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Customer Review
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 15, 2020
My full review for this book is very long, so I'm going to share a shorter version here.
I felt this book was very problematic in its representation and treatment of trans people.
- The book description refers to RayLee as "the trans" or "the [trans slur]," depending on which version you read, and also calls her "a travesty" because of her body. She was also described as having a "freak show mind and body."
- Travis said he was "becoming a [gay slur]" at one point, although I'm not sure if that was because he slept with RayLee or because he almost slept with a man earlier. But, at another point, I think he said something about questioning his sexuality because of his feelings for RayLee.
- It seemed like Travis thought of Ray and RayLee as separate people. Even RayLee herself seemed to act like separate people sometimes. The name and pronouns used were also constantly changing (she/her and he/him, RayLee and Ray).
- Because we never got RayLee's POV, and because she hardly got any page time at all, this read kinda like a "woe is me, I'm a straight guy in love with a trans woman who has [certain body parts]" story. Everything about RayLee was filtered through Travis's POV and essentially about how it impacted him.
- There was so much focus RayLee's body parts, and how they made her not-quite-a-woman (according to the book).
I had some non-problematic issues too. The book was confusing. I was so lost about so many things---the plot, the politics, the relationships. Plus, it ended on a rather unhappy note with a lot unresolved, and I read that the author isn't planning to continue the series.
But never let it be said that I'm not honest or fair. The writing was great, and the POV character had a really strong, well-written voice. The audio narration was great. There was some emotion. There was a plot about vampires and demons. But all those things only made it all the more disappointing that the book had the issues it had.
Rating: 1 Star
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight (link in profile)
I felt this book was very problematic in its representation and treatment of trans people.
- The book description refers to RayLee as "the trans" or "the [trans slur]," depending on which version you read, and also calls her "a travesty" because of her body. She was also described as having a "freak show mind and body."
- Travis said he was "becoming a [gay slur]" at one point, although I'm not sure if that was because he slept with RayLee or because he almost slept with a man earlier. But, at another point, I think he said something about questioning his sexuality because of his feelings for RayLee.
- It seemed like Travis thought of Ray and RayLee as separate people. Even RayLee herself seemed to act like separate people sometimes. The name and pronouns used were also constantly changing (she/her and he/him, RayLee and Ray).
- Because we never got RayLee's POV, and because she hardly got any page time at all, this read kinda like a "woe is me, I'm a straight guy in love with a trans woman who has [certain body parts]" story. Everything about RayLee was filtered through Travis's POV and essentially about how it impacted him.
- There was so much focus RayLee's body parts, and how they made her not-quite-a-woman (according to the book).
I had some non-problematic issues too. The book was confusing. I was so lost about so many things---the plot, the politics, the relationships. Plus, it ended on a rather unhappy note with a lot unresolved, and I read that the author isn't planning to continue the series.
But never let it be said that I'm not honest or fair. The writing was great, and the POV character had a really strong, well-written voice. The audio narration was great. There was some emotion. There was a plot about vampires and demons. But all those things only made it all the more disappointing that the book had the issues it had.
Rating: 1 Star
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight (link in profile)
