoyed and appreciated by a much older audience as well, especially those who are keen to expand their knowledge and try to understand a little more about what it means to be trans*.
-Curve Magazine
Brilliant, brilliant, and all kinds of brilliant… Written with a sure-footed and almost magical lightness… Like a great wine: a beautiful blend of different emotions and different people told with depth, and complexity. It is a richly layered novel, which leaves the reader enthralled and wanting more of this exquisite concoction.
-Lambda Literary Review
As I said for Being Emily, this is an excellent book for any young person to read as it is a story about people like them and unlike them, which is always the basis for a good tale… What comes across strongly is that, to use my favourite quote from that great woman philosopher Marge Simpson, “our differences are only skin deep but our sames go down to the bone.” This is also another fine read for any age – we were all young once and as I always maintain, still changing, still evolving.
-Glasgow Women’s Library
My Year Zero
Winner 2016 Golden Crown Literary Award in Young Adult
Gold has skillfully written a story with timely topics for navigating the slippery approach to adulthood, ranging from sex and sexuality, relationships, self-discovery, overcoming difficulties with authority figures, parental bullying and neglect, and bipolar disorder. My Year Zero…will appeal to both young and more experienced adults, meeting difficult topics head-on with a compelling story (and a masterful story-within-a-story) written to both inform and entertain.
-Lambda Literary Review
In the Silences
Winner 2019 Moonbeam Children’s Book Award silver medal in Pre-Teen Fiction – Mature Issues
Winner 2020 Golden Crown Literary Award in Young Adult
Rachel Gold has crafted a story that is both a sweet coming of age romance, but is also a treatise on societal issues that impact everyone. … In the Silences is something I think could be and should be required reading for a number of people and could be used in a classroom setting. I absolutely loved this book and found myself learning new things. This book will leave you thinking and that is something that only great books can do.
-The Nerdy Girl Express
As many white people are starting a long-overdue education in whiteness and anti-racism, In the Silences is a great book to turn to. This is a YA novel equally about Kaz’s exploration of their nonbinary identity and their awakening to how racism affects their best friend (and love interest), Aisha, who is Black and bisexual. I loved how both Aisha and Kaz educate themselves to be better allies to each other—they support each other while recognizing that their struggles are different. … For both the nonbinary rep and the exploration of whiteness, this is a perfect addition to any high school library or teen’s bookshelf.
-BookRiot