Reviews with content warning for Transphobia - A Million Quiet Revolutions

Reviews tagging 'Transphobia'

A Million Quiet Revolutions by Robin Gow

28 reviews

rfl_in_stl's review

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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melodyseestrees's review against another edition

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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

4.75

This is a very sweet, almost cozy, read. It does kind of romanticize war though. It does show two different trans journeys- one extremely accepting family and one accepting but not talking about it family. There is an incident with a religious figure,

one character's brother was assaulted by a priest and his reporting this uncovers a huge ring of sexual assault,

and some character reactions around this event were really irritating. "How come they believe you but not me," when the one being believed is a victim of a crime. I wish we had seen more of the LGBTQ+ people at the one school. Aside from our two main characters and the mentions of that group there really isn't any notable queer characters

outside of the WLW couple at the reenactment

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melodys_library's review

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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? Yes

4.0

I don’t know what took me so long to finish this. It’s a book in verse, so it should have been quick. I got distracted by library holds and due dates again.

I really liked this line in the book: “I wish everyone was allowed more room to be unsure.”

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antijeffbozo_love2read's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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stevia333k's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad

Strong character development? Yes

This book made me want to cry & it reminded me of the organized abandonment i went thru during the trans genocide that deescalated in 2013/2014, as well as the George W Bush administration. It also felt strange that USA history got chosen, but still. I had to listen at a faster speed to finish this book.

It's like the Titanic except less sad & more spooky.

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suchacommotion's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

The first third of the book was very difficult to get into. The premise was strange and I really did not connect with the plot or characters; it’s been a little too long since I was in high school. But the last third of the story was gut wrenching. It captured so many feelings of isolation and fear that I felt when I was that age - not for the same reasons, but I knew what Aaron was feeling. The ending was perfect even if it was sweetened for the sake of the plot - it’s what queer kids need to see. Worth the read even if it wasn’t exactly up my alley anymore.

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bookishmillennial's review

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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.

"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?

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astrangewind's review

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emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

5.0

I am speechless. A Million Quiet Revolutions is the book I wish I'd had as a teenager, or when I wasn't sure if I was trans, or when I felt alone because no one understood or saw me as a man.

I thought that the "verse" aspect of the novel would be awkward, but it's not. The poetry is far from complicated or intense; it serves to move the plot forward gently. Robin's imagery has always been soft and real, and the imagery in this book is no exception.

The characters felt real to me. I saw myself in them, being unsure and confused and scared, and loving each other all the same.

We need more stories like this, of trans people being in love, where no one dies and everything is looking up at the end. Queer people deserve stories like this. I think every queer person should read this book.

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averyprettyboy's review

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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

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kazzmed's review

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring sad 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? N/A

5.0

This is such a beautiful story about self-exploration and finding yourself. At times it was definitely emotional and a little close to home, but it’s so important for these stories to be shared so others with similar stories don’t feel so alone. I loved the style of writing and wish we could have heard more from Aaron’s perspective.

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