The Secrets of My Life

Athlete and reality TV star Jenner (Finding the Champion Within) teams up with Bissinger (Friday Night Lights) for a sincere though uneven tell-all autobiography. Jenner jumps back and forth among her childhood, her iconic Olympic decathlon win, and her subsequent fame, while keeping the central focus on her former secret: gender dysphoria and the steps she took to alleviate it, in and out of the public eye. Jenner attempts to explain transgender identification, but despite her candor and vulnerability, a lack of clarity may render her message difficult to grasp; for example, she says she has %E2%80%9Calways been female%E2%80%9D while also describing herself pretransition as %E2%80%9Ca man who wears a dress.%E2%80%9D Though she says she loves her trans community, this isn%E2%80%99t a book for her trans critics, whose attitude she feels is %E2%80%9Chostile and exclusionary%E2%80%9D (she writes, %E2%80%9Cwe are all in this together, or at least we should be%E2%80%9D). Jenner appeals to the reader%E2%80%99s sympathies: self-deprecating humor abounds, and she shares frank, relatable anecdotes about depression and suicidal ideation. Readers will find her insight on O.J. Simpson fascinating (%E2%80%9Che was the most narcissistic, egocentric, neediest asshole in the world of sports%E2%80%9D), and fans of the Kardashian clan will take an interest in how Jenner describes her marriage to Kris Kardashian (%E2%80%9CI am the product and Kris the agent and manager and negotiator%E2%80%9D). While she won%E2%80%99t win over her critics, her fans will appreciate this candid look into her life. (Apr.)