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A review by honeypunk
Sistersong by Lucy Holland
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A book that had lots of potential but unfortunately fell flat.
The main characters Keyne/ Constantine Riva and Sinne unfortunately felt very shallow in the manner they were written.
I found it painfully obvious how Keyne was written by someone who is not a trans man. The first few chapters from his perspective were repeating how he felt different on the inside, noone understands what it's like to be perceived as someone you're not, dresses make him uncomfortable etc. All valid trans experiences but executed in a very shallow manner because there was nothing else to him. Trans people have personalities and not every single waking moment is spent thinking about how being trans is different or hard.
Similarly the portrayal of the disabled character Riva also felt shallow to me initially. Much like Keyne she kept repeating how hard it was to be a burn victim and for others to look at her differently. One guy appears and says he thinks she's strong for living with a disability, not weak, and suddenlyshe's anamoured with him.
It annoyed me as a disabled trans person how heavily these characters relied on tropes / stereotypes of what it's like to be disabled or trans. They didn't feel human a lot of the time as they hugely lacked in depth. Therefore when events happened that were intended to be emotional I just felt..meh.
But on the other hand, the premise for this story was a wonderful idea. The setting, the magic, the culture.. all made me so happy. It is lovely to see traditional British culture celebrated through story. I just wish it had been executed better , so I would have cared more about the plot.
The main characters Keyne
I found it painfully obvious how Keyne was written by someone who is not a trans man. The first few chapters from his perspective were repeating how he felt different on the inside, noone understands what it's like to be perceived as someone you're not, dresses make him uncomfortable etc. All valid trans experiences but executed in a very shallow manner because there was nothing else to him. Trans people have personalities and not every single waking moment is spent thinking about how being trans is different or hard.
Similarly the portrayal of the disabled character Riva also felt shallow to me initially. Much like Keyne she kept repeating how hard it was to be a burn victim and for others to look at her differently. One guy appears and says he thinks she's strong for living with a disability, not weak, and suddenly
It annoyed me as a disabled trans person how heavily these characters relied on tropes / stereotypes of what it's like to be disabled or trans. They didn't feel human a lot of the time as they hugely lacked in depth. Therefore when events happened that were intended to be emotional I just felt..meh.
But on the other hand, the premise for this story was a wonderful idea. The setting, the magic, the culture.. all made me so happy. It is lovely to see traditional British culture celebrated through story. I just wish it had been executed better , so I would have cared more about the plot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Transphobia, and Violence