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jayraams's review against another edition
4.0
The ending is cheesy but the story is real and doesn't shy away from the truth about being trans. Trigger warning there is a hate crime in the story. The message about staying golden is so real. I loved this book and if you are looking for a teen rom-com mixed with a bit of drama this is the book.
eileenrwerst's review
emotional
hopeful
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? Yes
2.5
sweetrosegirl76's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 I don't think I would reread this book and it wasn't bad but it wasn't something exceptionally amazing where I was on the hook the entire time. I found myself getting really frustrated for Pony and really sad. I think that this story is definitely a more normal one. A more common experience. Lately I've been in the mood for queer books that celebrate queer joy, that kind of let me forget about the real world and homophobia and transphobia. This book is not necessarily an escape from all those things which is maybe why I didn't like it that much because it's not something I was in the mood for but still a good book still a good story and very representative of a more common trans youth experience. Especially of someone who lives in Texas. Which reminds me that I need to order my Don't Mess with Trans Kids Texas t-shirt.
This book can be triggering as there is dead naming, trans violence, misgendering, transphobia, being publicly outed.
The one thing I would say I did not like or appreciate was that they didn't really acknowledge Pony's feelings. Pony is not obligated to come out. Him not coming out doesn't mean that he's lying. It doesn't mean that he's hiding. It doesn't mean that he's manipulating and betraying someone's trust. It doesn't mean that he is misleading someone. He and every trans and queer kid have the right to come out on their own terms and should not be made to feel guilty for not doing so. That was not explicitly stated in the book and I don't like the narrative for youth to be reading this and to not know the truth: that there is no bad thing associated with being in the closet. You come out when you're ready and only then, not because someone is telling you that you're lying. You come out when it's safe for you to do so on your terms. If it doesn't feel safe, then it's entirely your prerogative with what to do with your own journey and story. No one should be manipulating anyone to come out for the movement for visibility for Trans rights. You do not owe any organization any person any movement your mental health and physical, spiritual, emotional well-being. Coming out is on your terms and no one should be gaslit into doing it for the "greater good."
So I read this book via audiobook. The chapters were a bit long in the beginning for me to physically read it so I prefer to do the audio. But I could not listen to it at 1.2x speed I had to list it at normal speed which I have not really ever done. I mostly listen to books a little bit faster. This book was a little bit hard to pay attention to sometimes I wish I could explain why but it was easy to zone out while listening to the audiobook. Maybe it was the voice actors. That being said it was not a bad book at all!
This book can be triggering as there is dead naming, trans violence, misgendering, transphobia, being publicly outed.
The one thing I would say I did not like or appreciate was that they didn't really acknowledge Pony's feelings. Pony is not obligated to come out. Him not coming out doesn't mean that he's lying. It doesn't mean that he's hiding. It doesn't mean that he's manipulating and betraying someone's trust. It doesn't mean that he is misleading someone. He and every trans and queer kid have the right to come out on their own terms and should not be made to feel guilty for not doing so. That was not explicitly stated in the book and I don't like the narrative for youth to be reading this and to not know the truth: that there is no bad thing associated with being in the closet. You come out when you're ready and only then, not because someone is telling you that you're lying. You come out when it's safe for you to do so on your terms. If it doesn't feel safe, then it's entirely your prerogative with what to do with your own journey and story. No one should be manipulating anyone to come out for the movement for visibility for Trans rights. You do not owe any organization any person any movement your mental health and physical, spiritual, emotional well-being. Coming out is on your terms and no one should be gaslit into doing it for the "greater good."
So I read this book via audiobook. The chapters were a bit long in the beginning for me to physically read it so I prefer to do the audio. But I could not listen to it at 1.2x speed I had to list it at normal speed which I have not really ever done. I mostly listen to books a little bit faster. This book was a little bit hard to pay attention to sometimes I wish I could explain why but it was easy to zone out while listening to the audiobook. Maybe it was the voice actors. That being said it was not a bad book at all!
readingwithkaitlyn's review against another edition
challenging
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Deadnaming, Toxic friendship, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Misogyny, Hate crime, Body shaming, Dysphoria, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Lesbophobia, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Outing, and Transphobia
Moderate: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Death, and Medical content
Minor: Child death, Alcoholism, Suicide, Physical abuse, Self harm, Murder, Excrement, Sexual content, Biphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Death, and Vomit
use of f slurmadelinearcaro's review against another edition
2.0
definitely read like trauma porn. very glad the survivor maryland book club did not decide to read this.
studio_rat04's review
2.25
So first of all this portrayed the idea of being out as trans as more important than safety because it fights against transphobia and helps spread awareness, as though every trans person is an activist, which only furthers transphobic narratives and ignores the fact that people are often in the closet or go stealth for safety reasons, not self-hating reasons. Like the main character gets hate crimed and is pressured by his friend to come out and post on his social media about trans suicide rates and is guilted into coming out to protect others because it's meant to show they don't care what people think. But the issue is that these things DO matter beyond just people being judgemental, again he literally get's hospitalized for being trans. I don't get it like this was so close to getting the message across well and yet kept missing depsite ACKNOWLEDGING the reason why it's flawed by depicting an on page hate crime. Also the dad suddenly being cool with Pony just because Georgia showed him a some Trevor Project stat on trans suicide rates and funding his top surgery was laughably unrealistic. In fact everyone randomly overcoming their homophobia was incredibly cartoonish.
By the way, this is an Outsiders retelling and my favorite part is that he tries to be stealth and not draw any attention to himself yet he chooses the name Pony and when people joke about that name he think's it's because they know he's trans when really it's because no cis guy is named Pony. Also I want everyone to know this book has a plot relevant lesbian furry. Was it bad from every thematic perspective, yes. Could a trans retelling of the Outsiders be good? Absolutely! Was this that good retelling of the outsiders, nope! But like it had some good moments and again the name took me out, it was also a fun read so ya.
By the way, this is an Outsiders retelling and my favorite part is that he tries to be stealth and not draw any attention to himself yet he chooses the name Pony and when people joke about that name he think's it's because they know he's trans when really it's because no cis guy is named Pony. Also I want everyone to know this book has a plot relevant lesbian furry. Was it bad from every thematic perspective, yes. Could a trans retelling of the Outsiders be good? Absolutely! Was this that good retelling of the outsiders, nope! But like it had some good moments and again the name took me out, it was also a fun read so ya.
grace_koalateareads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
tense
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
“We can’t change those people’s minds. We just love louder and harder than they can hate.”
Stay Gold by Tobly McSmith was a difficult yet important read. The story is split into Pony’s (a trans boy) and Georgia’s (a cis girl) point of view. Both are seniors at a Texas high school just outside of Dallas. For Pony it’s all about going “stealth” and just being a normal guy, for Georgia it’s about cheerleading and being the person people expect her to be. I loved both of them so much, they had great personalities and felt real and genuine. I loved the puns, the banter and the deep and meaningful conversations.
“When the school treats trans students like they’re different, it gives the green light for the other kids to do the same, but kids are way meaner.”
The side characters were where my discomfort started, especially with Max, Pony’s “out and proud” best friend, who came across very “black and white” and wanting him to share things on social media that made him feel uncomfortable. I know the ending sort of cleared those things up, but it felt too rushed and too shiny (or gold, if you will) like it wasn’t real. Being “out and proud” is great, it’s awesome, but not if it isn’t safe to do so. It also made me uncomfortable with the amount of trans and queer slurs, especially as they didn’t need to be written down to get the point across.
“Some days, I barely think about being trans. And other days, it’s an obstacle course.”
Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy the book, just not as much as I was expecting. A lot of really heavy topics were covered, such as transphobia, misgendering and forced outting - these weren’t the reason for my lower rating, but more how they were handled/written especially when a character was the one causing said topics. I was definitely hooked and finished the book in just over a day. It’s one that I think a lot of people, who don’t understand what being trans means, should read, however, overall it just made me feel drained.
“I raise my glass in toast and say (but not too loudly, “Here’s to being trans in Texas.””
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Toxic friendship, Dysphoria, Suicidal thoughts, Outing, Emotional abuse, and Deadnaming
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Bullying
Minor: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Body shaming, Medical content, Vomit, Drug use, and Grief
kfolezzz's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
this was such a cheesy rom com, but trans kids DESERVE cheesy rom coms! i liked the characters so much i could even forgive the lead for naming himself “pony”
it kind of read like a millennial trying to relate to youths (which it is), and i’m not sure it will *actually* relate to them because of how fast trends change. but also, who cares? if this book can be there for anyone at any stage in their life, it’s a win.
it kind of read like a millennial trying to relate to youths (which it is), and i’m not sure it will *actually* relate to them because of how fast trends change. but also, who cares? if this book can be there for anyone at any stage in their life, it’s a win.
stopthesun's review
4.0
[b:Stay Gold|45306326|Stay Gold|Tobly McSmith|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1570196048l/45306326._SY75_.jpg|70033346] is a tough book. It tells the story of Pony and Georgia as they struggle to share who they are with others. They each have a secret: Pony that he's transgender and Georgia that she likes to write (cheerleaders are apparently not allowed to have other hobbies?).
Warnings for
Things I Liked:
The Banter: Pony and Georgia usually had some cute banter going and it made their positive moments really fun.
The Representation: This book puts a lot into sharing the experience of being transgender. Pony's experiences aren't just thought about or explained to other characters, they're shown in events ranging from bathroom confrontations to making friends to being misgendered by strangers.
The Acceptance Struggle: I don't mean to say I liked that acceptance was a struggle, just that it felt realistic. As an underrepresented aspect of humanity, I think it's good that McSmith gives us an (unfortunately) all too real look at how loved ones can struggle to accept us.
Pony's Dad, specifically, is ruthlessly and intentionally transphobic throughout the book. We're assured by Pony's Mom that Dad just loves Pony, but it really doesn't seem that way.
Things I Really Didn't Like:
Their Friends: They each had a friend that generally sucked? And I can't even say their friends had good intentions because their intentions were never about Georiga or Pony.
Georiga's friend Mia was horrible. She put everyone down constantly and had all these cheerleader rules that basically amounted to her making everyone do what she wanted. And she makes some pretty heinous comments and declarations that are ultimately brushed under the rug because that's just "how she is."
Pony's friend Max pissed me off the most. It seemed like he existed just to be pushy and insensitive about Pony's situation and feelings. At one point Max even. And that leads me to the thing that I disliked the most:
The Message(?): I think the message was supposed to be something like, "Be true to yourself and follow your heart" but instead came out more like, "Be honest about who you are or else."
You must, at all times and for everyone, be exactly who you are regardless of your wants, needs, or situation.
And this applies to both Georgia and Pony. The difference between the two is that Georiga didn't want to date Pony or admit that she likes writing because she was worried about her image. And those are average, dumb teen things that everyone eventually learns are not bad things and are fine.
But Pony. Pony wants to be seen as and treated like a regular guy. He shouldn't have to be out if he doesn't want to be. Especially since being out as transgender in southern small-town America can be extremely dangerous. But his two biggest supporters both repeatedly tell him that he should be out at school; one of them even stops talking to him for a while.
It's admittedly only a real issue when Max is around. But still. I don't know. It didn't sit right with me.
But clearly, I still liked the book. I liked seeing Georgia and Pony's individual development and their relationship. And the issue with the message is kind of dealt with at the end.
I have everything I wanted but nothing I want. What else have I lost because I've been worried about what people think of me?
Warnings for
Spoiler
Violence, Bullying, Assault & Hate Crimes, Transphobia, Homophobia, Slurs, Gender Dysphoria, Forced Outing, Dead Naming, Mis-Pronouning, Suicidal IdeationThings I Liked:
The Banter: Pony and Georgia usually had some cute banter going and it made their positive moments really fun.
The Representation: This book puts a lot into sharing the experience of being transgender. Pony's experiences aren't just thought about or explained to other characters, they're shown in events ranging from bathroom confrontations
Spoiler
(both benign and horrifically violent)The Acceptance Struggle: I don't mean to say I liked that acceptance was a struggle, just that it felt realistic. As an underrepresented aspect of humanity, I think it's good that McSmith gives us an (unfortunately) all too real look at how loved ones can struggle to accept us.
Pony's Dad, specifically, is ruthlessly and intentionally transphobic throughout the book. We're assured by Pony's Mom that Dad just loves Pony, but it really doesn't seem that way.
Spoiler
Later, we get to see him change a little, and it's revealed that he thought he was doing the right thing. And like, as horrible as that is, there really are people out there who think the way he does.Spoiler
Georiga also struggles to accept Pony. Even though she only ever thinks of Pony as a guy, Georgia shows us another version of a loved one not being accepting. She's too worried about what people will think if they find out they're dating, so she just wants to be friends. She asks some incentive questions and repeatedly tries to uncover his deadname. But it's hard to hate her because she's misguided and does try to do better.Things I Really Didn't Like:
Their Friends: They each had a friend that generally sucked? And I can't even say their friends had good intentions because their intentions were never about Georiga or Pony.
Georiga's friend Mia was horrible. She put everyone down constantly and had all these cheerleader rules that basically amounted to her making everyone do what she wanted. And she makes some pretty heinous comments and declarations that are ultimately brushed under the rug because that's just "how she is."
Pony's friend Max pissed me off the most. It seemed like he existed just to be pushy and insensitive about Pony's situation and feelings. At one point Max even
Spoiler
ghosts Pony because he doesn't want to post a fundraiser link for fear it might out him at schoolThe Message(?): I think the message was supposed to be something like, "Be true to yourself and follow your heart" but instead came out more like, "Be honest about who you are or else."
You must, at all times and for everyone, be exactly who you are regardless of your wants, needs, or situation.
And this applies to both Georgia and Pony. The difference between the two is that Georiga didn't want to date Pony or admit that she likes writing because she was worried about her image. And those are average, dumb teen things that everyone eventually learns are not bad things and are fine.
But Pony. Pony wants to be seen as and treated like a regular guy. He shouldn't have to be out if he doesn't want to be. Especially since being out as transgender in southern small-town America can be extremely dangerous. But his two biggest supporters both repeatedly tell him that he should be out at school; one of them even stops talking to him for a while.
Spoiler
And then two guys beat the hell out of Pony! and he's in the hospital and contemplating suicide! and can't wear a binder anymore! and Max goes "oops"! and then they're still friends!It's admittedly only a real issue when Max is around. But still. I don't know. It didn't sit right with me.
But clearly, I still liked the book. I liked seeing Georgia and Pony's individual development and their relationship. And the issue with the message is kind of dealt with at the end.