fanboyriot's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Homophobia, Bullying, Ableism, Hate crime, Dysphoria, Transphobia, Violence, Deadnaming, Toxic friendship, Sexism, Cursing, Misogyny, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Sexual assault, Body shaming, Infidelity, Mental illness, Death, Gaslighting, Grief, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Medical content, Racism, Vomit, Lesbophobia, Biphobia, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Drug use, Blood, Child abuse, and Suicidal thoughts
piperclover's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
I desperately wish that we had seen more of Jeremy and Lukas as an actual couple so that we could understand their chemistry and the depth of their feelings because right now I understand that they want to get back together but I don't feel like I've seen enough to root for them as a couple. If this had 2 or 3 chapters exploring the beginning of their relationship after they get back together, I would've rated it higher.
As for the representation, I thought it was great. Theres a ton of discussion and portrayal of how society and men tell boys to act and how that's detrimental. Jeremy's anger at his difficult transition festers until it boils over and he lashes out, effectively ruining all his relationships for a while. We see his inner turmoil and fear for his safety. We see Lukas struggle to feel wanted in his family and how his diagnosis impacts his self esteem and confidence people will still see him as a man.
Theres also such good commentary about how Jeremy's mother is a hardcore liberal feminist but she feels disconnected from Jeremy as her son rather than as her daughter. Its a really great representation of how the mother is a good person and does fight for equality but she's spent so long fighting for women's rights, she's at a loss for how to fight for trans rights. She's not perfect but she does love Jeremy.
Similarly, one of the classmates Debbie is a terf, so she doesn't think Jeremy's experiences matter bc he's trans. She discounts his experience living as a girl for 16 years because she thinks Jeremy is a traitor for "switching sides" Another classmate Connor says that Jeremy will never be a real man or a real gay because he lived as a girl for so long so he can't just swoop in and start acting like he is part of the gay male community. I was so thrilled to see both of these characters say these things because they're such prominent ideas within the LGBTQ+ community but not discussed enough.
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Sexual assault
shays's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
https://shayshortt.com/2023/06/27/mini-reviews-lgbtqia-ya-sports-romances/
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, and Transphobia
Moderate: Alcohol
While characters do deadname Jeremy in this book, the author elides it from the dialogue, so the reader never learns Jeremy's deadname.goodbyedarling's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Dysphoria, Transphobia, Hate crime, Deadnaming, Ableism, Misogyny, Bullying, Homophobia, and Sexism
Moderate: Grief
dyamonddd's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
0.5
what i got was literally the most INSUFFERABLE main characters ever — actually, pretty much everyone in this book is SHIT — and a half assed plot that literally went into like 400 different other things and was just a mess. a mess! this also has lots of problematic elements like, it was just really jarring for this to be like a YA type of story for there to be like INSANE dark elements and animosity and like everyone in this story is just so unnecessarily ugly to each other, it’s just awful.
ALSO: the romance literally is kinda shoved down your throat, like throughout this whole thing there is NOOOOO basis for them to be together at all but somehow its just quickly made to happen at the tail end like???? i DONT UNDERSTAND.
the way i will never get my fucking two days back that i spent reading this is SAD. TRAGIC. HEARTBREAKING. i wanted to dnf so many times just spare yourselves if you’re thinking of reading it, i literally think finishing it has made me lose many brain cells and i’m so sad. it’s only getting a star for sol and another quarter bc of philip’s downfall, and even that wasn’t satisfying bc of all the other bullshit in this book.
Graphic: Transphobia and Homophobia
Moderate: Dysphoria, Bullying, and Toxic friendship
bibliomania_express's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
This book is also about the shitty things people will do to each other, and the importance of learning and making amends. There's a wide span of friendship issues, family issues, and high school administration issues. I liked that the major subplot of fighting to amend the Code of Conduct to include verbal bullying and harrassment was given a lot of page time. I also love how the whole Homecoming Court vote shook out.
Graphic: Transphobia, Bullying, and Homophobia
Moderate: Racism, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Dysphoria, Violence, Deadnaming, and Grief
Minor: Sexual harassment, Infidelity, Death, and Car accident
dylansday_'s review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Moderate: Transphobia, Homophobia, Dysphoria, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, and Bullying
Minor: Death
bashsbooks's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
A gripe I usually have with queer fiction - especially queer YA fiction - is that the queer characters are not allowed to be messy disasters. There is a very limited amount of disaster allowed for queer characters before they have to be consumed by guilt and apologies.
That is not a problem here! These guys - the two main characters, Jeremy and Lukas - are selfish and angry and hurting and think that ruling a high school via Homecoming Court can fix that. I don't think it's much of a spoiler to say that it obviously can't. There are some truly painful moments in here, but I loved that. I loved that they did awful things that I totally would've also done if I'd been in their scared and miserable positions when I was seventeen. This is not making excuses for them, though - they are completely in the wrong most of the time- just, it makes their character growth wayyy more satisfying than usual.
This author clearly has a very nuanced understanding of queerness, and he approached how transitioning goes from a number of angles, including an important one that I don't usually see - that trans people themselves need to grow into their genders and resist toxic behaviors for the sake of validity.
I was also pleasantly surprised by the autistic representation in Lukas, which I wasn't aware of before I started reading this. I appreciate that a trans gay guy and an autistic got to be assholes and not use their identities as an excuse, but that those identities were integral to how they process the world. That's a fine line to balance, and I think Ellor did a great job.
Graphic: Deadnaming, Ableism, Alcohol, Bullying, Cursing, Toxic friendship, Homophobia, Death, Transphobia, Hate crime, Violence, Dysphoria, Toxic relationship, and Sexism
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Drug use, Sexual violence, Infidelity, Car accident, and Misogyny
Minor: Classism and Racism
-F-slur used a few timesthebookpaiges's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Transphobia, Homophobia, and Bullying
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Mental illness
sundaysunshine's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Teenage books rely on emotion and interesting relatable characters to really hit yk and Ellor definitely hits the mark with this one.
Practically every character in this book is wonderfully written and fleshed out and so are topics like transphobia, bullying, and sexism. What I liked is how Ellor managed to accurately demonstrate bigotry and the emotional and physical damage it causes to young teenagers without letting it down by becoming 2 dimensional or stereotypical.
Its portrayed in a range of ways and characters including in the MCs.
And the MCs.... messy af. But like in a Katniss Everdeen way like I'm shaking my head but also cheering you on, yk?
All of their flaws are like actual flaws, frustrating to read but so satisfying for them to manage in a healthy way.
Such a beautiful portrayal of trans identity, Ellor allows it to be celebrated and take centre stage and also to manifest in Jeremy's anger, bitterness and defensive (if not slightly misguided) survival mindset.
Spoiler
I finished the book with the feeling that there could've been more done with Lukas' brother storyline, idk maybe with the family realising how neglectful they've been to him. But I guess I like the message of it all being that it isn't his responsibility to fix it and leaving the parents' problem undealt with. Maybe its more accurate.Anyways, #SOL4PRESIDENT2024
Graphic: Bullying, Transphobia, Dysphoria, and Homophobia