Non-Fiction Friday: Pageboy

Author: Elliot Page Title: Pageboy Publisher: Flatiron Books Date Published: 06/06/2023

Read Dates: 08/10/2026- 08/15/2026
Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

This was my non-fiction pick for August.

 Pageboy is the nonfiction memoir of actor Elliot Page, where he discusses his childhood growing up in Canada, his experiences in filmmaking and Hollywood, and the steps taken along the way to embrace his queer identity and the decision to transition publicly. He struggled with coming out twice, both as gay in 2014 and as trans in 2020, and the memoir discusses the personal and professional challenges associated with both. Like many memoirs, it is not told in any chronological order, but shares memories and experiences across his lifetime.

I am familiar with, and a fan of, Elliot Page’s film work and admire his activism as well, so I was interested in this memoir. It’s very well written, and Page is careful when telling stories to not name directly or out anyone who isn’t out publicly. There were some chapters with medical details (a childhood injury/accident and his description of his experiences with top surgery) that were uncomfortable for me to read (I’m very squeamish about medical things!), but they were not unnecessarily gross/gory, and I think most readers would be ok with both stories. All in all, I really enjoyed this one, and I’m glad I picked it up! 

'Can I kiss you?' It was two months before the world premiere of Juno, and Elliot Page was in his first ever queer bar. The hot summer air hung heavy around him as he looked at her. And then it happened. In front of everyone. The unthinkable. Here he was on the precipice of discovering himself as a queer person, as a trans person. Getting closer to his desires, his dreams, himself, without the repression he'd carried for so long. But for Elliot, two steps forward had always come with one step back.

With Juno's massive success, Elliot became one of the world's most beloved actors. His dreams were coming true, but the pressure to perform suffocated him. He was forced to play the part of the glossy young starlet, a role that made his skin crawl, on and off set. The career that had been an escape out of his reality and into a world of imagination was suddenly a nightmare. As he navigated criticism and abuse from some of the most powerful people in Hollywood, a past that snapped at his heels and a society dead set on forcing him into a binary, Elliot often stayed silent, unsure of what to do. Until enough was enough.

The Oscar-nominated star who captivated the world with his performance in Juno finally shares his story in a groundbreaking and inspiring memoir about love, family, fame - and stepping into who we truly are with strength, joy and connection.