Reviews

This is a deeply introspective book told through massive amounts of exposition broken up by occasional dialogue, and virtually no plot movement. The book is chock full of nuance and takes care to react, often through the character Katrina, each time a character generalizes their experience - particularly valuable given that the trans protagonists are both white. I appreciated the exploration of a couple characters’ feelings and thoughts while transitioning and re-transitioning. Despite them being characters, I felt like a level of trust was being put on me as a reader, the way trust would be put on me as a listener if someone shared their experience with me - and for that I’m grateful I could follow the journeys of three people so intimately. I appreciated how perceptive the characters are, although in the real world I think their observations about each other would lean toward the psychoanalytical a bit more than is necessary.

I can’t say that I enjoyed this book rather than that I was just very interested in the content, so 4/5 stars.

canisand's review against another edition

Go to review page

1.0

Haven’t actually read it but I just hate the plot so bad like ppl are gonna look at this and think that every trans person detransitions and I realize that some ppl do that and it’s totally okay but we shouldn’t be talking about this on just a big platform without acknowledging that not all trans ppl detransition like jfc

winterkinzy's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

kstanpadg's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

i like this book because the author doesn’t try to palatable. she’s just honest and you can feel the grace she extends to others. she said people are flawed and complicated but not without reason and they still deserve to be loved!

some quotes i marked are "he couldn't fully comprehend the enormous weight of fatherhood and generational lineage, but he could easily comprehend how much he did not want to cancel HBO." like..yeah

“all pain merits care, but not dogmatically egalitarian relativism."

all of page 316 but especially "when amy transitioned, she lost her dog. there was just her. she and her body were one and the same....but without a dog to hurt for her, on her behalf, her life as a woman arrived with pain; pain that had to be endured, withstood, pain that was the same as being alive, and so was without end."

"she enjoyed his take on stoic masculinity--the tragic man who loves a woman enough that the loss of her makes submersion in a frozen pond appealing by comparison. would all difficult women be loved that deeply.”

"move forward without investing in new illusions or turning bitter."

benparker18's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional funny reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.5

More...