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jijirich's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
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: Body shaming, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Outing, Abandonment, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Child death and Rape
decie's review
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Transphobia, and Outing
Moderate: Child death and Suicide
beeziereadsromance's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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? No
4.5
Surprisingly endearing, hopeful coming of age story set in Nigeria. Oto's story isn't an easy one to read, but it's so well balanced by the hope and the humour that it never felt too hard, or like I needed to put it down for a break.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Miscarriage
quinnjuliac's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
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
4.0
I listened to the audio book and am so glad I did. The narrator was wonderful and really brought Lori/Oto to life. It’s a very troubling story of emotional and physical abuse and abandonment of a child, but it is also a really wonderful story of how just a few affirming adults can change the course of a child’s life. I am a nurse and was so struck by the interaction the main character has with the school nurse as a child and what a massive impact that had on them. The characters will definitely be sticking with me!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Transphobia, Suicide attempt, Outing, Abandonment, and Dysphoria
jadior's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
This book is probably the best book I've ever read! It is a coming-of-age story of a Nigerian boy who wishes to identify as a female. He has a twin sister, who is aware of this. His mother rejects him because he is different. It is a sad story, but also a heartwarming story. Definitely a must read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Homophobia, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Suicide attempt and Sexual harassment
seeceeread's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
💭 "If everything in existence had many stories — the real ones, and the shadow ones, and the fantastical ones —then what was my real story?"
Born with ambiguous genitalia, Otolorin has been forced to live as a boy, despite early assertions of her girlhood. Called "Oto" throughout the text, she longs to present Lori. Slowly, she discovers talent for visual arts, a best friend, a passion for romance novels. Along the way, she dodges a lethal grandmother, an epic bully, sexual assault, a painfully neglectful mother and the tripwires of her assumed masculinity among adolescent peers. Papillon equips her with spiritual guides, a book of proverbs, a committed karate teacher, stellar academics and a surrogate father figure.
This debut feels somewhat like 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 and 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝘇. The premise is bold. Lori's day-to-day grappling with gender is written with tenderness and care. Some of the imagery and construction really sing, including out of body scenes in which Lori convenes with Yeyemi for divine courage. We could talk and talk about this one! Still, the total package is crowded, especially at the end when we move from character study to thriller (and a dash of romance): Lori hogties one of her attackers, masquerades as her sister, records key details to denounce a bad actor, then blackmails her absent father into funding a happily-ever-after. Plus her bully is actually a Terminator member of a confraternity. And her other grandmother is hurriedly revealed as a sort of fairy godmother. And her best friendship morphs into becomes a long distance romance. (😩)
Born with ambiguous genitalia, Otolorin has been forced to live as a boy, despite early assertions of her girlhood. Called "Oto" throughout the text, she longs to present Lori. Slowly, she discovers talent for visual arts, a best friend, a passion for romance novels. Along the way, she dodges a lethal grandmother, an epic bully, sexual assault, a painfully neglectful mother and the tripwires of her assumed masculinity among adolescent peers. Papillon equips her with spiritual guides, a book of proverbs, a committed karate teacher, stellar academics and a surrogate father figure.
This debut feels somewhat like 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 and 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝘇. The premise is bold. Lori's day-to-day grappling with gender is written with tenderness and care. Some of the imagery and construction really sing, including out of body scenes in which Lori convenes with Yeyemi for divine courage. We could talk and talk about this one! Still, the total package is crowded, especially at the end when we move from character study to thriller (and a dash of romance): Lori hogties one of her attackers, masquerades as her sister, records key details to denounce a bad actor, then blackmails her absent father into funding a happily-ever-after. Plus her bully is actually a Terminator member of a confraternity. And her other grandmother is hurriedly revealed as a sort of fairy godmother. And her best friendship morphs into becomes a long distance romance. (😩)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
katiewhocanread's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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? No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, and Transphobia
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Homophobia, Rape, and Suicide
thereaderfriend's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
This book broke my heart and mended it in one go. I had to read this with time because it is just so sad and challenging. It’s a very impressive read. Very underrated. Also gave a satisfying ending which almost never happens. I had highlighted so many parts that stuck with me. I need to get a hard copy so I can annotate more. Some quotes I loved below:
“There’s such a great big world out there, so many different types of people, so many ways to live and be, you realize there’s no right or wrong way.”
“Yet from the depths of her sadness, something unfolded and stretched towards the light.”
“I didn’t know that a heart could break and break and keep on breaking while leaving you alive.”
“.. it’s important to weigh situations for yourself and not just follow the herd.”
Side note: I couldn’t find an isbn for the digital version of this book so I picked this one. It wouldn’t let me manually upload one either :/
Another side note: if any of the books I read don’t have a format it’s most likely digital
“There’s such a great big world out there, so many different types of people, so many ways to live and be, you realize there’s no right or wrong way.”
“Yet from the depths of her sadness, something unfolded and stretched towards the light.”
“I didn’t know that a heart could break and break and keep on breaking while leaving you alive.”
“.. it’s important to weigh situations for yourself and not just follow the herd.”
Side note: I couldn’t find an isbn for the digital version of this book so I picked this one. It wouldn’t let me manually upload one either :/
Another side note: if any of the books I read don’t have a format it’s most likely digital
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Death, Self harm, and Sexual assault
Minor: Domestic abuse
madelonpaige's review
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, and Sexual harassment
qi_'s review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
each of the characters was so well crafted and all had their own complexities. there was so much depth even in character that weren't most essential and even characters that we were supposed to dislike. i loved being able to spend time in the mind of Oto and they're a truly unforgettable character. it was so refreshing to see such an underrepresented perspective and really broaden my horizons. it's such an important perspective that i hope many people will experience once it starts to hit the shelves.
the writing was lyrical and Buki Papillon described each scene and setting with such detail and care. i loved how some of the African culture was woven into the writing and imagery such as certain sayings, metaphors or experiences that Oto held onto.
i did think that the dual timeline was a little bit unnecessary. it did provide contrasts and parallels however, i did find the structure a little jumble and confusing at points. personally, i would have preferred a linear structure with flashbacks only if necessary (at certain points i can see where it should be used). i did feel like some parts of the middle dragged out a little and felt a little tedious, not adding much to the impactful storyline.
the narration in the audiobook was very well done. Adjoa Andoh did such a good job and really brought the characters to life. stressing words and speaking just as how i would imagine the characters would. especially in more heart breaking scenes their voice-acting really shone through. impressed with the commitment to varying voices and accents.
overall, very strong and impressive debut. i think that this is such an important story to tell. each reader will get something out of it whether it be relating to struggles with gender identity, complex family relations, the experience of bullying or just the feeling of uncomfortable in your own skin prison
the writing was lyrical and Buki Papillon described each scene and setting with such detail and care. i loved how some of the African culture was woven into the writing and imagery such as certain sayings, metaphors or experiences that Oto held onto.
i did think that the dual timeline was a little bit unnecessary. it did provide contrasts and parallels however, i did find the structure a little jumble and confusing at points. personally, i would have preferred a linear structure with flashbacks only if necessary (at certain points i can see where it should be used). i did feel like some parts of the middle dragged out a little and felt a little tedious, not adding much to the impactful storyline.
the narration in the audiobook was very well done. Adjoa Andoh did such a good job and really brought the characters to life. stressing words and speaking just as how i would imagine the characters would. especially in more heart breaking scenes their voice-acting really shone through. impressed with the commitment to varying voices and accents.
overall, very strong and impressive debut. i think that this is such an important story to tell. each reader will get something out of it whether it be relating to struggles with gender identity, complex family relations, the experience of bullying or just the feeling of uncomfortable in your own skin prison
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Outing, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Domestic abuse and Emotional abuse