Scan barcode
earth_to_mars's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
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
I want to preface this review by saying that I know I am not the book's target audience. I am an adult and this is for young adults, so the simplicity of the book and blatant statements of its themes are not going to be held against it.
I also want to say that I just came off of one of the worst books I've read this year so my rating is probably skewed because this was such a breath of fresh air after The Sins on Their Bones.
That being said, I want to start off that this is actually a very well written book. The prose are flowy, descriptive but don't overstay their welcome. It's a good balance between similie, metaphor and exposition that don't feel overdone. One of my favorite lines has to be:
I also want to say that I just came off of one of the worst books I've read this year so my rating is probably skewed because this was such a breath of fresh air after The Sins on Their Bones.
That being said, I want to start off that this is actually a very well written book. The prose are flowy, descriptive but don't overstay their welcome. It's a good balance between similie, metaphor and exposition that don't feel overdone. One of my favorite lines has to be:
"We were boys who created ourselves. We had formed our own bodies, our own lives, from the ribs of the girls we were once assumed to be."
And there's many lines like that throughout the book that make me emotional. Or strike me in a way that I either really enjoyed or heavily related to.
I read The Great Gatsby in high school and I can say the themes — despite it's simplification — are still there. Gatsby still is a prick who compensates by living in excess and overspending his money until bankruptcy until he lets Nick see the unpolished parts of himself that not even Daisy knows about. AM McLemore also adds the conversation of being white passing vs. not white passing and being LGBTQ+ in an era where being a POC or LGBTQ+ person was not welcomed. I cannot speak on the race aspect, but I can say the LGBTQ+, especially the trans aspect was handled with care and respect.
I'm glad McLemore did their due diligence and did not add any harmful language that was present at the time, I feel that would take away from the message they intended here.
[From the Author's Note] As you leave West Egg, I hope you leave knowing this: You are worth being seen as you truly are. You areworth imagining your life for yourself instead of how you may have been told your life must be.
You are worth your own dreams.
I also like that the use of Symington side lacers as a stand in for binders and that McLemore does denounce binding with bandages (very unsafe!) through dialogue from Daisy and again in the author's note. It's brief, maybe a little too brief, but it's good to have regardless.
I think my only gripe with the book is there's not enough of Daisy's arc. I think it's interesting, a girl coming to terms with her sexuality, falling in love despite the world telling her she's only worth what a man says she is. I thought maybe McLemore would make some sort of statement on compulsory heterosexuality. Something I, and many others can relate to. Daisy was shunted in the original Gatsby and I feel she was a little shunted here. Not as much, as she did get her own arc and her own happy ending, but still. She has so much untapped potential and I would love to see more of her and Jordan's relationship and more of her, herself.
In the end, the chemistry between Nick and Jay is well done. Having a T4T couple at the forefront is so rare, and extra rare for them to have a happy ending. In my journal, I compare this to Heartstopper. It is sacchrine, fluffy, but in a way I don't find annoying (maybe I'm just not that cynical). I think this is a good piece of media for young people who are just learning to explore their identities and accepting themselves or for people who just want a book with a fluffy relationship and a happy ending without all the dreariness and bury your gays of it all from other pieces of media.
It's a delightful read and a good break should anyone need it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, and Transphobia
Moderate: Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, and War
Minor: Gun violence, Racial slurs, and Car accident
melist6's review
emotional
lighthearted
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? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Classism
Moderate: Body shaming and Homophobia
samjoc's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
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? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Racism
rory_john14's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, and Classism
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Grief, Car accident, Outing, Sexual harassment, and Dysphoria
glen3's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-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: Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, and Alcohol
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Transphobia, and Dysphoria
peggy_racham's review against another edition
5.0
"His smile was a needle of sun piercing a gray scrim of clouds."
Beautifly done remix. The difference between the original and this were nicely intermixed. Something about a book set in the 20's featuring so many queer characters that warms the heart.
Beautifly done remix. The difference between the original and this were nicely intermixed. Something about a book set in the 20's featuring so many queer characters that warms the heart.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Alcohol
Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, and Classism
walrus420's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, and Classism
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and War
dannothedino's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Murder, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Classism
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Racial slurs, and Blood
Minor: Drug use, Colonisation, and Dysphoria
percys_panda_pillow_pet's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I was SO excited when I heard that Anna-Marie McLemore wrote a Great Gatsby reimagining. Ever since I read their book When The Moon Was Ours, I was an immediate fan of the author. I think they were the perfect person to reimagine The Great Gatsby as they have an impeccable sense of language and symbolism, as well as I just love the idea of a queer author making this classic into the queer story many have always thought it was.
Now, I will be honest and say I wasn't a big fan of the original book by Fitzgerald. In addition to some bad experiences in school when I read it, I also felt like the characters were flat and unlikable, and the story boring and outdated. Now, of course, there can be many arguments that Fitzgerald purposefully wrote it this way, especially with the characters, but I am not here to critique the original story, just adding context for this review.
Self-Made Boys takes everything I disliked about The Great Gatsby and makes them great and unique. The characters were much more likable, even Daisy, who in both versions rides the line between terrible/annoying and sympathetic. I personally enjoy reading likable characters more than unlikable usually, so this was a huge plus for me. As well, the characters just felt more real, fleshed-out, and down to earth. Instead of just acting as caricatures for Fitzgerald to use as vehicles for his main message, they actually felt like they had their own wills and purposes in the narrative, especially Nick who easily could've been relegated back to the simple self-insert for the reader that he was in the original.
With these well-rounded characters, I felt much more invested in their lives and the outcome of each situation they found themselves in. I didn't even remember Jordan from the original and I don't know if Martha existed, but I loved the addition of more female characters. It was so easy to get connected to each character and the story was so much more rich and compelling for me.
The unique elements Anna-Marie McLemore added to the story, from their heritage as a Latine person to their queer identity, really made this book perfect for me. There is something to be said about using personal experience in a novel that really fleshes things out in a way no one else could. McLemore is a fantastic author who knows how to write very well, and I couldn't find a single mistake in this book when I tried. I'm glad to give this book the 5 stars it deserves.
Now, I will be honest and say I wasn't a big fan of the original book by Fitzgerald. In addition to some bad experiences in school when I read it, I also felt like the characters were flat and unlikable, and the story boring and outdated. Now, of course, there can be many arguments that Fitzgerald purposefully wrote it this way, especially with the characters, but I am not here to critique the original story, just adding context for this review.
Self-Made Boys takes everything I disliked about The Great Gatsby and makes them great and unique. The characters were much more likable, even Daisy, who in both versions rides the line between terrible/annoying and sympathetic. I personally enjoy reading likable characters more than unlikable usually, so this was a huge plus for me. As well, the characters just felt more real, fleshed-out, and down to earth. Instead of just acting as caricatures for Fitzgerald to use as vehicles for his main message, they actually felt like they had their own wills and purposes in the narrative, especially Nick who easily could've been relegated back to the simple self-insert for the reader that he was in the original.
With these well-rounded characters, I felt much more invested in their lives and the outcome of each situation they found themselves in. I didn't even remember Jordan from the original and I don't know if Martha existed, but I loved the addition of more female characters. It was so easy to get connected to each character and the story was so much more rich and compelling for me.
The unique elements Anna-Marie McLemore added to the story, from their heritage as a Latine person to their queer identity, really made this book perfect for me. There is something to be said about using personal experience in a novel that really fleshes things out in a way no one else could. McLemore is a fantastic author who knows how to write very well, and I couldn't find a single mistake in this book when I tried. I'm glad to give this book the 5 stars it deserves.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation
Moderate: Body shaming, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, and War
Minor: Racial slurs, Sexual content, Police brutality, and Car accident
hannahs_library_'s review against another edition
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, and Racism