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Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Deadnaming, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Grief, Abortion, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Outing, Alcohol
I loved the imperfect characters and the development of Katrina. I learnt so much about trans culture, class and gender through this book - an unbiased lesson. It gives you unapologetic insight into what life is like as a trans person and lets you know the answers to questions you’ve never been able to ask.
The characters hooked me, and resonated with my own queer realisation - so much so that when I realised the last paragraph was indeed the last paragraph I cried out.
However, I was not a fan of the constant jumping back and forth into chapters that weren’t linked to the plot or clearly linked to understanding the characters. At times the language frustratingly descriptive and flowery - I wish bits of this were cut to make room for an ending that didn’t feel rushed, especially given the otherwise slow pace of the book. Perhaps a sequel will answer my burning question?
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Violence
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Abortion
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cursing, Death, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Abortion, Pregnancy
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Transphobia
Moderate: Miscarriage, Violence, Suicide attempt
Minor: Alcoholism, Homophobia, Infertility
It explores so many facets of trans life! Including but not limited to: the concept of queer temporality; the impact of the lost generation on today's queer community; the tradition of motherhood amongst trans women; how perception of your gender can affect your identity; intersectionality in the queer community; the effect of relationship trauma, heartbreak and sex on our identities; unconventional queer families; and the expectations of the trans community versus the needs of the trans individual. Apologies for the long list but I am so excited to have read a book that explores all of these things!
I loved the characters, beautifully flawed as they all were. Reese's self-destructive behaviour broke my heart and Ames' struggle with his identity had me crying on multiple occasions. It was such a treat for me to read about such complex trans characters - I really related to them both. Katrina gets less page-time but is no less important, providing a vital counterpoint of intersectionality.
Top moment that made me cry: Ames detransitioning.
I'd definitely recommend this book - it's not an easy read but if you want an unflinchingly honest insight into just a fraction of what goes on in the queer community, this is a good place to start.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Sexual content, Transphobia, Violence
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Suicide attempt
Minor: Alcoholism, Deadnaming, Death