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mirandyli's review against another edition
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
Graphic: Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Xenophobia, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Alcohol, War, and Classism
icmcmx's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
Fantastic read, would recommend anyone who's ever read the original and thought "nick's kinda gay".
Where it could have been silly (and I was expecting a little silliness) it was insightful, well thought-out and it made me love characters I've disliked for years.
TW ; it's set in the 1920's , so some racism and queerphobia present, mentioned on the coverpage too.
Where it could have been silly (and I was expecting a little silliness) it was insightful, well thought-out and it made me love characters I've disliked for years.
TW ; it's set in the 1920's , so some racism and queerphobia present, mentioned on the coverpage too.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Transphobia, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Racism, Xenophobia, and Colonisation
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
konnerreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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
I saw this recommended a lot for the #transrightsreadathon by @simkern on Tiktok so I decided to finally check it out.
It dove a lot into the issues of being brown in America back then and having to hide it to get anywhere in the social circles of New York as well as many other places. I enjoyed the conflict surrounding it and how it can feel as if you're giving up a part of yourself and your culture to gain something else. It gave a deeper understand to life then and even now for brown people in America.
Another thing I enjoyed was the queer culture in this book. The way they spoke about being queer felt very accurate to the times. Nick's struggle of being gay as well as trans was something very relatable. It seems people think that you can only be one and to be gay after coming out as trans is pushing it.
The one thing I didn't enjoy was how quick the ending was. Especially, with figuring out Jay didn't love Daisy at all but just wanted to have a fake marriage. Perhaps, it was because it was from Nick's perspective but it seemed a bit out of the blue. However, it didn't ruin the story at all. I still consider it an amazing book and give it a five stars. I usually don't enjoy retellings but this was an amazing one and it makes me want to check out the rest of the series to see if they're just as brilliant.
In conclusion, I think you should check this book out. It was a beautiful read and an overall just lovely experience. I had the best time reading it.
It dove a lot into the issues of being brown in America back then and having to hide it to get anywhere in the social circles of New York as well as many other places. I enjoyed the conflict surrounding it and how it can feel as if you're giving up a part of yourself and your culture to gain something else. It gave a deeper understand to life then and even now for brown people in America.
Another thing I enjoyed was the queer culture in this book. The way they spoke about being queer felt very accurate to the times. Nick's struggle of being gay as well as trans was something very relatable. It seems people think that you can only be one and to be gay after coming out as trans is pushing it.
The one thing I didn't enjoy was how quick the ending was. Especially, with figuring out Jay didn't love Daisy at all but just wanted to have a fake marriage. Perhaps, it was because it was from Nick's perspective but it seemed a bit out of the blue. However, it didn't ruin the story at all. I still consider it an amazing book and give it a five stars. I usually don't enjoy retellings but this was an amazing one and it makes me want to check out the rest of the series to see if they're just as brilliant.
In conclusion, I think you should check this book out. It was a beautiful read and an overall just lovely experience. I had the best time reading it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Xenophobia
kayladaila's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Transphobia, Xenophobia, Alcohol, and Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Gun violence, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Car accident, Colonisation, and Dysphoria
Minor: War