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serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Nevada popped onto my radar when I was searching for a book to mark #internationaltransgenderdayofvisibility (31 March). It was the road trip angle that appealed and although that was less of a feature than the blurb led me to believe I really enjoyed my time with the book. I enjoyed the contrast between Maria and James and where they were on with regards to their trans identities. Maria had a strong narrative voice which instantly captured my attention and although she was messy she was also really self-aware which I appreciated. The critique of capitalism was a bonus.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use and Transphobia
libby_l96's review against another edition
dark
funny
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Unpopular opinion: I love the way Binnie writes dialogue without speech marks. The prose flows like a train of thought, and it's just so PUNK.
Maria is a bit unlikeable at first, but I really warmed to her. I think that's because she acknowledges her demons so candidly towards the end that it kind of made me feel sad, but also hopeful for her.
It was also super interesting to see the interaction between Maria and James. It's almost like Maria was visiting her younger self as a ghost of trans-ness future, and then you realise that in reality every person can only learn from their own journey.
Overall I enjoyed the book, and I didn't find it too challenging to pick up and put down every now and again. Having read Torrey Peters' De transition, Baby last year, I can see how influential this book has been. It just didn't completely blow me away enough for a higher rating.
Maria is a bit unlikeable at first, but I really warmed to her. I think that's because she acknowledges her demons so candidly towards the end that it kind of made me feel sad, but also hopeful for her.
It was also super interesting to see the interaction between Maria and James. It's almost like Maria was visiting her younger self as a ghost of trans-ness future, and then you realise that in reality every person can only learn from their own journey.
Overall I enjoyed the book, and I didn't find it too challenging to pick up and put down every now and again. Having read Torrey Peters' De transition, Baby last year, I can see how influential this book has been. It just didn't completely blow me away enough for a higher rating.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Transphobia, and Alcohol
Minor: Toxic relationship
siebensommer's review against another edition
4.25
there is this whole thing where rich young white people like maria colonise brooklyn history because in these messed up postmodern times, everyone is desperate for something real. and what’s realer than the dodgers and new york judaism and rap music? the problem is that when they say real people, what they mean is people who aren’t burdened with ironic senses of humour, college educations that help them put up an analytical barrier between themselves and the actual world and the pressure of living with the reality that they all grew up middle class, chose a broke ass bohemian life, and now have to deal with the factual they can’t afford the comforts they grew up with.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use, Sexism, and Transphobia
krsegaloff's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A groundbreaking novel in many aspects. It’s one of the first novels I’ve read where the main character is a trans person. Personally, I found the forward and afterword actually more enticing than the book but I respect how deeply important novels such as this are. For me- I was hoping to see more personal growth in the characters as the novel felt more like a person’s inner monologue than a novel with a plot. The plot is the person and so I felt a bit let down at the end with a lack of a cathartic resolution. However- life doesn’t always have that all nicely packaged ending us romantic readers are searching for. It’s fascinating, and the characters definitely leave you wondering what will happen next as you wish you could give them hope. It’s also a great in depth look at how the queer community itself treats (and isolates) trans people, and how people seem to lose interest in trans stories post transition. I’d recommend this read for anyone wanting to go down a rabbit hole of self reflection and discovery. I’d encourage them to go in with an open mind ready to just go on a self reflective journey that they must complete themselves. (Also- read the afterword. I felt much more satisfied with the ending as a reader after hearing from the author).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Transphobia
courtneyfalling's review against another edition
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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This isn't a perfect book but I absolutely love it in all its imperfections. Such a vivid character study of Maria across her life in NYC and toward James. The book spends much longer in NYC just in Maria's life for what I expected with the blurb, but I deeply enjoyed all of it and think about certain sections all the time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia
Moderate: Drug use and Sexual content
raes_library's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
no way to start the year off than with a gender crisis!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use
Minor: Transphobia
peckreadsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Transphobia
bookishmillennial's review against another edition
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
Okay, so half of this book felt as if it was second-person because often during the narration, the narrator would say “you know” etc. so I think that made me enjoy it even more — I love a tangential stream of consciousness hahaha!
I loved that we leave Maria in the first part and then move to James, who meets her a month after the events of the first part take place. It was a funny time jump and I didn’t expect that level of spontaneity hahaha.
I also thought it was so fascinating how short Maria & James’ intersecting parts were after they met; the complete lack of closure could ring anticlimactic to some readers but whenever this happens, I just think it’s a fantastic parallel to real life. We don’t always get closure, sometimes we have to make peace with that and just keep it moving!
I’m also glad I read this with the updated author’s note at the end, because Imogen provided helpful context and perspective of why she wrote that ending for both Maria & James.
I am loving finding new authors (to me, not to the world) this week & I’m so grateful for the #TransRightsReadathon for providing that impetus.
Okay, so half of this book felt as if it was second-person because often during the narration, the narrator would say “you know” etc. so I think that made me enjoy it even more — I love a tangential stream of consciousness hahaha!
I loved that we leave Maria in the first part and then move to James, who meets her a month after the events of the first part take place. It was a funny time jump and I didn’t expect that level of spontaneity hahaha.
I also thought it was so fascinating how short Maria & James’ intersecting parts were after they met; the complete lack of closure could ring anticlimactic to some readers but whenever this happens, I just think it’s a fantastic parallel to real life. We don’t always get closure, sometimes we have to make peace with that and just keep it moving!
I’m also glad I read this with the updated author’s note at the end, because Imogen provided helpful context and perspective of why she wrote that ending for both Maria & James.
I am loving finding new authors (to me, not to the world) this week & I’m so grateful for the #TransRightsReadathon for providing that impetus.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Transphobia
vi_frt's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-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? Yes
4.5
This book is as intense as its main (anti)heroine and narration. Almost more of an internal monologue than a narration per se, Nevada breaks expectations with its gripping and unrelenting account of what it is to be a trans woman in America.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Mental illness, and Transphobia
o3tri's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
A charming novel. The book really shines when the MC is talking about the neuances and complexities of being a trans woman and the trans feminine experience, but it also all falls flat when Maria talks about trans men and transmasculine experiences, sometimes just plain shitting on them, sometimes just stating things that are simply factually incorrect. Now I read books where main characters have questionable views all the time, that's not my issue, but here at least to me it seems like these aren't just presented as the character's biased opinions, but as objective truth and Maria and some other characters are used as vessels for the author to lay down her own views on the page. I felt the need to point this out and critisize it especially because I've seen this book recommended a few times over the years, none of those times was this even mentioned or acknowledged in any way. I went into this book thinking I was going to read a literary novel about a trans woman and a commentary on the neuances and complexities of gender and transitioning in American society and I did get that out of it but I also got to read a book that too often shits on transmasculine people and gives matter of fact statements that are objectively and factually wrong. Only in some reviews here and on goodreads I saw these problems with the book acknowledged.
Some stuff that irked me but not too much:
-the overuse of the word bohemian or rather describing random stuff as bohemian even if it was ironic, it was done kinda sloppily
-with this type of character and novel there needs to be a certain degree of irony and self awareness that I felt weren't present enough
other than that the book was a mostly pleasant experience to go through
Some stuff that irked me but not too much:
-the overuse of the word bohemian or rather describing random stuff as bohemian even if it was ironic, it was done kinda sloppily
-with this type of character and novel there needs to be a certain degree of irony and self awareness that I felt weren't present enough
other than that the book was a mostly pleasant experience to go through
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug use, Transphobia, and Alcohol
Minor: Racism