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supernumeraryemily's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I really enjoyed this read. Peters did a skillful job of weaving past and present, and digging into the motivations and experiences that have formed each character without feeling pedantic. The topics of queer and cisgender worlds colliding was fascinating, and Peters expertly captured moments of absurdity and confusion and unexpected understanding. I wish this book didn't end when it did--I could keep reading Peters writing these characters forever!
My one critique is that some of the secondary characters blended into each other for me.
My one critique is that some of the secondary characters blended into each other for me.
maisonmarsiela's review against another edition
4.0
beautifully written, though self-indulgent at times. the characters are complex and not without their flaws, but i still found myself getting attached to a couple of them. the ending was a bit of a letdown, but overall this was a really great read
summerjohnson521's review against another edition
emotional
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? Yes
2.5
shanhautman's review against another edition
2.0
I enjoyed the characters and the overall plot. I didn’t connect with the writing style and the novel’s structure. The passages that were meant to be more educational / teachable for cisgender readers were important and insightful but often spiraled too far away from the central story.
graecus_'s review against another edition
i just had a hard time getting through the book. i liked this book enough when i picked the book up, but i had a hard time actually picking up the book. i really like the commentary about gender, and what i think the discussions of parenthood will be. i think the concept and discussions made are really interesting, but i don’t think that this was for me
veryroundbird's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I enjoyed this book but also the characters really stressed me out. Cuts close to the bone, so if you're into that, this book is for you.
madstar's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
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? It's complicated
4.0
Really enjoyed this. The writing was great and it was a really interesting dig into the complexities of sexuality and gender in particular womanhood and motherhood. Some sections were hard to read and I’d recommend checking trigger warnings but it was an eye-opening read!
jess_mango's review against another edition
4.0
Longlisted for the 2021 Women's Fiction Prize
This book has made history as the first MtF transgender author being nominated for the Women's Fiction Prize. The story itself is also about transgender characters. Sit tight, this will take a little explaining as it is tad complicated, as life often is.
Reese thought her life was in a pretty good place. She had a decent job and lived in New York with her girlfriend Amy. Reese and Amy were both MtF transgenders who "came of age" in the modern age where they could benefit from many of the advancements made by their transgender predecessors. They had their circle of transgender friends. Reese longs to be a mother to make life with Ames truly feel like a family. Then Amy decided to detransition and became Ames. Reese broke up with Ames/Amy and has been fighting feelings of depression ever since and seeks companionship in the arms of married men.
After the breakup, Ames is also not quite satisfied. He starts a corporate job where he begins a relationship with his boss, Katrina. Katrina is a recent divorcee who finds a connection with Ames. Ames enjoys Katrina's company but he still yearns to have Reese back in his life in some way. Then Katrina announces she is pregnant with Ames' baby and Ames sees this as a way to bring Reese into the picture.
Wow. This was quite a book. I thoroughly enjoyed this and it really hit the mark in my quest to read more diverse books. The story had numerous flashbacks so we could see how the characters got to where they are in present day. The threads were all expertly woven together to result in a stunning, moving and often raw story about 3 people brought together. The author did a great job establishing the back story of each character, that helped shed some light on how they think and interact as adults and why they sometimes make the bad decisions that they do. I will definitely be seeking out more books by Torrey Peters.
What to listen to while reading...
Young and Beautiful by Lana Del Rey
Both Sides Now by Joni Mitchell
A Better Son/Daughter by Rilo Kiley
Some Girls are Bigger than Others by The Smiths
Transgender by Crystal Castles
Girls & Boys by Blur
This book has made history as the first MtF transgender author being nominated for the Women's Fiction Prize. The story itself is also about transgender characters. Sit tight, this will take a little explaining as it is tad complicated, as life often is.
Reese thought her life was in a pretty good place. She had a decent job and lived in New York with her girlfriend Amy. Reese and Amy were both MtF transgenders who "came of age" in the modern age where they could benefit from many of the advancements made by their transgender predecessors. They had their circle of transgender friends. Reese longs to be a mother to make life with Ames truly feel like a family. Then Amy decided to detransition and became Ames. Reese broke up with Ames/Amy and has been fighting feelings of depression ever since and seeks companionship in the arms of married men.
After the breakup, Ames is also not quite satisfied. He starts a corporate job where he begins a relationship with his boss, Katrina. Katrina is a recent divorcee who finds a connection with Ames. Ames enjoys Katrina's company but he still yearns to have Reese back in his life in some way. Then Katrina announces she is pregnant with Ames' baby and Ames sees this as a way to bring Reese into the picture.
Wow. This was quite a book. I thoroughly enjoyed this and it really hit the mark in my quest to read more diverse books. The story had numerous flashbacks so we could see how the characters got to where they are in present day. The threads were all expertly woven together to result in a stunning, moving and often raw story about 3 people brought together. The author did a great job establishing the back story of each character, that helped shed some light on how they think and interact as adults and why they sometimes make the bad decisions that they do. I will definitely be seeking out more books by Torrey Peters.
What to listen to while reading...
Young and Beautiful by Lana Del Rey
Both Sides Now by Joni Mitchell
A Better Son/Daughter by Rilo Kiley
Some Girls are Bigger than Others by The Smiths
Transgender by Crystal Castles
Girls & Boys by Blur
tildahlia's review against another edition
4.0
There was a lot of hype about this book, and it lived up to it. Such an interesting exploration of queerness, identity, gender, family, sex and love. There were moments I found some of the writing and dialogue a touch clunky and implausible, but the depth and complexity of the characters absolutely shone in this book. Very readable and gives plenty to think about.