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deerfangs's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
I wanted to like this book as much as Stone Butch Blues, but it just isn't quite on the same level. It wants to be a treatise on solidarity, I think, but it suffers seriously from tokenism where characters of colour are concerned (also an issue in SBB) which makes this theme fall a bit flat. The Arab Muslim characters in particular are hardly characters at all, just props to illustrate a principle. I wish that they'd been fleshed out more or that there had been some engagement with the existence of LGBT+ Arabs and Muslims. I believe Feinberg's heart was in the right place, but these depictions do a disservice to hir principles as expressed elsewhere.
Similarly, the trans women characters fall into a particular archetype: fiery, maternal, and large-boned. These characteristics are not unrealistic or bad in and of themselves, but the pattern is both blatant and tiresome. Did ze not realise body type diversity exists among trans women, or was it always a deliberate choice to highlight widely-recognised visual cues and heightened barriers to 'passing'? Either way, it makes these characters feel less like people and more like set pieces that play a certain role within a didactic script.
Overall, Drag King Dreams could just as well be a direct sequel to SBB for how similar the narrators are; the plot progression is very similar too, with some events lining up almost beat for beat — understandable since Feinberg drew heavily from hir own life — although Drag King Dreams is a much easier read in that it features much less graphic on-page violence. Obviously, given the symmetry of the titles, this is intentional and not a strike against it.
Despite all its flaws, it's still an interesting reflection of its historical moment (the inclusion of an early MMORPG was a particular highlight for me), and the prose is fine. Read with a critical eye, but it's worth reading.
Similarly, the trans women characters fall into a particular archetype: fiery, maternal, and large-boned. These characteristics are not unrealistic or bad in and of themselves, but the pattern is both blatant and tiresome. Did ze not realise body type diversity exists among trans women, or was it always a deliberate choice to highlight widely-recognised visual cues and heightened barriers to 'passing'? Either way, it makes these characters feel less like people and more like set pieces that play a certain role within a didactic script.
Overall, Drag King Dreams could just as well be a direct sequel to SBB for how similar the narrators are; the plot progression is very similar too, with some events lining up almost beat for beat — understandable since Feinberg drew heavily from hir own life — although Drag King Dreams is a much easier read in that it features much less graphic on-page violence. Obviously, given the symmetry of the titles, this is intentional and not a strike against it.
Despite all its flaws, it's still an interesting reflection of its historical moment (the inclusion of an early MMORPG was a particular highlight for me), and the prose is fine. Read with a critical eye, but it's worth reading.
historicalmaterialgirl's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
slow-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
4.0
I'm just gonna brain dump instead of a formal review:
This was so good!! At first I wasn't sure.... there's really no clear plot so I was like what's the point? But I decided to stick with it and take my time and sit with my thoughts or whatever and honestly? That's when I started to enjoy it. It hurt sometimes with the early 2000s anti-war activism and right now with Israel's bombing of Palestine. It's about this short, specific timeframe in Max's life where she's being challenged politically and personally. In that way, it's similar to Stone Butch Blues (but I will say Stone Butch Blues was wayyyy better).
I will be honest sometimes I was like "this feels a little forced" or "no one actually talks/reacts like that" when it came to political conversations but tbh maybe I just don't like in New York? Some things could have been developed or edited a little bit more. And I am white but sometimes I thought maybe Feinberg didn't quite have the range for some of the characters of color.
Overall I think if you're patient and have ever been to a protest and like corny character-driven novels this is for you!
This was so good!! At first I wasn't sure.... there's really no clear plot so I was like what's the point? But I decided to stick with it and take my time and sit with my thoughts or whatever and honestly? That's when I started to enjoy it. It hurt sometimes with the early 2000s anti-war activism and right now with Israel's bombing of Palestine. It's about this short, specific timeframe in Max's life where she's being challenged politically and personally. In that way, it's similar to Stone Butch Blues (but I will say Stone Butch Blues was wayyyy better).
I will be honest sometimes I was like "this feels a little forced" or "no one actually talks/reacts like that" when it came to political conversations but tbh maybe I just don't like in New York? Some things could have been developed or edited a little bit more. And I am white but sometimes I thought maybe Feinberg didn't quite have the range for some of the characters of color.
Overall I think if you're patient and have ever been to a protest and like corny character-driven novels this is for you!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Xenophobia, and Police brutality
Moderate: Violence and Racism
jmorrisson's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-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? It's complicated
5.0
It’s amazing to me how relevant this book has been in 2023. I finished it around June and it continues to come up in my mind all the time.
Content Warnings
The characters face challenges including antisemitism, Islamophobia, homophobia and transphobia in NYC in the early 2000s, but Leslie Feinberg infused this book with compassion and healing that I think is really worth reading. You may have to put it down and cry, but you will also cry tears of joy when the book makes you feel seen by characters that are tackling some of the same societal and existential questions many queer, Jewish, Muslim, bipoc or other marginalized folks are unfortunately still facing now. I’m white and queer, so that’s the lens I was able to read from, but Leslie did an incredible job of immersing me in Max Rabinowitz’s inner world. In fact, if you like a character with a rich inner world, you’ll fall deeply in love with Max. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, allys too!!!, who, like me grew up in the US in the time right after 9/11. This book will give you some really important context we didn’t get as kids.
jaelikes's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
4.0
This book was a call out for the complacent.
malabarista13's review against another edition
5.0
feinberg digs deep on what being queer is, the struggle of everyday life, the infamies of wars, the personal, the political, the big one. a touching and amazing book to read and to experience the community on non-binary, gay, trans humans.
frankieisreading's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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? Yes
4.75
rbriese7's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- 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
4.5
lesbiankarlmarx's review against another edition
challenging
dark
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? Yes
4.0
birdcollege's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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
5.0
Must-read for those invested in queer liberation
Content Warnings
Moderate: Hate crime, Addiction, Police brutality, and Vomit