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therainbowshelf's review against another edition
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This is your typical boy meets girl out of his league but she's tired of the social roles she plays anyway type stories, but make one of them trans. The characters are fun and their exploration of themselves is typical but rewarding. I was a little surprised that one character never has a learning moment about how trans people don't owe you a sex reveal, though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Bullying, Transphobia, Homophobia, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Outing, Violence, Medical content, Abandonment, Hate crime, Infidelity, Body shaming, and Deadnaming
Moderate: Grief and Dysphoria
thebankofbooks's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Hate crime, Outing, Deadnaming, and Violence
elliizzzabeth's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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? Yes
3.5
This book was sweet and fun but a little strange in places. 2/3rds of the book is a sort of will they won't they between our protagonists Georgia and Pony which is sweet. Then the end takes a bit of a turn.
Georgia was kind of annoying. I warmed up to her but she is a compulsive liar. But not in a believable way, she instead tells these crazy stories like 'a giraffe broke my car' or 'my dog had kittens'. It came off in the most annoying 'lol I'm so random!!' way it kinda made me hate her at the start. She also is very transphobic ar first which may be hard to read for some people but I thought it was a nice depiction of cluelessness from a straight girl.
Also Max was almost unbearable. He shames Pony for being stealth and then drops him when he won't do something that could out him. It was so insufferable, I wish he had learnt from his actions in a better way than just reacting to the ending.
Speaking of the ending:
I wish that it didn't have to come down to an outing and a hate crime. It just feels very cliche and plays into tropes of queer people having miserable lives. Also Pony standing on stage an outing himself felt more awkward than heroic. It would have been better if we had known about the girls' relationship and knew the stakes rather than it being a surprise.
If you want a similar story that is more positive I would recommend the unpopular vote by Jasper Sanchez. I read that one before this and it was a bit of a let down compared to that one
Georgia was kind of annoying. I warmed up to her but she is a compulsive liar. But not in a believable way, she instead tells these crazy stories like 'a giraffe broke my car' or 'my dog had kittens'. It came off in the most annoying 'lol I'm so random!!' way it kinda made me hate her at the start. She also is very transphobic ar first which may be hard to read for some people but I thought it was a nice depiction of cluelessness from a straight girl.
Also Max was almost unbearable. He shames Pony for being stealth and then drops him when he won't do something that could out him. It was so insufferable, I wish he had learnt from his actions in a better way than just reacting to the ending.
Speaking of the ending:
If you want a similar story that is more positive I would recommend the unpopular vote by Jasper Sanchez. I read that one before this and it was a bit of a let down compared to that one
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Outing, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Deadnaming, and Dysphoria
sam_rami's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
3.75 stars
This book was something. I enjoyed it! Though I wish I loved it more because of the transgender representation.
-
A trans senior, named Pony, is in high school going stealth. He doesn't want people to know, he wants to live in peace. But he sees a cheerleader and they lock eyes.
Georgia, the cheerleader is just trying to have a quiet senior year, she wants to maintain her reputation after what happened at a party a while back, straying her from any type of romantic entanglement.
-
I love the fact that it has dual POV and doesn't just switch at every chapter. I like that is switches multiple times in each chapter though that may bother some. It is first person POV. The book did say 'fire' once and it made me cringe to death though, I did enjoy every other aspect.
-
Some of the characters were too harsh in my opinion.
For example Max, a trans man, is trying to force Pony to come out and post petitions. As Max is an out and proud trans person. As an out and proud trans person myself who lives in the south (a democratic part, luckily) it is much easier to stay in the closet at times and I do so. The fact that he pressured him to come out for representation, isn't what friends would do. Though he does learn from his mistakes, I wish it was just written differently. There is a gray area in the trans community, it isn't all black and white. Though all the characters are likeable except some others that suck. (I would say who but that would give up plot points)
-
I do wish we got to see more of the film job, it would've been great, and also I wished we could see more of the relationship growing instead of it just being like friends to wham kissing. Overall the book is enjoyable and trans rep is very important so it's just good to see a happy ending trans romance.
This book was something. I enjoyed it! Though I wish I loved it more because of the transgender representation.
-
A trans senior, named Pony, is in high school going stealth. He doesn't want people to know, he wants to live in peace. But he sees a cheerleader and they lock eyes.
Georgia, the cheerleader is just trying to have a quiet senior year, she wants to maintain her reputation after what happened at a party a while back, straying her from any type of romantic entanglement.
-
I love the fact that it has dual POV and doesn't just switch at every chapter. I like that is switches multiple times in each chapter though that may bother some. It is first person POV. The book did say 'fire' once and it made me cringe to death though, I did enjoy every other aspect.
-
Some of the characters were too harsh in my opinion.
For example Max, a trans man, is trying to force Pony to come out and post petitions. As Max is an out and proud trans person. As an out and proud trans person myself who lives in the south (a democratic part, luckily) it is much easier to stay in the closet at times and I do so. The fact that he pressured him to come out for representation, isn't what friends would do. Though he does learn from his mistakes, I wish it was just written differently. There is a gray area in the trans community, it isn't all black and white. Though all the characters are likeable except some others that suck. (I would say who but that would give up plot points)
-
I do wish we got to see more of the film job, it would've been great, and also I wished we could see more of the relationship growing instead of it just being like friends to wham kissing. Overall the book is enjoyable and trans rep is very important so it's just good to see a happy ending trans romance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Outing, Transphobia, Dysphoria, and Hate crime
Moderate: Deadnaming, Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, and Homophobia
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders
yuunoel's review
challenging
dark
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
(2022/04/04 - 2022/04/04)
I'm disappointed that I didn't like this book.
*spoilers ahead*
Let me just say this, it's truly wonderful that this book has trans representation. It's very important that stories about trans people get told.
I initially picked this book up from my school library because of the stunning cover and because the title reminded me of The Outsiders. uHm yeah, that's the only part I liked.
The excerpt reads to me as a funny, light-hearted YA rom-com. I was all for it. But... it's not??? Sure there are some funny parts, but it is overpowered by all the depressing moments in this book.
Please make sure to read the trigger warnings before you read this book.
- internalized transphobia
- transphobia
- homophobia
- suicidal thoughts
- assault
- outing
and those are just a few.
One thing that really bothered me was Pony's internalized transphobia. He's always saying that if he doesn't do ___ he's not a "real man." Pony lets his "friends" make homophobic and transphobic comments just so that he could "fit in." It was utterly upsetting to read.
Because this is set in high school, there are no high stakes at all. So, it was quite frustrating that Pony and Georgia couldn't get together because they needed some sort of conflict. And because this is a high-school setting, it was bound to be cringe. Some parts I had to skip because of the cringiness. Some parts used outdated slang. Nobody in my high school says BFFs, please don't say that anymore, I beg of you. 💀💀 I also wasn't a fan of all the name-dropping. Half of the celebrities that were mentioned were completely new to me.
I really hated that in the first half of the book, everyone around Pony was pressuring him to come out to his new school. That was why I didn't like Max's character. Max is in a school where it's normal to be in the LGBTQIA+ community, whereas Pony wasn't, so seeing Max basically threaten Pony to re-share a trans kid story and essentially come out made me perturbed.
The ending was where I was the most unsatisfied. Suddenly everyone is friends now. Whole plot points were ended quickly by just one to two sentences. Pony's dad, a man who was unsupportive of Pony's decisions, terrorized and broke up the family, and was a downright abusive man, changed his mind about Pony just because he read a news article? Really? And Pony just forgave him???
Which brings me to my final point.
Nobody ever really said sorry to Pony?!?!? Georgia told Pony right to his face that she couldn't date him because he was transgender. His so-called friends made homophobic and transphobic remarks. His father was unsupportive and still called Pony by his dead name. All these things and not one said sorry? Sure, they said "That was then. This is now," or "Yeah I said some pretty shitty stuff," or "I love you, son," BUT THEY ALL DIDN'T SAY SORRY?!?! The worst part is, Pony forgave them 😠No, Pony, you deserve so much more.
sO in conclusion, I really wanted to love this book because of its representation. But I didn't. Peace ✌
- noel
I'm disappointed that I didn't like this book.
*spoilers ahead*
Let me just say this, it's truly wonderful that this book has trans representation. It's very important that stories about trans people get told.
I initially picked this book up from my school library because of the stunning cover and because the title reminded me of The Outsiders. uHm yeah, that's the only part I liked.
The excerpt reads to me as a funny, light-hearted YA rom-com. I was all for it. But... it's not??? Sure there are some funny parts, but it is overpowered by all the depressing moments in this book.
Please make sure to read the trigger warnings before you read this book.
- internalized transphobia
- transphobia
- homophobia
- suicidal thoughts
- assault
- outing
and those are just a few.
One thing that really bothered me was Pony's internalized transphobia. He's always saying that if he doesn't do ___ he's not a "real man." Pony lets his "friends" make homophobic and transphobic comments just so that he could "fit in." It was utterly upsetting to read.
Because this is set in high school, there are no high stakes at all. So, it was quite frustrating that Pony and Georgia couldn't get together because they needed some sort of conflict. And because this is a high-school setting, it was bound to be cringe. Some parts I had to skip because of the cringiness. Some parts used outdated slang. Nobody in my high school says BFFs, please don't say that anymore, I beg of you. 💀💀 I also wasn't a fan of all the name-dropping. Half of the celebrities that were mentioned were completely new to me.
I really hated that in the first half of the book, everyone around Pony was pressuring him to come out to his new school. That was why I didn't like Max's character. Max is in a school where it's normal to be in the LGBTQIA+ community, whereas Pony wasn't, so seeing Max basically threaten Pony to re-share a trans kid story and essentially come out made me perturbed.
The ending was where I was the most unsatisfied. Suddenly everyone is friends now. Whole plot points were ended quickly by just one to two sentences. Pony's dad, a man who was unsupportive of Pony's decisions, terrorized and broke up the family, and was a downright abusive man, changed his mind about Pony just because he read a news article? Really? And Pony just forgave him???
Which brings me to my final point.
Nobody ever really said sorry to Pony?!?!? Georgia told Pony right to his face that she couldn't date him because he was transgender. His so-called friends made homophobic and transphobic remarks. His father was unsupportive and still called Pony by his dead name. All these things and not one said sorry? Sure, they said "That was then. This is now," or "Yeah I said some pretty shitty stuff," or "I love you, son," BUT THEY ALL DIDN'T SAY SORRY?!?! The worst part is, Pony forgave them 😠No, Pony, you deserve so much more.
sO in conclusion, I really wanted to love this book because of its representation. But I didn't. Peace ✌
- noel
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Transphobia
Moderate: Lesbophobia, Outing, and Deadnaming
ohnoits_arcturus's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Deadnaming, Dysphoria, Hate crime, Homophobia, Outing, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, and Violence
Moderate: Death and Self harm
Minor: Vomit
cheye13's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
I actually quite liked this story a lot, right up until the last few chapters. I understand the purpose and the message, but it seemed out of step with the rest of the story to me. It surprised me just how much I loved both Georgia and Pony as characters, and I enjoyed seeing their relationship blossom.
There were two thorns in my side through the whole book, though: 1. The whole friendzoneâ„¢ vibe. Pony rejecting friendship with Georgia bc she wouldn't date him is still bullshit. It could definitely have been written/handled worse, but I didn't like reading it. 2. The debate around Pony not being out. The current mainstream conversations around "coming out" and "passing" have taken complex concepts and boiled them down to black and white that just doesn't work. Having another trans teen borderline harrass Pony for not being out felt wrong. Likely something that happens and should be talked about, but didn't sit well while reading this story.
There were two thorns in my side through the whole book, though: 1. The whole friendzoneâ„¢ vibe. Pony rejecting friendship with Georgia bc she wouldn't date him is still bullshit. It could definitely have been written/handled worse, but I didn't like reading it. 2. The debate around Pony not being out. The current mainstream conversations around "coming out" and "passing" have taken complex concepts and boiled them down to black and white that just doesn't work. Having another trans teen borderline harrass Pony for not being out felt wrong. Likely something that happens and should be talked about, but didn't sit well while reading this story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Transphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, and Deadnaming
Moderate: Outing, Dysphoria, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Medical content
Minor: Sexual harassment and Bullying
maikendignes's review
2.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Outing, Physical abuse, Lesbophobia, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Deadnaming
thelovelylibrarylady's review against another edition
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? No
4.0
Stay Gold is a YA contemporary novel that follows Pony, a transgender teen, on his senior year at a new high school. McSmith tackles the topic of going stealth, something that I have not seen represented in many books before. Between this title and Act Cool, another book by this author, McSmith is certainly establishing himself as an essential YA author for library collections. I encourage educators and librarians to read, buy, and recommend his books to others as he is writing stories that are essential to understanding the experiences of transgender people.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Outing, Dysphoria, Transphobia, and Bullying
sadiecs11's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Transphobia, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Outing, and Homophobia
Moderate: Lesbophobia