Customer Reviews

Morgan in the Mirror

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Though I haven't read much of the book as of yet I have been thoroughly enjoying the story. What I like most, beside the story line so far, is how well C.C. developed the character of Morgan. I have only scratched the surface of the story and already the character of Morgan has come alive for me and I have been able to empathize and connect with the character.

From my experiences and outlooks as a young FtM, I think `Morgan in the Mirror' is very well written and does bring to light some of the things and feelings young FtM's do in fact have to deal with. The coolest thing is that C.C. was able to write this purely from research. I don't know many writers who could have pulled off such a story in a truthful way. As with any story one character does not hold the standard for all that are in a community just as one person in real life cannot be the standard, but Morgan IS a believable character as a young FtM person.

I don't believe there is anything that I can really say about the book on a negative note. The Australian slang is in my opinion fun and brings, the area the story takes place in, to life. I can see though where some people may have trouble with it because if you don't have a little knowledge of the slang a person may get lost. For the most part I think it gives it more character. ^_^

`Morgan in the Mirror' is definitely a book I would highly suggest if a person wants a good read.

One of the many things that make this book a worthwile read is that Saint-clair's created an ftm character that comes across as a a real boy. Not a butch dyke. She's made it clear, even in the love scenes that Morgan is a young man in 'the wrong body'.
jon

"A remarkable accomplishment. C.C. Saint-Clair writes
in a way that is both sensitive and thought-provoking.
Morgan commands our sympathy yet never our pity, and
his complex issues are not shied away from. This book
deserves to be read by a very wide audience indeed."
SheWhoWrites (in the UK)

I found Morgan's character to be quite believable. He like myself, makes careful choices of who he "reveals" himself to and just how much information he wants to divulge. His inner dialogues seemed reflective of thoughts that most of us guys have had at one point or another during our transition.
Austin J.

I bought this book after i came across a flurry of posts against the author on an ftm platform. It was obvious - by the posts -that the guys hadn't read the book but simply flamed it because the author is an outsider and they also objected to a short extract they had found on her website.
So I bought it to make up my own mind.
It's a great book. It's written very respectfully. The research is accurate knowing that it was published in 2001 according to the coyright date.
Besides, even today there is not much fiction that focuses on someone from our community, let alone GOOD fiction. And this book fills the gap very well. It's fiction, well written and entertaining. No one with an open mind needs to expect more from fiction - even the character is a very credible one of us.

im only a dyke but im an open-minded one. i read Morgan in the mirror because a friend bought it for me. i'm not likely to be an ftm but morgan's story as a bio woman stuck in the wrong body is seriously thought provoking. I have to admit it's also very sexy. Hot. I recommend it to anyone on the scene. if not for them, then for the people around them, because close minds are scary.

no pun intented, but in regards to the review of Morgan in the Mirror [below], i totally agree that it will suplant The Well. Saint-Clair's novel is the first non-kink female-to-male fiction I've come across. That's because I'm pretty sure there aren't any others. About time!

I read somewhere that Saint-clair had in mind to refresh the thread of The Well when she wrote Morgan in the Mirror and to turn tragic *inverted* Stephen into a more out-there, relevant and credible, bone fide Female-to-male tg. She's done it. It works. I'm ready to bet poor old Stephen is lol in *her* coffin, saying, "'bout time!Thank you, C.C. Saint-clair!"

C.C. Saint-Clair's latest novel, Morgan in the Mirror, moves away from her usual lesbian contexts and tackles the issue of Transgenderism -- a most relevant matter for the health and survival of humankind, because fear of the unfamiliar is part of the global problem of discrimination against "the other."

If our survival as a community is based on our ability to become accepting, compassionate human beings capable of caring for each other -- even in the absence of understanding -- then Saint-Clair tests our readiness by giving us Morgan and the challenge his personal circumstances present to the world.

Already a highly recommended book for those interested in Gender Studies and promoted as a must-read on FTM and SOFFA-friendly resources (Significant Others Family and Allies - Australia's P-FLAG equivalent), Morgan in the Mirror offers an insightful look into the heart and mind of Morgan, a transgender male struggling to define himself as a man and win the heart of Christen, the woman he loves.

Gender and sexuality have never been frozen in binary oppositions of each other, but they have always existed as mere stations along a rich and gloriously multicoloured continuum. Christen discovered this truism after her own surprising heart-connection with Maddy, but can she now accept Morgan, her new love interest, as he stands before her at the mid-point of his transgender journey from female to male?

Even more poignant and heart-wrenching than Morgan's personal struggle is the insight into the secret, hidden world of transgender society. The dangers of being revealed as a transgender and harmed by unthinking fools who hate and fear what they do not understand lend an element of fear and survival at all cost to Morgan's struggles. Paradoxically, a great many fears, hatreds and prejudices about the transgender issue continue to persist even in the gay and lesbian community. This is addressed in my interview with C.C. Saint-Clair.

While the book made me cry several times, It also has many of the juicy love scenes for which C.C. Saint-Clair is well known. One thing that it a more personal read is the friendship I share with my childhood friend, Cheryl, who grew up with me in rural western Kentucky. My long brown hair endlessly fascinated her, known then as Charlie. I, the budding lesbian, mistook this for a crush. We laugh at these stories now, many years later. Neither of us realized then, at the tender age of 12, what secrets the other was hiding. Morgan in the Mirror now makes clearer the struggles that all transgenders face. I enjoyed this book and recommend that everyone read it, because all of us could use a little more love, understanding and compassion in our lives.

[...]

I have a parting note from the author herself, by her request:

"If you enjoy reading Morgan in the Mirror, it is my pleasure to share with you excerpts from Benchmarks, available from www.ccsaint-clair.com in its new format, a free and downloadable serialization, as well as excerpts taken from North (Take II) and Silent Goodbyes. Warm Regards, C.C."

Pam Harrison is a professional and freelance writer and resides near Fort Knox, Kentucky. [...]

I enjoyed reading the book and particularly liked the fact that it was set
in Brisbane, Australia. I enjoyed the local references.
'Morgan in the mirror' is quite raunchy and I really appreciated the fact that
Morgan is described as being sexy and beautiful - we need to hear that
message more often. The book is well researched from the FTM point of
view and would be particularly of interest and a good read for lesbians who are in
relationships with transmen.
Simon de Voil - FTM Queensland