Kelly (and the Book Boar)'s Reviews > If I Was Your Girl

Curious to see what you think of this one. Enjoy!

I did not enjoy ; )

Nicely stated.

Thanks Vivian. Get your popcorn ready. I have a feeling I might make some new "friends" with this unpopular opinion ; )

I was just coming to save my seat to watch. *opens popcorn*

You're both turdheads (™Shelby)

Kelly (and the Book Boar) wrote: "You're both turdheads (™Shelby)"

bwahahaha! I'm reading about a damn pig peeing all over everything so I need my kicks where I can get em.

Shelby *trains flying monkeys* wrote: "bwahahaha! I'm reading about a damn pig peeing all over everything so I need my kicks where I can get em."

Nice to know our lives could be worse. I can't imagine how much urine a pig could generate on the living room rug.

Kelly (and the Book Boar) wrote: "Shelby *trains flying monkeys* wrote: "bwahahaha! I'm reading about a damn pig peeing all over everything so I need my kicks where I can get em."

Nice to know our lives could be worse. I can't ima..."

It's not just the rug..it is everything. I can almost smell it. I am never, ever, ever getting a pig.

If nothing else, the title isn't grammatical, which makes me a little ragey.

~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semi-colons~✡~ wrote: "If nothing else, the title isn't grammatical, which makes me a little ragey."

lol

As a transman, reading that made me very mad. And this is why I don't usually read books about transpeople. Either it's triggering or awfully written. Anyone can write as any type of character, I think, but you have to do it properly with respect to the community.

I always love your reviews and great job! I have been disconnected from my Goodreads family far too long (I blame school) so please forgive my absence these last few months.

I completely understand where you are coming from and I've added the books you've recommended and I'll definitely be reading them soon! I think the major divide within this book is the age gap and material.

This book caters more to Pre-Teens and I agree with your points of view but I believe this book will help make readers pick up other books that are actually truthful to the Trans community and the daily struggles they go through in life whereas this book is entirely fluff.

I rated it 5 stars because I was being generous but at the time I would have rated it 4 stars. Looking at it now it would be 3.5 stars. I'm sorry you hated this book! Miss you! :)

Oh Matthew I just love you. You are the sweetest kid and I hope your family and friends realize what a treasure they have. I totally agree that this is definitely for a group of people who aren't familiar with trans issues period. Unfortunately for me the way it was marketed didn't make that clear and coming from a mom perspective I hope no one ever feels like having a boyfriend or girlfriend is what validates them as a person.

That quote from the author talking about all the 'rules she bent' made think that this could be marketed as fantasy. What she says is like saying "I set this book in the real world except in this world you can go out and get your dream job at the age of 18 and get paid millions of dollars a year to do it with no training necessary". That's not realistic, that's fantasy and while it might make some readers want to learn more about trans people, others might take it as gospel and believe that life is this easy for someone going through such a difficult time in their life. I added this to my to read shelf after reading it was nominated for the GR Choice Awards, but I think I'll be taking it back off again after reading your review.

Well-said. I've heard similar responses but trust yours. Taking this one off my TBR.

Caidyn (BW Book Reviews) wrote: "As a transman, reading that made me very mad. And this is why I don't usually read books about transpeople. Either it's triggering or awfully written. Anyone can write as any type of character, I t..."

I don't always read the author notes, but I knew nothing about Meredith Russo before starting this. I assumed this HAD to be written by someone with no first-hand experience and that's why everything was glossed over so much, but . . . . : (

Sarah wrote: "That quote from the author talking about all the 'rules she bent' made think that this could be marketed as fantasy. What she says is like saying "I set this book in the real world except in this w..."

If I've learned one thing it's the GR Choice Awards don't always pick good ones LOL. I hope no young person reads this and believes transitioning is really as easy as this book makes it seem. They would be in for some harsh reality once they spoke with a doctor.

Jennifer wrote: "Well-said. I've heard similar responses but trust yours. Taking this one off my TBR."

If you're in the mood for a stereotypical YA with near insta-love and a new girl trying to fit in with the cool crowd storyline, this one is a winner. Unfortunately I was expecting something deeper.

I would have sued for all your library cards!!! Muahahaha! jk.

"a book that claims to tackle a controversial subject and doesn’t have the guts to confront anything at all."

^^that sums it up perfectly! Great review Kelly!

Thanks Rachel. Glad to have company over here in the unpopular opinion corner ; )

Anyone catch that Survivor episode last night? That tribal council was shocking—one of, if not, the craziest they've ever had. All I know is that caught me completely off-guard, but I thought it was handled really well.

Ɗắɳ 2.✽ wrote: "Anyone catch that Survivor episode last night? That tribal council was shocking—one of, if not, the craziest they've ever had. All I know is that caught me completely off-guard, but I thought it wa..."

Are you drunk? Did you mean to post in the tv show chat group?

No, it's related to your book topic. Google it.

Ɗắɳ 2.✽ wrote: "No, it's related to your book topic. Google it."

NO! I actually watch Survivor. Well, I DVR it and then we watch it together as a family on Sunday nights. Now I want to spoil it for myself. You ruin everything LOL ; )

Okay, I couldn't help myself. I would have never guessed. I'd love to see all the nutters' faces if they get their dream of everyone using the bathroom of the sex they were born as. Also I hope that other fucker burns in a fiery pit for doing that on national television.

Well, farts. I didn't figure you actually watched the show—I didn't think you watched any TV to speak of. My comment was more for your peanut gallery to weigh in on.

Kelly (and the Book Boar) wrote: "Also I hope that other fucker burns in a fiery pit for doing that on national television."

Yeah, it was such a low blow, such an out and out desperate move. I don't know how he figured that would somehow play out in his favor.

Ɗắɳ 2.✽ wrote: "Well, farts. I didn't figure you actually watched the show—I didn't think you watched any TV to speak of. My comment was more for your peanut gallery to weigh in on."

No worries. That's about the only show I watch religiously. Family tradition : )

Ɗắɳ 2.✽ wrote: "Yeah, it was such a low blow, such an out and out desperate move. I don't know how he figured that would somehow play out in his favor...."

Seriously. What kind of scumbag equates playing a game with not outing yourself on national television???? And when the hell did Varner come out? The day he was born? If not, he's gone through the same process of either not being out at all or not being out to EVERYONE and their dang dog. He of all people should know what a personal choice that is : (

Yeah, that's what made it all the more stunning. That a gay man would do that. It was one of those moments where your thinking, "This didn't just happen, it's gotta be something they staged, right?" But then, all of their reactions seemed too authentic, and the vilifying Varner is sure to endure would never be worth it. My other thought was, "Why didn't they edit that out?" But I can only assume that Zeke must have okayed it, surely they wouldn't air that without consent, right?

I just found an article with a direct quote from the person in question. It sums up my problem with this book PERFECTLY:

"A person's gender history is private information and it is up to them, and only them, when, how, and to whom they choose to disclose that information," he wrote. "Keeping your gender history private is not the same as a gay person being 'in the closet.' The only people who need to know are medical professionals and naked fun time friends."


EDIT: This next part is about the book (I do tend to ramble without any cohesion to my thought processes) and not about the real-life human we were talking about before.

So, aside from the attitude of 'Muricans are too dumb to know how transgender works, we'll go ahead and give this girl the surgery/genetic make up that was already feminine/etc. so there's no question, but then she MOVED TO A DIFFERENT TOWN in order to be only known as Amanda, but tells pretty much everyone she ever meets that she has a super big secret she can't tell them. Uhhhhhhh, what secret? SHE WAS 100% GIRL - surgically, mentally, every way. I realize I'm just a dumbshit and have no first-hand experience, but it was the weirdest mixed message for me. Add in the boyfriend validating her existence as a female and there was no saving the rating.

Ɗắɳ 2.✽ wrote: "Yeah, that's what made it all the more stunning. That a gay man would do that. It was one of those moments where your thinking, "This didn't just happen, it's gotta be something they staged, right?..."

The article I found said Zeke "wasn't wild about the idea" of declaring he was trans on the show because he just wanted to play as a superfan and not have his own history become the focus.

Yeah, I heard much the same. It's ashamed really, because he is quite a good player, in my estimation. So now we'll never know, if he makes a deep run, whether it was due to his game play or it was more of a sympathy vote.

Ɗắɳ 2.✽ wrote: "Yeah, I heard much the same. It's ashamed really, because he is quite a good player, in my estimation. So now we'll never know, if he makes a deep run, whether it was due to his game play or it was..."

I agree about being good at the game. I'll be interested to see exactly what "shady" activity he was up to that Varner decided justified his horrible decision. I have never been able to wrap my brain around either the :person playing the game strategically is probably an evil person in real life" OR the "well, it was for $1,000,000 so I should be able to be as scummy as I want" schools of thought. There's a fine line that has always been pretty apparent when it gets crossed.

Yup, there's a lot of moral ambiguity in the show, which makes it all the more compelling, but, in general, I typically side with those who are less deceitful.

Varner took one little thing Zeke said, and tried to twisted into something it wasn't, in order to drive a wedge between Zeke and the girls. I'll say no more for fear of spoilers.

I just watched. It made me cry which is unacceptable! Good lord what was that man thinking? To say being trans equals being capable of deceiving everyone? I could throw up. I'd apologize for the spoilers but I'm pretty sure you, me and one chick at work are the only people who still watch this show.

I read this book cover to cover and I was already feeling like "This is...this is so token." And I finally get to the author's note and I BLEW tf up. I was so irritated that I called my friend and read the whole thing to him and then HE blew up because YES. EXACTLY YES. Like nah, bruh. You don't get to say 'I wanna show people what it's like to be Trans." And then say "I wanted to make my character as safe and way to consume as possible." Like, she even wrote a note to her non-Trans readers and her Trans readers and I think the one to the Trans readers was even worse than the one to her non-Trans ones.

She was like "Just remember. Amanda isn't real but you are." Or something like that and my friend brought up a REALLY good point. He was like "That's some bs. We're all different. Amanda might be a fictional Trans character but I can bet you there IS a Trans girl out there somewhere who is AN Amanda and that is invalidating af to say something like that."

I just...the whole of the author's note put such a bad taste in my mouth and then I felt bad because she was like "I'm so afraid people won't like this book but not for the reasons you might think." Like don't guilt trip me with vague language. I'm just...I'm glad I got this on loan from my library and read it before I gifted it because had I paid money for this and given it to my friend (a Trans girl who is very much NOT Amanda) this probably would have triggered her to high heaven.