Scan barcode
aidenb243's review
1.0
I've read a lot of books about the trans masculine experience and I'm trans masculine myself. Despite the author's intention to be unbiased, she comes across as intensely voyeuristic and seems to focus on what trans men's existence means for HER (a cis lesbian).
The population she sampled from is also predominantely middle class and white, neither of which are dominant groups within the community.
If you're looking to be more informed, this book doesn't offer any new information or new arguments. It's more so a regurgitation of existing literature, seemingly intended for cisgender consumption.
The population she sampled from is also predominantely middle class and white, neither of which are dominant groups within the community.
If you're looking to be more informed, this book doesn't offer any new information or new arguments. It's more so a regurgitation of existing literature, seemingly intended for cisgender consumption.
kellableeping's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
3.25
saturn_xoxo's review
2.0
This book feels very voyeuristic, like the author came to gawk at "these strange trans men" and try to understand them without really doing more than surface level research. I feel like she was outside of her comfort zone and am unsure of what her book was supposed to get across
The chapter "last butch standing" was particularly uncomfortable and felt like borderline TERF rhetoric
The chapter "last butch standing" was particularly uncomfortable and felt like borderline TERF rhetoric
azrapanjwani's review against another edition
3.75
this was well done. it gave me (as a cis person) more insight into the process of transitioning (ie figuring it out, socially transitioning, surgery) and all the associated social changes and challenges.
cmaples's review against another edition
I'm a trans person and I have some....thoughts about this book. It would've been a solid 3 star "meh" if it hadn't been for one chapter, which I'll get to later.
I like the idea behind this book. Someone curious about trans issues following several people as they get top surgery, and interviewing them about their journeys, is a really good idea. I also liked that not all of these people were trans men. At least one was non-binary, and one was a butch lesbian. I saw a lot of myself in some of their stories, at least early on, and the interviews with parents and family helped me gain insight into how my family might react and why they might feel the way they do. Some parts were marred by the author's unfamiliarity with trans men, but I brushed it off thinking, hey, I might not be the target audience here.
What really killed my enjoyment of this book was the chapter "Last Butch Standing." The author (a cis lesbian) hints in this chapter *heavily* (and in some places the person she interviews outright states) that some trans men are just butch lesbians. That's a really harmful notion that unfortunately is quite common in TERF circles. And they ignore the fact that some trans men are gay. It left such a sour taste in my mouth that I skimmed the rest of the book from then on.
I also felt detached from the people represented in this book in the sense that the author seems to think their top surgeries are acts of rebellion. Sort of "fuck the system" kinds of things. And sure, some people may fight sexism that way, but in my experience they're the minority of top surgery recipients. And I honestly couldn't tell if that was the author's read of the situation or the way these people actually presented their motivations. They were otherwise relatable people.
Overall I wouldn't recommend this book to trans people or to people who want to learn about trans people. It's unfortunate, because I think the project was a good one and I even think Stein *wants* to understand what's going on, but she just doesn't get it, and it shows.
I like the idea behind this book. Someone curious about trans issues following several people as they get top surgery, and interviewing them about their journeys, is a really good idea. I also liked that not all of these people were trans men. At least one was non-binary, and one was a butch lesbian. I saw a lot of myself in some of their stories, at least early on, and the interviews with parents and family helped me gain insight into how my family might react and why they might feel the way they do. Some parts were marred by the author's unfamiliarity with trans men, but I brushed it off thinking, hey, I might not be the target audience here.
What really killed my enjoyment of this book was the chapter "Last Butch Standing." The author (a cis lesbian) hints in this chapter *heavily* (and in some places the person she interviews outright states) that some trans men are just butch lesbians. That's a really harmful notion that unfortunately is quite common in TERF circles. And they ignore the fact that some trans men are gay. It left such a sour taste in my mouth that I skimmed the rest of the book from then on.
I also felt detached from the people represented in this book in the sense that the author seems to think their top surgeries are acts of rebellion. Sort of "fuck the system" kinds of things. And sure, some people may fight sexism that way, but in my experience they're the minority of top surgery recipients. And I honestly couldn't tell if that was the author's read of the situation or the way these people actually presented their motivations. They were otherwise relatable people.
Overall I wouldn't recommend this book to trans people or to people who want to learn about trans people. It's unfortunate, because I think the project was a good one and I even think Stein *wants* to understand what's going on, but she just doesn't get it, and it shows.
noblehazard's review
Books about Trans Men should not be written by highly biased cis women who ground the entirety of their life experiences in the feminist movement. Even when this book attempts to approach things from a good natured angle it still comes off as condescending and questioning. If you wanna know more about trans men, go read a book that it actually by one.
krayfish1's review against another edition
3.0
From the point of view of woman who came of age in the 70's in San Francisco's gay/lesbian community.
late_stranger's review
3.0
Tbh the thing that really drew me through this book was not the information or stories presented so much as watching a middle aged lesbian anthropologist discover the world of trans masculinity. The way she wrote was both sympathetic and accurate, but I could just feel the gulf between our experiences and assumptions about queerness in a really interesting way.