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palmkd's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The story takes place in 1920s but Nick's Mexican-American, transgender, and just trying to get set up enough as a young man to help his family out. Daisy's as wild and lovely as ever, but she's keeping her relationship to Nick a secret, lest others realise she's not actually white.
As with the original story, the themes of the american dream, new vs old money, classism and materialism are present and the heart of the story feels the same. I'd argue this go around the characters are more defined and easier to love and I really enjoyed watching the story play out.
Graphic: Homophobia, Infidelity, Racism, Sexism, and War
earth_to_mars's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I also want to say that I just came off of one of the worst books I've read this year so my rating is probably skewed because this was such a breath of fresh air after The Sins on Their Bones.
That being said, I want to start off that this is actually a very well written book. The prose are flowy, descriptive but don't overstay their welcome. It's a good balance between similie, metaphor and exposition that don't feel overdone. One of my favorite lines has to be:
"We were boys who created ourselves. We had formed our own bodies, our own lives, from the ribs of the girls we were once assumed to be."
And there's many lines like that throughout the book that make me emotional. Or strike me in a way that I either really enjoyed or heavily related to.
I read The Great Gatsby in high school and I can say the themes — despite it's simplification — are still there. Gatsby still is a prick who compensates by living in excess and overspending his money until bankruptcy until he lets Nick see the unpolished parts of himself that not even Daisy knows about. AM McLemore also adds the conversation of being white passing vs. not white passing and being LGBTQ+ in an era where being a POC or LGBTQ+ person was not welcomed. I cannot speak on the race aspect, but I can say the LGBTQ+, especially the trans aspect was handled with care and respect.
I'm glad McLemore did their due diligence and did not add any harmful language that was present at the time, I feel that would take away from the message they intended here.
[From the Author's Note] As you leave West Egg, I hope you leave knowing this: You are worth being seen as you truly are. You areworth imagining your life for yourself instead of how you may have been told your life must be.
You are worth your own dreams.
I also like that the use of Symington side lacers as a stand in for binders and that McLemore does denounce binding with bandages (very unsafe!) through dialogue from Daisy and again in the author's note. It's brief, maybe a little too brief, but it's good to have regardless.
I think my only gripe with the book is there's not enough of Daisy's arc. I think it's interesting, a girl coming to terms with her sexuality, falling in love despite the world telling her she's only worth what a man says she is. I thought maybe McLemore would make some sort of statement on compulsory heterosexuality. Something I, and many others can relate to. Daisy was shunted in the original Gatsby and I feel she was a little shunted here. Not as much, as she did get her own arc and her own happy ending, but still. She has so much untapped potential and I would love to see more of her and Jordan's relationship and more of her, herself.
In the end, the chemistry between Nick and Jay is well done. Having a T4T couple at the forefront is so rare, and extra rare for them to have a happy ending. In my journal, I compare this to Heartstopper. It is sacchrine, fluffy, but in a way I don't find annoying (maybe I'm just not that cynical). I think this is a good piece of media for young people who are just learning to explore their identities and accepting themselves or for people who just want a book with a fluffy relationship and a happy ending without all the dreariness and bury your gays of it all from other pieces of media.
It's a delightful read and a good break should anyone need it.
Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, and Transphobia
Moderate: Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, and War
Minor: Gun violence, Racial slurs, and Car accident
jun_liuyue's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Transphobia
Minor: War
mnerd63's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, and Transphobia
Minor: War
mirandyli's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Xenophobia, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Alcohol, War, and Classism
ktv's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Infidelity, Racism, Sexism, and Alcohol
Moderate: Homophobia, Violence, and War
Minor: Racial slurs
kjofalltrades's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Homophobia, Infidelity, Racism, Sexism, Transphobia, Outing, Alcohol, War, and Classism
sarahthescrivnr's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Racism
Minor: War
cozyscones's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Transphobia, War, and Classism
sarah_shelf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, Transphobia, and Lesbophobia
Minor: War
From the content warnings in the book: "Racism, colorism, transphobia, queerphobia, sexism" in the 1920s & "talk of soldier experiences during and after WWI"