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A review by bookishbena
Self-Made Boys by Anna-Marie McLemore
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Feiwel Friends for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
When I learned about Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby going into the public domain, the first thing that came to mind was the hope that someone would write a retelling (or remix in this case) where Nick and Jay fall in love. In this novel, Anna-Marie McLemore does that and so much more. They have given us the most beautiful queer reimagining of The Great Gatsby.
While it is set in the 20s, doesn’t exactly have “period-typical queerphobia.” It’s not entirely absent, as evidenced by Nick’s surprise about the acceptance and presence of queerness in the people around him, but McLemore puts the readers in something of a queer bubble through most of the story, allowing queer joy to wash over us despite the time period.
Though we don’t see overt discrimination against trans and queer people, the same cannot be said of racism. With several Latine characters, the author does not shy away from representing what the life of a brown person of the time would look like.
And it all comes down to the language. The stories and experiences of race, transness, and queerness are written with such care. There are so many lines in this book that I know are just going to stick with me for a long time. The writing is absolutely beautiful, and to me, is up to par with the original’s flowery prose.
Still, McLemore is not faithful to the source material, taking many departures. The original is more of a loose outline that they take pieces from and it makes the book all the better.
The plot itself is very compelling. I was so captivated, and though I did fall into a reading slump at the beginning of reading this book (through no fault of the book!), I devoured most of it in two days.
I also loved all the characters (except Tom). Nick is just as much of an unreliable narrator in this as in the original due to his obliviousness. Jay’s character is slowly built up as Nick learns about him and you can’t help but love this wonderful man as you learn as well. Daisy is an enigma and so deceptively smart.
This book made me laugh, tear up, and just made me so so happy. All in all, though I enjoy the original, I would take McLemore’s Self-Made Boys over Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby any day. Please read this book, I cannot recommend it enough.
When I learned about Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby going into the public domain, the first thing that came to mind was the hope that someone would write a retelling (or remix in this case) where Nick and Jay fall in love. In this novel, Anna-Marie McLemore does that and so much more. They have given us the most beautiful queer reimagining of The Great Gatsby.
While it is set in the 20s, doesn’t exactly have “period-typical queerphobia.” It’s not entirely absent, as evidenced by Nick’s surprise about the acceptance and presence of queerness in the people around him, but McLemore puts the readers in something of a queer bubble through most of the story, allowing queer joy to wash over us despite the time period.
Though we don’t see overt discrimination against trans and queer people, the same cannot be said of racism. With several Latine characters, the author does not shy away from representing what the life of a brown person of the time would look like.
And it all comes down to the language. The stories and experiences of race, transness, and queerness are written with such care. There are so many lines in this book that I know are just going to stick with me for a long time. The writing is absolutely beautiful, and to me, is up to par with the original’s flowery prose.
Still, McLemore is not faithful to the source material, taking many departures. The original is more of a loose outline that they take pieces from and it makes the book all the better.
The plot itself is very compelling. I was so captivated, and though I did fall into a reading slump at the beginning of reading this book (through no fault of the book!), I devoured most of it in two days.
I also loved all the characters (except Tom). Nick is just as much of an unreliable narrator in this as in the original due to his obliviousness. Jay’s character is slowly built up as Nick learns about him and you can’t help but love this wonderful man as you learn as well. Daisy is an enigma and so deceptively smart.
This book made me laugh, tear up, and just made me so so happy. All in all, though I enjoy the original, I would take McLemore’s Self-Made Boys over Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby any day. Please read this book, I cannot recommend it enough.