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A review by rebecca_simard
Stay Gold by Tobly McSmith
- Loveable characters? No
3.0
DNF at 146. I wanted to like this book, the setting of a high school romance is a classic for a reason and I'm a sucker for any LGBT representation that was lacking in my own youth, especially when written by queer authors, but this one just didn't do it for me.
For starters, the characterization is abysmal, this might improve throughout the book but by 1/3rd of the way in we should have at least a few likable characters. The female lead suffers from "not like other girls" symptom, being the cheerleader who secretly is into important things like reading and journalism. Good basis for a character but it is used as a way to show how she is better than the other girls. Not a fan. The male lead has some internalized misogyny when it comes to her "not like other girls" isms as well. How exciting is it that there's actually a cheerleader worth his time and who isn't an idiot? While the best friend, Max, did not make a lot of appearances so far, reviews suggest that he is also a prominent character and his only scene so far had me cringing.
This leads to my next point, that the dialogue is bland and filled with long outdated phrases and references to try and sell the youth of the characters, obvi girl, 10 pride flag emojis. This is both emersion-breaking and difficult to read.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the plotline of a trans character being pressured by their support network to come out because not doing so is dishonest is concerning. Trans people do not owe anyone a description of their genitals as a means to promote honesty. One's medical history is theirs and theirs alone to disclose. I hope no trans or queer youth feel pressured by this rhetoric.
In summary, I had high hopes and I hope that the author continues to write as trans voices are vital, now more than ever. The blurb is good, showing that McSmith has good stories to tell. I hope they refine their characterization and writing style and move away from the overdone at best and problematic at worst pressure to come out stories. It's a good premise, but the execution needs work.
For starters, the characterization is abysmal, this might improve throughout the book but by 1/3rd of the way in we should have at least a few likable characters. The female lead suffers from "not like other girls" symptom, being the cheerleader who secretly is into important things like reading and journalism. Good basis for a character but it is used as a way to show how she is better than the other girls. Not a fan. The male lead has some internalized misogyny when it comes to her "not like other girls" isms as well. How exciting is it that there's actually a cheerleader worth his time and who isn't an idiot? While the best friend, Max, did not make a lot of appearances so far, reviews suggest that he is also a prominent character and his only scene so far had me cringing.
This leads to my next point, that the dialogue is bland and filled with long outdated phrases and references to try and sell the youth of the characters, obvi girl, 10 pride flag emojis. This is both emersion-breaking and difficult to read.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the plotline of a trans character being pressured by their support network to come out because not doing so is dishonest is concerning. Trans people do not owe anyone a description of their genitals as a means to promote honesty. One's medical history is theirs and theirs alone to disclose. I hope no trans or queer youth feel pressured by this rhetoric.
In summary, I had high hopes and I hope that the author continues to write as trans voices are vital, now more than ever. The blurb is good, showing that McSmith has good stories to tell. I hope they refine their characterization and writing style and move away from the overdone at best and problematic at worst pressure to come out stories. It's a good premise, but the execution needs work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Transphobia, Bullying, Outing, and Suicidal thoughts