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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
Let me explain: this was a 5 star until we get to the childhood story about a Cadillac Escalade. P. Carl was NOT a child in 1999. So is this an editorial mistake or were we reading creative non-fiction.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Reading about Carl’s thoughts and experiences pre- and post-transition, I found myself relating in a lot of surprising ways. Not to say that I’m discovering a trans-ness to myself - I don’t think I am trans - but rather a convergence of things relating to outsider mentality, especially concerning being an outsider to your own body.
In my case, a lot of trauma lead to a lot of secrets that disconnected me from a physical and present sense of reality that I’m barely learning to recover from. I found the experience Carl describes of finally embracing who you are and seeing your place in the world anew and operating in it differently to be very relatable. As I’ve deconstructed my trauma and coping mechanisms, there too did I find a lot of empathy towards Carl’s experience deconstructing the parts of them formed from the time spent role playing a woman, to the times exploring what it is to be a man.
I think this book has helped nudge me towards not taking my masculinity for granted either in how I express it or how I let it control me.
Overall, very well written book and I had a blast, it was easy, and I’d find it to be important reading for its level of introspection that is so hard to access and achieve.
In my case, a lot of trauma lead to a lot of secrets that disconnected me from a physical and present sense of reality that I’m barely learning to recover from. I found the experience Carl describes of finally embracing who you are and seeing your place in the world anew and operating in it differently to be very relatable. As I’ve deconstructed my trauma and coping mechanisms, there too did I find a lot of empathy towards Carl’s experience deconstructing the parts of them formed from the time spent role playing a woman, to the times exploring what it is to be a man.
I think this book has helped nudge me towards not taking my masculinity for granted either in how I express it or how I let it control me.
Overall, very well written book and I had a blast, it was easy, and I’d find it to be important reading for its level of introspection that is so hard to access and achieve.
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
HIGHLY RECOMMEND! P. Carl is so vulnerable and open. In this memoir he shares intimate details of his transition and how that affected his relationships with his wife, family members, and interactions with strangers. I also appreciate how he recognizes and names the privileges that come with being a white male, but also his unique insight due to the fact that he had to present as a woman for so many years of his life.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
As a trans man myself, parts of this book spoke to my soul! It also provided me a different perspective; it's important to read many different perspectives because no one person can represent an entire community.
3.75 really enjoyed learning about the authors life and perspective. I had never given much though to the impact being transgender can have on homosexual identity, and this book did a great job of showing the impact both on the author and their community. At times I’d did come across as misogynistic but the author does a mostly commendable job examining that in themselves pre and post transition. Overall, I wish the story was lady out a little better with more history and context because I felt at times that it was weaved in a way that didn’t offer enough context or was confusing. Would recommend the audiobook!
emotional
fast-paced
read this book right before i started HRT, eternally grateful for carl’s thoughts and vulnerability
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced