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A review by konnerreads
Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix by Anna-Marie McLemore
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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
I saw this recommended a lot for the #transrightsreadathon by @simkern on Tiktok so I decided to finally check it out.
It dove a lot into the issues of being brown in America back then and having to hide it to get anywhere in the social circles of New York as well as many other places. I enjoyed the conflict surrounding it and how it can feel as if you're giving up a part of yourself and your culture to gain something else. It gave a deeper understand to life then and even now for brown people in America.
Another thing I enjoyed was the queer culture in this book. The way they spoke about being queer felt very accurate to the times. Nick's struggle of being gay as well as trans was something very relatable. It seems people think that you can only be one and to be gay after coming out as trans is pushing it.
The one thing I didn't enjoy was how quick the ending was. Especially, with figuring out Jay didn't love Daisy at all but just wanted to have a fake marriage. Perhaps, it was because it was from Nick's perspective but it seemed a bit out of the blue. However, it didn't ruin the story at all. I still consider it an amazing book and give it a five stars. I usually don't enjoy retellings but this was an amazing one and it makes me want to check out the rest of the series to see if they're just as brilliant.
In conclusion, I think you should check this book out. It was a beautiful read and an overall just lovely experience. I had the best time reading it.
It dove a lot into the issues of being brown in America back then and having to hide it to get anywhere in the social circles of New York as well as many other places. I enjoyed the conflict surrounding it and how it can feel as if you're giving up a part of yourself and your culture to gain something else. It gave a deeper understand to life then and even now for brown people in America.
Another thing I enjoyed was the queer culture in this book. The way they spoke about being queer felt very accurate to the times. Nick's struggle of being gay as well as trans was something very relatable. It seems people think that you can only be one and to be gay after coming out as trans is pushing it.
The one thing I didn't enjoy was how quick the ending was. Especially, with figuring out Jay didn't love Daisy at all but just wanted to have a fake marriage. Perhaps, it was because it was from Nick's perspective but it seemed a bit out of the blue. However, it didn't ruin the story at all. I still consider it an amazing book and give it a five stars. I usually don't enjoy retellings but this was an amazing one and it makes me want to check out the rest of the series to see if they're just as brilliant.
In conclusion, I think you should check this book out. It was a beautiful read and an overall just lovely experience. I had the best time reading it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia and Racism