Reviews

Trumpet by Jackie Kay

abreads24's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.0

laurendoh_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense slow-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? It's complicated

3.25

fscolli93's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

laurjor's review

emotional reflective medium-paced

4.75

ellsoquent's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective sad slow-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

carryanneb's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense fast-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

4.0

chessy_56's review

emotional reflective medium-paced

2.75

temi1008's review

emotional lighthearted 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent

Moderate: Transphobia

kkpritchard's review

4.0

Read for Modern British Lit with Suhaan, Spring 2019. Crazy and amazing story!

hannnahbanana's review

3.0

Although I found this book to feel quite dated and somewhat simplistic in its approach regarding trans lives, I appreciate that it must have been progressive for the 90s. I think I hoped for more nuance and instead found the transphobia throughout the first 1/2 – 3/4 just exhausting and repetitive, rather than progressing the narrative and this being powerfully countered, although acknowledge the complexity of Colman and his generational familial trauma. The journalist was really grating and just felt like a basic overblown caricature of herself, although this was probably the point. I did really like how certain stones were left unturned though, and respect Kay's style for not spelling it all out to the reader.