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amandaisok's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dysphoria
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Drug abuse and Drug use
o3tri's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
reflective
medium-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? It's complicated
3.0
A charming novel. The book really shines when the MC is talking about the neuances and complexities of being a trans woman and the trans feminine experience, but it also all falls flat when Maria talks about trans men and transmasculine experiences, sometimes just plain shitting on them, sometimes just stating things that are simply factually incorrect. Now I read books where main characters have questionable views all the time, that's not my issue, but here at least to me it seems like these aren't just presented as the character's biased opinions, but as objective truth and Maria and some other characters are used as vessels for the author to lay down her own views on the page. I felt the need to point this out and critisize it especially because I've seen this book recommended a few times over the years, none of those times was this even mentioned or acknowledged in any way. I went into this book thinking I was going to read a literary novel about a trans woman and a commentary on the neuances and complexities of gender and transitioning in American society and I did get that out of it but I also got to read a book that too often shits on transmasculine people and gives matter of fact statements that are objectively and factually wrong. Only in some reviews here and on goodreads I saw these problems with the book acknowledged.
Some stuff that irked me but not too much:
-the overuse of the word bohemian or rather describing random stuff as bohemian even if it was ironic, it was done kinda sloppily
-with this type of character and novel there needs to be a certain degree of irony and self awareness that I felt weren't present enough
other than that the book was a mostly pleasant experience to go through
Some stuff that irked me but not too much:
-the overuse of the word bohemian or rather describing random stuff as bohemian even if it was ironic, it was done kinda sloppily
-with this type of character and novel there needs to be a certain degree of irony and self awareness that I felt weren't present enough
other than that the book was a mostly pleasant experience to go through
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Transphobia, Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Drug use
Minor: Racism
laurataylor's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Alcohol, and Transphobia
camill3's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
so weird, but so interesting. made me realize some personal stuff, so that's great. lots of drug stuff tho.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Addiction
dustghosts's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
medium-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
3.25
I keep waffling on how I want to rate this book. It’s a work that feels deeply personal, deeply “of its time,” and like the debut work that it is. I think that “the discourse” (which I say sort-of ironically and in finger-quotes, and sort-of not) around trans issues has necessarily changed enormously since this was written and published— in some positive ways, yes, but also as right-wing groups create bogeyman out of trans people for talking points and cultural control.
All this to say: when I speak with my friends, these days, about whatever the online manufactured inter-community discourse of the day is, I often find myself saying something like, “I wish there was a way for this conversation to be happening, but just between trans people.” And all that to say: that’s what this book feels like to me, a book about and for and between trans people, a conversation that centers us and particularly trans women. It’s not that I wouldn’t want cis people to read it, and it’s not as though it wouldn’t be accessible to people who are not trans— but it’s for us. That’s its strength and its greatest charm, and I think that’s why I want to take its flaws with a grain of salt and a baseline of good will.
It’s not a perfect book, and not one where I feel I agree with everything that the narrators do or say or think— but hearing the author herself read it, you feel the willingness to be wrong, a self-deprecating awareness that to tell an individual trans persons story isn’t to endorse every aspect of it. There are beats that resonate down to the very core, and throughlines that feel eerily familiar, and flawed gold veins of selfishness that feel raw and real.
Our main characters are a little to sometimes a lot pathetic and very humanly flawed and variably likeable depending on the day. Our plot meanders and skids and gets knocked off track and never decides to get back on it. Our narration… feels very much like the 2012-2013, first-person forum writing— but I liked listening to it, and the wry sort-of-bashful-sort-of-cocky self awareness of it. There’s a lot of humor and heart here. There’s a lot of frustration, also. I don’t know that I would want to know most of these people; I felt dragged into the spotlight by some of the similarities I felt with them, too. The afterword was one of the best parts— I loved hearing what the author had to say about what the book is about, and her reflections on her own life in regards to the work, and her discussions about the act of crafting it, and what she chose to show and what to leave out.
Anyway, I didn’t love it the whole way through. Anyway, I couldn’t stop listening. Anyway, I love that it exists. As always, mind the content warnings— mine probably won’t cover it all just because I’ve been noodling around the book itself a little too much.
All this to say: when I speak with my friends, these days, about whatever the online manufactured inter-community discourse of the day is, I often find myself saying something like, “I wish there was a way for this conversation to be happening, but just between trans people.” And all that to say: that’s what this book feels like to me, a book about and for and between trans people, a conversation that centers us and particularly trans women. It’s not that I wouldn’t want cis people to read it, and it’s not as though it wouldn’t be accessible to people who are not trans— but it’s for us. That’s its strength and its greatest charm, and I think that’s why I want to take its flaws with a grain of salt and a baseline of good will.
It’s not a perfect book, and not one where I feel I agree with everything that the narrators do or say or think— but hearing the author herself read it, you feel the willingness to be wrong, a self-deprecating awareness that to tell an individual trans persons story isn’t to endorse every aspect of it. There are beats that resonate down to the very core, and throughlines that feel eerily familiar, and flawed gold veins of selfishness that feel raw and real.
Our main characters are a little to sometimes a lot pathetic and very humanly flawed and variably likeable depending on the day. Our plot meanders and skids and gets knocked off track and never decides to get back on it. Our narration… feels very much like the 2012-2013, first-person forum writing— but I liked listening to it, and the wry sort-of-bashful-sort-of-cocky self awareness of it. There’s a lot of humor and heart here. There’s a lot of frustration, also. I don’t know that I would want to know most of these people; I felt dragged into the spotlight by some of the similarities I felt with them, too. The afterword was one of the best parts— I loved hearing what the author had to say about what the book is about, and her reflections on her own life in regards to the work, and her discussions about the act of crafting it, and what she chose to show and what to leave out.
Anyway, I didn’t love it the whole way through. Anyway, I couldn’t stop listening. Anyway, I love that it exists. As always, mind the content warnings— mine probably won’t cover it all just because I’ve been noodling around the book itself a little too much.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Toxic friendship, Transphobia, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, and Drug use
elizmoe's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Dysphoria, Alcohol, Sexual content, and Transphobia
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Self harm, and Infidelity
standerson's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
reflective
medium-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, Mental illness, Medical content, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cursing, Dysphoria, Sexual content, and Transphobia
msib129's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia and Drug use
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders
mayan03's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Alcoholism, Sexual content, and Transphobia
Moderate: Addiction and Homophobia
boy_topics's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I hated this book. The characters are intensely unlikeable, every single one of them. I was hoping that the second half would bring some kind of redemption but the ending makes no sense. I don't get it. 2 stars for being kind of on the nose with some trans stuff. I think a lot of trans girls might find parts of this book really relatable. Other than that, I wouldn't recommend it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Deadnaming, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Homophobia, Infidelity, Medical content, Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Transphobia