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skyeshark1's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Hate crime, Dysphoria, Body shaming, Toxic friendship, Violence, Transphobia, Bullying, Toxic relationship, Lesbophobia, and Homophobia
davidbythebay's review
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This was good. Like it was better than average but still, my issues outweigh it all and I only can give this three stars (after I started at 3.5/4 when I wrote my first review I deleted before posting by accident >.< ).
If this had been a story about first love, it would have been great. If this had been a story about exploring identity and gender expression, it would have been great. If this had been a story about a mother abandoning her family and how that impacts her lesbian daughter and her relationships with the other mother figures in her life like Deidre and Jill or her friends or her love interests, this would have been great. If this had been about a young girl exploring her LGBTQ+ identity and discovering drag and the Drag Queens and Drag Kings that exist and interest her, this would have been great.
The problem is, it is all these things and not once does it ever really explore something. It just almost “is”. It is a coming of age, identity, first love story that just develops but never explores or goes anywhere but forward without much effort. At one point Charles says Nima, the main character, jumps into things and does them, even if she doesn’t know how. And that’s what this story is, a bunch of leaps with no clue what’s going to happen and no real resolution.
Let’s start with the mother abandoning her. This was brought up - fine, so much potential with that in the background - and then it’s brought up suddenly twice more to jolt the flow of the story with these side quests. I thought they were interesting, but not really necessary to the story I think was the main one. Like with the mother, the Ginny storyline, Jill storyline, Charles storyline, and the biggest disappointment the Gordon storyline, were all brought up and left alone.
Gordon is a jerk. From start to finish he is a bully and a miserable ass. Now, we get some insight into him and see that maybe he’s this way because of his circumstances at home and his personal struggles. Let’s look at those personal struggles, shall we? Gordon is first portrayed as a cis male who vigorously claims heterosexual attraction to women. He says at one point, though, that sometimes his body doesn’t feel right. So Gordon is questioning his identity and I feel for that. Until he says another jerk comment and I was to take him and tell him to grow up and listen at all the people here who are available to help him with this issue. But what is the issue? We never really know. Is Gordon trans? Is he non-binary? Is he dealing with gay shame? Or fears his bisexuality? There are times he seems interested in men and times he doesn’t. We NEVER get to experience any clarity of whatever it is Gordon is clearly going through. It’s almost like his storyline is irrelevant, and yet it deserves its own novel.
Some characters are great. Loved Diedre absolutely. Nima, though, was a bit too judgmental and sassy at times. Her age showed. She’s 17 (soon to be 18) but she’s acting like a petulant child a good deal of the time. She’s inexperienced at life and love and wants this relationship with a woman about 6/7 years older than her. Now, I have no qualms with age differences in relationships so long as everyone involved is a freely consenting adult. I bring it up only because the maturity differences are clear. And I bring it up because somehow, this 17 year old girl is allowed into gay bars and drag bars without any protest. Even when carded and using a fake ID she’s waved through because the bouncers either know she’s underage and let her in anyway with a wink, or they barely look at the card. I don’t mind this as many bars have special nights where 18-20 year olds can enter but cannot drink. That’s fine. But this 17 year old is freely drinking beers and liquor like it’s something she’s used to and has no issues - except for one night where she’s so drunk she gets sick. I’m not naive. I know underage drinking occurs. I’ve witnessed it myself, though never drank underage. But that doesn’t mean I can’t be aghast at the blatant alcohol consumption and lack of anyone addressing this in any way in the book. These 17-year-old kids are all drinking like it’s nothing. Unless I’m mistaken, this is a United States town they are in. So that’s too young.
This was a book with too many ideas and not enough editing. If this was the first in a series, it might be worth it. But as a stand-alone it lacks. It’s overstuffed and bloated. And the beginning was so slow! O, how I found it a drudge to get through the first third at least. I wanted to quit then. I’m glad I didn’t but I still wasn’t happy until maybe the last half. That 30-50% window was mixed but improving.
Gordon needs his own book with his story fully told. That’s absolute. But aside from that, I’m going to say this is a good book, better than average and maybe 3.5 star, but I’m only setting it at 3 because it’s barely there.
If this had been a story about first love, it would have been great. If this had been a story about exploring identity and gender expression, it would have been great. If this had been a story about a mother abandoning her family and how that impacts her lesbian daughter and her relationships with the other mother figures in her life like Deidre and Jill or her friends or her love interests, this would have been great. If this had been about a young girl exploring her LGBTQ+ identity and discovering drag and the Drag Queens and Drag Kings that exist and interest her, this would have been great.
The problem is, it is all these things and not once does it ever really explore something. It just almost “is”. It is a coming of age, identity, first love story that just develops but never explores or goes anywhere but forward without much effort. At one point Charles says Nima, the main character, jumps into things and does them, even if she doesn’t know how. And that’s what this story is, a bunch of leaps with no clue what’s going to happen and no real resolution.
Let’s start with the mother abandoning her. This was brought up - fine, so much potential with that in the background - and then it’s brought up suddenly twice more to jolt the flow of the story with these side quests. I thought they were interesting, but not really necessary to the story I think was the main one. Like with the mother, the Ginny storyline, Jill storyline, Charles storyline, and the biggest disappointment the Gordon storyline, were all brought up and left alone.
Gordon is a jerk. From start to finish he is a bully and a miserable ass. Now, we get some insight into him and see that maybe he’s this way because of his circumstances at home and his personal struggles. Let’s look at those personal struggles, shall we? Gordon is first portrayed as a cis male who vigorously claims heterosexual attraction to women. He says at one point, though, that sometimes his body doesn’t feel right. So Gordon is questioning his identity and I feel for that. Until he says another jerk comment and I was to take him and tell him to grow up and listen at all the people here who are available to help him with this issue. But what is the issue? We never really know. Is Gordon trans? Is he non-binary? Is he dealing with gay shame? Or fears his bisexuality? There are times he seems interested in men and times he doesn’t. We NEVER get to experience any clarity of whatever it is Gordon is clearly going through. It’s almost like his storyline is irrelevant, and yet it deserves its own novel.
Some characters are great. Loved Diedre absolutely. Nima, though, was a bit too judgmental and sassy at times. Her age showed. She’s 17 (soon to be 18) but she’s acting like a petulant child a good deal of the time. She’s inexperienced at life and love and wants this relationship with a woman about 6/7 years older than her. Now, I have no qualms with age differences in relationships so long as everyone involved is a freely consenting adult. I bring it up only because the maturity differences are clear. And I bring it up because somehow, this 17 year old girl is allowed into gay bars and drag bars without any protest. Even when carded and using a fake ID she’s waved through because the bouncers either know she’s underage and let her in anyway with a wink, or they barely look at the card. I don’t mind this as many bars have special nights where 18-20 year olds can enter but cannot drink. That’s fine. But this 17 year old is freely drinking beers and liquor like it’s something she’s used to and has no issues - except for one night where she’s so drunk she gets sick. I’m not naive. I know underage drinking occurs. I’ve witnessed it myself, though never drank underage. But that doesn’t mean I can’t be aghast at the blatant alcohol consumption and lack of anyone addressing this in any way in the book. These 17-year-old kids are all drinking like it’s nothing. Unless I’m mistaken, this is a United States town they are in. So that’s too young.
This was a book with too many ideas and not enough editing. If this was the first in a series, it might be worth it. But as a stand-alone it lacks. It’s overstuffed and bloated. And the beginning was so slow! O, how I found it a drudge to get through the first third at least. I wanted to quit then. I’m glad I didn’t but I still wasn’t happy until maybe the last half. That 30-50% window was mixed but improving.
Gordon needs his own book with his story fully told. That’s absolute. But aside from that, I’m going to say this is a good book, better than average and maybe 3.5 star, but I’m only setting it at 3 because it’s barely there.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Alcohol and Alcoholism
Minor: Vomit, Transphobia, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Lesbophobia, and Homophobia
fragilelunar's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
this book made my heart so warm. the sense of community and support made me cry! as a young queer person, this hit me hard. reading about someone finding themselves and their identity and breaking out their shell is so beautiful. i loved that the characters had flaws that they worked on throughout the book. none of the drama felt unrealistic or forced, nor did the growth. i related to nima a lot, especially when she would get in her own head and convince herself that she was boring or didn’t fit in. everyone needs a community like she has in this. i would highly recommend this book to other young queer people!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Vomit, Toxic relationship, and Bullying
Minor: Homophobia
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