Reviews tagging 'Transphobia'

Dancing Barefoot by Alice Boyle

4 reviews

beautifulpaxielreads's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful 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

4.5

Dancing Barefoot is author Alice Boyle's debut novel, although you'd never know it from the confident, assured writing style that brims over with heart and humor. And it is unapologetically Australian, which I love to see.

The FMC,  Patch, is a fantastically written protagonist - flawed, messy, good-hearted, and witty. She is incredibly easy to sympathise with - if you've ever felt like you didn't fit in or have felt pressured to live up to other people's expectations, you will find something to relate to in Patch.

I may come back to this review once I have more time, but here are my thoughts on a couple of other things about this book I liked:
  • The parents! So often in YA, the parental figures are lacking - sometimes they're barely present at all - so it was lovely to see such responsible, loving parents who truly cared about their kids and wanted the best for them. Shout out to Patch's dad in particular here. And Evie's parents were pretty cool too. 
  • Patch's best friend Edwin is transitioning from male to female and is out as trans. While I'll leave it to trans folk to speak on their accuracy, I thought the scenes discussing his dysphoria and medical treatments were handled very sensitively. 

The reason I didn't give this the full five stars is because I initially felt that sometimes Patch made poor decisions and jumped to conclusions - although these issues do get addressed later on. I also have mixed feelings about the
redemption arc of Abigail, the "mean girl" of the tale, and how much she really deserved that arc.
But that may just be my own feelings getting in the way.

I truly enjoyed reading this.

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piastri's review against another edition

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hopeful lighthearted 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? It's complicated

4.25

i have such a soft spot for australian wlw novels like i think i’d die without them. 

this book is wonderful, and just perfectly captured the giddiness of being able to come to terms with and be comfortable with your sexuality, especially combined with a long time high school crush. 

idk it’s just very nice to have a book that i can relate to so deeply
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rileyswan's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective 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

Unfortunately, bookish lesbian scholarship kids with big hair and no athletic ability don't fit the mould of the ideal Mountford girl. Even more unfortunately, I am a bookish lesbian scholarship kid with big hair and no athletic ability.

Dancing Barefoot is a marvel. The witty, relatable narration of nerdy lesbian, Patch, brings you in from the first sentence. Don't get me wrong, she's a mess — but she's the kind of mess you can't help but root for. She makes mistakes and screws up friendships, but she also takes just criticism on the chin, and takes time to be a rowdy teen before maturing just a little bit.

It was so freeing reading about her best friend, Edwin, who's a trans guy of colour, being able to medically transition in high school! His story was also a little messy, but in the exact joyous way our community seeks in modern fiction.

And don't get me started on Evie... Ugh, a legend! She's gorgeous, and kind, and she knows what she wants (even if she struggles to go for it). She's the perfect love interest in all her imperfections, and every interaction she shares with Patch is sweet and real, no matter the context. And there's a lot of contexts! It was admirable how naturally Alice Boyle was able to embed themes of blossoming friendship, burning attraction, melancholy pining, unbridled teenage sexuality, and blatant romantic adoration all into one relationship.

As an Australian non-binary lesbian, this book spoke to me in ways nothing else has. From the Aussie culture and everyday life of being poor, to the unabashed portrayals of lesbianism and trans identity, and of course the dumpster fire that is a teenager's life, Dancing Barefoot brought every beloved element of a classic YA contemporary together, and out came a masterpiece. 
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the_cats_pyjamas's review against another edition

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medium-paced

5.0

I received an ARC of this book and honestly I absolutely loved this book! It was a cute sapphic ya romance and it gave me everything i was hoping it would! The characters were funny and relatable
(I too had a gay awakening to But I’m a Cheerleader)
and having a book that was set in Victoria was so refreshing, because I haven’t really read any queer ya books set here. I really appreciated how none of the drama felt contrived or forced, and also how most of the conflict was resolved realistically. I genuinely loved this book and highly recommend it to anyone who loves queer ya romances! 
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