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bookishmillennial's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
disclaimer if you’ve read other reviews by me and are noticing a pattern: You’re correct that I don’t really give starred reviews, I feel like a peasant and don’t like leaving them and most often, I will only leave them if I vehemently despised a book. I enjoy most books for what they are, & I extract lessons from them all. Everyone’s reading experiences are subjective, so I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not, regardless if I add stars or not. Find me on Instagram: @bookish.millennial or tiktok: @bookishmillennial
I adore Robin Gow !!! This is only about ~120 pages but it was full of teenage angst, introspection, and discovery. Two teenage boys start their journey of figuring out their trans identities, and they come across two soldiers, who are named Oliver & Aaron, so they adopt those names! Aaron moves away so they navigate being long-distance on top of so much identity searching.
Robin actually grew up in Kutztown, the town where Oliver & Aaron's story begins, which I thought was so neat. Robin was inspired by the fact that women dressed as men to be soldiers to be part of the Revolution, and that many of them went on to live as men after the war. Robin wants to remind us that trans and genderqueer or nonbinary folks have always existed in history, but it was just up to whomever was telling the stories and documenting this afterward (which we know of course has been predominantly cishet white men). They also provide a great further reading list at the very end, on trans*, gender-nonconforming, and the two-spirit people's history.
I adore Robin Gow !!! This is only about ~120 pages but it was full of teenage angst, introspection, and discovery. Two teenage boys start their journey of figuring out their trans identities, and they come across two soldiers, who are named Oliver & Aaron, so they adopt those names! Aaron moves away so they navigate being long-distance on top of so much identity searching.
Robin actually grew up in Kutztown, the town where Oliver & Aaron's story begins, which I thought was so neat. Robin was inspired by the fact that women dressed as men to be soldiers to be part of the Revolution, and that many of them went on to live as men after the war. Robin wants to remind us that trans and genderqueer or nonbinary folks have always existed in history, but it was just up to whomever was telling the stories and documenting this afterward (which we know of course has been predominantly cishet white men). They also provide a great further reading list at the very end, on trans*, gender-nonconforming, and the two-spirit people's history.
"Really, I just thought the group
might make me feel even more weird and lonely
and like I didn't belong anywhere.
It was totally not any of those things
which was fucking refreshing. I didn't know
queer groups like Spectrum existed.
I've learned so freaking much from my friends,
and I'm not the only Latino for once!
I know it sounds selfish
but I don't think it really is selfish
to want to feel
like a family
It makes me think about
how much more I would like history class
if we talked more about queer people
and people of color
and people with disabilities
and people with different religious backgrounds
instead of just teaching about them
as side facts in a white guy's history.
What would a class about
the Revolution look like
thinking about those groups?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Transphobia, and Deadnaming
Moderate: Dysphoria
Minor: Sexual assault, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, and Sexual content
averyprettyboy's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Deadnaming, and Homophobia
Moderate: Dysphoria, Religious bigotry, and Sexual assault
Minor: Pedophilia, Antisemitism, and Sexual content
exra's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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? Yes
4.5
These two put into words things that have been on my mind for a long time. I am grateful that this story exists.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Homophobia, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Outing and War
tinytrashqueen's review
emotional
hopeful
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia and Homophobia
Moderate: Religious bigotry and Sexual assault
ang_mendoza's review
emotional
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? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Transphobia, Death, and Homophobia
Minor: Dysphoria, Antisemitism, War, Deadnaming, and Sexual assault
moonyreadsbystarlight's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
This speaks beautifully about trans love and the importance of being able to see yourself in history.
Told through poems, this YA romance focuses on two teens, Aaron and Oliver, who are long time best friends and secretly dating. Both are coming to understand their trans identities and by digging further into Revolutionary War history, may have found trans soldiers who had fallen in love. They are thrown for another loop when Aaron moves away, and they decide to exchange letters instead of texts in honor of their revolutionary namesakes.
This is about first love, growing up, and contending with identity and history. I was a little concerned that this might dip into the ahistorical patriotic fevor that so often surrounds the founding of this country, but I was pleasantly suprised that there was some nuance and discussion about some of the issues (particularly through the Puerto Rican MC, Aaron).
There were some small parts that I could, perhaps, critique but over all, I really loved this. The descriptions of the love and tenderness in this story absolutely made me cry in the best way. And there were so many details about transness (some of which were different for each character) that I think were well done and important.
Told through poems, this YA romance focuses on two teens, Aaron and Oliver, who are long time best friends and secretly dating. Both are coming to understand their trans identities and by digging further into Revolutionary War history, may have found trans soldiers who had fallen in love. They are thrown for another loop when Aaron moves away, and they decide to exchange letters instead of texts in honor of their revolutionary namesakes.
This is about first love, growing up, and contending with identity and history. I was a little concerned that this might dip into the ahistorical patriotic fevor that so often surrounds the founding of this country, but I was pleasantly suprised that there was some nuance and discussion about some of the issues (particularly through the Puerto Rican MC, Aaron).
There were some small parts that I could, perhaps, critique but over all, I really loved this. The descriptions of the love and tenderness in this story absolutely made me cry in the best way. And there were so many details about transness (some of which were different for each character) that I think were well done and important.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Religious bigotry, and Transphobia
Moderate: Dysphoria, Sexual content, Sexual assault, and War
anonymous_traveller's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
slow-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Religious bigotry, War, and Outing
Minor: Rape
Strong TW for: Religious (catholic) abuse by priests and religious content (Christianity and Judaism.)foreverinastory's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
Thank you to Pride Book Tours and Fierce Reads for a finished copy in exchange for an honest review and promotion. All opinions are my own.
I am very emotional after reading this.
A Million Quiet Revolutions is a YA contemporary novel in verse that follows the journey of two trans boys who are best friends and fall in love with each other. When they find the story of two trans men in the Revolutionary war, they adopt their names: Aaron and Oliver. Just as they feel like their relationship is blossoming, Aaron is forced to move away. The two continue to write letters to each other and cling to the hope of love, identity and finding their place in history.
This book broke me. I am a void after reading this heartbreaking and breathtaking story of two trans boys in love. I loved how much these two boys cared for each other. I loved the exploration of queer culture, Latine culture and Jewish culture that we got in this novel. Aaron and Oliver's journeys to acceptance are different for them both, but each was powerful.
I loved watching Aaron find a community for himself, including other queer Latine people. I loved seeing Oliver dive deeper into history and finding stories of queer heroes. Oliver's home life is much more accepting and I loved how easily his parents supported him. Aaron has a tougher time, but the way his relationship with his older brother, Jose, is explored was amazing. I loved seeing these two open up to each other and how Jose was always willing to help Aaron if that's what he wanted.
Overall, this was a moving and evocative story and I loved it with my whole heart.
Jewish gay trans male MC, Puerto Rican Christian gay trans male MC, Latine queer nonbinary side character, Puerto Rican cishet side characters, various queer side characters, Black male side character.
CWs: Homophobia/homomisia, transphobia/transmisia, deadnaming, misgendering. Moderate: misogyny, consensual sexual content, sexual assault, rape, sexual violence, religious bigotry, dysphoria. Minor: Antisemitism.
I am very emotional after reading this.
A Million Quiet Revolutions is a YA contemporary novel in verse that follows the journey of two trans boys who are best friends and fall in love with each other. When they find the story of two trans men in the Revolutionary war, they adopt their names: Aaron and Oliver. Just as they feel like their relationship is blossoming, Aaron is forced to move away. The two continue to write letters to each other and cling to the hope of love, identity and finding their place in history.
This book broke me. I am a void after reading this heartbreaking and breathtaking story of two trans boys in love. I loved how much these two boys cared for each other. I loved the exploration of queer culture, Latine culture and Jewish culture that we got in this novel. Aaron and Oliver's journeys to acceptance are different for them both, but each was powerful.
I loved watching Aaron find a community for himself, including other queer Latine people. I loved seeing Oliver dive deeper into history and finding stories of queer heroes. Oliver's home life is much more accepting and I loved how easily his parents supported him. Aaron has a tougher time, but the way his relationship with his older brother, Jose, is explored was amazing. I loved seeing these two open up to each other and how Jose was always willing to help Aaron if that's what he wanted.
Overall, this was a moving and evocative story and I loved it with my whole heart.
Jewish gay trans male MC, Puerto Rican Christian gay trans male MC, Latine queer nonbinary side character, Puerto Rican cishet side characters, various queer side characters, Black male side character.
CWs: Homophobia/homomisia, transphobia/transmisia, deadnaming, misgendering. Moderate: misogyny, consensual sexual content, sexual assault, rape, sexual violence, religious bigotry, dysphoria. Minor: Antisemitism.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Transphobia, and Deadnaming
Moderate: Rape, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Dysphoria, Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Antisemitism
plumpaperbacks's review against another edition
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? No
4.5
I don’t have the spoons for a full review right now, but A Million Quiet Revolutions was a fantastic novel in verse about two trans boys transitioning, growing up and falling in love. Gow’s poetry was beautiful and powerful, and I loved Oliver and Aaron. The author’s thoughtful examination of queer people throughout history was fascinating, and it was heartwarming to see the boys see themselves in these people. I would absolutely recommend this book. <3
Representation
Representation
- Jewish gay trans mtf protagonist
- Puerto Rican gay trans mtf protagonist
- Colombian nonbinary side character
- queer side characters (includes nonbinary, trans mtf, and lesbian rep)
- trans achillean romance
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Homophobia, and Antisemitism
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Ableism
Brief mentions of sexual abuse/assault in regards to a side character. Occasional use of ableist language; words like “l*me” and “cr*zy” used.criticalgayze's review
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? It's complicated
4.5
My thanks to the publisher, FSG Young Readers/Fierce Reads, and Netgalley for early access to this title in exchange for review consideration.
This is such a powerful book that I think is a must-have for high school classroom libraries.
At first, I thought that the poems in this novel-in-verse were a little too narrative, but they grew on me over time. I do think some pieces are stronger than others, but I think they also build a solid narrative whole.
I really like that the author uses side of the page as a means to delineate the two narrative voices, instead of poem style or structure. This allows the author to play a little more and creates an extra intensity in the pieces. Formatting WAS a little interesting here, and I will be interested to see the final form of the novel when it drops in print next week. (I will be picking up a physical copy, which is very rare for me with eARCs.)
I do think the ending does fizzle out a little, but it is a minor quibble with what is otherwise a very strong piece.
Quotes:
I see your old name like a moth, dusty-winged and glowing. The name escapes out the open window and into the soupy August night into forever.
I hate the idea that war could be a game, but I love when you win.
This is such a powerful book that I think is a must-have for high school classroom libraries.
At first, I thought that the poems in this novel-in-verse were a little too narrative, but they grew on me over time. I do think some pieces are stronger than others, but I think they also build a solid narrative whole.
I really like that the author uses side of the page as a means to delineate the two narrative voices, instead of poem style or structure. This allows the author to play a little more and creates an extra intensity in the pieces. Formatting WAS a little interesting here, and I will be interested to see the final form of the novel when it drops in print next week. (I will be picking up a physical copy, which is very rare for me with eARCs.)
I do think the ending does fizzle out a little, but it is a minor quibble with what is otherwise a very strong piece.
Quotes:
I see your old name like a moth, dusty-winged and glowing. The name escapes out the open window and into the soupy August night into forever.
I hate the idea that war could be a game, but I love when you win.
I search trans, the prefix and the dictionary says the word can mean “across” and “beyond” and “through” and “changing thoroughly” all of which are things lots of people in high school seem to be but especially “changing thoroughly.”
I’m really thankful for that pin— for the symbols we have to show other queer people where we are.
It’s customary that first-time reenactors die first so our death was predetermined but it still feels heavy.
I have such a body.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deadnaming and Transphobia
Moderate: Homophobia and Outing
Minor: Child abuse and Sexual content