1st paragraph is my own gender troubles reflected in the book. 2cd is broader literary discussion for those interested!

Basically, I got hooked and read the novels in two days...but I'm not quite sure how I feel about it. I have been on-and-off HRT for about two years, and really identified with Ames/Amy's struggle with living trans. In particular, his experience with disassociation and retreating into masculinity as a distancing mechanism really resonated with me. I gained a lot of insight into my own life and feelings through reading. At the same time, I couldn't see myself doing gender like anyone in the book. I don't know what part of that is my internalized transphobia and fear of being more obviously trans in a hostile world, and what part of that is my not fully fitting into the binary trans role.

Another big piece of sand stuck in my craw with the novel is that I perceived a lot of it as a novelized 'trans 101' and fictionalized ethnography of the main themes in trans life for the non-trans audience. Of course, given how small the trans community is it makes sense that writing for the masses means writing for cissies but there were a few moments that really struck me. In particular, the spelling out of the function of Truvada and Spiro as particular moments. Contrast this with the movie 'By Hook or by Crook' which is a pretty straightforward slice-of-life movie where the three main characters are trans, does not explain trans-ness to the audience, and is still comprehensible to a general audience. Writing this, I realize I'm being a bit of a crank (why can't I have a mass-market by-trans-for-trans novel boo hoo) and that having a nuanced explainer and introduction to (white, college-educated) trans culture is also really valuable.

I'm also interested in hearing from people who did not like the book, and from cis audiences too! Also apologies for rambling I'm not a very good writer. I have a lot ideas that make sense in my head that I can't seem to translate to written words very clearly or concisely. :)

  • bubbalu [they/them]
    ·
    4 years ago

    In the homestretch of Dreadnaught now! Thanks for the rec but I'm really torn on it. Mostly the magical trans(ition/formation) keeps messing me up because I have a lot of toxic fantasies about magically waking up a cis woman or able to pass. There was also a bit of Danny's internal monologue when her family is trying to get her to transition back where she talks about how the traces of femininity would always be there in her body and in her bone structure so that HRT is pointless that struck me the wrong way.

    Overall I'm really enjoying the novel and I think it's a really creative and fun use of the genre. I think especially for younger people it could be really empowering. I also enjoyed Danny's psychological reality, I think that that often goes underexplored in superhero media.