Reviews - Woodworking | The StoryGraph

1.25k reviews for:

Woodworking

Emily St. James

4.5 AVERAGE

bookedandbusywithmrc's review against another edition

5.0

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (and then some)

I picked up Woodworking during the North of Boston Indie Bookstore Trail and had no idea just how much this book would wreck me and heal me in equal measure.

This stunning debut follows Erica Skyberg, a recently divorced 35-year-old who hasn’t told anyone she’s trans, and Abigail Hawkes, a sharp, politically vocal 17-year-old who is the Only Trans Girl in their conservative South Dakota town. The story switches between Abigail’s bold, raw first-person voice and Erica’s more cautious, observant third-person perspective—and the result is nothing short of masterful.

There’s a moment early on where Abigail describes how hated and out-of-place she feels, and I genuinely had to pause. As a gay man who grew up in a religious, hetero-dominated world, that ache hit way too close to home.

One of the most powerful creative choices: whenever Erica’s deadname is used—whether by mistake or malice—it’s completely blacked out in the text. It’s such a simple, visual reminder of how identity and respect are intertwined. I felt myself flinch each time it happened, desperate for her to be seen and named for who she is.

There’s a scene in a bar that had me tearing up from secondhand embarrassment, anxiety, and empathy. The emotional range in this book is unbelievable—and yet, it’s also hilarious in all the best ways. The banter between Erica and Abigail? Iconic. I could absolutely see myself and my friends trading the same kind of snarky, heartfelt lines.

The family dynamics, the small-town tension, the exhaustion of constantly having to explain your existence, the radical joy of being yourself anyway… it’s all here. There’s one chapter (you’ll know the one) that left me breathless—just pure awe.

Emily St. James doesn’t just write about identity—she illuminates it. With a genius blend of perspectives and a deep emotional core, Woodworking isn’t just a trans story. It’s a human one.

Highly recommend this for anyone craving something real, raw, and unexpectedly healing.

#WoodworkingBook #EmilyStJames #TransVoices #QueerLit #Bookstagram #BookReview #LGBTQBooks #OwnVoices #TransRepresentation #FictionThatMatters #MustRead #BooksThatHeal #QueerReads #ReadWithPride #IndieBookstoreFind #BookishLove #BooksWithHeart #InclusiveReads #FiveStarRead #DebutNovel #TransJoy #BookishFeels #NorthOfBostonBookTrail #StoriesThatStick #BookNerdsUnite

hnnhhsb's review against another edition

4.75

emotional funny hopeful reflective 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

danskeleton's review against another edition

5.0

emotional inspiring reflective 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

sjoydavis20's review against another edition

4.75

emotional reflective 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

gabking88's review against another edition

4.0

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

mshatzer's review against another edition

2.5

This is a tough review for me, because I like this author. I followed her from Twitter to Bluesky, and I’ve read many of her television articles over the years. And I definitely support and acknowledge the rights of transgender people (and I vote accordingly!). But I didn’t really enjoy this book very much. I found most of the characters to be pretty one-dimensional and basic (except Abigail, who rules). The story is just a little too tidy and predictable, while also being unbelievable at the same time. For example, I was super happy for Erica when she came out to her ex-wife, but Constance’s instant unquestioning and loving reaction to this monumental news didn’t feel all that realistic to me. Wouldn’t there have been several follow-up conversations? The introduction of a third trans woman in the same friend group in the same small town really stretched beyond credulity for me.

Told from the perspective of two different main characters, this book does a great job of distinguishing between the POVs. I like how Erica’s chapters are written in third person while Abigail’s chapters are written in first person, with the author sometimes even acknowledging the reader as someone receiving the story. I get annoyed sometimes when books use the same writing style and same voices for a story that is supposedly being told by different people. But there were many other things about this book that annoyed me instead. I think there's only one straight character (Helen) who isn't a villain at some point.

There are some sections that are pretty poignant, and I think it does a nice job of showing what life might be like for three different trans women. So if the goal is to help a cis white male like me understand that experience, then I guess the book is successful. But as a fictional story in the rom-com genre, I didn’t find it super enjoyable or memorable or gripping. I’m glad that it exists though!