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2.82 AVERAGE
2.82 AVERAGE
2.5 stars.
I'm too tired for a proper review but since Tony kind of spent most of the story misgendering others and then wouldn't let their/his girlfriend have any time to figure out her orientation (WHICH NEVER GETS RESOLVED BY THE WAY?? Like?? I don't know if the author realizes this but it was obviously a BIG DEAL to Gretchen and dismissing it like she did doesn't change the fact that no matter how much you love someone as a human, it can still be a big deal). I like the ending and bits and pieces but sooo many bits were shitty. Especially the South Park bit and how casually Tony could throw money around. Also: has the author been in first year?? First years DO NOT get 20 page papers or seminars. Like even at Harvard or NYU you have to go through survey courses.
I'm too tired for a proper review but since Tony kind of spent most of the story misgendering others and then wouldn't let their/his girlfriend have any time to figure out her orientation (WHICH NEVER GETS RESOLVED BY THE WAY?? Like?? I don't know if the author realizes this but it was obviously a BIG DEAL to Gretchen and dismissing it like she did doesn't change the fact that no matter how much you love someone as a human, it can still be a big deal). I like the ending and bits and pieces but sooo many bits were shitty. Especially the South Park bit and how casually Tony could throw money around. Also: has the author been in first year?? First years DO NOT get 20 page papers or seminars. Like even at Harvard or NYU you have to go through survey courses.
While I appreciate the sentiment of having more trans-inclusive fiction, this story did not resonate with me very much. The characters were a bit too concerned with appearances, and many issues could have been avoided by simply communicating. It also seemed like a story was shoehorned in to encompass a gambit of trans terminology. It certainly isn't a good model for a healthy relationship, despite multiple claims that Toni and Gretchen are just perfect together. I feel like this story just pales in comparison to The Lies We Tell Ourselves in the categories of societal issues and figuring things out for yourself.
Where to even start with this book? (Warning for spoilers after the first paragraph)
I wanted to love it, I really did. I heard about it, got exited, and snatched up a copy as soon as I could and was promptly let down. Every single thing in this book felt forced and poorly researched. I could barely bring myself to care about the main characters and found myself slogging through the book just to reach the end.
Any later chapter with Gretchen made my skin crawl because 9 times out of 10 it would be accompanied by some slur from her 'friend' Carroll, which she almost never calls him out on and only shows mild annoyance over. And every time Tony thinks about his roommates he bashes them for being anti-feminist for.......putting effort into their looks. I'm sorry, I thought feminism was about letting women choose for ourselves what we want, clearly I was mistaken and now must hate any woman that wears makeup, heels or a bikini. Not to mention the exhausting narrative of Tony being instantly attracted to Gretchen because she's "not like other girls" How's about we stop pitting girls against each other?
I would have gladly read an entire novel on any of the other Harvard side characters, or hell even Sam. An entire book on Eli coming out to his parents and the struggle of being so far away from home? Sign me up! Derek and Nance's relationship? Hell yes! Sam trying to stand out in High school? Still better than this!
And I really can't get over Tony's use of pronouns (or lack thereof) at all. While he struggles to land on his own gender identity he constantly invalidates everyone else's. And when he finally goes back to using pronouns, he constantly talk about how hard it is for him. Yeah, how hard it is for him to do something for other people. I found myself exhausted by the end of this book, especially after trying so damn hard to like it. The idea is good, but the execution is sloppy at best and lazy at worst.
I wanted to love it, I really did. I heard about it, got exited, and snatched up a copy as soon as I could and was promptly let down. Every single thing in this book felt forced and poorly researched. I could barely bring myself to care about the main characters and found myself slogging through the book just to reach the end.
Any later chapter with Gretchen made my skin crawl because 9 times out of 10 it would be accompanied by some slur from her 'friend' Carroll, which she almost never calls him out on and only shows mild annoyance over. And every time Tony thinks about his roommates he bashes them for being anti-feminist for.......putting effort into their looks. I'm sorry, I thought feminism was about letting women choose for ourselves what we want, clearly I was mistaken and now must hate any woman that wears makeup, heels or a bikini. Not to mention the exhausting narrative of Tony being instantly attracted to Gretchen because she's "not like other girls" How's about we stop pitting girls against each other?
I would have gladly read an entire novel on any of the other Harvard side characters, or hell even Sam. An entire book on Eli coming out to his parents and the struggle of being so far away from home? Sign me up! Derek and Nance's relationship? Hell yes! Sam trying to stand out in High school? Still better than this!
And I really can't get over Tony's use of pronouns (or lack thereof) at all. While he struggles to land on his own gender identity he constantly invalidates everyone else's. And when he finally goes back to using pronouns, he constantly talk about how hard it is for him. Yeah, how hard it is for him to do something for other people. I found myself exhausted by the end of this book, especially after trying so damn hard to like it. The idea is good, but the execution is sloppy at best and lazy at worst.
Only 2 1/2 stars. I get that gender identity is something that affects a lot of people. I don't really know. So I can't actually speak on that. The way this book was written though wore me down It's like come on. Stop being so whiney. Every other page is Toni being offended, and Gretchen crying about Toni. My head hurts. This was torture. I wouldn't wish this on anyone.
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I wanted to love this book, but it fell flat of my expectations. T is self-obsessed and annoying, Gretchen is inactive and flails about, and the rest of the characters are touted for being "diverse" but really only exist so the author can claim the book is diverse. Trans characters are only present when the scene involves being trans, gay characters only exist in scenes where their sexuality is mentioned (even when irrelevant), and characters of color are reduced to their race. I gave it some stars because race, gender, and sexuality are all celebrated in this book, but otherwise the characters are undeveloped and the plot is flat.
YA's a tricky genre for me - mostly I feel like I'm too old for it, but every so often I'll find one that I love. This was one of those books that I am very definitely too old for, so I don't think I can give it a fair review.
I'm kind of a sucker when it comes to covers and titles and I fell for this book.
I really wanted to like it, I have a good amount of people I love in the gay and trans community, but this just felt so forced. Another review said it read like a text book for people trying to learn about this stuff, and I'd have to agree. There's no real development of their relationship, the characters are kind of one dimensional, and the story just seems to drag out. I felt like I was forcing myself to read this book, it just seemed to go on and on. It seemed to push too hard trying to get people to understand the different types of people you'll meet in the gay, trans, gq, etc community and almost was just kind of a demonstration for that. The main character Toni is almost annoying with the constant harping on every term T hates and what is ok/not ok it just seems like too much. I can fully appreciate someone searching for themselves and trying to find where they fit in and how they identify but it just seems too forced.
This book is a very teenage type read with the love at first sight and etc but just seems so overdone. I had a very hard time finishing this book, and I'm so glad it's over. It seems like the writer is kind of a Nicholas Sparks type, writing only from their perspective in every book so the books become redundant. I'm not even sure why I'm giving this book two stars instead of one, but I guess it wasn't so terrible that it only deserves one, but just not a great read. Pass on this
I really wanted to like it, I have a good amount of people I love in the gay and trans community, but this just felt so forced. Another review said it read like a text book for people trying to learn about this stuff, and I'd have to agree. There's no real development of their relationship, the characters are kind of one dimensional, and the story just seems to drag out. I felt like I was forcing myself to read this book, it just seemed to go on and on. It seemed to push too hard trying to get people to understand the different types of people you'll meet in the gay, trans, gq, etc community and almost was just kind of a demonstration for that. The main character Toni is almost annoying with the constant harping on every term T hates and what is ok/not ok it just seems like too much. I can fully appreciate someone searching for themselves and trying to find where they fit in and how they identify but it just seems too forced.
This book is a very teenage type read with the love at first sight and etc but just seems so overdone. I had a very hard time finishing this book, and I'm so glad it's over. It seems like the writer is kind of a Nicholas Sparks type, writing only from their perspective in every book so the books become redundant. I'm not even sure why I'm giving this book two stars instead of one, but I guess it wasn't so terrible that it only deserves one, but just not a great read. Pass on this
.........2.5? I had high expectations but was ultimately really let down by this book.
I loved The Lies We Tell Ourselves, so I was super excited to read this. Good writing, strong characters but, sorry, there is only so much navel-gazing I can take in one book.