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replied to Kai Ash's status

Stay Gold, by Tobly McSmith

I liked this book. There were a few struggles (e.g., why did the protagonist use the name "Pony" if he felt so strongly about being stealth? Maybe the name reads as more cis/masc in Texas?)

I most enjoyed the characters' relationship dynamics. They weren't always clean, but they felt real, and there was just enough supportive love to help the reader through the darker chapters.

Cover art for Stay Gold. Two teens - a boy and a girl - sit on the roof of a car, watching the sunset.

replied to Kai Ash's status

Most Ardently, by Gabe Cole Novoa

I can't deny that the book reads like fanfiction, but it was great fun nonetheless. It's exactly what it says on the tin: a trans and gay retelling of Pride & Prejudice.

The pedant in me objected to some of the structural story changes (e.g., everyone was aged down). I was also bothered by some of the historical inaccuracies. But it's fiction, so best just enjoy the ride.

Cover art for Most Ardently. Two young men stand back to back, one reading and one pulling a letter out of their jacket. The reading one appears to be reaching for the other, who is turned slightly to peek over his shoulder.

replied to Kai Ash's status

Sasha Masha, by Agnes Borinsky

This is a short novel about the protagonist's 'trans realisation' moment (that messy time when a trans person is realising they are trans, but not necessarily coming out to anyone about it). It's one of the first times I've read a story about this type of trans experience - most trans protagonists are either coming out or already out - so it was a nice change of pace.

# AgnesBorinsky

Cover art for Sasha Masha, showing the protagonist sitting and looking away from us over their shoulder. There's another image overlaid on top, that looks like someone standing on a beach, bowed, with their arms wrapped around their middle.

The Hand, the Eye & the Heart, by Zoë Marriott

From what I gather, this was a retelling of the American version of the story of Mulan.

I enjoyed it, but I'm still a bit confused about its plot. Was it meant to be family-focused? Or a coming of age tale? A war story? Or a political drama? Or was it always meant to be a love triangle romance? I don't know, so at the end I felt like a lot was still unresolved.

Cover art for The Hand, The Eye & The Heart, showing a collection of images (a dragon, a mythical bird, a rose, etc.) on a dark blue background.