Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

Between Perfect and Real by Ray Stoeve

31 reviews

shershenk's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective fast-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

4.5

This is a YA I wish I had read when I was in high school. This is realistically raw without romanticizing or exploiting the pain that can exist for trans teens. This didn't end neatly with all ends tied up as many books often do when touching on LGBTQIA+ issues, but it also was largely optimistic. I was so satisfied with how it ended--what a truly beautiful story to read. I loved the fleshed-out supporting characters. They were diverse and mindfully written. 

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pencilspeaker's review against another edition

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

4.5


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dododenise's review against another edition

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emotional
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I didn’t like how some things were handled and most of the characters were just very meh. 
Seeing Dean find and discover himself was pretty neat. But I couldn’t care about anything else in the story. 

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moonyreadsbystarlight's review against another edition

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

4.0


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maple_dove's review against another edition

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challenging emotional slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

This book really made me think about my own situation with my parents and coming out.

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rey_therese07's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted 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? No

4.0


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jo_lzr's review

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emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring sad fast-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


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noyastan's review against another edition

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emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

3.75


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cameronreads's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring 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? No

4.5

Sometimes you just read a book and you're pretty sure the author must have opened your brain up and poured it onto the pages. That was Between Perfect and Real for me. I have no idea how to review this book that isn't 'dude same!!!' So necessary and truthful. There were loads of really important conversations and messages, and I loved how it explored the variety of different responses to coming out, as well as the importance of talking to people, specifically people who understand. I cried so many times reading this book. My new aspiration is to play Dean in a movie adaptation (adaptation gods if you're listening please hit me up). This is my new number one book to recommend people if they want to learn about the trans experience. 

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lennie_reads's review

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challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad 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

"You know what's not fair? Mom telling me I should dress differently my whole life. Me and my friends worrying about some jerk attacking us when we're just out living our lives. Me having to be a girl because no one ever told me there were other options."

This book follows Dean, who is already questioning their gender, after they are cast as Romeo in the school play. 

I've read other books with trans characters but this was my first experience of meeting a character as they're still discovering their identity.
I loved being able to go along with Dean for the journey of discovery, self acceptance & coming out. I also found it very informative & helpful you are told about different types of binders, hormones & surgery options through Dean's research. 

In the first chapter Dean describes themselves as white which I found refreshing. Often it is *assumed* that a character is white unless stated otherwise. And although the main character is white & it's a book about being trans, there are also multiple occasions where the author points out how different people's experience can be if they're black or POC. Dean's 2 best friends are Ronnie, a gay black guy, and Allison, a bisexual Japanese girl, they also have a skater friend called Jared who is white & straight. The fact that the world treats POC, especially Black people, differently in the US is also mentioned in reference to the Police. 

At the beginning of the book Dean is in a lesbian relationship with Zoe & they have plans to go to college in NYC together. 

This book deals with some heavy & sensitive issues regarding gender & sexuality within Zoe & Dean's relationship.
It also shows what it's like to not have supportive parents & what that can mean for trans people, especially trans people of colour.
We also witness how Dean is the victim of some intense bullying at school once he come out as trans. 

The friendships in this book are amazing & I feel that a big focus for this book is found family & how important friendships are in the queer community. 

It's a heavy book but so wonderful and I 100% recommend. 

CW: Outing, deadnaming, transphobia, homophobia, violence, racism 

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