Reviews

i'm finding it difficult to give this a number rating, but i did enjoy this book.

i really liked the trans perspective of dante's gender being born from neccessity at first, but then something he grows into slowly over time. i also like that it's not something he angsts over- and it's only a source of discord/drama at the very end.

one thing i struggled with was probably due to the audiobook, which is read by the author who does a wonderful job, but doesn't really do character voices. for the most part, this didn't bother me, but it meant i also didn't really have a clear image in my head of who certain people were, especially the other members of the orchestra group.

over all, it's a very slow, almost meandering at times, read, but not in an unenjoyable way. i really enjoyed the setting and time period, i definitely didn't know anything about what early 1900s buenos aires was like specifically, so that's always fun for me. i really appreciate the slow gender journey, it felt incredibly organic as it happened.

Content Warnings

sarahjsnider's review against another edition

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4.25

This is more lyrical and less plot-driven than Cantoras, which I preferred, but I like this a lot. it’s very historical and very queer.

candacesiegle_greedyreader's review against another edition

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3.0

'The Gods of Tango" has a terrific premise and a disappointing execution. Set in turn of the 20th century Buenos Aires, a time when immigration from Europe and especially Italy was booming and the country was absorbing newcomers from all over the planet. Into this chaos and excitement, Leda arrives from Italy to marry a boy from her village.

The issue with the writing is that there's a lot of telling where there should be more showing. I never felt the connection with Leda or her choices, the thrill of the music, or just how hard and exciting this life was.

lashanda's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

I had a wonderful time reading this book. The writing at the line level is chock-full of poetic musings; De Robertis is an undeniably great writer. The book’s premise was intriguing to me and was what made me pick up the book in the first place. The setting of early 1900s Italy and Buenos Aries was intoxicating and absolutely made the story.

The book moves somewhat slowly, with the dense writing adding to the slower pace. There were some aspects to the plot that I had questions about/outright didn’t like. I also didn’t find any of the characters to be that memorable. In theory, I could see that each character had their differences and added to the story, but something was missing to really make me latch onto them. As well, I found the ending incredibly rushed, with one aspect of it that just did not make sense to me and took me out of the reading experience.

The second half of the book is very sexual, and I found it off-putting after a while. The main character is discovering her sexuality, and so I understand that this includes physical intimacy, but each fling she had was the same. Another woman would get introduced and I could predict how it would go. It got boring to read after the third woman. I think at times, I also found it hard to suspend disbelief that each woman she slept with didn’t question why Leda wouldn’t take her clothes off or let them do anything to her.

Overall, this was a great read. The writing is excellent, as well as the plot and setting. If you enjoy historical fiction, queer awakening, gender identity crises, and music, you’ll enjoy this.

The entire subplot with Cora did not resolve in a satisfying way. It was heart wrenching to find out Cora’s “insanity” was because she was a victim of incest, but in terms of Leda’s feelings for her, I found that the subplot needed more. When Leda dies and thinks first of Cora, I found myself feeling bitter that she didn’t think of Rosa, and this was precisely because this subplot didn’t feel fleshed out enough—I felt as the reader, she had no right to be thinking about Cora.

As well, the subplot with Alma and her child was strange. It was strange enough that Alma accused Leda of impregnating her, but for the daughter to show up at the end of the book and for Rosa and Leda to take her in, AND for Rosa to not question any of it, was pretty unbelievable and weird.

cozyarthur2022's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

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

4.25

wiktoria111's review against another edition

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emotional 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

5.0

radikaliseradgroda's review

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5.0

Every page of this reads like a poem.

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