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If you don’t care about the reality of trans lived experience, this book is fine. The story and vast majority of dialogue would make a lot more sense if the Phoebe was cis honestly, except the plot also hinges on Phoebe’s transness so like…?
Sometimes the book does address dysphoria and passing, which makes you think maybe it’s going to say something about those topics, but you would be mistaken. Phoebe passes 100% of the time unless the story briefly requires her not to, which only happens a couple of times. We never get to know how Phoebe thinks about herself in these moments, just how she reacts to other characters. One might argue these things are not essential, “why can’t this just be casual trans rep?”
I draw our attention back to the fact that parts of the plot hinge on Phoebe’s transness and also a huge amount of the dialogue in this book is conversations about sexuality and gender. The incidental rep excuse doesn’t work.
In general, Phoebe could be fleshed out way more! I feel like I know Mackenzie better than Phoebe by the end, Phoebe’s interiority was dearly missed.
It says something that this is a love triangle whereshe picks neither boy!! and the rest dissatisfied me so thoroughly that I just couldn’t be enthusiastic about that lol
Also, the writing was just sloppy. Ex: there’s a part where Phoebegets in a public screaming match with Mackenzie, who turns very transphobic!! And people in the background judge her for it… then the next time Phoebe goes to school everyone cheers for her as she walks down the hall????? …Wtf??
And why can’t we have any friends who aren’t shitty about trans stuff?? Why do we need to go back to Mackenzie why couldn’t we have some other friend who hasn’t been transphobic?? Like I don’t care how good of an apology I get, if you shout transphobic insults at me we’re done? Is that not? …normal??
Sometimes the book does address dysphoria and passing, which makes you think maybe it’s going to say something about those topics, but you would be mistaken. Phoebe passes 100% of the time unless the story briefly requires her not to, which only happens a couple of times. We never get to know how Phoebe thinks about herself in these moments, just how she reacts to other characters. One might argue these things are not essential, “why can’t this just be casual trans rep?”
I draw our attention back to the fact that parts of the plot hinge on Phoebe’s transness and also a huge amount of the dialogue in this book is conversations about sexuality and gender. The incidental rep excuse doesn’t work.
In general, Phoebe could be fleshed out way more! I feel like I know Mackenzie better than Phoebe by the end, Phoebe’s interiority was dearly missed.
It says something that this is a love triangle where
Also, the writing was just sloppy. Ex: there’s a part where Phoebe