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caseythereader's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Drug use, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual content, Transphobia, Alcohol, and Dysphoria
Minor: Drug abuse
mayaism_01's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
fast-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 liked this, I think? The authorβs note gave this book a lot of clarity that the ending lacked for me. Overall, I enjoyed this honest rambling presentation of how trans people's constant effort and work to manage all the emotional trauma/labour required of them to safely exist in the world right now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Transphobia, and Dysphoria
sincetheflood's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Sexual content, Transphobia, Alcohol, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Toxic friendship
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, and Medical content
writtenontheflyleaves's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Nevada by Imogen Binnie π
πππππ
π The plot: Maria is a trans woman in her thirties, and she's in crisis. Her girlfriend has broken up with her because she's never really present in the relationship, and Maria decides the solution to her predicament is to "borrow" (read: steal) her ex's car and go on a cross-country road trip. On the way, she meets James, a young stoner who is locked in a struggle of his own, and the two form an unlikely connection.
This was lent to me by a friend and it turned out to be my first five star read of the year! Maria was a brilliant protagonist: Binnie lets you right into her head as soon as you open the novel, but doesn't shy away from puncturing the seriousness of her inner monologue, for instance by pointing out that the crisis she's in is actually part of a pattern she hasn't recognised yet.
As well as being really funny, this means you get the benefit of Maria's musings on discovering her own transness while also seeing the bigger picture of her flaws and where she is in her personal growth.
This is thrown into particular relief when Maria meets James. James is questioning his gender and Maria instantly recognises her younger self in him and wants to impart her knowledge. Binnie says in the afterword that her goal with the novel was partly to explore the wish she'd often had that she'd had a "trans fairy godmother" to let her know who she was sooner, and to show that it probably wouldn't have shortened the timeline of her transition.
James and Maria's relationship does this brilliantly, because it shows that being told something by someone else can't deliver the felt truth of it like discovering it for yourself. Nor can imparting past knowledge to someone else help you out of your present confusion. I found this super relatable to all kinds of self-understanding, not only of gender: that all the time we look back on as wasted, when we were denying the truth to ourselves or making ourselves miserable, was actually grist to the mill of who we'd become. No shortcuts in life folks!! We're all taking the long way round!!
I loved this novel and highly recommend it!!
π/π« Read/ avoid in comments π
π Read it if you love a conversational writing style with a sense of humour, discussion of interesting social issues without being preachy, and any novel that discusses self-discovery. Also if you like Torrey Peters as she's cited this book as a big influence!
π« Avoid it if you find chaotic/messy main characters a bit of a headache, or if you want there to be a clear plot or ending to your stories. Also check TWs before reading if transition is a sensitive topic for you!
πππππ
π The plot: Maria is a trans woman in her thirties, and she's in crisis. Her girlfriend has broken up with her because she's never really present in the relationship, and Maria decides the solution to her predicament is to "borrow" (read: steal) her ex's car and go on a cross-country road trip. On the way, she meets James, a young stoner who is locked in a struggle of his own, and the two form an unlikely connection.
This was lent to me by a friend and it turned out to be my first five star read of the year! Maria was a brilliant protagonist: Binnie lets you right into her head as soon as you open the novel, but doesn't shy away from puncturing the seriousness of her inner monologue, for instance by pointing out that the crisis she's in is actually part of a pattern she hasn't recognised yet.
As well as being really funny, this means you get the benefit of Maria's musings on discovering her own transness while also seeing the bigger picture of her flaws and where she is in her personal growth.
This is thrown into particular relief when Maria meets James. James is questioning his gender and Maria instantly recognises her younger self in him and wants to impart her knowledge. Binnie says in the afterword that her goal with the novel was partly to explore the wish she'd often had that she'd had a "trans fairy godmother" to let her know who she was sooner, and to show that it probably wouldn't have shortened the timeline of her transition.
James and Maria's relationship does this brilliantly, because it shows that being told something by someone else can't deliver the felt truth of it like discovering it for yourself. Nor can imparting past knowledge to someone else help you out of your present confusion. I found this super relatable to all kinds of self-understanding, not only of gender: that all the time we look back on as wasted, when we were denying the truth to ourselves or making ourselves miserable, was actually grist to the mill of who we'd become. No shortcuts in life folks!! We're all taking the long way round!!
I loved this novel and highly recommend it!!
π/π« Read/ avoid in comments π
π Read it if you love a conversational writing style with a sense of humour, discussion of interesting social issues without being preachy, and any novel that discusses self-discovery. Also if you like Torrey Peters as she's cited this book as a big influence!
π« Avoid it if you find chaotic/messy main characters a bit of a headache, or if you want there to be a clear plot or ending to your stories. Also check TWs before reading if transition is a sensitive topic for you!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use
Moderate: Transphobia and Dysphoria
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
elizmoe's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Sexual content, Transphobia, Alcohol, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Infidelity, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, and Injury/Injury detail
falltumn's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Misogyny, Transphobia, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Alcohol
lidia7's review against another edition
challenging
inspiring
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol
Moderate: Toxic friendship and Dysphoria
Minor: Deadnaming, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Medical content
standerson's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug use, Mental illness, Sexual content, Transphobia, Medical content, Alcohol, and Dysphoria
oliverlang's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This is not a book about trans joy.
This book made me both like and dislike it at the same time. It was very easy to read, I appreciated the short chapters propelling me through but also as a trans person who is a number of years into their "transition", I found that this book stayed stuck in the trials of being trans. For our MC here to have been living as trans for 10 years, I'd expect that their day to day would consist less of the ruminations of what living as trans are and more of just... living. My life now is must less absorbed by gender related emotions and I guess I expected that to be mirrored in this seasoned trans character.
However having now finished this book and having read the afterword by Imogen Binnie, I feel like my perspective on the narrative has altered and I encourage you to continue on and read the afterword as well.
I didn't like the characters in this novel, but I don't think that liking them was at all the point so this is not to say that this is a bad book -- it isn't. This book was good at being what it is and it does broach some important subjects and often speaks the truth about what living as a trans person can be like... But I did expect a road trip of trans joy and discovery and that's not what this was.
This book made me both like and dislike it at the same time. It was very easy to read, I appreciated the short chapters propelling me through but also as a trans person who is a number of years into their "transition", I found that this book stayed stuck in the trials of being trans. For our MC here to have been living as trans for 10 years, I'd expect that their day to day would consist less of the ruminations of what living as trans are and more of just... living. My life now is must less absorbed by gender related emotions and I guess I expected that to be mirrored in this seasoned trans character.
However having now finished this book and having read the afterword by Imogen Binnie, I feel like my perspective on the narrative has altered and I encourage you to continue on and read the afterword as well.
I didn't like the characters in this novel, but I don't think that liking them was at all the point so this is not to say that this is a bad book -- it isn't. This book was good at being what it is and it does broach some important subjects and often speaks the truth about what living as a trans person can be like... But I did expect a road trip of trans joy and discovery and that's not what this was.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use and Dysphoria
Minor: Transphobia and Vomit
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