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aspie97's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-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? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Racial slurs, Homophobia, and Lesbophobia
Minor: War
kshertz's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
It’s such a cool idea. I love that they are rewriting the classics in such a sweet way where people can connect more to the characters and see themselves. It’s not totally my thing but I find it such a cool idea I love to support it.
Content Warnings
Minor: Racial slurs, Alcohol, Racism, Alcoholism, and Injury/Injury detail
ericaberica5126's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-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? Yes
5.0
I love how this book used the original as a basis but added it's own spin. My favorite instance of this was Nick's name. Because he is Mexican-American his last name is Caraveo. However his (racist) boss calls him Caraway.
The way that the author made the characters fit to the original but also not was amazing! I highly recommend this to anyone who thought that the original novel should've ended with Nick and Jay ending up together!
The way that the author made the characters fit to the original but also not was amazing! I highly recommend this to anyone who thought that the original novel should've ended with Nick and Jay ending up together!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Deadnaming, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Racial slurs, Body shaming, Classism, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, and Transphobia
shelvesofivy's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Classism
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Homophobia, Gun violence, Transphobia, Gaslighting, and War
elskabee's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
I'm gonna tell my kids this is The Great Gatsby.
I never read any of the original and only made it 5 minutes into that movie version from like 10 years ago. So I went in knowing basically nothing except that people already shipped Jay and Nick from the original so there was precedent and these days I just really want to read trans stories because the cis annoy me sometimes so give me that t4t joy.
I really enjoyed the trans rep and overall queerness in the story, it was a cool speculation on queer community in the 1920's. I found most of the characters to be shallow in that YA kind of way but still just complex enough to be enjoyable and intriguing. I think if you enjoy reading about messy people and their drama this is a good one, but personally I found it a little tiring at times. The obsession with wealth, class, and aesthetics was not something I personally enjoy a lot which is why I haven't bothered tackling the OG but I think the commentary on race was interesting to read seeing as it's own voices and I'm not American. I was pleased with how well the themes of which were woven into the story.
I don't if it's just because I've been having a health crisis in the days of reading this but this shit made me cry. The queer joy and acceptance in this story is its biggest selling point in my opinion and so I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this even if it didn't fully capture my interest.
I never read any of the original and only made it 5 minutes into that movie version from like 10 years ago. So I went in knowing basically nothing except that people already shipped Jay and Nick from the original so there was precedent and these days I just really want to read trans stories because the cis annoy me sometimes so give me that t4t joy.
I really enjoyed the trans rep and overall queerness in the story, it was a cool speculation on queer community in the 1920's. I found most of the characters to be shallow in that YA kind of way but still just complex enough to be enjoyable and intriguing. I think if you enjoy reading about messy people and their drama this is a good one, but personally I found it a little tiring at times. The obsession with wealth, class, and aesthetics was not something I personally enjoy a lot which is why I haven't bothered tackling the OG but I think the commentary on race was interesting to read seeing as it's own voices and I'm not American. I was pleased with how well the themes of which were woven into the story.
I don't if it's just because I've been having a health crisis in the days of reading this but this shit made me cry. The queer joy and acceptance in this story is its biggest selling point in my opinion and so I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this even if it didn't fully capture my interest.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism and Racism
Moderate: War and Alcohol
Minor: Violence, Racial slurs, and Gun violence
there's a scene where a character says a racial slur directed towards the latino main character, but the exact word used isn't on page. There is some descriptions of a character's experience as a soldier in WW1 which mentions death, disease, and chemical warfare. I'm happy to say there is no outing, transphobia, or homophobia here!konnerreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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
I saw this recommended a lot for the #transrightsreadathon by @simkern on Tiktok so I decided to finally check it out.
It dove a lot into the issues of being brown in America back then and having to hide it to get anywhere in the social circles of New York as well as many other places. I enjoyed the conflict surrounding it and how it can feel as if you're giving up a part of yourself and your culture to gain something else. It gave a deeper understand to life then and even now for brown people in America.
Another thing I enjoyed was the queer culture in this book. The way they spoke about being queer felt very accurate to the times. Nick's struggle of being gay as well as trans was something very relatable. It seems people think that you can only be one and to be gay after coming out as trans is pushing it.
The one thing I didn't enjoy was how quick the ending was. Especially, with figuring out Jay didn't love Daisy at all but just wanted to have a fake marriage. Perhaps, it was because it was from Nick's perspective but it seemed a bit out of the blue. However, it didn't ruin the story at all. I still consider it an amazing book and give it a five stars. I usually don't enjoy retellings but this was an amazing one and it makes me want to check out the rest of the series to see if they're just as brilliant.
In conclusion, I think you should check this book out. It was a beautiful read and an overall just lovely experience. I had the best time reading it.
It dove a lot into the issues of being brown in America back then and having to hide it to get anywhere in the social circles of New York as well as many other places. I enjoyed the conflict surrounding it and how it can feel as if you're giving up a part of yourself and your culture to gain something else. It gave a deeper understand to life then and even now for brown people in America.
Another thing I enjoyed was the queer culture in this book. The way they spoke about being queer felt very accurate to the times. Nick's struggle of being gay as well as trans was something very relatable. It seems people think that you can only be one and to be gay after coming out as trans is pushing it.
The one thing I didn't enjoy was how quick the ending was. Especially, with figuring out Jay didn't love Daisy at all but just wanted to have a fake marriage. Perhaps, it was because it was from Nick's perspective but it seemed a bit out of the blue. However, it didn't ruin the story at all. I still consider it an amazing book and give it a five stars. I usually don't enjoy retellings but this was an amazing one and it makes me want to check out the rest of the series to see if they're just as brilliant.
In conclusion, I think you should check this book out. It was a beautiful read and an overall just lovely experience. I had the best time reading it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia and Racism
lettuce_read's review against another edition
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Misogyny, and Transphobia
Moderate: Homophobia and Infidelity
tincrumbs's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
The author's writing glitters in a way different from the original, but it's no less beautiful, sharp, and insightful. They really understood the themes of the original novel and build on them in a way that I really adored. This book gave me so much bubbling joy and I'm so happy to have read it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Misogyny
Minor: Homophobia and Transphobia
bookrose's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
This book has excellent LGBT rep. It powerfully explores issues such as racism, classism, and colorism. I felt that the ending of this book rushed. Nevertheless, I love it. It’s the most sparkling Gatsby retelling I’ve ever read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
pey333's review against another edition
emotional
medium-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? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, and Infidelity
Minor: War and Classism