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bronzeageholly's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-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
In one word? Masterful.
Paul/Polly’s character is so well crafted she/he could walk off the page and I wouldn’t know they weren’t real.
This is a book of personal journey, perfect for those who love a flawed protagonist. We drift with Paul/Polly as they tackle passion, grief, guilt, loss, gratitude. We are afloat in the heady haze of existence with them, learning (or not learning) about themselves along the way.
Change is omnipresent for Paul/Polly, most significantly in their gender fluidity but also in friendships, living situations, identity, jobs, relationships, music, and bars.
The short stories that were placed throughout the text were so enticing. They reminded me a lot of Jerome K Jerome’s ‘Three Men in a Boat’; the reader is left wondering whether there is something a little more we were meant to get from the tale, another moral left to find, an extra metaphor left to uncover.
All in all, this book is a stunning and unreserved tribute to community, to finding ourselves, to being aware of ourselves, to queer theory and queer love and queer freedom.
((definitely an 18+ read!))
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, and Grief
Moderate: Drug use, Homophobia, Transphobia, and Alcohol
artstitute's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
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
This book was slow, quiet, and reflective, and I was happy to settle back and be along for the ride. Paul's kind of a dick, but I have a soft spot for him anyway.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Alcohol
Moderate: Death, Drug use, Terminal illness, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Homophobia, Vomit, and Stalking
The AIDS epidemic is referenced and discussed.ramreadsagain's review
reflective
medium-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
This is such an interesting book and definitely one to reread at some point.
I truly feel like it defies categorisation - it's slice of life but action-packed but just vibes but completely alien but mundane.
Paul as a character is obnoxious and self-obsessed but in a way that is so obviously because he feels lost within the world and within himself that you can't help but love him. The book follows about a year of his life in the early 90's, and while I wasn't around back then to confirm, the time and place felt so vibrantly captured.
It's a very compelling book, though slow at times and I think either a bit more plot or a bit more character development would have given it a higher rating from me.
Also as a warning, it's one of those books with a lot of sex but none of it is particularly pleasant to read.
I truly feel like it defies categorisation - it's slice of life but action-packed but just vibes but completely alien but mundane.
Paul as a character is obnoxious and self-obsessed but in a way that is so obviously because he feels lost within the world and within himself that you can't help but love him. The book follows about a year of his life in the early 90's, and while I wasn't around back then to confirm, the time and place felt so vibrantly captured.
It's a very compelling book, though slow at times and I think either a bit more plot or a bit more character development would have given it a higher rating from me.
Also as a warning, it's one of those books with a lot of sex but none of it is particularly pleasant to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Alcohol
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Death and Vomit
gwarren's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-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
3.0
An interesting take on gender, sexuality and fluidity. Lots of parts I enjoyed, others I felt I was losing a connection with the character more than how it was suggested I should be...
Liked the ambiguity of the ending and the chaos Paul/Polly's life seemed to follow throughout the narrative and appreciated the sex positive, non-binary, shape-shifting protagonist.
Also want to mention how grounded the setting of the story was. There were so many references to 90's pop culture, the LGBT+ community, the AIDS crisis (and it's after effects) and similarities between today's queer youth to then.
Overall, an enjoyable story with lots to sink your teeth into. May read again in the future.
Liked the ambiguity of the ending and the chaos Paul/Polly's life seemed to follow throughout the narrative and appreciated the sex positive, non-binary, shape-shifting protagonist.
Also want to mention how grounded the setting of the story was. There were so many references to 90's pop culture, the LGBT+ community, the AIDS crisis (and it's after effects) and similarities between today's queer youth to then.
Overall, an enjoyable story with lots to sink your teeth into. May read again in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use and Alcohol
Moderate: Death, Homophobia, and Transphobia
pkc's review
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
I think any book that gives me so much frustration around the central protagonist will always be annoying and I’ll find it challenging. The premise was wild and the prose was funny in places, but there was little to no character development so I’d say that’s something to bear in mind as you undertake this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Drug use and Alcohol
packedjam's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
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
3.5
i think this book was very good at what it set out to do. unfortunately for me, what it set out to do drove me up the wall
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Alcohol
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug use, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Terminal illness, Transphobia, Vomit, Grief, and Lesbophobia
laurataylor's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Drug use, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Dysphoria
emmersnicole's review against another edition
challenging
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Homophobia, Abandonment, and Alcohol
mateoj's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
slow-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
4.0
honestly, I think I partially stuck with this one because I loved reading about early-90s gay culture and was kind of enthralled by it—the writing is not fantastic (not horrible, either) and the plot dragged on occasion, but the setting and "set dressing" more than made up for that to me. this could be, objectively speaking, much better than it is, but I'll take the parts I liked and leave the rest.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Homophobia, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Alcohol
levtitticus's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Sexual content, and Alcohol
Moderate: Homophobia, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Grief, Toxic friendship, and Dysphoria
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Outing, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail