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cailynreadsbooks's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A collection of short stories, each featuring a trans woman main character. Most of them focus on relationships and sexuality. They're all really good, but the standout for me was "Obsolution," a story that's cut up into several parts and is revisited throughout the book. The second-to-last story, "Enough Trouble," was unfortunately a bit of a slog to get through, but you may attribute this to my inability to focus. I found the main character of that one likeable & somewhat relatable (for better or worse), and it all came together in the end, so I'm not complaining.
A lot of stuff in these stories hit pretty close to home for me (which is something I often don't get out of fiction), and it quickly became obvious that this is not something I could read at work (crying while at work is a bad look, as it turns out).
A lot of stuff in these stories hit pretty close to home for me (which is something I often don't get out of fiction), and it quickly became obvious that this is not something I could read at work (crying while at work is a bad look, as it turns out).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual assault, Transphobia, and Alcohol
Minor: Vomit and Death of parent
elliel_nook's review against another edition
I cannot mentally handle some of the more difficult subject matter in this book. It's hitting too hard and too close to home
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Transphobia, and Sexual harassment
finnthehuman217's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Casey Plett is a great example of how to write fiction as a trans person. She writes characters who are complicated and have issues with alcohol. The interesting thing is that Vera who is portrayed in Obsolution and Sophie who is portrayed in the story Other Women, have both experienced nonconsensual sexual encounters with cis women sexual partners and it seems to be a theme that repeats throughout Plett’s writings, cis women are just as bad as cis men when it comes to fetishization.
The focus of Enough Trouble, Gemma is a complicated person who struggles with sobriety and her failing memory. I love Gemma because she is so honest and her scenes with Olive and Holly are so perfect because with Holly she is able to be the drunk girl with the shared faith and the similar upbringing and with Olive, somebody else who loves Ava as much as Gemma does but in a sisterly way. The mini family is so sweet and the way Gemma and Ava end up happy is my favorite ending!!!
The focus of Enough Trouble, Gemma is a complicated person who struggles with sobriety and her failing memory. I love Gemma because she is so honest and her scenes with Olive and Holly are so perfect because with Holly she is able to be the drunk girl with the shared faith and the similar upbringing and with Olive, somebody else who loves Ava as much as Gemma does but in a sisterly way. The mini family is so sweet and the way Gemma and Ava end up happy is my favorite ending!!!
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Hate crime, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
iforgotilivedhere's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I want to like this book a lot, mostly because my friend wanted me to read it. I did, but sometimes the characters hurt so much. There’s good commentary in intersectionality in trans feminism and it talks about all the things that happen to trans women in Canada and North America, but I wasn’t prepared for the amount of pain that was in this book. I liked it, but I would get so annoyed at characters like Iris and how the main character in that story refused to leave her or chose to be friends when Iris had been a rapist.
Anyway, this was pretty good.
Anyway, this was pretty good.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Transphobia
nad_books623's review
There's nothing wrong with the writing. I just found each story to be the same which made it boring. I tried to like this book but I felt like I had to force myself to read it instead of naturally being drawn to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, and Sexual content
Moderate: Homophobia and Transphobia
lrgluck's review
emotional
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault and Transphobia
booksjessreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
inspiring
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
4.0
A Dream of a Woman is a short-story collection, largely about trans women trying to live their best adult lives, navigating complicated friendships, relationships, identity and the idea of home. I really enjoyed the way that Absolution was a longer story and intertwined throughout. For me, this was an incredible coming-of-gender story with great character arcs and developments and multi-dimensional, believable characters.
I thought Plett told her stories so vividly and the imagery used to convey thoughts, feelings and behaviours was so striking, graphic and raw. Plett does not hold back on anything - so do bear in mind that there is graphic love/sex, transphobia etc. so do check out the content warnings. In places, I also thought the audio did some of the stories incredible justice - listening to these made it even more immersive. There is absolutely no doubt that Plett is a really talented writer and writes very evocatively.
I think the thing that most let me down was the format with which I listened. Despite the audio working really well in places, I felt really disjointed between all the stories at times and I only really followed what happened with Absolution and the first story or two. Towards the end, I definitely lost the flow of the book and felt a print book would have afforded more clarity to me, personally. I think I would like to re-read this in a different format to see if my thoughts are still the same.
I thought Plett told her stories so vividly and the imagery used to convey thoughts, feelings and behaviours was so striking, graphic and raw. Plett does not hold back on anything - so do bear in mind that there is graphic love/sex, transphobia etc. so do check out the content warnings. In places, I also thought the audio did some of the stories incredible justice - listening to these made it even more immersive. There is absolutely no doubt that Plett is a really talented writer and writes very evocatively.
I think the thing that most let me down was the format with which I listened. Despite the audio working really well in places, I felt really disjointed between all the stories at times and I only really followed what happened with Absolution and the first story or two. Towards the end, I definitely lost the flow of the book and felt a print book would have afforded more clarity to me, personally. I think I would like to re-read this in a different format to see if my thoughts are still the same.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Sexual content, and Transphobia
Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Death of parent
booksthatburn's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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
5.0
I am familiar with framing devices in short story collections, but the second time "Absolution" appeared I was surprised because I thought it had been a one-off story of a person navigating a relationship and the possibility that it wasn’t quite what he wanted. Then, a couple of stories later, "Absolution" appeared again with the next chapter of his life. It formed a refrain, a transformational core, running through the heart of this collection, allowing for a slow unfolding and twisting of story in a single character. I let each of the various segments of what eventually is her life get to stand alone, having room to breathe, allowing for a transformation across decades in a way that would normally be harder to get across in a short story. There are many ways of being trans, and of being a trans woman. Most of these stories focus on trans women navigating relationships and interpersonal interactions in a way that’s very focused on their underlying thoughts and feelings to whatever degree they’re able to process or express them. Some stories take place over years or even decades, and others occur in just a few days.
Some of the stories convey the shifting weirdness of existing in a body that changes in ways which other people aren’t expecting, and the range of reactions to that reality. People living lives that are shaped by this thing that they have in common, told in a manner that allows for meandering meandering and blurriness around the edges. This is an absorbing and fascinating collection, and I highly recommend it.
Some of the stories convey the shifting weirdness of existing in a body that changes in ways which other people aren’t expecting, and the range of reactions to that reality. People living lives that are shaped by this thing that they have in common, told in a manner that allows for meandering meandering and blurriness around the edges. This is an absorbing and fascinating collection, and I highly recommend it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Sexual content, and Alcohol
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Self harm, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, Dysphoria, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Rape, Suicide, Vomit, Death of parent, and War
"Hazel and Christopher" - Moderate CW for grief, sexual content, alcohol, alcoholism, homophobia, transphobia, lesbophobia, violence. Minor CW for vomit, suicide, parental death, death. "Absolution" - Moderate CW for cursing, sexual content, sexual assault, homophobia, transphobia, alcohol, vomit, drug use. "Perfect Places" - Graphic CW for sexual content. Moderate CW for dysmorphia, dysphoria, transphobia. Minor CW for vomit. “Couldn’t Hear You Talk Anymore” - Moderate CW for transphobia, misgendering, alcohol, eating disorder, self harm, suicide attempt. “Rose City, City of Roses” - Moderate CW for grief, sexual content, pandemic, death. “Enough Trouble” - Graphic CW for sexual content, alcohol, alcoholism. Minor CW for transphobia, war, rape.thewoodlandbookshelf's review
emotional
reflective
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? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Grief, and Alcohol
jayisreading's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
An intimate novel that explores the messiness of gender identity, I really appreciated how Plett depicted the lives of trans women in her short stories with such care and nuance. It’s as much a celebration of being trans as it is a recognition of the struggles that come with it.
I was particularly taken to the short story, “Obsolution,” which was actually broken up into parts and told between other stories, following the protagonist’s arduous journey towards discovering herself. It was a complicated story, too, that didn’t shy away from complicated topics and how this particularly impacts trans women, ranging from gender dysphoria to toxic relationships (platonic and romantic).
Something that needs to be highlighted is that this collection is very heavy on sex content, though it’s not smut. I read all these scenes more like Plett wanting the readers (especially cis readers) to get over the discomfort of trans women having sex and that it’s as much a part of their lives as it is for others. It’s not an educational moment; it’s more a coming-to-terms moment.
Much to think about in this collection, but it’s definitely an impactful one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Rape, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Addiction, Homophobia, and Sexual assault
Minor: Death and Drug use