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A review by sweetrosegirl76
Stay Gold by Tobly McSmith
3.0
3.5 I don't think I would reread this book and it wasn't bad but it wasn't something exceptionally amazing where I was on the hook the entire time. I found myself getting really frustrated for Pony and really sad. I think that this story is definitely a more normal one. A more common experience. Lately I've been in the mood for queer books that celebrate queer joy, that kind of let me forget about the real world and homophobia and transphobia. This book is not necessarily an escape from all those things which is maybe why I didn't like it that much because it's not something I was in the mood for but still a good book still a good story and very representative of a more common trans youth experience. Especially of someone who lives in Texas. Which reminds me that I need to order my Don't Mess with Trans Kids Texas t-shirt.
This book can be triggering as there is dead naming, trans violence, misgendering, transphobia, being publicly outed.
The one thing I would say I did not like or appreciate was that they didn't really acknowledge Pony's feelings. Pony is not obligated to come out. Him not coming out doesn't mean that he's lying. It doesn't mean that he's hiding. It doesn't mean that he's manipulating and betraying someone's trust. It doesn't mean that he is misleading someone. He and every trans and queer kid have the right to come out on their own terms and should not be made to feel guilty for not doing so. That was not explicitly stated in the book and I don't like the narrative for youth to be reading this and to not know the truth: that there is no bad thing associated with being in the closet. You come out when you're ready and only then, not because someone is telling you that you're lying. You come out when it's safe for you to do so on your terms. If it doesn't feel safe, then it's entirely your prerogative with what to do with your own journey and story. No one should be manipulating anyone to come out for the movement for visibility for Trans rights. You do not owe any organization any person any movement your mental health and physical, spiritual, emotional well-being. Coming out is on your terms and no one should be gaslit into doing it for the "greater good."
So I read this book via audiobook. The chapters were a bit long in the beginning for me to physically read it so I prefer to do the audio. But I could not listen to it at 1.2x speed I had to list it at normal speed which I have not really ever done. I mostly listen to books a little bit faster. This book was a little bit hard to pay attention to sometimes I wish I could explain why but it was easy to zone out while listening to the audiobook. Maybe it was the voice actors. That being said it was not a bad book at all!
This book can be triggering as there is dead naming, trans violence, misgendering, transphobia, being publicly outed.
The one thing I would say I did not like or appreciate was that they didn't really acknowledge Pony's feelings. Pony is not obligated to come out. Him not coming out doesn't mean that he's lying. It doesn't mean that he's hiding. It doesn't mean that he's manipulating and betraying someone's trust. It doesn't mean that he is misleading someone. He and every trans and queer kid have the right to come out on their own terms and should not be made to feel guilty for not doing so. That was not explicitly stated in the book and I don't like the narrative for youth to be reading this and to not know the truth: that there is no bad thing associated with being in the closet. You come out when you're ready and only then, not because someone is telling you that you're lying. You come out when it's safe for you to do so on your terms. If it doesn't feel safe, then it's entirely your prerogative with what to do with your own journey and story. No one should be manipulating anyone to come out for the movement for visibility for Trans rights. You do not owe any organization any person any movement your mental health and physical, spiritual, emotional well-being. Coming out is on your terms and no one should be gaslit into doing it for the "greater good."
So I read this book via audiobook. The chapters were a bit long in the beginning for me to physically read it so I prefer to do the audio. But I could not listen to it at 1.2x speed I had to list it at normal speed which I have not really ever done. I mostly listen to books a little bit faster. This book was a little bit hard to pay attention to sometimes I wish I could explain why but it was easy to zone out while listening to the audiobook. Maybe it was the voice actors. That being said it was not a bad book at all!