Brianna Nicole Austin’s short story (1st edition), An Unexpected Turn, was released on Amazon in 2020 and ranked #293. As of October 2026 the Kindle edition holds an average of 4.2 out of 5 from 57 ratings on Amazon: 58% five stars, 21% four stars, 15% three stars, 3% two stars and 3% one star. Here is what they’ve said. (Editor’s Note: The 2nd Edition novel in Kindle eBook and paperback will be available on September 28, 2026.) Read the inspiration here
![An Unexpected Turn: A coming of age by [Brianna Nicole Austin]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41MsxzH4-GL.jpg)
From the United States
Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2020
Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2020
The story is quite typical of transition in the 21st century.
The story of Ricky becoming Maria, and the help Dorothy provides, are excellent examples of how teens have been diagnosed and treated in the past 20-25 years. Of course, in 1969, Harry Benjamin’s papers on Transsexual standards of care were wildly contested by the medical community. There was an ongoing feud between Benjamin and Paul McHugh. McHugh had learned of the disastrous results of the Johns Hopkins sex change surgeries of the early 60s. What McHugh didn’t mention was the lack of screening, and the poorly trained surgeons whose operations were disappointing at least. Blockers weren’t discovered until the late 80s, and before that, Hormone therapy was much larger dosages of estrogen in combination with progesterone. The high dosages of estrogen would effectively shut down testosterone production. Use of Spironolactone and finasteride to stop testosterone production came in the late 80s. And Gender Confirmation Surgery, which was still called Sex Change Surgery in the 70s, was never performed on minors even with parental consent. Even today, surgeries before age 18 are extremely rare in the United States. This book was a very trip down memory lane for me. All that said, I would recommend this book, especially to the parents of a child they think might be transgender.
Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2020
I felt like I was reading an outline of a story instead of the story itself. 90% of this story is told and not shown. For example, we get told that Marie is exuberant instead of seeing a scene where she’s being exuberant. As a result, it comes off impersonal; we never feel like we know any of the characters, as we’re told about their traits and their struggles, but we never really see them.
With that said I feel like the foundation for a great story is here and I’d encourage the author to rewrite the story using this as an outline for the flow of the story. Write some scenes in the beginning that introduce the characters by showing them interacting with each other, showing us their character instead of telling us what their character traits are. Then dive into the meat of the story of Ricky getting caught by his mother dressing as a girl.
If the author does rewrite the book, I will definitely rebuy it and reread it.
(This review was spot on and what prompted me to rewrite and expand the book into a novel, and add illustrations, now extending to 245 pages in Kindle and Paperback)
What People Are Saying About An Unexpected Turn
Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2020
Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2020
Few things are perfect; even I think I have made a mistake or two. It helps not to be able to remember them.
A well-done, pleasant, and interesting piece which could profit greatly from some editing assistance. That comes with practice, so please continue.
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2020
From other countries
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 30, 2020
I started off by raiding my sister’s wardrobe but didn’t get my first makeup lesson until much later in life, but the thrill was just as Maria experienced.
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