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A review by r24
Avi Cantor Has Six Months To Live by Sacha Lamb
4.0
This book is too short. I have stumbled upon a rare trans book that does not dumb down the trans experience for cisgender readers, does not pretend that being trans defines a person in any way, and manages to craft a compelling story with characters who are more than just The Trans One. And you're telling me its 70 pages. Unacceptable. I need more.
Avi has six months to live, if he's going to trust the writing on the walls. Which, hey, mysterious writing? Sounds legit. Avi's main concern surprisingly isn't his impending death, but rather how the mysterious Wall Writer knew the name he hasn't told anyone else, and why a boy he's barely ever spoken to suddenly wants to be friends, while the rest of the school speculates endlessly about how he will die.
This is a very fast moving story, to fit everything in the few pages that it is takes skill without it feeling sloppy or rushed. The relationship between Avi and Ian felt sudden, they went from barely knowing each other to calling each other their boyfriend. Obviously this book skips a lot of time, it has to in order to cover the full 6 months, but I would've liked more time to be spent on developing their relationship. It was hard to root for them, or believe that they were really in love, when I hadn't really seen anything to suggest that they were. That being said, the further along the story went the more invested I was in their relationship, though I still struggled to believe they really liked each other, and weren't just together for the sake of being the two gay trans guys at school.
I've said it before, I will say it again, KEEP WRITING TRANS BOOKS FOR TRANS PEOPLE. Too often do I pick up a book featuring a trans main character, only to find their experiences are so surface-level, have been made so palatable for a cis audience who knows nothing about trans people, that it is impossible for me to read. It's boring. This? Not boring. Far from it. This book doesn't focus on Avi's dysphoria, it's just another part of his life. His coming out isn't played as another tool to make him miserable, it's sweet, and brief, in a way that feels authentic and heart warming to read. It's a good thing - too often is it treated like a disaster in other novels. Avi is trans, trans in a way that real trans people are. Complicated. People need to know that it is complicated.
In short (funny), go read this. It's been worthy enough to join my bottom line on bad trans book reviews, alongisde [b:Hell Followed With Us|57911600|Hell Followed With Us|Andrew Joseph White|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1630498579l/57911600._SY75_.jpg|90726926], as actually good representation. Well done, I adored this. Next time, write something longer. I need to see more books like this.
Avi has six months to live, if he's going to trust the writing on the walls. Which, hey, mysterious writing? Sounds legit. Avi's main concern surprisingly isn't his impending death, but rather how the mysterious Wall Writer knew the name he hasn't told anyone else, and why a boy he's barely ever spoken to suddenly wants to be friends, while the rest of the school speculates endlessly about how he will die.
I flip him off and turn away, keep walking. "I can't drink coffee. Get me something else."
This is a very fast moving story, to fit everything in the few pages that it is takes skill without it feeling sloppy or rushed. The relationship between Avi and Ian felt sudden, they went from barely knowing each other to calling each other their boyfriend. Obviously this book skips a lot of time, it has to in order to cover the full 6 months, but I would've liked more time to be spent on developing their relationship. It was hard to root for them, or believe that they were really in love, when I hadn't really seen anything to suggest that they were. That being said, the further along the story went the more invested I was in their relationship, though I still struggled to believe they really liked each other, and weren't just together for the sake of being the two gay trans guys at school.
In a way, I think I'm better off, not knowing how comfortable feels, having nothing to contrast against the discomfort of being looked at in public.
I've said it before, I will say it again, KEEP WRITING TRANS BOOKS FOR TRANS PEOPLE. Too often do I pick up a book featuring a trans main character, only to find their experiences are so surface-level, have been made so palatable for a cis audience who knows nothing about trans people, that it is impossible for me to read. It's boring. This? Not boring. Far from it. This book doesn't focus on Avi's dysphoria, it's just another part of his life. His coming out isn't played as another tool to make him miserable, it's sweet, and brief, in a way that feels authentic and heart warming to read. It's a good thing - too often is it treated like a disaster in other novels. Avi is trans, trans in a way that real trans people are. Complicated. People need to know that it is complicated.
In short (funny), go read this. It's been worthy enough to join my bottom line on bad trans book reviews, alongisde [b:Hell Followed With Us|57911600|Hell Followed With Us|Andrew Joseph White|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1630498579l/57911600._SY75_.jpg|90726926], as actually good representation. Well done, I adored this. Next time, write something longer. I need to see more books like this.