Reviews with content warning for Sexism - Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix

Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix by Anna-Marie McLemore

29 reviews

palmkd's review against another edition

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? It's complicated

5.0

Great Gatsby is one of my favorite classics and I absolutely loved this retelling.
The story takes place in 1920s but Nick's Mexican-American, transgender, and just trying to get set up enough as a young man to help his family out. Daisy's as wild and lovely as ever, but she's keeping her relationship to Nick a secret, lest others realise she's not actually white.
As with the original story, the themes of the american dream, new vs old money, classism and materialism are present and the heart of the story feels the same. I'd argue this go around the characters are more defined and easier to love and I really enjoyed watching the story play out.

Content Warnings

earth_to_mars's review against another edition

Go to review page

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:

"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

taliaalongi's review

Go to review page

hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

Content Warnings

hailstorm3812's review

Go to review page

hopeful tense medium-paced

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? It's complicated

3.5

My feelings on this book are complicated. Because on one hand it's quite simplistic and very YA in a way that made it very frustrating to read, especially in the beginning. It dumbs down a lot from the Great Gatsby while somehow being longer and doesn't seem to really want to be in conversation with it in a way that made me wish it was just an original story. On the other hand it's fun. It's queer, set in the 20's and has just a bonkers ending. I absolutely loved the exploration of Daisy in this book in a way that made me wish it was her book. I spend the first half of the book thinking the narrative would work better if she was a lesbian, which I was appeased with the twist though I would have liked it to be set up more. I liked the different explorations of passing in regards to race, gender, and sexuality. I also really liked the author's note at the end which I think clarified a lot of the goals that didn't exactly come through for me but are worthy pursuits.

Content Warnings

kaptainpastel's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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? Yes

5.0

Having just come off reading the original, I'm not quite sure what I was expecting from this retelling--but it gave that an more. The writing was splendid and the characters were engaging and endearing (and at times relatably oblivious). The plot was similar enough that it didn't feel entirely removed from the world of the original, but different enough that it wasn't like rereading the classic but with a more diverse cast this time. I couldn’t put it down!!

Content Warnings

mirandyli's review against another edition

Go to review page

hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

This was a cute retelling of the Great Gatsby with queer and trans main characters. Sort of slow at times and not as good as the other books in this series.

Content Warnings

ktv's review

Go to review page

medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

on the nose in some parts and thats saying a lot coming from me. but overall a fun read. reads like/has the same voice as cemetery boys by aiden thomas

Content Warnings

kjofalltrades's review against another edition

Go to review page

hopeful 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? It's complicated

5.0

Content Warnings

pobi's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted 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

4.5

SO GOOD AND FUN! If I get in a reading slump I may turn to this book again cause I just know it could cure it. 175% better than the original Great Gatsby. Both an easy read and deals with complex issues of race and class and gender. ALSO very sweet lil romances for all

Content Warnings

booksthatburn's review

Go to review page

Content Warnings

More...