Reviews tagging 'Transphobia'

Ponyboy: A Novel by Eliot Duncan

26 reviews

feliphallus's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

2.25

the writing is far too flowery for me. it gets a bit better after the protagonist stops using. despite that, a pretty quick read for me. i just cant get over how tumblr the writing is.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Alcohol, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Sexism, Sexual assault, and Transphobia

Minor: Eating disorder and Vomit

t3rraf0rm's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cursing, Deadnaming, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Dysphoria

alexirt's review

emotional slow-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

This book took me a long time to read. The prose was very pretty, but the content was emotionally difficult. It’s a coming of age/personal history of being trans and addicted. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Transphobia

brnczv's review

dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Sexual violence and Transphobia

kelseychild's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Deadnaming, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Violence, Vomit, and Alcohol

toyin_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

The prose is different, interesting and magical at times. It is nice to read a book like this about people like me, but in some ways the pain feels too close! This is the first book I read that called me to highlight.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Rape, Transphobia, and Suicide attempt

pixylprincess's review against another edition

dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book was brutally honest, raw and emotional about drug and alcohol addiction. It was hard to read at times, given the content and what the narrator went through. Poetically written and I’m glad it had a happy ending and they are in a better place. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Transphobia

dakotahreads's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Minor: Homophobia, Infidelity, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

james1star's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective 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? Yes

3.5

As someone that usually dislikes books centred on a character who abuses drugs and alcohol a lot, combined with many sex scenes, this book was actually rather decent. It’s following our mc who’s chosen the name ‘Ponyboy’ whilst still figuring out what he wants to be called. The book is split into two sections, the first set in Paris and Berlin where he’s struggling in a relationship with Baby who’s unwilling or unprepared to accept his trans identity as doesn’t want to be in a ‘straight’ relationship. There is a lot of this trans longing and desire for society and the people around him to treat him the way he wants them too. The best part of this section was this coming to terms with who he is aspect of the book and his story is portrayed as very real, being confusing and messy at times too. Another thing he needs to accept is his addiction problem where there’s a constant need to attain a high and how it’s an all consuming nature. Like I said it’s messy but also very repetitive too which I personally felt was a bit too much but I did get the reason why and it shows the brutality and horrors of addiction (the fun and high times of drugs but also the very low and what can happen under, or you allow to happen when under, the influence). 

The second ‘half’ of the book takes place in Iowa as Ponyboy returns home to work on his reconstruction and getting better. This is not a spoiler as says so on the blurb. I think this was definitely my favourite section, things are unraveled and despite being difficult, you get a truer nature of who he is and what the future looks like. The section with Brandon was really amazing here. 

On the whole I would definitely recommend giving this a read. It can be hard at times but I do feel is worth it. Personally there was a bit too much of the content I don’t like to read though. The writing is also very pretentious at times which put me off. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual content, and Alcohol

Moderate: Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Minor: Eating disorder, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, and Murder

beetlebones's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective tense 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Vomit, and Dysphoria