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rayne_1906's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
However, there are parts of this book that just really don't sit right with me. For one, the message being conveyed seems to be 'if you aren't openly trans, you are not a good person'. While the opposite is touched upon, the overarching theme is that the main character is a better person once he starts becoming an 'activist'. Activism is obviously important, but I think its wrong to assume a trans person must actively be 'helping' the community to have worth. Trans people should be allowed to exist just as they want to. Being openly trans is obviously what some people want, but the expectation that this applies to all trans people just isn't accurate.
Overall, this book, on surface-level, wasn't objectively bad, but I think it contained messages and themes that weren't particularly good.
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Violence, and Hate crime
Moderate: Alcohol, Bullying, Deadnaming, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, and Outing
Minor: Death, Homophobia, and Misogyny
seawarrior's review against another edition
- 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
2.0
Ironically I enjoyed listening to Georgia's voice more, though she also behaves LGBTphobically for immature and downright ridiculous reasons. Her act of redemption is more solid and purposeful by the end. My favorite character in the story was probably Ted London, and I was disappointed that he mostly seemed used as a plot device. I didn't feel satisfied with his development either.
My other main issue was how there was never really a balance that Pony and Max found between accepting that some people need to be stealth for their own physical and mental safety, and that they can still stick up for other LGBT+ people at the same time. By the end this story read almost like a cautionary tale regarding both their perspectives, but they never even opened a dialogue about it.
I think the high points of this story are the messages that life continues after being outed, life continues after assault, life continues when binding becomes too dangerous to repeat, life continues when you have to wait for gender affirming medical interventions, life continues after being rejected or mocked for your gender and it continues even when you wish you weren't living it. Trans youth have so much more strength and grit than they usually give themselves credit for. And they're often surrounded by so much more love than they know. I was happy that these ideas were reflected in the book, but mostly at the very end, and only very briefly in comparison with the previous pages. I'm not sure I'd recommend this book to others. It's not totally terrible, but I had a lot of issues with the characters and with the narrative that went unresolved.
Graphic: Alcohol, Bullying, Chronic illness, Deadnaming, Death, Drug use, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Outing, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Violence, and Vomit
lucnmn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Deadnaming and Transphobia
Moderate: Bullying, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Violence
Minor: Death
xoodlebooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Transphobia, Violence, and Vomit
Moderate: Drug use, Grief, Infidelity, Medical content, and Sexism
Disordered eating patternsashheinrich's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, and Violence
nonbinaryreading's review against another edition
2.0
Graphic: Bullying, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, and Violence
Moderate: Misogyny and Sexism
Minor: Death and Vomit
allzen_nochill's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Deadnaming, Hate crime, Physical abuse, and Transphobia
Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Death
rbookish's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Bullying, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Transphobia
ranj1580's review against another edition
I believe this book presents a potentially harmful depiction of the trans experience.
Graphic: Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, and Violence
Moderate: Death