Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

Man o' War by Cory McCarthy

9 reviews

blakeandbooks's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

What a raw, honest, gorgeous, heartbreaking, joyful, witty, beautiful exploration of authenticity, love, and self-exploration. McCarthy not only shows you River’s experiences, but you feel them as if they were your own. Following River from their high school to college years while discovering what makes them feel the most comfortable and authentically themselves was an experience I feel so grateful to have read. Working through and processing in real time pronouns, name change, dysphoria, and more felt so authentic and true to River’s character. Watching them discover such a full and authentic life was such a joy. River and Indy’s relationship, how they come together, fall apart, and find one another again, was so complicated and beautiful and messy. The ending of the book truly reminded me that there are books that are essential in this world, and I believe this is one of them.

The ending acknowledgements from McCarthy were so kind and left me emotional. Like River, Knowing that McCarthy is also an Arab-American, nonbinary trans person, who also swam competitively, was so incredible to know how important this story was to McCarthy and his experience.

Finally, E.R. Fightmaster did an outstanding job narrating this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Transphobia, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Deadnaming, Sexual content, Self harm, Racism, and Acephobia/Arophobia

Minor: Medical content and Islamophobia

felishacb's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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? No

5.0

This might be the best fiction book I've read about a young person exploring and discovering their gender identity. Man o' War is an own voices tale from a transmasc nonbinary author who is Irish and Arab American. 

As a cis person who is "constantly exploring the evolution of my relationship to gender as a construct, and my own indentit(ies),"* I also think this book is a generous bridge offered to cis folks. 

Cis folks and conventional tropes of heteronormativity are referred to as  'dinosaurs' or 'the way of the dinosaurs' in this book, with familiarity, exhaustion, derision, and acceptance. I can see why people who are scared of removing boxes and barriers might find this scary, but trans people (and this book) make it very clear that you are invited to expand, too. Find out what lies beneath and between the labels you did not pick 

McCarthy doesn't only show, rather than tell you, River's story in Man O' War; McCarthy's words help the reader *feel* the story. 

The metaphor and parallels with marine biology and the man of war, specifically, offer an extra layer to understand the main character's story. McCarthy talks about how this piece helped illustrate the "cultural captivity" River feels being closeted, and how McCarthy felt growing up. 

One reason this book will stick with me is the ability that McCarthy has to show the fluidity and flexibility of gender and expression in an authentic, organic way for both Indy and River. (The best names, btw!). 

McCarthy also explores how River's Lebanese mother and background play into their life. There are discussion of race, Islamaphobia and colorism while still allowing River to exist as an individual who experiences life through a variety of lenses. 

*quote from Rebecca Minor

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dysphoria, Homophobia, and Transphobia

Moderate: Lesbophobia, Acephobia/Arophobia, Outing, and Sexual content

Minor: Blood, Self harm, Medical content, Sexism, Racism, Islamophobia, Confinement, and Deadnaming

mattyb's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Dysphoria, and Transphobia

Moderate: Mental illness, Drug use, Sexual content, Racism, Acephobia/Arophobia, Grief, Islamophobia, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Sexual harassment, Animal cruelty, and Pandemic/Epidemic

niararain's review

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective tense 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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Vomit, Dysphoria, Xenophobia, Racism, Outing, Sexual assault, Self harm, Biphobia, Sexual content, Pandemic/Epidemic, Transphobia, Sexual violence, Acephobia/Arophobia, Religious bigotry, Panic attacks/disorders, Body shaming, Deadnaming, Homophobia, Medical content, Body horror, Islamophobia, Lesbophobia, and Sexual harassment

pucksandpaperbacks's review

CW: mention of COVID/pandemic toward the end, transphobia, internalized transphobia, depictions of gender dysphoria, mention of top surgery and scene at the hospital, homophobia, racism, self harm, unaccepting parent, underage drinking, alcohol

I received a digital galley from Penguin Teen in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Man O' War is a book every trans teen needs. It is a story about trans rage and how living in a small town that perpetuates harmful ideologies keeps LGBTQIA+ kids in the closet. We follow River, a transmasc Arab-American non-binary person throughout their journey of gender exploration from senior year of high school to their college yeears. This book shows the rawness and hardships that go along with exploring your gender and finding the words to fit you as River grapples with their own internalized homophobia and transphobia and feeling immense hatred toward themselves.  

 This book was so cathartic and I am really glad it exists. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia and Homophobia

Moderate: Self harm, Racism, and Medical content

mention of COVID/pandemic toward the end, transphobia, internalized transphobia, depictions of gender dysphoria, mention of top surgery and scene at the hospital, homophobia, racism, self harm, unaccepting parent, underage drinking, alcohol

courtneyclouts's review

emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Bullying, Dysphoria, Gaslighting, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Homophobia, Medical content, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Alcohol, Biphobia, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, and Misogyny

Minor: Deadnaming

kayladaila's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Deadnaming, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Lesbophobia, Transphobia, and Homophobia

Moderate: Alcohol, Biphobia, Bullying, Acephobia/Arophobia, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Outing, Pregnancy, Racism, Vomit, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug use, Hate crime, Eating disorder, and Medical content

caseythereader's review

dark emotional funny hopeful 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? It's complicated

5.0

 - Oh my goodness, this book. MAN O' WAR is one of those very special books that only comes along every few years. It is full of feelings: intensity, confusion, attraction, hate, love.
- I love the depiction here of River coming out as lesbian and then realizing that label doesn't quite fit, and starting over again.
- I also appreciated the way this book shows how sometimes a family isn't understanding or supportive of queerness, but also doesn't kick their child out. I feel like teen coming out stories are often binary: a fully supporting family or immediate disownment, when realities are often messier than that. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dysphoria, Islamophobia, Acephobia/Arophobia, Blood, Alcohol, Biphobia, Bullying, Cursing, Homophobia, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Deadnaming, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Sexual content, Lesbophobia, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Transphobia

Moderate: Pregnancy and Drug use

lettuce_read's review

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Dysphoria, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, and Medical content

Moderate: Self harm, Acephobia/Arophobia, Deadnaming, and Sexual harassment