biggaywave's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Transphobia, and Hate crime
parasolcrafter's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
this book honestly just made me sad :/ like i see where the book was going and i understand what is was trying to do but it just falls extremely flat. between the misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, and fatphobia....theres nothing to redeem it. and i get that its told through the eyes of a young man who has a BUNCH of stuff thrust upon him all at once, but he has such little time in the book where hes actually TRYING to be a good person that i really dont like logan at all by the end of the book. i LOVE sage though and she was treated so badly...like by the end of the book all thats really happened is her life has been ruined and shes been horribly traumatized. the only silver lining is that she ends up surviving. thats the only good thing that happens in the entire book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Dysphoria, Forced institutionalization, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Violence, Bullying, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Transphobia
20sidedbi's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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
2.0
UFFDA. CHECK THE CONTENT WARNINGS. If you are interested in reading a book from a cis, straight boys perspective about wrestling with his attraction to a trans girl, then go for it. But if you aren't interested in hearing a lot of transphobic stuff in the process of the boy's self-discovery, I wouldn't read this.
The ending isn't as bad as it could have been, but it's definitely not a happy one.
The ending isn't as bad as it could have been, but it's definitely not a happy one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Outing, Transphobia, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Blood, Bullying, Dysphoria, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Sexual content and Toxic relationship
alycat_21511's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia and Suicide attempt
oliviat's review against another edition
2.0
"I...I am a boy". LGBTQ+ fiction has come far since 2009.
This is not a book about a trans girl, but a cis white boy. The premise is more about introducing the ideas of transgender people to cisgender readers through the lens of Logan, our POV. Logan is written to be transphobic so that Sage has to explain everything to him, but there are still moments where he seems more transphobic than he needed to be.
For example, in a scene where he notices Sage has breasts, he starts thinking/hoping this means she lied to him and she is not actually a boy (even after he has supposedly "accepted" it).
There's also an annoying amount of back and forth as both characters grapple with "we shouldn't date because it puts Sage in danger" (???) and "but we love each other!" In the beginning we see Sage doing this dance as she sends mixed signals to Logan, and then Logan doing it after finding out about her.
There seemed to be this idea it put Sage in danger from transphobes, which...I mean I suppose she would be out more as she goes on dates, but...She can't stay locked in the house all the time, she needs to get a job, possibly go to college, etc. The book is making a weird argument here, it feels contrived.
The last thing to mention is: Sage leaves.She gets beaten up by someone and her family moves back home. Sage came to town, enlightened Logan, then left. Katcher did not make a female character, just a plot device & motivation for Logan to become more progressive.
It's an interesting read to see how these topics were handled in 2010 era YA fiction, but it's not quite held up to the standards of writing today.
This is not a book about a trans girl, but a cis white boy. The premise is more about introducing the ideas of transgender people to cisgender readers through the lens of Logan, our POV. Logan is written to be transphobic so that Sage has to explain everything to him, but there are still moments where he seems more transphobic than he needed to be.
For example, in a scene where he notices Sage has breasts, he starts thinking/hoping this means she lied to him and she is not actually a boy (even after he has supposedly "accepted" it).
There's also an annoying amount of back and forth as both characters grapple with "we shouldn't date because it puts Sage in danger" (???) and "but we love each other!" In the beginning we see Sage doing this dance as she sends mixed signals to Logan, and then Logan doing it after finding out about her.
There seemed to be this idea it put Sage in danger from transphobes, which...I mean I suppose she would be out more as she goes on dates, but...She can't stay locked in the house all the time, she needs to get a job, possibly go to college, etc. The book is making a weird argument here, it feels contrived.
The last thing to mention is: Sage leaves.
It's an interesting read to see how these topics were handled in 2010 era YA fiction, but it's not quite held up to the standards of writing today.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia
opalchainsaw's review
2.0
this was okay in some parts but it was mostly just frustrating and made me kinda angry...
logan was a piece of shit like 95% of the time? he had some good moments but they never lasted very long, his "character development" at the end was barely even substantial. he was very homophobic and almost violently transphobic, (tw for this spoiler)like wanting to actually punch sage after finding out she is trans and thinking about hurting her if anyone found out that he kissed her because that would "make him a f*g"?? there was a lot of misgendering and slurs, especially by logan, and equating gender with genitalia. he was basically disgusted by her but then went back to wanting her after finding out she has boobs from taking hormones? wtf how did this win a stonewall award tbh
the only good part of this book was sage, i'm glad she didn't get back with logan at the end because he doesn't deserve her
logan was a piece of shit like 95% of the time? he had some good moments but they never lasted very long, his "character development" at the end was barely even substantial. he was very homophobic and almost violently transphobic, (tw for this spoiler)
the only good part of this book was sage, i'm glad she didn't get back with logan at the end because he doesn't deserve her
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Transphobia
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