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raggedyambush's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Dara is an annoying teenager who pretends to be dumber than she is. Which I could excuse. The undercurrent of straightness is also annoying. Also something I could also excuse. Mellie is a horrible parent who is so confusingly selfish that it makes me wonder if her flaws are just for the sake of the plot and not actually for character development
kellybean18's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
jacklynartemis's review against another edition
3.0
Love Dara’s growth throughout the story, I just wish that part was paced better.
go_maggs_go's review against another edition
1.0
I understand what this book was trying to do, and I do think it got close by the end. However, the writing was...not great. The characters were two-dimensional and bland, Dara sucks, and this book overall just reinforces transphobic stereotypes.
moniquemaggiore's review against another edition
5.0
This book is a GREAT LGBTQ book especially for young readers. A beautiful story told with honesty and respect. I loved the dual narrative - Dara (the main character) and Mellie (Dara's mother) telling her story to Dara via email. I loved the plot of the book and think this book is a very important book for young readers. The characters in this book were also so great. So glad I read this book!
mckinlay's review against another edition
3.0
*I received an early DRC of this book for free from edelweiss and the publisher. This does not affect my review.*
TW: transphobia, use of dead names and mis-gendering.
I think writing a review for this is waaaay out of my lane. I tried to find trans reviews, but haven't been able to. So if you know of one, please link me!
I will say I really enjoyed Mellie's story.
I thought Dara was incredibly selfish, but she did have a lot of growth.
Sam was an absolute doll, and the highlight of the book, in my opinion.
THERE IS A LOT OF DEAD NAMING AND MIS-GENDERING IN THIS BOOK. while I do think it made sense in the context of the story, and the characters that were doing it, I hate that Dara repeatedly let it go without calling them out on it.
TW: transphobia, use of dead names and mis-gendering.
I think writing a review for this is waaaay out of my lane. I tried to find trans reviews, but haven't been able to. So if you know of one, please link me!
I will say I really enjoyed Mellie's story.
I thought Dara was incredibly selfish, but she did have a lot of growth.
Sam was an absolute doll, and the highlight of the book, in my opinion.
THERE IS A LOT OF DEAD NAMING AND MIS-GENDERING IN THIS BOOK. while I do think it made sense in the context of the story, and the characters that were doing it, I hate that Dara repeatedly let it go without calling them out on it.
goosemixtapes's review against another edition
2.0
This is a book written by a cis person, for cis people.
The main character in this book is casually transphobic, often misgenders her mother, and believes Mellie is selfish for wanting to get away from an extended family who treat her like a monster. It takes learning that said extended family tried to get Mellie accused of child molestation for her to realize that her mother wasn't just "running away because people were mean to her." Yes, that is something Dara actually tells her mother. "You just got sick of them being mean to you," as if transphobia is something that can be equated to teasing or playground cruelty.
I know that because I am trans, my experience reading this book is obviously going to be different than that of a cis person's. And I don't want to understate how important it is for cisgender people to read books about trans people and to learn from them. But this book seems to have been written without considering a transgender audience at all. This book was 350 pages. I spent 300 of them watching Dara be painstakingly guided through learning how to treat her mother with basic human decency. I highly doubt that the author intended for it to come across this way - Dara was just meant to be someone who had a lot to learn. But the result is the same: I, a trans kid, felt alienated by a book that is supposed to be about people like me.
The main character in this book is casually transphobic, often misgenders her mother, and believes Mellie is selfish for wanting to get away from an extended family who treat her like a monster. It takes learning that said extended family tried to get Mellie accused of child molestation for her to realize that her mother wasn't just "running away because people were mean to her." Yes, that is something Dara actually tells her mother. "You just got sick of them being mean to you," as if transphobia is something that can be equated to teasing or playground cruelty.
I know that because I am trans, my experience reading this book is obviously going to be different than that of a cis person's. And I don't want to understate how important it is for cisgender people to read books about trans people and to learn from them. But this book seems to have been written without considering a transgender audience at all. This book was 350 pages. I spent 300 of them watching Dara be painstakingly guided through learning how to treat her mother with basic human decency. I highly doubt that the author intended for it to come across this way - Dara was just meant to be someone who had a lot to learn. But the result is the same: I, a trans kid, felt alienated by a book that is supposed to be about people like me.
lopster9's review against another edition
5.0
This book was better than I had hoped. The characters are well-developed and the story line is unique and extremely important to write about. A little hard to read at times, due to some of the characters struggling with identity issues. This is a story that I will remember!
acronychal's review against another edition
2.0
kinda fucked up, honestly. both the mom and the daughter annoyed the shit out of me. maybe i'm biased but i think it's extremely fucked up that mellie could hide that from her daughter for so long. this entire book was just messy.
hopedorman's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.25