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speakn0w's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
musicrunner1319's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
vultures_child's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
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
4.0
kitty237's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
marcel's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
3.5
the type of book i would've gone bananas about at age 19-22 but now i've grown out of this sort of beginner gay literature..... not to say it's bad! it's light and fluffy and heartfelt as it tries to do something pretty magical with the source material - plus it includes a few unexpectedly poignant and lovely moments of... unconditional love and acceptance shown to the trans lead that i think every trans reader would feel deeply.
i also loved the pockets of queer community that the characters were able to find and share with each other, though i kinda doubt the historical accuracy...? but that's not the point so it's fine. also the kissing was pretty good! wish there was more of that!
i also loved the pockets of queer community that the characters were able to find and share with each other, though i kinda doubt the historical accuracy...? but that's not the point so it's fine. also the kissing was pretty good! wish there was more of that!
monarchsandmyths's review against another edition
5.0
thank you to macmillan children’s publishing and netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
What do you even say after reading a book like this? It’s uniquely hard to describe how I feel about books like SELF-MADE BOYS, but what I can say is that I loved it, that it saw me, that it’s hard to imagine loving it any more than I do, and that I absolutely need everyone to read it.
SELF-MADE BOYS is the Great Gatsby retelling that I have always wanted, a tender and queer retelling of a classic story, of a storyline as old as time and boys that are entirely new. It tells the story of trans Mexican-American Nick going to New York, where his cousin Daisy lives in an almost engagement to one Tom Buchanan, spending her days with Jordan Baker. And one Jay Gatsby, a trans boy, seemingly self-made in every way. It takes the bones of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s story and makes it something entirely new, fresh, and utterly heartfelt.
The Great Gatsby is the epitome of the story about the American Dream. A critique into it, and a look at being self-made. McLemore adds yet another layer, critique and all. All of them are made within a queer community. The queer community within SELF-MADE BOYS is incredibly intimate, from the casual ways in which Nick and Gatsby reveal themselves to one another, to lavender marriages, to queer love that was there all along. Anna-Marie McLemore’s books are always an intensely heartfelt love letter to queer people, and to queer communities, and I could not have enjoyed this one more. These characters couldn’t help but feel real, that made their love stories with themselves and one another all the more genuine.
Like the best of stories, the smallest moments of this book are threaded into a larger plot. It has plenty of nods to the plot of the original Gatsby, and takes liberties to make this uniquely SELF-MADE BOYS. The story of two self-made boys, in the way that they are, but it’s also the story of what brought them to that point, the lengths that they and the ones they hold dear. It’s not a mystery, but it has plot lines that kept me guessing, and that only made the book better as I kept reading.
Truly, it is so hard to express my feelings for this book and its story. I have so much love for Nick, for Gatsby, for Daisy and Jordan. It is an exploration of identities, of self, of being queer and all different kinds of love in the wake of that. SELF-MADE BOYS has a piece of my heart, one that I would gladly give it to it again and again. I could not recommend this book enough.
What do you even say after reading a book like this? It’s uniquely hard to describe how I feel about books like SELF-MADE BOYS, but what I can say is that I loved it, that it saw me, that it’s hard to imagine loving it any more than I do, and that I absolutely need everyone to read it.
SELF-MADE BOYS is the Great Gatsby retelling that I have always wanted, a tender and queer retelling of a classic story, of a storyline as old as time and boys that are entirely new. It tells the story of trans Mexican-American Nick going to New York, where his cousin Daisy lives in an almost engagement to one Tom Buchanan, spending her days with Jordan Baker. And one Jay Gatsby, a trans boy, seemingly self-made in every way. It takes the bones of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s story and makes it something entirely new, fresh, and utterly heartfelt.
The Great Gatsby is the epitome of the story about the American Dream. A critique into it, and a look at being self-made. McLemore adds yet another layer, critique and all. All of them are made within a queer community. The queer community within SELF-MADE BOYS is incredibly intimate, from the casual ways in which Nick and Gatsby reveal themselves to one another, to lavender marriages, to queer love that was there all along. Anna-Marie McLemore’s books are always an intensely heartfelt love letter to queer people, and to queer communities, and I could not have enjoyed this one more. These characters couldn’t help but feel real, that made their love stories with themselves and one another all the more genuine.
Like the best of stories, the smallest moments of this book are threaded into a larger plot. It has plenty of nods to the plot of the original Gatsby, and takes liberties to make this uniquely SELF-MADE BOYS. The story of two self-made boys, in the way that they are, but it’s also the story of what brought them to that point, the lengths that they and the ones they hold dear. It’s not a mystery, but it has plot lines that kept me guessing, and that only made the book better as I kept reading.
Truly, it is so hard to express my feelings for this book and its story. I have so much love for Nick, for Gatsby, for Daisy and Jordan. It is an exploration of identities, of self, of being queer and all different kinds of love in the wake of that. SELF-MADE BOYS has a piece of my heart, one that I would gladly give it to it again and again. I could not recommend this book enough.
stereopticons's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
nalaban's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
dasnook_arts's review against another edition
lighthearted
relaxing
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
3.5
repha's review against another edition
4.0
I never read The Great Gatsby. I watched the movie before going into this book, because I wanted to know the original plot. And I can say I definitely loved this retelling.
While the main themes and overall message were very different from the classic, the clever characters and plot adaptations gave it a new depth. Anna-Marie McLemore crafted a very different story (which I always enjoy in a retelling), far more hopeful, in which they artfully discuss major themes such as identity, conformism, superficiality, and self-actualisation.
While the main themes and overall message were very different from the classic, the clever characters and plot adaptations gave it a new depth. Anna-Marie McLemore crafted a very different story (which I always enjoy in a retelling), far more hopeful, in which they artfully discuss major themes such as identity, conformism, superficiality, and self-actualisation.