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A review by sarahdm
Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix by Anna-Marie McLemore
hopeful
fast-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? It's complicated
2.0
I really wanted to like this.
Its weird that the author felt the need to attached this story to Gatsby. The characters, themes, and plot are so divorced from the original novel. Self-Made Boys more closely resembles a mid day melodrama than the source material. Its not even really written in the same spirit of The Great Gatsby. This book has absolutely nothing to say about America, the American dream, class, love, or marriage. It did set up some other themes of race and gender in the 20's but it also ended up not saying anything significant about those themes either. Which is really disappointing because it would have been really interesting.
Outside of Gatsby, just as a LGBT themed historical fiction, it also feels like its falling short. There is this convoluted plot about a necklace and debutante ball. Not to mention all the he said she said nonsense. I absolutely can not stand romance stories that fall victim to the "if they just talked to each other this would all be fixed" nonsense.
I will say that the prose in this book are really beautiful. I think I might pick up something else by this author. I'm sure outside the space of a remake they write perfectly fine. But Self-Made Boys belongs back on whatever fan fiction site it spawned from.
2 stars since I didn't absolutely hate it and liked the writing.
Its weird that the author felt the need to attached this story to Gatsby. The characters, themes, and plot are so divorced from the original novel. Self-Made Boys more closely resembles a mid day melodrama than the source material. Its not even really written in the same spirit of The Great Gatsby. This book has absolutely nothing to say about America, the American dream, class, love, or marriage. It did set up some other themes of race and gender in the 20's but it also ended up not saying anything significant about those themes either. Which is really disappointing because it would have been really interesting.
Outside of Gatsby, just as a LGBT themed historical fiction, it also feels like its falling short. There is this convoluted plot about a necklace and debutante ball. Not to mention all the he said she said nonsense. I absolutely can not stand romance stories that fall victim to the "if they just talked to each other this would all be fixed" nonsense.
I will say that the prose in this book are really beautiful. I think I might pick up something else by this author. I'm sure outside the space of a remake they write perfectly fine. But Self-Made Boys belongs back on whatever fan fiction site it spawned from.
2 stars since I didn't absolutely hate it and liked the writing.