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A review by zumbador
Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender
challenging
emotional
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
4.0
I found this book painful to read, but for the right reasons: because for once the teen characters are realistic, and realistically confused and annoying as well. Felix is flawed in ways I found believable. He makes snap judgements based on his own insecurities, is defensive, angry, and starts off with little self knowledge.
The descriptions of transphobia aimed at him were painful for me to read, especially his relationship with his father, who hasn't entirely accepted his identity as a boy / son / man.
That said, I a bit disapointed by the ending. It felt rushed, and many of the things the writer set up, didn't really pay off in a believable way.
The build up of who was responsible for the transphobic attacks and harassment didn't entirely land as the boy responsible was on the periphery of the story and not really known by me as a reader until the reveal.
Felix's realisation that he's a demiboy was not satisfying to me. I didn't believe that in all the time he'd spent online and encountered alternative terms to "transman" such as nonbinary, genderfluid, demiboy and all the rest, he never wondered if those fit him. If he did, the text doesn't show it.
So to have him go home after a brief conversation at a meeting of other queer people sharing their experiences, come across demiboy and immediately it clicks, felt far too easy. It would have worked better for me if he'd formed some kind of connection with one of the people at the meeting and had more conversations with them - possibly the nonbinary person, I think they were called Bex?
Before landing on "demiboy" as the perfect term. Or maybe he could have become more comfortable with the idea that there isn't a perfect label for him, and it's OK if he's not sure what he is?
The same is true for the romance. The interaction with Declan was messy and painful, with Felix really not coming out looking great, but that was fine. Things can be messy. But to end that with him getting together with his best friend Ezra in a real Romance with a capital "R" was not great for me. One of Felix's lessons he needed to learn was that there's a difference between limerence and love, and that he doesn't need romantic love to prove that he's worthy of love. That platonic love can be just as powerful, and familial love as well. That maybe what he needed was a break from Declan and Ezra, to find out who he is as an adult in his new after school life. It's like the story set up several really messy, realistic situations with Ezra crushing on Felix, and the two of them not being honest with one another about their mutual attraction, and then whoops it's tied off with a perfect sparkling glitter-bow of romance.
The descriptions of transphobia aimed at him were painful for me to read, especially his relationship with his father, who hasn't entirely accepted his identity as a boy / son / man.
That said, I a bit disapointed by the ending. It felt rushed, and many of the things the writer set up, didn't really pay off in a believable way.
The build up of who was responsible for the transphobic attacks and harassment didn't entirely land as the boy responsible was on the periphery of the story and not really known by me as a reader until the reveal.
Felix's realisation that he's a demiboy was not satisfying to me. I didn't believe that in all the time he'd spent online and encountered alternative terms to "transman" such as nonbinary, genderfluid, demiboy and all the rest, he never wondered if those fit him. If he did, the text doesn't show it.
So to have him go home after a brief conversation at a meeting of other queer people sharing their experiences, come across demiboy and immediately it clicks, felt far too easy. It would have worked better for me if he'd formed some kind of connection with one of the people at the meeting and had more conversations with them - possibly the nonbinary person, I think they were called Bex?
Before landing on "demiboy" as the perfect term. Or maybe he could have become more comfortable with the idea that there isn't a perfect label for him, and it's OK if he's not sure what he is?
The same is true for the romance. The interaction with Declan was messy and painful, with Felix really not coming out looking great, but that was fine. Things can be messy. But to end that with him getting together with his best friend Ezra in a real Romance with a capital "R" was not great for me. One of Felix's lessons he needed to learn was that there's a difference between limerence and love, and that he doesn't need romantic love to prove that he's worthy of love. That platonic love can be just as powerful, and familial love as well. That maybe what he needed was a break from Declan and Ezra, to find out who he is as an adult in his new after school life. It's like the story set up several really messy, realistic situations with Ezra crushing on Felix, and the two of them not being honest with one another about their mutual attraction, and then whoops it's tied off with a perfect sparkling glitter-bow of romance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Transphobia
Moderate: Racism