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A review by bibliobrandie
Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix by Anna-Marie McLemore
5.0
I am always a bit skeptical when walking into a retelling but McLemore gives this classic an updated and fresh reimagining. I loved the queering of this classic novel and think it works perfectly. McLemore breathes life into all the characters and I loved and was rooting for them all, even Daisy (I mean, except for Tom...he's still a jerk). Oh, and Meyer Wolfsheim is now the most interesting and cool lesbian. The slow-burn romance(s) made me so happy. Readers are also introduced to life in 1922 New York, the stock market, lavender marriages, and 1920s queer community. I really appreciated the look at gender roles and the racism felt by some of the characters (many who were ignored in Fitzgeralds original story). Richly imagined, wonderfully Latinx, this book looks at identity and acceptance and I loved every minute of it.
This is part of Macmillan's Remixed Classics series where authors from diverse backgrounds take different literary classics and reinterpret them through their own unique cultural lens. I think this is an exciting way to get new readers interested in classic stories but I wonder if students who haven't been introduced to The Great Gatsby yet will enjoy it as much as someone familiar with the story. I will be curious to hear what students have to say!
This is part of Macmillan's Remixed Classics series where authors from diverse backgrounds take different literary classics and reinterpret them through their own unique cultural lens. I think this is an exciting way to get new readers interested in classic stories but I wonder if students who haven't been introduced to The Great Gatsby yet will enjoy it as much as someone familiar with the story. I will be curious to hear what students have to say!