“This is a radical book.” (I Feel You)

“A triumph of narrative reporting and storytelling, as well as a thorough and nuanced analysis of an American institution deeply in need of reform...Beam gives [foster children] a much-needed voice and does what too many adults in the foster system can't, or won't: She advocates for them.” (To The End of June)

“A wonderful addition to the few novels that have dared to tackle a subject that has long lived in the cultural margins…a tender, surprisingly relatable story.” (I Am J)

"[A] powerful...and refreshing read." (To The End of June)

"Beam, a foster parent herself, delivers an engaging, narrative-driven investigation that centers on on of the system's most divisive questions: Does separating children from their birth parents do more harm than good?" (To The End of June)

“Her exceptional intelligence, equally evident in her thinking and her writing, shines light on empathy from extraordinary angles.” (I Feel You)

"Informative, poignant, passionate, and persuasive, To The End of June is almost certain...to generate a sense of urgency in readers to fix a broken system that has sometimes managed to fly beneath the radar." (To The End of June)

"Easily the best book to date about...being a transsexual teen...J [is] a multilayered, absolutely believable character." (I Am J)
*Starred Review

"Casts a searing eye on the labyrinth that is the American foster care system." (To The End of June)

"It is J's authentic voice that keeps this challenging story from simply being a problem novel…Readers should be absorbed by J's struggle to prove "My gender's not a lie. I am not a lie." (I Am J)

"Heart-rending and tentatively hopeful." (To The End of June)

"J is an especially vivid character...believable and effective." (I Am J)

"Beam offers historical background and keen analysis of the social, political, racial, and economic factors that drive foster-care policies...A very moving, powerful look at a system charged with caring for nearly half a million children across the U.S." (To The End of June)
*Starred Review

"Finally, a book about a transgender teen that gives its central character a life in which gender and transition matter but do not define his existence!" (I Am J)
*Starred Review

"Beam presents both a sharp critique of foster-care policies and a searching exploration of the meaning of family." (To The End of June)
*Starred Review

“Author Cris Beam’s extraordinary understanding of this often overlooked population shows in J--a complex, conflicted character whose emotional journey will resonate beyond the final page.” (I Am J)

"The novel's greatest strengths are J's voice and his clearly articulated perspective...even readers with little familiarity with transgender issues will find plenty to relate to on an emotional level." (I Am J)
*Starred Review