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blakeandbooks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
The ending acknowledgements from McCarthy were so kind and left me emotional. Like River, Knowing that McCarthy is also an Arab-American, nonbinary trans person, who also swam competitively, was so incredible to know how important this story was to McCarthy and his experience.
Finally, E.R. Fightmaster did an outstanding job narrating this book.
Graphic: Homophobia, Transphobia, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Deadnaming, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, and Acephobia/Arophobia
Minor: Islamophobia and Medical content
felishacb's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
As a cis person who is "constantly exploring the evolution of my relationship to gender as a construct, and my own indentit(ies),"* I also think this book is a generous bridge offered to cis folks.
Cis folks and conventional tropes of heteronormativity are referred to as 'dinosaurs' or 'the way of the dinosaurs' in this book, with familiarity, exhaustion, derision, and acceptance. I can see why people who are scared of removing boxes and barriers might find this scary, but trans people (and this book) make it very clear that you are invited to expand, too. Find out what lies beneath and between the labels you did not pick
McCarthy doesn't only show, rather than tell you, River's story in Man O' War; McCarthy's words help the reader *feel* the story.
The metaphor and parallels with marine biology and the man of war, specifically, offer an extra layer to understand the main character's story. McCarthy talks about how this piece helped illustrate the "cultural captivity" River feels being closeted, and how McCarthy felt growing up.
One reason this book will stick with me is the ability that McCarthy has to show the fluidity and flexibility of gender and expression in an authentic, organic way for both Indy and River. (The best names, btw!).
McCarthy also explores how River's Lebanese mother and background play into their life. There are discussion of race, Islamaphobia and colorism while still allowing River to exist as an individual who experiences life through a variety of lenses.
*quote from Rebecca Minor
Graphic: Homophobia, Transphobia, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Sexual content, Acephobia/Arophobia, Lesbophobia, and Outing
Minor: Confinement, Deadnaming, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Blood, Islamophobia, and Medical content
mj_86'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? No
5.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Transphobia, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Deadnaming, Racism, and Acephobia/Arophobia
Minor: Animal cruelty, Medical content, and Sexual harassment
mattyb's review
- 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
Graphic: Homophobia, Transphobia, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Deadnaming, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Islamophobia, Medical content, Grief, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Sexual harassment, and Pandemic/Epidemic
niararain'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? No
4.5
Graphic: Biphobia, Body horror, Body shaming, Deadnaming, Hate crime, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Xenophobia, Vomit, Islamophobia, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Acephobia/Arophobia, Lesbophobia, Outing, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Pandemic/Epidemic
pucksandpaperbacks's review against another edition
I received a digital galley from Penguin Teen in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.
Man O' War is a book every trans teen needs. It is a story about trans rage and how living in a small town that perpetuates harmful ideologies keeps LGBTQIA+ kids in the closet. We follow River, a transmasc Arab-American non-binary person throughout their journey of gender exploration from senior year of high school to their college yeears. This book shows the rawness and hardships that go along with exploring your gender and finding the words to fit you as River grapples with their own internalized homophobia and transphobia and feeling immense hatred toward themselves.
This book was so cathartic and I am really glad it exists.
Graphic: Homophobia and Transphobia
Moderate: Racism, Self harm, and Medical content
mention of COVID/pandemic toward the end, transphobia, internalized transphobia, depictions of gender dysphoria, mention of top surgery and scene at the hospital, homophobia, racism, self harm, unaccepting parent, underage drinking, alcoholcourtneyclouts'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Biphobia, Cursing, Homophobia, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Medical content, Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Deadnaming
kayladaila'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
5.0
Graphic: Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Self harm, Sexual content, Transphobia, Lesbophobia, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Biphobia, Bullying, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Acephobia/Arophobia, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Hate crime, Racism, Vomit, Medical content, Pregnancy, and Outing
caseythereader'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? It's complicated
5.0
- I love the depiction here of River coming out as lesbian and then realizing that label doesn't quite fit, and starting over again.
- I also appreciated the way this book shows how sometimes a family isn't understanding or supportive of queerness, but also doesn't kick their child out. I feel like teen coming out stories are often binary: a fully supporting family or immediate disownment, when realities are often messier than that.
Graphic: Biphobia, Bullying, Cursing, Deadnaming, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Transphobia, Blood, Islamophobia, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Acephobia/Arophobia, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug use and Pregnancy
lettuce_read's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Transphobia, Medical content, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Deadnaming, Self harm, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Sexual harassment