Scan barcode
Reviews tagging 'Transphobia'
Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix by Gabe Cole Novoa
179 reviews
jayisreading's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
4.0
Most Ardently is an interesting queer take on Austen’s Pride & Prejudice. I admit that I picked this one up without reading the synopsis, so I was only aware that it was Novoa’s own spin on a classic that happened to be queer. It was certainly a surprise to discover that Elizabeth Bennet in this retelling is actually Oliver Bennet, a trans teenage boy. This decision to have a trans protagonist made it that Novoa added another complex layer to the existing discussions about gender dynamics in the original novel. It was interesting to see how Novoa’s queering of Pride & Prejudice impacted the direction of the story, which was simultaneously familiar yet not, as a result of having to attend to what it meant to be queer during the Victorian era. I thought Novoa handled this pretty well without getting too caught up in the details to lose the plot. I did feel that Oliver’s thoughts were a bit repetitive once you’re further in the novel, but this might not bother everyone.
Also, a warning to trans readers: Considering the time period and the protagonist being trans, it shouldn’t come as a complete surprise that transphobia is rampant in this novel. There’s very frequent deadnaming and misgendering, which is critical in the development of the story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deadnaming, Homophobia, Dysphoria, and Transphobia
Moderate: Outing, Classism, Misogyny, and Sexism
Minor: Stalking, Lesbophobia, and Suicidal thoughts
evarinya's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deadnaming, Misogyny, Dysphoria, and Sexism
Moderate: Outing, Transphobia, and Classism
Minor: Homophobia, Infidelity, and Suicidal thoughts
eleos01's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Deadnaming, Sexism, Transphobia, Lesbophobia, and Misogyny
Moderate: Incest, Classism, and Outing
bootrat's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? No
5.0
I was trying to get hold of this book for MONTHS (it was out of stock from the publishers), and I finally got a copy today.
Did I read the entire book in 4 hours? Yes.
Did I nearly cry in the middle of a bookshop/cafe?
Yes.
Am I fundamentally changed forever by this adorable queer reimagining of my favourite book?
Yes.
There were a few changes from the source material in this book (aside from the obvious), some of which made sense to the story and some of which didn't.
- Longbourn is in London in this, with Netherfield just on the outskirts. This change made sense for Oliver to be able to visit places as himself, and to escape his life as Elizabeth easily. This change takes some getting used to, as the original Elizabeth Bennet is very much a country girl, but I'm not mad about it. (Conversely, the Gardiners live at "Gracechurch", which is a house/estate in the countryside, and near to Pemberley, rather than in London.)
- Oliver, and therefore all the other characters (except Georgina?), are younger than in the original novel. Oliver is only 17, where Elizabeth was 20, and other characters are varying numbers of years younger too. I don't know why this change was made, or why it was needed, so I wasn't a fan of it.
- Wickham's backstory, and the way in which he was a villain, and his history with Darcy, were all changed. Some of these changes made sense to the story that was being told, and were needed, but some didn't. I didn't like it.
- Collins isn't a parson, and isn't under the patronage of Lady Catherine, he's just ?? A Guy? Seems to be a gentleman, with his own house/estate, but there's no clear reason for this change. He's still known to Lady C, and is invited to Rosings occasionally, but the relationship is different. This is another change I didn't understand the need for, so I didn't like it. Also Anne DeBourgh just fully doesn't exist.
- Lastly there's one continuity error?? Wickham refers to a character (we never meet) as Genevieve, but she's later referred to Liliana?? It's not addressed at all, and we don't find out whether Wickham was just lying about her name or if this was just a case of the author fully forgetting what they'd already named the character and unintentionally renaming her.
Despite that (long 😅) list of changes, I absolutely adored this book. 100% recommend to anybody looking for a queer romance story with a happy ending, whether you're a fan of Pride and Prejudice or not.
Did I read the entire book in 4 hours? Yes.
Did I nearly cry in the middle of a bookshop/cafe?
Yes.
Am I fundamentally changed forever by this adorable queer reimagining of my favourite book?
Yes.
There were a few changes from the source material in this book (aside from the obvious), some of which made sense to the story and some of which didn't.
- Longbourn is in London in this, with Netherfield just on the outskirts. This change made sense for Oliver to be able to visit places as himself, and to escape his life as Elizabeth easily. This change takes some getting used to, as the original Elizabeth Bennet is very much a country girl, but I'm not mad about it. (Conversely, the Gardiners live at "Gracechurch", which is a house/estate in the countryside, and near to Pemberley, rather than in London.)
- Oliver, and therefore all the other characters (except Georgina?), are younger than in the original novel. Oliver is only 17, where Elizabeth was 20, and other characters are varying numbers of years younger too. I don't know why this change was made, or why it was needed, so I wasn't a fan of it.
- Wickham's backstory, and the way in which he was a villain, and his history with Darcy, were all changed. Some of these changes made sense to the story that was being told, and were needed, but some didn't. I didn't like it.
- Collins isn't a parson, and isn't under the patronage of Lady Catherine, he's just ?? A Guy? Seems to be a gentleman, with his own house/estate, but there's no clear reason for this change. He's still known to Lady C, and is invited to Rosings occasionally, but the relationship is different. This is another change I didn't understand the need for, so I didn't like it. Also Anne DeBourgh just fully doesn't exist.
- Lastly there's one continuity error?? Wickham refers to a character (we never meet) as Genevieve, but she's later referred to Liliana?? It's not addressed at all, and we don't find out whether Wickham was just lying about her name or if this was just a case of the author fully forgetting what they'd already named the character and unintentionally renaming her.
Despite that (long 😅) list of changes, I absolutely adored this book. 100% recommend to anybody looking for a queer romance story with a happy ending, whether you're a fan of Pride and Prejudice or not.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Homophobia, and Dysphoria
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
The suicidal thoughts aren't explicit, or particularly mentioned much in the story, Oliver just says at a couple of different points that he would rather die than live a certain way. While that is often hyperbole, or a throwaway comment, it's clear that this character means it literally.ziggyreadz's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
i didn’t dislike Most Ardently as much as i was disappointed in it. for what it was (a fanfiction - and i don’t use that word derogatorily, but descriptively - which aims to inspire trans youth), it was fine. i had a fun time with it, especially in the beginning. but as the story progressed (at a break-neck pace!), i felt like that spark of hope i had for this story got lost along the way.
i want to stress that nothing about this book was “bad,” per say - just very boring. it doesn’t work as a stand alone at all, as the characters have no depth or personality. i was especially disappointed with Darcy, who i had really wanted to see in another light. but his complexities and quirks were erased in favor of ease.
overall, it was a story i think i’ve outgrown. when i was a teenager discovering i was trans, this may have worked better for me. but i feel like while stories like this (uncomplicated, happy stories of coming out and finding love) are needed for younger trans people, trans people are owed more interesting explorations of the trans experience and how it ties into history. i get that that would have been a very different story, and not one the author was trying to accomplish, but i suppose i was let down from expecting a complex and historical narrative.
0.5 was added for enjoyment. this book was easy to get through and fun to read.
one pet peeve - the author really likes using the word “boy” when “man” would be more expected. i don’t know whether it’s a gender euphoria thing for him or if he assumed it would be for his audience, but it’s jarring and takes you out of the story, at least at first.
i want to stress that nothing about this book was “bad,” per say - just very boring. it doesn’t work as a stand alone at all, as the characters have no depth or personality. i was especially disappointed with Darcy, who i had really wanted to see in another light. but his complexities and quirks were erased in favor of ease.
overall, it was a story i think i’ve outgrown. when i was a teenager discovering i was trans, this may have worked better for me. but i feel like while stories like this (uncomplicated, happy stories of coming out and finding love) are needed for younger trans people, trans people are owed more interesting explorations of the trans experience and how it ties into history. i get that that would have been a very different story, and not one the author was trying to accomplish, but i suppose i was let down from expecting a complex and historical narrative.
0.5 was added for enjoyment. this book was easy to get through and fun to read.
one pet peeve - the author really likes using the word “boy” when “man” would be more expected. i don’t know whether it’s a gender euphoria thing for him or if he assumed it would be for his audience, but it’s jarring and takes you out of the story, at least at first.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dysphoria and Outing
Moderate: Transphobia
blue_birdy's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Homophobia, and Transphobia
spark_879's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
i loved this book! i highly recommend it to anyone considering reading it :)
in a few places the story seemed a bit too good to be true but i think that was something i needed to read when i kept expecting bad reactions from everyone at all times when learning about the mc being trans.
in a few places the story seemed a bit too good to be true but i think that was something i needed to read when i kept expecting bad reactions from everyone at all times when learning about the mc being trans.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deadnaming and Misogyny
Moderate: Homophobia and Transphobia
Minor: Stalking
stalking:neglet's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I love the premise of this book: take the basic starting situation of P&P, but make the two leads a trans boy whose mother lumps him in with his sisters and a rich boy who's not interested in women. The development of their relationship is lovely, but I found myself wishing the plot strayed a bit from the original a little more, just to give the story a bit more tension. The ease with which Oliver's parents accept him as trans is beautiful and affirming, but it rather robs the story of conflict. But I imagine I'm not the target audience for this book, so I wouldn't say that's a drawback, just not to my taste.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deadnaming, Transphobia, and Misogyny
its_vendetta's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
this book was so beautiful!! I loved Oliver so much and it’s so nice to see historical romances about trans people. Trans people have always existed and I think this book does an amazing job at representation in an accurate, yet uplifting way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deadnaming, Homophobia, Dysphoria, and Transphobia
Moderate: Outing
Minor: Stalking and Classism
james_orion's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
as a gay trans man who had a hyperfixation on pride and prejudice a few months ago this book feels like it was written for me. I had a fantastic time listening to the audiobook and just enjoying this story. Oliver's conflict with Charlotte was a really strong point for me and their queer identities enhance their perspectives in a different way that I really enjoyed. the romance was so cute and I really liked the scenes early on with Darcy and Oliver.
This might have been more apparent with the audiobook but I felt like the word 'boy' was really overused, and while they were teenagers I think using the word 'man' would have been less jarring and weird for me On occasion it was very confusing why Oliver was acting a certain way with darcy. I think it was supposed to convey that he was conflicted about him but in reality it ended up being confusing why onw moment they were flirting and the next oliver was thinking about how much he didn't like Darcy. I think this is a fault of trying to stay too true to the original work, in P&P Elizabeth and Darcy misunderstand each other often but Oliver and Darcy here don't really do that? it feels like Oliver just wildly swings back and forth on Darcy at times. Also I wish this story had dived a bit more into class issues more along the lines of the original, there are hints of it (Bingley and Darcy being able to afford books that would be a huge luxury to Oliver, and Charlotte living in near poverty compared to the rest of our main characters) but I would have really loved to see these things explored more.
All in all I really enjoyed this story and I had such a fun time listening to it!
This might have been more apparent with the audiobook but I felt like the word 'boy' was really overused, and while they were teenagers I think using the word 'man' would have been less jarring and weird for me On occasion it was very confusing why Oliver was acting a certain way with darcy. I think it was supposed to convey that he was conflicted about him but in reality it ended up being confusing why onw moment they were flirting and the next oliver was thinking about how much he didn't like Darcy. I think this is a fault of trying to stay too true to the original work, in P&P Elizabeth and Darcy misunderstand each other often but Oliver and Darcy here don't really do that? it feels like Oliver just wildly swings back and forth on Darcy at times. Also I wish this story had dived a bit more into class issues more along the lines of the original, there are hints of it (Bingley and Darcy being able to afford books that would be a huge luxury to Oliver, and Charlotte living in near poverty compared to the rest of our main characters) but I would have really loved to see these things explored more.
All in all I really enjoyed this story and I had such a fun time listening to it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dysphoria and Outing
Moderate: Deadnaming, Transphobia, and Homophobia