Scan barcode
A review by piperclover
May the Best Man Win by Z.R. Ellor
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-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
3.5
I had really really high hopes for this but it fell kind of flat for me.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Sexual assault