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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
lighthearted
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
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
I loved this. As a trans person, I love books that accurately describe the complicated process of learning gender socialization from a new perspective and realizing the multiple understandings of gender in a way that few people ever really experience gender, aside from trans people. It's such a unique experience and I love when I see an author exploring that because so much of trans-related media is about bad experiences or about coming out and that is such a small portion of life as a trans person. And I loved the art. I also loved the message and the way it's explored in such a realistic way.
I saw on the author page at the end that the author described it as and I found that very funny.
I saw on the author page at the end that the author described it as
Spoiler
"'Clueless' but with Tai as the main character and she's trans" which was fascinating because I did not see that until I finished it but early on I thought "oh this is like a reverse 'Emma' situation"I was too autistic to get involved in any clique drama in high school, and I am so incredibly grateful for that if this book is even remotely reflective of the experience. Mackenzie's "teaching Phoebe how to be a girl," while it was critiqued within the narrative as both extremely condescending and as incorrect, was so grating. I know teenagers don't have a good grasp on feminism, but jesus christ, if you ever want an example of what toxic femininity would be, just read this book. Like I said, it was critiqued, but good god was it a lot to sit through. And I don't think the critique itself was fleshed out enough- perhaps if this had been a traditional novel with more breathing room it could have been, but as it stands, I don't think there's enough deconstruction to balance out the build up.
I also think Mackenzie's apology was sorely lacking. Other than her also being a pov character, there was really nothing to distinguish her shitty behavior from the similar behavior from the boys', but while Phoebe- rightfully- doesn't forgive either of the boys, she does forgive Mackenzie, and I really don't think it's justified or earned. I liked the little arc Mackenzie went through, and again, if we had more time to really dig into her arc, I could easily see myself even saying that I like her. But Phoebe didn't get to see her little "redemption," so I'm not sure why Phoebe forgives her. Also, while Mackenzie does unlearn some of her toxic beliefs about what it means to be a girl, we still don't really address her transphobia.
Phoebe herself feels kind of listless- bouncing between one person and the next, moving to a new person when one hurts her, but when the new person hurts her too, she goes back to the previous one with nothing resolved. I wish we had dug a bit deeper into that. I could easily say it's the typical teenage fear of loneliness or her not thinking she's worth good things motivating her returning to people who have hurt her and apologizing to them without them apologizing to her, both of which are compounded by her marginalization. But neither of those motivations are particularly present in the text. I like her, and I like the development she gets learning to set some boundaries, but there's still a lot that feels really unresolved with her.
I enjoyed lots of elements of this story, but ultimately I think it was pretty underdeveloped, with none of its major themes or arcs really feeling fulfilled to me. I've got another book by Visaggio on my TBR though, and I am excited to see more from her. Also the art was gorgeous.
I also think Mackenzie's apology was sorely lacking. Other than her also being a pov character, there was really nothing to distinguish her shitty behavior from the similar behavior from the boys', but while Phoebe- rightfully- doesn't forgive either of the boys, she does forgive Mackenzie, and I really don't think it's justified or earned. I liked the little arc Mackenzie went through, and again, if we had more time to really dig into her arc, I could easily see myself even saying that I like her. But Phoebe didn't get to see her little "redemption," so I'm not sure why Phoebe forgives her. Also, while Mackenzie does unlearn some of her toxic beliefs about what it means to be a girl, we still don't really address her transphobia.
Phoebe herself feels kind of listless- bouncing between one person and the next, moving to a new person when one hurts her, but when the new person hurts her too, she goes back to the previous one with nothing resolved. I wish we had dug a bit deeper into that. I could easily say it's the typical teenage fear of loneliness or her not thinking she's worth good things motivating her returning to people who have hurt her and apologizing to them without them apologizing to her, both of which are compounded by her marginalization. But neither of those motivations are particularly present in the text. I like her, and I like the development she gets learning to set some boundaries, but there's still a lot that feels really unresolved with her.
I enjoyed lots of elements of this story, but ultimately I think it was pretty underdeveloped, with none of its major themes or arcs really feeling fulfilled to me. I've got another book by Visaggio on my TBR though, and I am excited to see more from her. Also the art was gorgeous.
emotional
hopeful
fast-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
fast-paced
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I didn’t love how much this book relied on stereotypical characters to shape the narrative, but there were lots of good elements to balance that. Phoebe has newly socially transitioned and is trying to figure out what kind of girl she wants to be. There is a whole lot of unhelpful messaging directed toward her, but she is ultimately able to sort through it to plot her own course.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Transphobia
challenging
funny
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The boys in this were awful but I love how the graphic novel pushes against expectations of women and fem presenting people. There’s no right or wrong way to be any gender. But seriously the love interests… TERRIBLE!
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes