Reviews tagging 'Transphobia'

Dreadnought by April Daniels

101 reviews

ethana's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful fast-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? Yes

4.5

While I generally really enjoyed Dreadnought, I do advise others to heed the trigger warnings, especially the ones pertaining to transphobia and emotional abuse. There were definitely parts of this book that hit a little too close to home where I had to stop and collect myself before continuing. I think a large part of that was due to the fact that I went into Dreadnought expecting a more lighthearted superhero romp only to get absolutely bodied by the amount of transphobia Danny faced, especially from her parents. In the end I did enjoy the book overall, and the premise was entertaining, just be ready for things to get rough.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Deadnaming, Transphobia, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Ableism, Misogyny, Homophobia, Outing, and Violence

Minor: Rape

shae_purcell's review against another edition

adventurous dark slow-paced

• 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? It's complicated

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Homophobia, Ableism, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Gore, Transphobia, Outing, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Cursing, Medical trauma, Bullying, Violence, Vomit, and Death

Minor: Fatphobia, Rape, War, Alcohol, Cancer, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, Alcoholism, Grief, and Genocide

teyn's review against another edition

adventurous fast-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

3.75

I would've loved this if not for the gendered fatphobia and ableism that added absolutely nothing to the story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Violence, Fatphobia, Deadnaming, Transphobia, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Homophobia, Addiction, Misogyny, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Ableism

Minor: Toxic friendship and Sexual harassment

nerdbrarian's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Rape

gameoftomes's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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

4.75

Amazing. The book really gives a payoff for its superhero genre, transgender representation, and first person POV. It uses all of these well, and towards a conclusion with physical and emotional stakes involved. 

There are good action sequences, a bit of gore, and a good bit of body horror. But none of it overwhelms the novel. The supers don’t feel regurgitated and cliché. It feels like it could fit in with comic book superheroes, yet isn’t weighed down with tropes. The world of superheroes and hypertech is fleshed out without being exposition heavy. 

Warning that there is a significant amount of transphobia, including slurs, deadnaming, emotional abuse, and parents kicking out their 15 year old kid. But none of this stops main character Danielle from being super, from being flawed, from being a beacon of hope. Individuals are not a monolith, and I think at the author is transgender herself helps. 

This is a first person perspective YA novel that feels like you’re in the head of a real teenager. Danny clearly had reactions with a lot of self-hate because of how actively awful her dad is and how passively awful her mom is. So negative self-talk happens in stressful situations. Her journey as a superhero starts out as finally getting her body to match her gender identity, then fighting crime becomes an escape from reality, and finally starts to become a community, a newfound family. 

I honestly came in thinking I would be lightly enjoyable fun, but I’m really blown away with the characters, world-building, and balance of emotional, fun, and tense moments. I might have to break my book buying ban to grab the sequel. 

9/10 objectively a good time.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Blood, Violence, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Gore, Body horror, Murder, Toxic friendship, Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Transphobia, and Injury/Injury detail

unluckycat13's review against another edition

The mom is a little too complicit in creating and helping enforce the abusive parent scenario for me. The prose and characterization is also on the worse side of young adult. 

Probably will a decent book for a teenager. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia

Moderate: Child abuse

exholalia's review against another edition

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Transphobia

forestfloor's review against another edition

adventurous challenging fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I could. not. put. it. down!!

Fantastically engaging read, and satisfyingly fast. I think there was interesting world-building, albeit nothing ground breaking as far as what's typical in terms of building up a world with superheroes. I found the characters really engaging, with strong personalities. The trans rep really hit for me - Danny's experience of her transness and the way other people treat her because of it really rang true. 

I was bothered at points by the tones of ableism metahumans (including Danny) have for "baselines" and more so by the way actual disability was treated when some characters acquired it. I get the impression this will be explored more in book 2, which I am interested to read because I wasn't very happy with where the topic gets left in this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Outing, Transphobia, and Violence

Moderate: Ableism and Addiction

nb_alex's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful mysterious tense 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

I really enjoyed this book. From the beginning Danny was a lovable character who bloomed into her own throughout the story. I found it difficult to read at parts, and did have to put it down every now and then when some characters said or did some…interesting things. But overall I really enjoyed it and I’m looking forward to the next in the series. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Transphobia, Lesbophobia, Violence, and Child abuse

Moderate: Bullying, Gaslighting, and Blood

larskat's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Transphobia, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail