Scan barcode
dannothedino's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Hate crime, Lesbophobia, Racism, Misogyny, Classism, Murder, Alcohol, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Racial slurs, Death, Cursing, Gun violence, and Blood
Minor: Drug use, Dysphoria, and Colonisation
micaelacccc's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: War
percys_panda_pillow_pet's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
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? It's complicated
5.0
I was SO excited when I heard that Anna-Marie McLemore wrote a Great Gatsby reimagining. Ever since I read their book When The Moon Was Ours, I was an immediate fan of the author. I think they were the perfect person to reimagine The Great Gatsby as they have an impeccable sense of language and symbolism, as well as I just love the idea of a queer author making this classic into the queer story many have always thought it was.
Now, I will be honest and say I wasn't a big fan of the original book by Fitzgerald. In addition to some bad experiences in school when I read it, I also felt like the characters were flat and unlikable, and the story boring and outdated. Now, of course, there can be many arguments that Fitzgerald purposefully wrote it this way, especially with the characters, but I am not here to critique the original story, just adding context for this review.
Self-Made Boys takes everything I disliked about The Great Gatsby and makes them great and unique. The characters were much more likable, even Daisy, who in both versions rides the line between terrible/annoying and sympathetic. I personally enjoy reading likable characters more than unlikable usually, so this was a huge plus for me. As well, the characters just felt more real, fleshed-out, and down to earth. Instead of just acting as caricatures for Fitzgerald to use as vehicles for his main message, they actually felt like they had their own wills and purposes in the narrative, especially Nick who easily could've been relegated back to the simple self-insert for the reader that he was in the original.
With these well-rounded characters, I felt much more invested in their lives and the outcome of each situation they found themselves in. I didn't even remember Jordan from the original and I don't know if Martha existed, but I loved the addition of more female characters. It was so easy to get connected to each character and the story was so much more rich and compelling for me.
The unique elements Anna-Marie McLemore added to the story, from their heritage as a Latine person to their queer identity, really made this book perfect for me. There is something to be said about using personal experience in a novel that really fleshes things out in a way no one else could. McLemore is a fantastic author who knows how to write very well, and I couldn't find a single mistake in this book when I tried. I'm glad to give this book the 5 stars it deserves.
Now, I will be honest and say I wasn't a big fan of the original book by Fitzgerald. In addition to some bad experiences in school when I read it, I also felt like the characters were flat and unlikable, and the story boring and outdated. Now, of course, there can be many arguments that Fitzgerald purposefully wrote it this way, especially with the characters, but I am not here to critique the original story, just adding context for this review.
Self-Made Boys takes everything I disliked about The Great Gatsby and makes them great and unique. The characters were much more likable, even Daisy, who in both versions rides the line between terrible/annoying and sympathetic. I personally enjoy reading likable characters more than unlikable usually, so this was a huge plus for me. As well, the characters just felt more real, fleshed-out, and down to earth. Instead of just acting as caricatures for Fitzgerald to use as vehicles for his main message, they actually felt like they had their own wills and purposes in the narrative, especially Nick who easily could've been relegated back to the simple self-insert for the reader that he was in the original.
With these well-rounded characters, I felt much more invested in their lives and the outcome of each situation they found themselves in. I didn't even remember Jordan from the original and I don't know if Martha existed, but I loved the addition of more female characters. It was so easy to get connected to each character and the story was so much more rich and compelling for me.
The unique elements Anna-Marie McLemore added to the story, from their heritage as a Latine person to their queer identity, really made this book perfect for me. There is something to be said about using personal experience in a novel that really fleshes things out in a way no one else could. McLemore is a fantastic author who knows how to write very well, and I couldn't find a single mistake in this book when I tried. I'm glad to give this book the 5 stars it deserves.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation
Moderate: Racism, War, Body shaming, Xenophobia, Sexism, and Misogyny
Minor: Sexual content, Racial slurs, Police brutality, and Car accident
readabookortwo's review against another edition
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Transphobia, Racism, and Homophobia
Minor: War
ericaberica5126's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-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
I love how this book used the original as a basis but added it's own spin. My favorite instance of this was Nick's name. Because he is Mexican-American his last name is Caraveo. However his (racist) boss calls him Caraway.
The way that the author made the characters fit to the original but also not was amazing! I highly recommend this to anyone who thought that the original novel should've ended with Nick and Jay ending up together!
The way that the author made the characters fit to the original but also not was amazing! I highly recommend this to anyone who thought that the original novel should've ended with Nick and Jay ending up together!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Deadnaming, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Racial slurs, Body shaming, Classism, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, and Transphobia
seroose's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism and Racism
katebrownreads's review
emotional
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gaslighting, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Homophobia, Transphobia, and Sexism
novelty_reads's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-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
4.5
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Confession: I didn't really like The Great Gatsby when I read it a few years ago.
I loved the movie though and, book crime or not, I watched it before reading the book. In fact, it quickly became my favourite movie and while it isn't currently, I was excited to delve back deeper into the Gatsby-esque world of 1920's America in Self Made Boys. I also hoped that perhaps it may even spark a love for the original book for me. While I likedthe book, I didn't love it. Although that may also be because it was an English Lit book for school.
Self Made Boys is a remixed classic of The Great Gatsbyfeaturing a vastly diverse cast of characters. It follows Nick, a transgender boy who arrives from Wisconsin to New York City to live alongside his cousin, Daisy and her partner, Tom in the cottage they leased to him in the West Egg. While living there, Nick becomes fascinated by his neighbour, the enigmatic Jay Gatsby who throws wild parties all for the likes of impressing Daisy. He also discovers that Jay is also a lot like Nick. He's transgender too. As the two get closer together, Nick falls in love with Gatsby as he tries to reconnect him with his first and lost love.
I think I preferred this book more than the original which is a testament to the writing of Anna-Marie McLemore. This book, while sticking to and maintaining the heart and soul of The Great Gatsby and what makes it so special, was able to completely reshape it in a way that kept the story fresh, alive and modern. It had heart, it had tenderness and it had character and I absolutely loved the story it shaped up to be.
I loved all the characters from Nick to Gatsby to Daisy. In the original book, I admittedly didn't like Daisy much, not even in the movie either. But this book elevated her character and really developed her more. She wasn't just a rich girl who was about to marry an old-money man, she was a Latina girl who's heritage she hid to fit in with the rich-white society she was hoping to marry into. She was by all means a flawed character but I loved how honest she was, how real she felt and how she developed and grew from trying to meet other people's expectation and mould herself truly into who she wanted to be. And her ending? Satisfying. I loved that she ended up happy and I loved the twist.
For me, Nick, whether be in the original book or movie, always seemed like a passive sort of character. We saw everything from his perspective but we didn't really get to know him that well. I was so happy with this book that we got more glimpses into who he is. I liked seeing his work relations too and I found I learned a lot about commerce, finance and how markets operate economically from this book. I also liked how we also got more glimpses into his family life and how accepting his parents were of his coming out. I overall just enjoyed reading from his perspective and he provided a captivating lens that helped navigate the story well.
I was also really impressed with the hints of transgender history the author incorporated in the book. Admittedly I didn't know much and I'm so glad I got the opportunity to learn through reading. I also liked how we learned more about Latin-American's and how they lived in 1920's society. I also loved how the reflections on the racial systems were handled in this book and Nick's perspective on how his cousin was changing herself including changing her family name to appear more "white" for the sake of fitting in.
All in all, this book was a fantastic take on the Great Gatsbytale with flawed and real characters that made this book come alive on the page. I absolutely recommend it to anyone who loves The Great Gatsby because, despite the few changes to the original story, Self Made Boys keeps the essence of Gatsby's legend and brings it forward to a new generation of readers.
ACTUAL RATING: 4.4 STARS
Confession: I didn't really like The Great Gatsby when I read it a few years ago.
I loved the movie though and, book crime or not, I watched it before reading the book. In fact, it quickly became my favourite movie and while it isn't currently, I was excited to delve back deeper into the Gatsby-esque world of 1920's America in Self Made Boys. I also hoped that perhaps it may even spark a love for the original book for me. While I likedthe book, I didn't love it. Although that may also be because it was an English Lit book for school.
Self Made Boys is a remixed classic of The Great Gatsbyfeaturing a vastly diverse cast of characters. It follows Nick, a transgender boy who arrives from Wisconsin to New York City to live alongside his cousin, Daisy and her partner, Tom in the cottage they leased to him in the West Egg. While living there, Nick becomes fascinated by his neighbour, the enigmatic Jay Gatsby who throws wild parties all for the likes of impressing Daisy. He also discovers that Jay is also a lot like Nick. He's transgender too. As the two get closer together, Nick falls in love with Gatsby as he tries to reconnect him with his first and lost love.
I think I preferred this book more than the original which is a testament to the writing of Anna-Marie McLemore. This book, while sticking to and maintaining the heart and soul of The Great Gatsby and what makes it so special, was able to completely reshape it in a way that kept the story fresh, alive and modern. It had heart, it had tenderness and it had character and I absolutely loved the story it shaped up to be.
I loved all the characters from Nick to Gatsby to Daisy. In the original book, I admittedly didn't like Daisy much, not even in the movie either. But this book elevated her character and really developed her more. She wasn't just a rich girl who was about to marry an old-money man, she was a Latina girl who's heritage she hid to fit in with the rich-white society she was hoping to marry into. She was by all means a flawed character but I loved how honest she was, how real she felt and how she developed and grew from trying to meet other people's expectation and mould herself truly into who she wanted to be. And her ending? Satisfying. I loved that she ended up happy and I loved the twist.
For me, Nick, whether be in the original book or movie, always seemed like a passive sort of character. We saw everything from his perspective but we didn't really get to know him that well. I was so happy with this book that we got more glimpses into who he is. I liked seeing his work relations too and I found I learned a lot about commerce, finance and how markets operate economically from this book. I also liked how we also got more glimpses into his family life and how accepting his parents were of his coming out. I overall just enjoyed reading from his perspective and he provided a captivating lens that helped navigate the story well.
I was also really impressed with the hints of transgender history the author incorporated in the book. Admittedly I didn't know much and I'm so glad I got the opportunity to learn through reading. I also liked how we learned more about Latin-American's and how they lived in 1920's society. I also loved how the reflections on the racial systems were handled in this book and Nick's perspective on how his cousin was changing herself including changing her family name to appear more "white" for the sake of fitting in.
All in all, this book was a fantastic take on the Great Gatsbytale with flawed and real characters that made this book come alive on the page. I absolutely recommend it to anyone who loves The Great Gatsby because, despite the few changes to the original story, Self Made Boys keeps the essence of Gatsby's legend and brings it forward to a new generation of readers.
ACTUAL RATING: 4.4 STARS
Content Warnings
Minor: Racial slurs, Racism, Cultural appropriation, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Homophobia, Murder, and Classism
brianareads's review against another edition
emotional
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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Violence, Toxic relationship, Racism, Racial slurs, Transphobia, Misogyny, Gun violence, Sexism, and Car accident
delz's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
fast-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
5.0
The story begins with Nicolás Caraveo leaving Wisconsin, heading to NYC for a job. His cousin, Daisy has already relocated to NYC and offers to help Nicolás. Unfortunately when Nicolás reaches New York his cousin has disowned him, claiming he was her maid’s son. Daisy is also passing herself off as white because her boyfriend/fiancé, Tom Buchanan is a raging racist living in East Egg. Nicolás lives in a cottage (owned by Tom)in West Egg and his next door neighbor is Jay Gatsby. The characters have secrets within secrets, but they’re dealing with racism, homophobia and classism. I’ve never read The Great Gatsby so I can’t make a comparison, but I really liked McLemore’s vision for 1920’s, which included prohibition and Lavender marriages.
Content Warnings
Minor: Racism, Racial slurs, and Sexism