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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
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