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lotsa_matcha's reviews
155 reviews
Stealing Thunder by Alina Boyden
4.0
I'm between three and four stars on this.
Razia, our main character, deals a lot with internalized misogyny and transphobia, and there was a bit of a "I'm not like other girls." However, the author did make it clear that the being not like other girls basically happened because she's had a lot of access to education and training that other girls, like Arjun's sister Anju, have not had the access to. It also hurt my heart to see the main character talking about how being trans is a curse and asking why would anyone want to be trans. I want to be trans. I love my whole trans identity. Yes, I am dysphoric, and people have made me feel unsafe due to my gender, but I also love messing with the whole expectations of gender and defying expectation. I know some people hate that they're trans, and I feel bad for them, and it hurt my heart to see it. I know it's some people's lived experience, but I also cringe to see it in one of the first mainstream trans fantasy novels. I was happy that Razia was much more comfortable with herself by the end of the book, and I do think that some of her internalized prejudices have come from her own deep unhappiness.
I really would have loved to see more of the dynamics at the dera. I would have loved more of that queer found family with Sakshi, Lakshmi, and Razia (and Arjun, but so far as I know, he's not lgbt+). I just would have liked more of that family stuff, and I hope we get it in book 2, since it looks like there might be a sequel? I think it would also be fine as a standalone. I also want more Anju since I liked her in her one scene.
One of my personal things with this book is that I think it plays a bit into respectability politics, if we're just good enough, this enough, that enough, we'll be accepted. And for Razia, it works, and I'm happy for her. But her happy ending comes with, say, Udai still hating hijras except for Razia. Maybe now that she has a position for herself and her family she can help make actual change? I am very happy that she got her fairytale ending and that everything is finally looking up. I wish I could give that kind of story to my friends.
I know a lot of the reviews on here are talking about how they don't like how Razia is good at everything and proves people wrong all the time. I didn't mind it and enjoyed it. Goodness knows I wish I could do that. It made me super happy to see a trans woman doing that. It was cathartic. It was joy.
As for the xenophobia and representation of hijra and other Indian characters, I can't really comment as to the accuracy of the representation. I'm as white as Boyden, so I don't get a say. I would like to hear what other people have to say. I think it probably would be better for a hijra author to write a book about hijras, and I hope one written by a white author allows for one by an actual hijra person to be published mainstream in the near future.
Razia, our main character, deals a lot with internalized misogyny and transphobia, and there was a bit of a "I'm not like other girls." However, the author did make it clear that the being not like other girls basically happened because she's had a lot of access to education and training that other girls, like Arjun's sister Anju, have not had the access to. It also hurt my heart to see the main character talking about how being trans is a curse and asking why would anyone want to be trans. I want to be trans. I love my whole trans identity. Yes, I am dysphoric, and people have made me feel unsafe due to my gender, but I also love messing with the whole expectations of gender and defying expectation. I know some people hate that they're trans, and I feel bad for them, and it hurt my heart to see it. I know it's some people's lived experience, but I also cringe to see it in one of the first mainstream trans fantasy novels. I was happy that Razia was much more comfortable with herself by the end of the book, and I do think that some of her internalized prejudices have come from her own deep unhappiness.
I really would have loved to see more of the dynamics at the dera. I would have loved more of that queer found family with Sakshi, Lakshmi, and Razia (and Arjun, but so far as I know, he's not lgbt+). I just would have liked more of that family stuff, and I hope we get it in book 2, since it looks like there might be a sequel? I think it would also be fine as a standalone. I also want more Anju since I liked her in her one scene.
One of my personal things with this book is that I think it plays a bit into respectability politics, if we're just good enough, this enough, that enough, we'll be accepted. And for Razia, it works, and I'm happy for her. But her happy ending comes with, say, Udai still hating hijras except for Razia. Maybe now that she has a position for herself and her family she can help make actual change? I am very happy that she got her fairytale ending and that everything is finally looking up. I wish I could give that kind of story to my friends.
I know a lot of the reviews on here are talking about how they don't like how Razia is good at everything and proves people wrong all the time. I didn't mind it and enjoyed it. Goodness knows I wish I could do that. It made me super happy to see a trans woman doing that. It was cathartic. It was joy.
As for the xenophobia and representation of hijra and other Indian characters, I can't really comment as to the accuracy of the representation. I'm as white as Boyden, so I don't get a say. I would like to hear what other people have to say. I think it probably would be better for a hijra author to write a book about hijras, and I hope one written by a white author allows for one by an actual hijra person to be published mainstream in the near future.