Reviews

Can't Take That Away by Steven Salvatore

jugglingpup's review

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3.0

To see more reviews check out MI Book Reviews.

I got an ARC of this book.

I am not genderqueer, but I am a binary trans man. That means that some of this makes so much sense it hurts and some of it doesn’t at all. The pronouns being such a big part of Carey’s life hit so hard on my heart that I wanted to beat up every single person that even thought of misgendering Carey. The switching pronouns made a bit less sense, but Carey should be respected if I fully understand or not. For the sake of the review and in an attempt to be respectful, I will cycle through the pronouns that Carey used as they are not able to be consulted about the best pronoun for today.

I had some issues with this book. The romance felt a bit forced. There was no interactions really before they started kissing and dating. Then the needless drama of not talking things through just got to me. I really didn’t want them together. I wanted them both to move on and realize they were being obnoxious. I, of course, did not get my wish as that is not how YA books go. The other characters were also really extreme in every way. There was never a moment that felt like real people interacting. Everyone was larger than life.

I loved being able to see a AMAB genderqueer character exist. So much of the gender stuff seems to be binary trans women and AFAB everything. I am glad others are being able to be seen. I am glad Carey got a story and that she exists. I loved that he had a supportive mother. I loved that they were in therapy and the therapist wasn’t completely awful. There were so many important parts of this book, but there was so much I didn’t like as well.

For all that it is worth, this read like the YA version of the middle grade book George. The same general plot of non-cis kid wants to be in the school plat in a role others think they shouldn’t have and all that goes into that. It was much better done than George. Though it still relies heavily on homophobia and transphobia being the main driving force of the plot. This had a bit more substance, but it still felt like it was a SUPER basic queer story. Of course, the queer kid gets bullied. Give me something new. Give me something more exciting. It is still three stars, because I never felt like I was being taught about gender or sexuality. It always felt like that was just an aspect of things.

iam's review against another edition

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4.0

I enjoyed this story about a genderqueer teen fighting for their dreams.

Read the full review on the blog!

Content warnings include: bullying through peers and authority figures, queerphobia, discrimination, off-page assault, suspicions of cheating, dementia, death of family member.

I received an ARC and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

laraandotherthings's review

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4.0

"No longer caged, I'm sprouting wings and defying gravity. The walls of the auditorium fall away, and the world opens up to me. I'm free."

No suelo escribir una opinión muy larga de los libros que leo, pero este libro lo merece. Es mi primer libro donde el personaje principal es genderqueer y soy tan feliz de haberle dado una oportunidad.

Este libro me impactó mucho por lo duro y cruel que pueden (o podemos) ser las personas. Hay dos personajes horribles en esta historia que lastiman mucho al personaje principal (Carey), solo porque es genderqueer, solo porque le gustan los chicos, solo porque quiere participar en un musical donde interpreta a un personaje femenino, solo por ser quien realmente es y quiere ser. Sin embargo, a pesar de eso, Carey sale adelante y hace que todos escuchen su preciosa voz, no solo cantando, sino también pidiendo justicia por todas las personas que han sufrido discriminación solo por ser quiénes son.

Ayer escuché la canción 'Can't Take That Away' de Mariah Carey y de verdad no puede ser más perfecta para la historia de Carey. Lloré mientras la escuchaba.

#SingForEquality #LetCareySing

haileyannereads's review

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4.0

Trigger Warning: homophobia, queerphobia, bullying, suicidal ideation

I really liked this book. I liked how each chapter included Carey's pronouns to indicate how they felt each day. I thought that also helped explain what being genderqueer is, for those who may be unfamiliar.
That being said, there were times when I was thinking, "no teen talks like this." (example: Carey telling a story. Can't give more info without spoilers.)
My only other complaint is that the believability suffers towards the end.
BUT, overall, I think it's a great genderqueer story, and there aren't enough of those.

wrenl's review

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5.0

This book took my breath away. I devoured it. I loved the genderqueer main character and the pronouns in each chapter. I loved the honesty and rawness about what it means to not fit in the gender binary. I loved the pride and defiance and justice. I loved the way music was woven through every fiber of the story. I didn't love the romance; it felt a bit awkward and forced. I also wish there were trigger warnings for the content. But this book is so amazing, so quoteable, so necessary, that i can forgive these errors.

carnisht's review

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2.0

I wanted to like this book so badly, but the writing (specifically, the dialogue) was so poorly written. It felt way too preachy and inauthentic about the way people actually talk. It was like the whole point of the book was to educator about genderqueer individuals (which is fine), but by having a protagonist lecture the readers about it. Needed more naturalness to it.

abookishgirl's review

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5.0

Loved this. It was the perfect blend of important topics tackled seriously, without every becoming too grim or depressing. The musical theatre nerd in me loved all the Wicked stuff, and I learned more about Mariah Carey than I ever thought possible.

scott_thelibrarian's review

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5.0

Very cute and relevant story! I loved the characters and the story as a whole. Bonus points for Wicked being the musical!

crysania_dangoor's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

imdunn's review

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4.0

Overall, I really liked this book. The main character was great, and I loved all of their friends. The antagonists were realistic and believable, which is unfortunate to say, but I think that the author did a good job of portraying them. My only problem was that I found the social activism and protesting to be a bit unrealistic. As someone who has tried to start movements like Carey has before, I know that it's not that easy. Still, I understand that this is a fictional book, and it was great to see everyone succeed. Like I said, I really liked this book.