REVIEW: Confessions Of A Transsexual Porn Star by Meghan Chavalier

While this is by no means a perfect book (really, I ask you, is there such a thing?), Meghan's story still manages to succeed in most of the areas where other memoirs come up short.

Meghan’s transsexualism is front and centre, colouring her every experience, and influencing each step on her magnificent journey. It’s not that she calls attention to it or shoves it in your face, it’s just such an integral part of who she is that you can’t escape it. I would have loved even more of an exploration of the transition from male to female, but she definitely does justice to what she does share with us.

As for sex . . . wow, there is a lot of it! For Meghan, sex is something strange - a source of immense pleasure, but a definite addiction at the same time. She deals with (and escapes from) a lot of her issues by throwing herself at hot men, and even a few transgendered women. From romantic encounters, to nights of wild abandon with one partner after another, to full-on bisexual orgies, she is a sexual creature and rightly so.

Her life is one of both struggles and triumphs. An early rape experience is ultimately balanced out by true, lasting love much later on. Bi-polar depression is a constant, haunting spectre behind even her happiest moments. Most impressively, after years of drug and alcohol abuse, she quits cold turkey, and simply turns her back on the whole scene. Ironically, the substance that causes her the most harm is the silicone she has injected into her breasts – a mistake she begs other transsexuals not to share.

There is the obligatory (albeit short) chapter on celebrity encounters, but it’s not a matter of name dropping or bragging. Instead, she chastises the double-faced betrayal of one celebrity who, when caught, turns on the community and brands them freaks. She also takes time to pay tribute to a pair of celebrities who played fair, and never turned on those they lusted after.

Whether you're interested in the transsexual experience or just the human experience, Meghan's story is definitely recommended.
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