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A review by gengariite
Blood Like Magic by Liselle Sambury
Did not finish book. Stopped at 25%.
Truly unsure how so many people are giving this 5 and 4 star ratings.
The introduction of the main characters love interest is riddled with [what i’m hoping was unintentional] transphobia and othering.
The MC going on a lecture about how pronouns are found in this world and how she ALWAYS uses neutral ones for strangers? weird. super unnecessary and it made me, a trans reader, feel weird! and then the MC being able to use her super techy phone to just pull up the fact that her love interest was trans? heinous. that’s weird. And what’s even worse? the main character immediately jumps to wondering if the trans character has had this worlds procedures done for their genitalia.
i get trying to tell readers your world is inclusive and being very blunt and obvious about it. i also get introducing part of the book - genetic hacking - as a concept through this. but it was so horrific to read as someone who is trans/nonbinary. I don’t think its too much to ask for inclusion to not be this harmful
The introduction of the main characters love interest is riddled with [what i’m hoping was unintentional] transphobia and othering.
i get trying to tell readers your world is inclusive and being very blunt and obvious about it. i also get introducing part of the book - genetic hacking - as a concept through this. but it was so horrific to read as someone who is trans/nonbinary. I don’t think its too much to ask for inclusion to not be this harmful
Content Warnings
Moderate: Transphobia