Reviews with content warning for Transphobia - Nevada

This is the second book I’ve read where the main character is trans. I like that you get to read about the experience of two characters that are “post” and “pre” transition and it’s honestly given me a lot more context to what a trans experience is actually like . Really enjoyed this book and the afterword from the author.

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serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

Nevada popped onto my radar when I was searching for a book to mark #internationaltransgenderdayofvisibility (31 March). It was the road trip angle that appealed and although that was less of a feature than the blurb led me to believe I really enjoyed my time with the book. I enjoyed the contrast between Maria and James and where they were on with regards to their trans identities. Maria had a strong narrative voice which instantly captured my attention and although she was messy she was also really self-aware which I appreciated. The critique of capitalism was a bonus.

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libby_l96's review against another edition

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dark funny informative medium-paced

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

3.75

Unpopular opinion: I love the way Binnie writes dialogue without speech marks. The prose flows like a train of thought, and it's just so PUNK.
Maria is a bit unlikeable at first, but I really warmed to her. I think that's because she acknowledges her demons so candidly towards the end that it kind of made me feel sad, but also hopeful for her.
It was also super interesting to see the interaction between Maria and James. It's almost like Maria was visiting her younger self as a ghost of trans-ness future, and then you realise that in reality every person can only learn from their own journey.
Overall I enjoyed the book, and I didn't find it too challenging to pick up and put down every now and again. Having read Torrey Peters' De transition, Baby last year, I can see how influential this book has been. It just didn't completely blow me away enough for a higher rating.

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siebensommer's review against another edition

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4.25

there is this whole thing where rich young white people like maria colonise brooklyn history because in these messed up postmodern times, everyone is desperate for something real. and what’s realer than the dodgers and new york judaism and rap music? the problem is that when they say real people, what they mean is people who aren’t burdened with ironic senses of humour, college educations that help them put up an analytical barrier between themselves and the actual world and the pressure of living with the reality that they all grew up middle class, chose a broke ass bohemian life, and now have to deal with the factual they can’t afford the comforts they grew up with.

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krsegaloff's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.75

A groundbreaking novel in many aspects. It’s one of the first novels I’ve read where the main character is a trans person. Personally, I found the forward and afterword actually more enticing than the book but I respect how deeply important novels such as this are. For me- I was hoping to see more personal growth in the characters as the novel felt more like a person’s inner monologue than a novel with a plot. The plot is the person and so I felt a bit let down at the end with a lack of a cathartic resolution. However- life doesn’t always have that all nicely packaged ending us romantic readers are searching for. It’s fascinating, and the characters definitely leave you wondering what will happen next as you wish you could give them hope. It’s also a great in depth look at how the queer community itself treats (and isolates) trans people, and how people seem to lose interest in trans stories post transition. I’d recommend this read for anyone wanting to go down a rabbit hole of self reflection and discovery. I’d encourage them to go in with an open mind ready to just go on a self reflective journey that they must complete themselves. (Also- read the afterword. I felt much more satisfied with the ending as a reader after hearing from the author).

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courtneyfalling's review against another edition

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emotional 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

5.0

This isn't a perfect book but I absolutely love it in all its imperfections. Such a vivid character study of Maria across her life in NYC and toward James. The book spends much longer in NYC just in Maria's life for what I expected with the blurb, but I deeply enjoyed all of it and think about certain sections all the time.

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