Scan barcode
patricktreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-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
4.0
This was a great retelling of gatsby. I really appreciated the quite literal look at “self made boys” and how that and the background of the characters gave a lot to the story. I also really appreciated the authors content warnings and the context notes as both helped the reader with some of the topics discussed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Car accident, Classism, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexism, and Transphobia
duckyreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
In 1922, Nicolás Caraveo, a 17-year-old Latino transgender boy, moves to New York from Wisconsin to begin a career in Finance to establish a life as a man and pay his family back for all they gave to him. After moving to West Egg to be close to his cousin Daisy Fabrega, Nick is surprised by how much she's changed her identity to fit in with socialites and attract her wealthy beau, Tom. Nick is then invited to an extravagant party in a mansion owned by his neighbor, the elusive Jay Gatsby, and learns that not only is Jay in love with Daisy, but he's also a self-made boy like him.
Self-Made Boys is a delightful remix of The Great Gatsby for any queer person that read the original text in high school. Anna-Marie McLemore creates a reimagined world that includes several elements of the original story but updates it to be more relatable to young adults and teens of today. Daisy is still the same frustrating character, but her letters scattered throughout the book offer a new and welcomed perspective on her actions. The topic of cultural assimilation is handled well in this book, engaging in a thoughtful discussion about erasing aspects of your identity to become more appealing to the white majority and what can be lost in the process. I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed the acting of the different voice actors. I recommend this to anyone that read The Great Gatsby, and I hope that teachers include this in their English curriculum if they already plan on teaching the original text.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for an audiobook arc in exchange for an honest review.
Self-Made Boys is a delightful remix of The Great Gatsby for any queer person that read the original text in high school. Anna-Marie McLemore creates a reimagined world that includes several elements of the original story but updates it to be more relatable to young adults and teens of today. Daisy is still the same frustrating character, but her letters scattered throughout the book offer a new and welcomed perspective on her actions. The topic of cultural assimilation is handled well in this book, engaging in a thoughtful discussion about erasing aspects of your identity to become more appealing to the white majority and what can be lost in the process. I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed the acting of the different voice actors. I recommend this to anyone that read The Great Gatsby, and I hope that teachers include this in their English curriculum if they already plan on teaching the original text.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for an audiobook arc in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Racism
Moderate: Homophobia
More...