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caidyn's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
An extremely queer version of The Great Gatsby? It was fantastic. So queer in so many different ways. And I loved how there really wasn't an outing storyline to it. Not to mention that we have Latinx characters, some who can pass as white and others who can't. Definitely enjoyed this remix!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Sexism, and Alcohol
brokenbodybitch's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely loved this remix, I never read the original gatsby, well I tried but never got far, however I saw the newer movie and my partner knows a decent amount about the original so I went in with a fairly base/basic knowledge of the source material.
I really enjoyed the relationships between the main characters and how their friendships/relationships developed/changed/grew over the story, as well as the way the characters queerness presented and grew in the eyes of nicolás and the reader over the course of the book. I adored the ‘self made boys’ bit, and the way the trans experience was explained was relatable and beautiful. Kinda off of that; the writing in this book was really well done and beautiful in my opinion and I loved the way the pov’s were structured to enhance to the story. This was a beautiful ya book with heavy themes of embracing your culture despite what the society around you is saying and be who you are. If classics were like this growing up I can guarantee I would’ve read them all!
I will 100% be getting myself a physical copy of this book and most likely the audiobook as well, so far these remixed classics have been fantastic and I can’t wait to see what else is to come!
Additionally; Avi Roque, and Kyla Garcia narrated the audiobook, they did a fantastic job (I love Avi Roque already) and their narration added to the story so well
Graphic: Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Toxic relationship, Colonisation, Dysphoria, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, and Transphobia
Moderate: Alcohol, Classism, Emotional abuse, Injury/injury detail, Racial slurs, War, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Initial thoughts;
I did not plan on feeling this emotional tonight….the way this explains the trans experience in internal dialogue was 🥲
I really enjoyed the relationships between the main characters and how their friendships/relationships developed/changed/grew over the story, as well as the way the characters queerness presented and grew in the eyes of nicolás and the reader over the course of the book. I adored the ‘self made boys’ bit, and the way the trans experience was explained was relatable and beautiful. Kinda off of that; the writing in this book was really well done and beautiful in my opinion and I loved the way the pov’s were structured to enhance to the story. This was a beautiful ya book with heavy themes of embracing your culture despite what the society around you is saying and be who you are. If classics were like this growing up I can guarantee I would’ve read them all!
I will 100% be getting myself a physical copy of this book and most likely the audiobook as well, so far these remixed classics have been fantastic and I can’t wait to see what else is to come!
Additionally; Avi Roque, and Kyla Garcia narrated the audiobook, they did a fantastic job (I love Avi Roque already) and their narration added to the story so well
Graphic: Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Toxic relationship, Colonisation, Dysphoria, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, and Transphobia
Moderate: Alcohol, Classism, Emotional abuse, Injury/injury detail, Racial slurs, War, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Initial thoughts;
I did not plan on feeling this emotional tonight….the way this explains the trans experience in internal dialogue was 🥲
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Lesbophobia, Colonisation, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Violence, Blood, Murder, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
alyssamayreads's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
5.0
“Gatsby and I may have been nothing to men like Tom Buchanan, but men like that did not know that we were as divine as the heavens. We were boys who had created ourselves. We had formed our own bodies, our own lives, from the ribs of the girls we were once assumed to be.”
Did you feel like Nick was in love with Jay when you were forced to read The Great Gatsby in high school? If so, (and even if you didn’t), Anna-Marie McLemore’s Great Gatsby retelling, Self-Made Boys, is a must read. The book follows trans boy Nicolás Caraveo as he ventures to New York City to earn money to send back to his family. Along the way he finds that his cousin Daisy has turned her back on their heritage and is now passing as white, and his charming yet mysterious neighbor Jay Gatsby is a trans boy just like him. The writing is stunning, with descriptions of the clothing and gardens as extravagant as one of Gatsby’s parties. McLemore artfully balances the reality of racism, misogyny and transphobia of the 1920’s with the magic and joy that is being trans and queer. The majority queer cast of characters opens a refreshing perspective on a classic story. I’ve read over 100 LGBTQ books this year, and this ranks in the top 10! It made my queer little heart sing. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, and Transphobia
Moderate: Violence, Alcohol, and War
Minor: Car accident
booksdogsandcoffee's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
- 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
The story captivating and a wonderful reimagining of Gatbsy
The narration was music to my ears
The representation, spot on.
This was as such a phenomenal reimagining of Gatsby. It was a coming of the age story and about embracing your culture and who you are even when white culture tells you not to. The rewording of the “Beautiful little fool” quote was perfection! The reworking of the green glow across the lake was fantastic. I really enjoyed the ending changes it feels like a better ending overall than how the original ends in my opinion. It was just soooooo well done and everything I could want in a reimagining of Gatsby. Please be sure to read the authors note it is just fantastic!
Rep
Trans rep both Gatsby and Nicholas
Latinx rep
Skin lightening of latinx women
Jewish
Sapphic
Cw
Colorism
Transphobia
Classism
Racism
Colonization
Ptsd
gun violence
infidelity
homophobia
Spoiler:
JORDAN AND DASIY TOGETHER GIVES ME LIFE
The narration was music to my ears
The representation, spot on.
This was as such a phenomenal reimagining of Gatsby. It was a coming of the age story and about embracing your culture and who you are even when white culture tells you not to. The rewording of the “Beautiful little fool” quote was perfection! The reworking of the green glow across the lake was fantastic. I really enjoyed the ending changes it feels like a better ending overall than how the original ends in my opinion. It was just soooooo well done and everything I could want in a reimagining of Gatsby. Please be sure to read the authors note it is just fantastic!
Rep
Trans rep both Gatsby and Nicholas
Latinx rep
Skin lightening of latinx women
Jewish
Sapphic
Cw
Colorism
Transphobia
Classism
Racism
Colonization
Ptsd
gun violence
infidelity
homophobia
Spoiler:
JORDAN AND DASIY TOGETHER GIVES ME LIFE
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: War
patricktreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This was a great retelling of gatsby. I really appreciated the quite literal look at “self made boys” and how that and the background of the characters gave a lot to the story. I also really appreciated the authors content warnings and the context notes as both helped the reader with some of the topics discussed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexism, Transphobia, Car accident, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Classism