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3.07 AVERAGE
3.07 AVERAGE
You know, if a horse was that lame, they would get put down and people would call it a mercy.
So, yeah. Local girl is a bitch to local trans girl, a short story where nothing much happens, that is told with all the flavour and emotional punch of warmed up french fries.
Maybe go and read something else.
So, yeah. Local girl is a bitch to local trans girl, a short story where nothing much happens, that is told with all the flavour and emotional punch of warmed up french fries.
Maybe go and read something else.
I thought this was a solid short story. It didn't "wow" me but the ending what kind of a mind-fuck. 5/5 for the structure.
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’m not going to rate this story for reasons that, I hope, will become clear. This review contains spoilers, so read on at your own risk. TW for mentions of transphobia and transphobic violence.
The narrator, Bridget, lives in a small college town and dreams of moving to New York. She is having an affair with her creepy boss and is clearly unhappy with her life. Then she meets Amal, who is everything she isn’t: confident, sexy, curvy, glamorous, assured, and they become friends. As they become closer, Amal confides in Bridget and tells her that she is trans. Bridget seems to take this news in her stride but, later in the story, in a fit of jealousy, she outs Amal, resulting in Amal being badly beaten by a group of college frat boys.
Bridget is the POV character. We see everything through her eyes: her own unhappiness, her awful boss, Amal. We never see the impact of Bridget’s betrayal of Amal. We only get to hear about it second hand and there is no reckoning for Bridget. A final confrontation is left me with little more than a shrug of the shoulders.
As a trans woman, I am all too aware of transphobia and transphobic violence and I agree that these subjects need to be tackled in art. However, the way it is handled here, by a cis (presumably) male author, leaves a lot to be desired. The focus is on Bridget and her feelings and, yet, she doesn’t seem very remorseful about having destroyed someone’s life. It’s a strange way to handle such material and I feel that a trans author, or even a cis woman, would have handled it very differently.
There are too many Amals out there in the world and their stories deserve to be told. They deserve better than this.
The narrator, Bridget, lives in a small college town and dreams of moving to New York. She is having an affair with her creepy boss and is clearly unhappy with her life. Then she meets Amal, who is everything she isn’t: confident, sexy, curvy, glamorous, assured, and they become friends. As they become closer, Amal confides in Bridget and tells her that she is trans. Bridget seems to take this news in her stride but, later in the story, in a fit of jealousy, she outs Amal, resulting in Amal being badly beaten by a group of college frat boys.
Bridget is the POV character. We see everything through her eyes: her own unhappiness, her awful boss, Amal. We never see the impact of Bridget’s betrayal of Amal. We only get to hear about it second hand and there is no reckoning for Bridget. A final confrontation is left me with little more than a shrug of the shoulders.
As a trans woman, I am all too aware of transphobia and transphobic violence and I agree that these subjects need to be tackled in art. However, the way it is handled here, by a cis (presumably) male author, leaves a lot to be desired. The focus is on Bridget and her feelings and, yet, she doesn’t seem very remorseful about having destroyed someone’s life. It’s a strange way to handle such material and I feel that a trans author, or even a cis woman, would have handled it very differently.
There are too many Amals out there in the world and their stories deserve to be told. They deserve better than this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia
Moderate: Rape
medium-paced
Five Stars for me means that the book pulled a strong emotional response and/or will live rent free in my head for months possibly years to come.
I listened to this story while on a drive. For the most part the MC was living a rather dull life and saw her new friendship with grad student Amal as her one special and cherished thing she has going for her.
The ending of this was abrupt, shocking, sad, and filled me with rage.
I listened to this story while on a drive. For the most part the MC was living a rather dull life and saw her new friendship with grad student Amal as her one special and cherished thing she has going for her.
The ending of this was abrupt, shocking, sad, and filled me with rage.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Getting straight to the spoiler here:
I hate that the betrayal centers on forcefully outing and misgendering a trans woman (resulting in her assault), as soon as she disappointed her "friend". I wish there had at least been some form of resolution (not that the protagonist deserved it).
The story is well-written, which is why I still give it 3 stars.
I hate that the betrayal centers on forcefully outing and misgendering a trans woman (resulting in her assault), as soon as she disappointed her "friend". I wish there had at least been some form of resolution (not that the protagonist deserved it).
The story is well-written, which is why I still give it 3 stars.
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes