Reviews tagging 'Dysphoria'

May the Best Man Win by Z.R. Ellor

41 reviews

evanthebooknerd's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Grief, Toxic friendship, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Vomit and Car accident

Teenage angst with happy ending.

jenna_justi2004's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

I skipped around and read the ending after Jeremy was complaining again about his issues. Every character made me want to revaluate my own decisions and personal life. Never been happier to be single. The arson was honestly not the craziest thing about this book.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia, Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Blood, Medical content, Car accident, Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Dysphoria

aspencross's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

The main characters in this book need 👏ther-👏a-👏py👏
Naomi and Ben also deserved better and both deserved to be homecoming king and queen.

-Jeremy is an asshole who’s only consequence is getting punched by a bully when he is such a shit friend to everybody
- the boy also complains about not wanting to be a victim and then victimizes himself all the time
- Jeremy does so much shit in this book and we’re told that he’s popular and was popular before he transitioned and I do not understand how when he’s so insufferable 
- I was on Lukas’s side until

he lit the school on fire, cheated on Naomi, almost ruined Ben’s Life by not admitting he cheated on a test by stealing the answers

. I get he’s going through a lot but he went way too far. 
- I have never rooted for 2 characters to never get together as much as Jeremy and Lukas 
- The ending was horrible because there’s so many plot points that are left unopened like

Terry stealing 30k from the school and never facing consequences, principal not getting reprimanded for giving a teenager a card with thousands of dollars, the potential updated code of conduct, what universities the students got into, how their lives went after not winning homecoming court, Lukas’s parent’s divorce

.

Side note: the author has also apparently done some shit and is lesphobic. This Reddit post has links and more information https://www.reddit.com/r/HobbyDrama/s/JuVfSwXcrt 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Grief, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Dysphoria

rallly's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying and Transphobia

Moderate: Ableism, Cursing, Homophobia, Blood, Grief, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

imandubose's review against another edition

funny lighthearted 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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Deadnaming, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Transphobia, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Alcohol

Minor: Sexual assault

rayaufebay's review against another edition

emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-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? Yes

2.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Deadnaming, Homophobia, Misogyny, Transphobia, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

fanboyriot's review against another edition

emotional tense 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

3.0

Read For:

Rivals to Lovers 

Second Chances

Homecoming King

Cheerleader x Football Player

Friends to Lovers to Enemies to Lovers

The only thing that comes to mind when I think of this book is: “I love it and hate it at the same time” and really I kind of do.

The queer kids in this book were amazing, everyone else just kinda sucked.  The trans rep in this was so painfully well written.  The things Jeremy thought and the way he described how he felt was as heartbreaking as it was relatable.

But wow, were these characters so toxic.

Naomi was such a horrible friend it was laughable.  She was jealous constantly and she just goes and asks out her best friend’s ex, who had made it clear he didn’t like her like that??  Like why??  All because of some banters that were messed up, I get being petty but bro have a good reason.

Lukas was so toxic.  One minute he was fine, going through a lot at home and having to always be the best at everything.  He had to get into an amazing college, he had to win homecoming king because if he did that then he would get into a good school, then his family would care about him like they did his dead brother… yeah, because that's how it’s going to work.  So he took his anger out on Jermey.

Jeremy was also toxic, just not as bad in my opinion.  He was selfish and breaking up with his boyfriend when and how he did it was so incredibly messed up but people acted like he was the worst person ever.  He literally had no one.  His mom was so desperate to have a daughter she failed her son in the process.  Jeremy might have been a mess but wouldn’t you be when everyone failed you and had no problem telling you that they hated you, he was bullied, harassed, and misgendered constantly.

The last few chapters were the best.  Everything coming together, the person who got the crown, the drama being resolved finally, and the relationships being settled.

(Switching, First Person POV)

Spice: Lightly Mentioned

Rep: trans (ftm) MC, Autistic MC, Non-Binary SC, Latinx SC

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Cursing, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Toxic friendship, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Body shaming, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Grief, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Biphobia, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Lesbophobia, and Injury/Injury detail

adamparrishlover's review against another edition

challenging emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

horrible main character, don’t think ive ever read about such an insufferable person

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Deadnaming, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Transphobia, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Grief

dyamonddd's review against another edition

fast-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No

0.5

i dont usually find myself writing a review, okay? i am not a critic, i’m usually just here to vibe and move on. but THIS? this shit sucked fr. and i’m disappointed bc i went into this thinkin it was gonna be a cute little rivalry from a breakup turned into love again aka enemies (in some capacity) to lovers, but like literally that’s not what i got. 
what i got was literally the most INSUFFERABLE main characters ever — actually, pretty much everyone in this book is SHIT — and a half assed plot that literally went into like 400 different other things and was just a mess. a mess! this also has lots of problematic elements like, it was just really jarring for this to be like a YA type of story for there to be like INSANE dark elements and animosity and like everyone in this story is just so unnecessarily ugly to each other, it’s just awful. 
ALSO: the romance literally is kinda shoved down your throat, like throughout this whole thing there is NOOOOO basis for them to be together at all but somehow its just quickly made to happen at the tail end like???? i DONT UNDERSTAND.
the way i will never get my fucking two days back that i spent reading this is SAD. TRAGIC. HEARTBREAKING. i wanted to dnf so many times just spare yourselves if you’re thinking of reading it, i literally think finishing it has made me lose many brain cells and i’m so sad. it’s only getting a star for sol and another quarter bc of philip’s downfall, and even that wasn’t satisfying bc of all the other bullshit in this book.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia and Transphobia

Moderate: Bullying, Toxic friendship, and Dysphoria

pernafet's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted

• 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? Yes

4.0

This book was definitely fun to read. I found myself missing it whenever I wasn’t reading and itching to get back to it whenever I had to put it down. It was messy, hilarious, and cute.

However, Jeremy was quite an infuriating character. Though there was a point at the very beginning when I realized that you’re not necessarily supposed to love him, that didn’t make him much less insufferable at certain parts throughout this book. There are parts in the story where you kind of just want to crumple the page in your hand or even wish you could just dive into the story yourself and strangle him <3. But I do get what the author was trying to do with his character. Jeremy has built up this facade for himself throughout his transition whereas he will hurt others before they can hurt him. This is his coping mechanism. This is his way of hiding all his hurt, pain, insecurities, and gender dysphoria by making everyone around him think he’s overflowing with confidence when, really, he is the complete opposite. He is consistently drowning in his own self loathing throughout the book. There are parts of this story where he talks about his dysphoria that are so raw and real that my heart ached for him. Although Jeremy was a real a-hole for the most part, I actually appreciated him as a character. I found him quite interesting. Teenagers aren’t always good people.

I really liked Lukas. It was nice getting an insight into his mind and understanding why he does certain things. Seeing him really beat himself up for not being able to live up to his brother’s accomplishments and feeling like he isn’t good enough for his family really made me feel sad. 

Both these characters make some really horrible and irritating decisions in this book but really…who doesn’t?? I’m sure everyone can look back on some point in their life where they made a series of god awful, humiliating, and downright horrendous decisions that they are able to laugh about now. Everyone experiences their own journey of navigating their insecurities, battling with self-loathing, and eventually learning how to appreciate and love yourself just the way you are. Especially as a teenager.

The ending of this book was also super cute :)

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia and Dysphoria

Minor: Death and Grief