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fawning_over_books's review
Maybe I read this at the wrong time, but it seemed like there was too much hate all around in the book. I couldn't move past Peter telling Brison that he should unalive himself. It all seemed like a lot of negatives early on in the book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia
Minor: Suicide and Death of parent
jesslinkletter's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Ugh sad to have a low rating so early on in this year's reading. This book caught my eye when it came into my library because the cover and title are fun, and I can relate to growing up queer in a rural town. I liked the representation of what it's like for rural queers, and that it tried to show there's more than one way to be gay (I say tried, because it was only mildly succesful).
My issue with this book starts with our main character. He's an insufferable bully who spends the whole book going through a poor me shtick without ever really realizing that maybe he's the problem. His "redemption" arc and apology were so hollow. I thought there was going to be some commentary on internalized homophobia with the way he always reacted to the more flamboyant characters but nope. Also, did all the characters really need to be walking stereotypes? The characters all felt like caricatures. Last, why the hell are we including the f word in books so casually and repeatedly?? It's not a fun little word to throw around, and the context it's used in is so incredibly distasteful.
Really disappointed in this one, because I loved the concept but execution was terrible. Also, there were several editing issues throughout the book which didn't help.
My issue with this book starts with our main character. He's an insufferable bully who spends the whole book going through a poor me shtick without ever really realizing that maybe he's the problem. His "redemption" arc and apology were so hollow. I thought there was going to be some commentary on internalized homophobia with the way he always reacted to the more flamboyant characters but nope. Also, did all the characters really need to be walking stereotypes? The characters all felt like caricatures. Last, why the hell are we including the f word in books so casually and repeatedly?? It's not a fun little word to throw around, and the context it's used in is so incredibly distasteful.
Really disappointed in this one, because I loved the concept but execution was terrible. Also, there were several editing issues throughout the book which didn't help.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, and Fatphobia
Moderate: Homophobia and Religious bigotry
Minor: Biphobia, Cursing, Suicide, Death of parent, and Alcohol
nrogers_1030's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
slow-paced
4.0
Dragging Mason County is getting it's first drag show. Mason County could have been written about the town I live in. This book is funny, inclusive and deals with real issues teens face.
Alan is a larger-than-life character. He's very comfortable with himself and has goals he wants to meet. He kind of bulldozes the people around him to get what he wants. He's the type of character you want to love and strangle at the same time.
I really sympathized with Peter... to an extent. To his friends, he's not gay enough; to his parents, he's too gay; to his peers, he's a heartless villain. He reaches his emotional threshold because of all of these circumstances, this new guy crush Lorne and Peter's uncomfortableness in his own skin. But Peter also has a lot of growing up to do.
I wasn't a fan of the "enlightened" Lorne, but there always needs to be a douchebag you can roll your eyes at. Bailey, Tilley and Cora are great secondary characters.
I feel this is an excellent time for a book like this to be published in our current social and political climate. Alan said it best: "We are agents of change, are we not? Being an agent of change means painting a target on your back sometimes and hoping that what lands is social advancement." Dragging Mason County is just the book this country needs.
Thank you NetGalley and the Annick Press for providing an advanced reader copy of the book for an honest review. Any quote(s) used in my review have been uncorrected.
Alan is a larger-than-life character. He's very comfortable with himself and has goals he wants to meet. He kind of bulldozes the people around him to get what he wants. He's the type of character you want to love and strangle at the same time.
I really sympathized with Peter... to an extent. To his friends, he's not gay enough; to his parents, he's too gay; to his peers, he's a heartless villain. He reaches his emotional threshold because of all of these circumstances, this new guy crush Lorne and Peter's uncomfortableness in his own skin. But Peter also has a lot of growing up to do.
I wasn't a fan of the "enlightened" Lorne, but there always needs to be a douchebag you can roll your eyes at. Bailey, Tilley and Cora are great secondary characters.
I feel this is an excellent time for a book like this to be published in our current social and political climate. Alan said it best: "We are agents of change, are we not? Being an agent of change means painting a target on your back sometimes and hoping that what lands is social advancement." Dragging Mason County is just the book this country needs.
Thank you NetGalley and the Annick Press for providing an advanced reader copy of the book for an honest review. Any quote(s) used in my review have been uncorrected.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Homophobia, and Violence
Minor: Body shaming, Drug use, Fatphobia, Suicide, and Alcohol