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cheye13's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I really enjoyed the core romance, but felt the minutiae got in the way a lot. The first few chapters felt rather juvenile, which isn't something that bodes well in an ace romance. It mellowed out, but was still a smidge uncomfortable. The plot itself was a bit too repetitive for my taste, and there was a lot of focus on background characters.
I very much liked that the story was about more than their identities, which added dimension. Yes, this was about one trans perspective and one asexual perspective, but their stories aren't intended to speak for a whole community. There was more focus on the dance, their connection, and personal growth. That being said, I did feel like the plot focus was a little unbalanced between the leads.
I presume the author is a cis woman, so some vocab gets dicey at times. Tyler's transness is only portrayed through his perspective, and while he reminds readers that it is an intrinsic part of him, it didn't seem to force readers across his personal boundaries, however I am also cis, so my view comes with a caveat. Most of Tyler's story involes a transphobic and emotionally abusive past relationship, which I feel is worth knowing before picking this up.
I very much liked that the story was about more than their identities, which added dimension. Yes, this was about one trans perspective and one asexual perspective, but their stories aren't intended to speak for a whole community. There was more focus on the dance, their connection, and personal growth. That being said, I did feel like the plot focus was a little unbalanced between the leads.
I presume the author is a cis woman, so some vocab gets dicey at times. Tyler's transness is only portrayed through his perspective, and while he reminds readers that it is an intrinsic part of him, it didn't seem to force readers across his personal boundaries, however I am also cis, so my view comes with a caveat. Most of Tyler's story involes a transphobic and emotionally abusive past relationship, which I feel is worth knowing before picking this up.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Transphobia
Minor: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cursing, and Grief
The alcoholism is a very brief throwaway mention of a side character's backstory. The body shaming is more pervasive, but through a single character rather than the narrative itself. The grief involves a (MILD spoiler)
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