Reviews tagging 'Hate crime'

Between Perfect and Real by Ray Stoeve

12 reviews

gem114's review

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emotional hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

With books like Between Perfect and Real, I truly feel like the kids are going to be alright. ❤

When Dean is cast as Romeo in the school play, the role helps confirm for him that he is a trans guy, not a lesbian. He decides to come out, and the story details the varied reactions of Dean's friends and family.

This novel brought me right back to high school, in good and (not so good) ways. The character development is excellent and both the characters and their relationships/interactions are realistic. The teens really talk and act like teens! And the parents (for better and for worse) really talk and act like parents.  

I would definitely recommend this book to teens and adults alike. I love love love the focus on the beauty of queer friendships and chosen family, but if homophobia/transhobia are triggers for you, be sure to take care of yourself while reading because those play a large role in the plot also. 

Thank you to NetGalley and ABRAMS Kids for providing me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
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valereads's review

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

There’s no such thing a perfect – but this book comes pretty darn close.

This novel follows 17 year old trans boy, Dean. When he is cast as the male lead in the school play he begins exploring his gender further and realises he needs to come out and transition. It explores how his relationships with friends, family, his girlfriend and himself change and stay the same as he comes out and begins to socially transition.

This book was beautifully written. At times it felt more like poetry than a prose novel but it was still written in an accessible way. I really enjoyed the experience of reading it.

As a genderqueer trans man myself, I found the descriptions of dysphoria and the experience of being trans really spoke to me. Stoeve managed to capture these feelings in prose in a way that felt genuine and was beautifully written.

If I had any criticisms it’s that some parts were predictable but then again I am a 23 year old man and this is a YA novel so it’s not something that should bother most people. There was also a minor plot point which I thought would come back up but didn’t go anywhere – perhaps I read too much into it.

Overall I absolutely adore this book. A beautifully written novel of a trans guy figuring out who he is and what he needs set to the backdrop of my favourite play, Romeo and Juliet – it’s like it was written for me! I definitely recommend this book to anyone with even the slightest interest, trans or cis, it will not disappoint.

Content warnings: bullying, homophobia, transphobia, misgendering, outing, dysphoria, references to suicide


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