Reviews with content warning for Deadnaming - Woodworking

Reviews tagging 'Deadnaming'

Woodworking by Emily St. James

56 reviews

camillatd's review against another edition

4.5

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

Loveable characters: Yes

LOVED. Funny, charming, emotional. I was so invested in all these characters and didn’t want to leave them when the book ended. Fantastic on audio.

Content Warnings

kays_reading_journal's review against another edition

4.5

Litfic isn't usually my thing but im glad I picked this up and stuck with it.

The beginning took a bit for me to get into because I wasn't sure how I felt about the main characters interactions, but it's addressed in the book in a good way.

I love multiple character pov in general, but the addition of switching between 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person depending on the character was incredible and so well done.

Overall really enjoyed the characters and would definitely recommend to people

I wasnt the biggest fan of the fourth wall breaks that Abigail has throughout. I think i wouldve liked them better if they were explained at the end, like if all her chapters were a diary or blog post or something.

Content Warnings

bookishmillennial's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad tense 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

"That's why I'm disappearing the second I can. I read about that on Reddit too. This old bitch made this post called "A Warning," and she talked about how she grew up in Brazil but got her hands on hormones when she was sixteen (like I did!) and ran away to New York and completely fucking disappeared. Back then, in the 1980s or whenever, they called it "woodworking," because you disappeared into the woodwork. And she said, "It destroys you. You can't pretend you're not who you are."
But just let me try, lady. I'll run so far and so fast that you'll never see me again. I'll be hiding in the walls, trying to be any other girl, like in that one story with the yellow wallpaper Ms. Skyberg made us all read last year. (15)

I deeply felt for each of the characters in this book. No, I know that I say this SO often, but I literally sympathized with every single character (except for Isaiah actually) in this novel, due to the way Emily St. James provided them all with so many layers, lore, and nuance.

Let's start with Erica - she starts this book out feeling uncertain, terrified of being “found out,” yet desperately yearning for any semblance of genuine connection with someone who knows she is trans. As a former educator, it was hard for me to watch Erica seek this reassurance and guidance from her student, Abigail, because we do hold the power in that dynamic. However, I also empathized because my former students have been between 18-40, and ultimately, though you recognize that they are students, they are not just students, and you come to build a rapport with them as you get to know them. I have certainly become good friends with many of my past students, still keeping in touch with them regularly and catching up over coffee or a meal. Add in the fact that Abigail was the only openly trans person Erica has ever met? And that’s an identity that has been attempting to burst out of Erica for so long to be seen? Uhhhh yeah, I’m easily gonna sympathize with my clueless honey Erica.

I also really enjoyed the examination of Erica and Constance’s romantic and platonic relationship, and (spoilers ahead, so like read at your own risk, or skip to the next paragraph about Abigail!) how they revisited the loneliness Constance felt, which contributed to getting a divorce. Again, I felt for both of them, as Constance felt Erica prioritized a “safe harbor” over telling Constance the truth so they could navigate what comes next together, and Erica was obviously terrified that Constance would either leave her, or worse, hate her for who she really was.

"I don't know what I would have done. The point is: You didn't want me enough to tell me the truth. You wanted a safe harbor, so you could hide from the storm. And I loved you. I loved you, but I got stuck with him." (152)

Both of their fears and pains were valid in this situation, and I can’t pretend I would’ve handled it any differently. It’s a lot to reckon with if you’re Erica, wondering if Constance married you because of the man she thought you were and the sexuality she currently subscribes to. You have to reckon with the fact that your life partner could not only leave you, but not accept you for who you really are, and to be misunderstood by the person you love the most is a searing pain that I’m unsure ever heals. I loved their journey back to one another though, and I’m starting to become a sucker for a second-chance romance hehehehe.

The portion of the book where Erica attempts to commit to her male self was heartbreaking, but again, I wasn’t angry with her or judging her. Everyone has their own journey, and I knew Erica made a choice to protect herself the best way she knew how at that moment. Who can blame her for that? It made my heart ache though, both to see her try to be something she wasn’t and to see it was actively crushing her soul, AND to see her deadname (as a grey rectangle, not the actual name) listed so many times on the page in that chapter. HOWEVER, I loved the switch from third-person POV to first-person POV when we got Erica back to being Erica. That was a really powerful moment in the text for me!

Okay, so where to start with Abigail. I love her. I adore her. She is the moment. She is quick-witted, clever, biting, and possesses the same nonchalant confidence so many of my Gen Z students held. SHE IS JUST SO FUNNY!!! I cackled when she texted Erica, "you HUNG UP ON ME??? AFTER ALL I'VE DONE FOR YOU?? you are such a DUMB SLUT, ERICA!!" (88). I love the simultaneous drama and unseriousness of her tone, and her ability to demand your attention and to listen to her. The way she speaks to Isaiah about his transphobic beliefs was admirable, brave, and impressive; I often think of comebacks later on, but in the moment, am stunned by pain, and seething rage. She tells him: "You are so fucking boring. Somebody told you how to live your life when you were five, and you never tried anything else. Which means I know myself better than you ever fucking will," I say. (163) See? Abigail has zero problem being bold, and doing it quickly.

However, this does get her into trouble later when she makes a mistake that unfortunately does speak to both her humanness and her age. Please try not to misunderstand me as being ageist; I simply do think some lessons are learned the hard way, such as learning to pause and to not be so immediately reactive, which is a lesson I only recently learned in my early 30s. Experience is unfortunately the best teacher sometimes, and I do think that even though things turn out okay for the person she inadvertently harmed in this decision, Abigail did learn to pause and reflect a bit more. I also appreciated the way her friendship with Megan developed too, and Abigail began to self-reflect more in the way she treats and assumes much of others.

Emily St. James really did surprise me with Brooke, and though I read “Different Kinds of Fruit” by Kyle Lukoff (similar reveal), I still wasn’t expecting this!!! I deeply felt for her, and loved the full circle moment of revisiting the titular “woodworking”. What a way to round out this narrative, so brava Emily St. James!

Every single one of these characters navigated different relationships (familial, platonic, romantic, acquaintances, old friends, co-workers), along with the ones they had with themselves, on top of everything else life throws at you and expects you to juggle: work, school, home life, the 2016 election, and more. I appreciated that we got to follow these characters over a period of a few months during that autumn, because it made sense narratively and realistically. Most importantly, we got to witness a happily-for-now for each of them, and hope for a future, which some of them didn’t think existed.

Quotations that stood out to me:

"Like I said: Nobody ever wants to be my friend to be my friend." (39)

I get so sad, and I don't know why. Sometimes, I feel like I'm chasing something inside myself, trying to keep it from getting out, but I don't know its name or what it's trying to do to me. I chase and chase and chase, and I usually keep it from getting out, except when it attacks some poor person who gets in its way. Like Megan. "I am really sorry." (94)

We are, none of us, a single set of destinies set by the accident of our birth. We can change and be changed. Our bodies know the language they must speak to make us the people we must become. (334)

Content Warnings

glaistigsgarden's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional funny hopeful tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

rainbowbookworm's review against another edition

4.75

Emily St. James’s Woodworking is a deeply felt, sharply observed debut about identity, community, and the surprising ways we find and sustain each other—especially when the world around us insists on misunderstanding who we are. It’s a novel that brims with emotional texture and interior insight, and one that defies conventional expectations at nearly every turn.

I checked out the audiobook on a whim, expecting to listen to half one day and the rest the next. Instead, I couldn’t stop. Narratively, it’s propulsive without being showy. I found myself quickly absorbed by the central relationship between Erica, a closeted trans high school teacher, and Abigail, a politically outspoken teenage girl who has been navigating the world as visibly trans for much longer than she should have had to. Their dynamic is layered with power reversals, emotional risk, and unexpected grace. There’s a real tenderness in the way St. James allows them to influence and challenge one another without ever veering into sentimentality or melodrama.

As the novel progresses, there’s a reveal that launches the story into a somewhat chaotic finale—a kind of everything-but-the-kitchen-sink twist that I normally might find frustrating. But here, it didn’t dampen my connection to the characters or their arcs. The emotional groundwork laid throughout the novel kept it grounded, even as the pace accelerated.

The book also makes some bold formal choices in its audio production: the use of static to signal deadnaming is inventive, if inconsistently applied. That inconsistency is worth noting, especially for listeners for whom those moments are emotionally charged. Deadnaming happens within the text itself, so content warnings may be necessary for some readers.

That said, the book feels remarkably generous. Woodworking doesn’t promise a neatly resolved ending or a world free of cruelty. But it does offer a space for possibility. It’s a story where mentorship can come from a teenager, where healing might involve someone from your past, and where chosen family isn’t always separate from blood. It also gently acknowledges the real-life complications of being trans in public, particularly for those who work in schools or conservative spaces. Erica’s fears around visibility reminded me of the same fear I carried when I worked in a Catholic school and knew that being open about my identity could cost me everything.

Abigail, though, is the heart of the novel. Fierce, reluctant, emotionally intelligent, and startlingly funny—she reminded me of Maeve from Sex Education in the best possible way. The book shines brightest when we see the world through her eyes.

Woodworking made my heart race, melt, and ache. It reminded me of my own formative friendships and the people who helped me see myself more clearly. It’s not a fairy tale, but it’s full of hope. For anyone who has lived through the loneliness of not being seen—and for those who have finally found someone who sees them—this book is a gift.

Content Warnings

imstephtacular's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Gosh, I loved this book! Not only is the writing excellent, but the story is messy and beautiful and complex and for me was the perfect balance of a YA narrative and an adult narrative

I liked the different perspectives of various ways and conflicting experiences of being trans. I also loved the unlikely friendships within this story

Highly recommend!

Content Warnings

ellen_mellor's review against another edition

5.0

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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

This is my book of the year so far and it's going to take a lot to topple it.
A beautiful, moving, funny and heartfelt story about an 'older' trans woman's first steps in finding out who she is. And, I really identified with Erica.
Her realisation of who she is, her struggles to come to terms with it, her joys and her fears, all reminded me of my early days.
All the characters were so vivid and real. Abigail, the teenage trans girl who becomes an unwilling mentor to Erica is wonderful. Her hard shell that she has been forced to erect to protect herself felt so real and her slow blossoming into someone who realised she actually had a future made me cry.
Each chapter was from a different POV and I loved how different they were. Erica being mostly 3rd person, Abigail 1st person with regular fourth wall breaks and a 3rd character written in 2nd person. (Not naming them because... Spoilers.) It was such an innovative book. Setting it in a deeply Republican town in the run up and aftermath of Trump's 1st win in 2016 added a tension to the story. I hoped things would work out but knew that they wouldn't. At least not in that town.
This book deserves to be read by everybody. Possibly most be the anti-trans bigots out there because it might break through their shells and allow some humanity in.
Also, the way that Emily avoided telling us Erica's deadname through the use of a block of static everytime it was used, was brilliant.

Content Warnings

thirdtimesacharm's review against another edition

4.5

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad 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

Content Warnings

quinnsometimesreadsbooks's review against another edition

4.75

dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense 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

Content Warnings

jojothefool's review against another edition

5.0

emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I loved this soooooo so so so so so so much. The characters were so enticing and relatable and lovely and funny and clever and deep and real. I was obsessed with how the author brought in so many different transition stories into one novel in such a beautiful and honest way. I am so in love with Abigail and Erica and reading about their friendship just brought me so much joy.

Content Warnings

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