Reviews

The Shape of My Name by Nino Cipri

Only show reviews with written explanations

lue_moon's review

emotional reflective fast-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? Yes

5.0

I don't think I've ever connected so much with a story so short. Beautiful, powerful, and relatable. I saw so many pieces of myself reflected.

Content Warnings

sektaufeis's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I loved everything about it. Really great writing style, story telling, set building, topics, character development.
This short stroy had a simliar feel for my like the movie "Arrival" (based on Story of Your Life, 1998, Ted Chiang).
I just loved it and want more!

Content Warnings

caedocyon's review

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4.0

Best trans time travel story I've read all year. (I will happily read every contender for that title.)

micareads123's review

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dark emotional mysterious reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

joey_schafer's review

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challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

analinea's review

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emotional reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

belladonnashrike's review

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character

5.0

oh wow. this was such a beautiful story about identity, acceptance, and imperfect families. I think the time-travel aspect works really well here in the context of gender identity and it was executed perfectly.

my brain is currently mush and I can’t properly articulate this but there’s a lot here about how you can love someone (specifically a family member, a caregiver) and be so angry & disappointed with them for not accepting you as you are, but also entertaining the possibility of forgiving them in the future despite the hurt that they’ve caused you.

I’m just going to glaze over the incest, it makes sense in context of the story but it’s still…incest. but anyway I liked the queer aspect of that relationship — it does aid in the whole acceptance theme. his mother is similar to him in their shared queerness, even though it’s displayed differently between gender & sexuality. there should be kinship between them, not only because of the fact that they’re literal kin, but because of this aspect as well. i’m not sure if the goal with that subplot was to note on the intracommunity problems regarding transness coming from other queer cis people or if it was just a coincidence. regardless I think it also taps into the familial acceptance theme wonderfully.

Content Warnings

humblesloth's review

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challenging emotional medium-paced

5.0

happentobeshort's review

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emotional hopeful medium-paced

3.5

zoes_human's review

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4.0

A powerful story about anger and forgiveness in an imperfect family. May be found in The New Voices of Science Fiction.

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