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A review by ellen_mellor
Woodworking by Emily St. James
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is my book of the year so far and it's going to take a lot to topple it.
A beautiful, moving, funny and heartfelt story about an 'older' trans woman's first steps in finding out who she is. And, I really identified with Erica.
Her realisation of who she is, her struggles to come to terms with it, her joys and her fears, all reminded me of my early days.
All the characters were so vivid and real. Abigail, the teenage trans girl who becomes an unwilling mentor to Erica is wonderful. Her hard shell that she has been forced to erect to protect herself felt so real and her slow blossoming into someone who realised she actually had a future made me cry.
Each chapter was from a different POV and I loved how different they were. Erica being mostly 3rd person, Abigail 1st person with regular fourth wall breaks and a 3rd character written in 2nd person. (Not naming them because... Spoilers.) It was such an innovative book. Setting it in a deeply Republican town in the run up and aftermath of Trump's 1st win in 2016 added a tension to the story. I hoped things would work out but knew that they wouldn't. At least not in that town.
This book deserves to be read by everybody. Possibly most be the anti-trans bigots out there because it might break through their shells and allow some humanity in.
Also, the way that Emily avoided telling us Erica's deadname through the use of a block of static everytime it was used, was brilliant.
A beautiful, moving, funny and heartfelt story about an 'older' trans woman's first steps in finding out who she is. And, I really identified with Erica.
Her realisation of who she is, her struggles to come to terms with it, her joys and her fears, all reminded me of my early days.
All the characters were so vivid and real. Abigail, the teenage trans girl who becomes an unwilling mentor to Erica is wonderful. Her hard shell that she has been forced to erect to protect herself felt so real and her slow blossoming into someone who realised she actually had a future made me cry.
Each chapter was from a different POV and I loved how different they were. Erica being mostly 3rd person, Abigail 1st person with regular fourth wall breaks and a 3rd character written in 2nd person. (Not naming them because... Spoilers.) It was such an innovative book. Setting it in a deeply Republican town in the run up and aftermath of Trump's 1st win in 2016 added a tension to the story. I hoped things would work out but knew that they wouldn't. At least not in that town.
This book deserves to be read by everybody. Possibly most be the anti-trans bigots out there because it might break through their shells and allow some humanity in.
Also, the way that Emily avoided telling us Erica's deadname through the use of a block of static everytime it was used, was brilliant.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Transphobia, Pregnancy
Moderate: Mental illness, Abortion
Minor: Bullying, Deadnaming, Car accident, Abandonment