Reviews tagging 'Deadnaming'

Welcome to Dorley Hall by Alyson Greaves

4 reviews

fraxisle's review against another edition

dark emotional funny inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Violence, Kidnapping, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Bullying, Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Blood, Medical trauma, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Alcoholism, Deadnaming, Transphobia, Car accident, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

tamsinsays's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Dysphoria

forced feminization

tbrnichols's review against another edition

emotional inspiring 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? Yes

5.0

I was really struck by how often the interactions between the Dorley girls seem like a really healthy t4t bond. Even though they are not trans in the traditional sense they go through a lot of the same experiences and I found the optimism in their interactions with each other to be really nice. This book is extremely funny and kind to its characters but it also shows ways in which they fall short and asks for them to do better. I also really liked the pacing and depth of this book, like it covers an almost shockingly small amount of time given the premise of the book but I really appreciated getting to spend that much time with the characters in specific and intimate scenes. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Body horror and Medical trauma

Minor: Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Rape, Torture, Transphobia, and Sexual harassment

rheah's review

challenging dark mysterious

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Welcome To Dorley Hall is a transfeminine reclamation of the forced feminisation trope/fetish and a book that defies genres. It is a dark and challenging (uncomfortable for some) read that explores trans feminity. (do not read this through a transmasculine lense that was not made for it)

It follows Stef, a closeted trans girl, who attempts to infiltrate a secret underground forced feminisation programme (both to find her best friend she lost to this programme and to get a free medical transition because she lives in the UK. Yes the horrible transition process in the UK is called out many times)

The book doesn't shy away from the darkest element (see CWs) of the story and always endup calling out or reflecting on elements youthought it had omitted.You could think:

- but what about nonbinary people? There are several nonbinary people in this story and the"binary" of the basement is reflected upon but this comes later in the book

- but the girls are taught to behave "feminine"and "act like girls" that's misogynistic! indeed this book is calling out patriarchal standards and a MC is explicitly struggling with feminity

-kidnapping + medically transitioning people against their will is mutilation/torture! Yes! And the characters tell you that themselves! This fucks them up and this is explored

-this basement turning misogynistic boys into girls seem like a TERF concept! yes this is a plot point actually, that's why I said this was areclamation.

What fascinates me is that this book plays with the idea that a lot of people do not have a strong sense of their gender. A lot of cis people do not think deeper than "I am in this body and perceived as a man therefore I am a man" and the book challenges that with people like Stef who already knows she is a girl vs the girls who grow into their womanhood after their body was changed against their will (or maybe somewere eggs all along? The story throws a lot of gender theories at you)

Last note: Almost almost the basement girls are white and I'm glad because I don't think theauthor should be the one to explore this intersection (feminisation of misbehaving non-white men in a colonial nation).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Deadnaming, Medical content, Alcohol, and Dysphoria