Reviews with content warning for Transphobia - Obie Is Man Enough

This is a wonderful book!!

It's hard to read in places due to the topics (not the writing, which flows really well) and the use of slurs. But it teaches some important lessons.

A brilliant book for trans people and allies

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aspring's review against another edition

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if it’s the second time i’m dnfing the book. it’s probably not a me thing.

i couldn’t get passed the ridiculous use of slurs every page, and unnecessary deadnaming. there are ways to make the points you want to make without ostracising your transgender audience. it is painful and a gut punch everytime you see someone treated that way, especially a child. and especially when there are ways to do it that aren’t so graphic (it’s not the word i’m looking for but it’s the only one i’ve got)

this book tries to teach good lessons but i think the intentions were a lot more well done than the book itself. i don’t know what child id recommend this book to, why would anyone want their reading experience to be filled with abuse? especially young transgender kids. this book is definitely more for the cisgender community to take as a lesson i think.

i’m definitely in the minority on this opinion so idk keep your options open

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zinelib's review against another edition

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hopeful inspiring medium-paced

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

5.0

Obadiah (his real name) is a seventh grade swimmer recovering from a Bad Year (that we don't learn much about, but it involves his gender transition). The Bad Year may be over, but bullies still bully, including his swim coach, necessitating Obie's move to another team. He's lost his best friends Lucy and Clyde anyway, but he's still nervous about starting over with another team.

Luckily, Obie has a lot of support from his parents, brother, and grandparents, and eventually...a girl he likes.

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noahsingh's review against another edition

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the_vegan_bookworm's review

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emotional hopeful lighthearted slow-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? No

3.0

This was a bit of a predictable read, but it made sense for the story being middle grade! The book can definitely be tough to read at parts as Obie experiences very intense bullying and violence, but I appreciated how supportive his friends and family are throughout. I also appreciated seeing the benefits of being allowed to start hormone blockers at a young age and how they helped to improve Obie's life in many ways.

The book was very focused on swimming, so if you are not interested in that subjecy, you may not enjoy this book as much.

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katiekruseee's review

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challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted 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

4.25

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tinytrashqueen's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful 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

4.5

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