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Static
After two years together, Alex has been dreading the inevitable moment when Damon learns the truth: that Alex is a shifter, part of a small percentage of the population able to switch genders at will. Thanks to a forced implant, though, Alex is suddenly static-unable to shift-and male. Overnight, he's out to a world that neither understands nor tolerates shifters . . . and to his heterosexual boyfriend.
Damon is stunned to discover his girlfriend is a shifter, and scared to death of the dangers the implant poses to Alex's health. He refuses to abandon Alex, but what about their relationship? Damon is straight, and with the implant both costly and dangerous to remove, Alex is stuck as a man.
Stripped of half his identity and facing serious physical and social ramifications, Alex needs Damon more than ever, but he doesn't see how they can get through this.
Especially if he's static forever.
Damon is stunned to discover his girlfriend is a shifter, and scared to death of the dangers the implant poses to Alex's health. He refuses to abandon Alex, but what about their relationship? Damon is straight, and with the implant both costly and dangerous to remove, Alex is stuck as a man.
Stripped of half his identity and facing serious physical and social ramifications, Alex needs Damon more than ever, but he doesn't see how they can get through this.
Especially if he's static forever.
236 pages, Paperback
First published June 17, 2011
43 people are currently reading
1329 people want to read
About the author
L.A. Witt
219 books2,725 followersL.A. Witt and her husband have been exiled from Spain and sent to live in Maine because rhymes are fun. She now divides her time between writing, assuring people she is aware that Maine is cold, wondering where to put her next tattoo, and trying to reason with a surly Maine coon. Rumor has it her arch nemesis, Lauren Gallagher, is also somewhere in the wilds of New England, which is why L.A. is also spending a portion of her time training a team of spec ops lobsters.
Authors Ann Gallagher and Lori A. Witt have been asked to assist in lobster training, but they "have books to write" and "need to focus on our careers" and "don't you think this rivalry has gotten a little out of hand?" They're probably just helping Lauren raise her army of squirrels trained to ride moose into battle.
Visit her website at http://www.gallagherwitt.com/.
Authors Ann Gallagher and Lori A. Witt have been asked to assist in lobster training, but they "have books to write" and "need to focus on our careers" and "don't you think this rivalry has gotten a little out of hand?" They're probably just helping Lauren raise her army of squirrels trained to ride moose into battle.
Visit her website at http://www.gallagherwitt.com/.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 321 reviews
March 8, 2016
In the genre of M/M, I've read a lot of interesting stories. I tend to read a ton of shifter books, but they all have been of the animal variety. The idea behind "Static" is really a fascinating concept. A world where people can shift genders, I mean, how much cooler can it get?! I really wanted to love this one, because it is such an innovative idea. I am giving it extra stars for originality, however, it failed as a believable romance for me.
There was a lot of good about this story. Much of the focus of the plot is on Alex's coming to terms with being unable to shift genders, thanks to his parents drugging and forcing an implant on him that keeps his static. All of that I liked. I found Alex's struggle with bigotry and prejudices to be fascinating and painful to read. I loved getting into his mind, and I actually feel like I understand the trans community more thanks to this story. I think that Alex had to make some painful decisions and face some demons, and I enjoyed those parts of the book.
I have a few minor quibbles that don't bother me as much as my main complaint, which is the romance. I thought the story leaned towards the preachy or didactic side. I also didn't love the alternating first person POV. However, this books main failing is the romance between Alex and Damon.
I am a gay-for-you aficionado. I love them and I actively seek them out. This book is a major GFY, but not a very believable one. Damon is staunchly heterosexual and remains so throughout the majority of the story. I didn't even get a whiff of bi-curiousness from him. There was really very, very little physical chemistry between Alex and Damon, so much so that I wanted this to morph into a friendship-relationship book, rather than a traditional romance. When this book ::POW:: became a GFY, it stunned me. It felt completely forced. I didn't understand how Damon would be able to be intimate with a man when he seemed to have no interest in men at all. I get that he saw the "person" of female-Alex in male-Alex, but I didn't buy the chemistry. I felt like I missed a whole chunk of the book where the sexual chemistry developed.
Aside from just the physical aspect of their relationship, I didn't feel Alex and Damon as a couple. I felt the companionship between them, but the romance wasn't there. There was some nostalgia, some reflecting on their past romance, but I didn't feel the romance during the timeframe of the book.
I think this book was a great idea, and could have made a great gay-lit book, but it didn't work as a romance for me.
**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
There was a lot of good about this story. Much of the focus of the plot is on Alex's coming to terms with being unable to shift genders, thanks to his parents drugging and forcing an implant on him that keeps his static. All of that I liked. I found Alex's struggle with bigotry and prejudices to be fascinating and painful to read. I loved getting into his mind, and I actually feel like I understand the trans community more thanks to this story. I think that Alex had to make some painful decisions and face some demons, and I enjoyed those parts of the book.
I have a few minor quibbles that don't bother me as much as my main complaint, which is the romance. I thought the story leaned towards the preachy or didactic side. I also didn't love the alternating first person POV. However, this books main failing is the romance between Alex and Damon.
I am a gay-for-you aficionado. I love them and I actively seek them out. This book is a major GFY, but not a very believable one. Damon is staunchly heterosexual and remains so throughout the majority of the story. I didn't even get a whiff of bi-curiousness from him. There was really very, very little physical chemistry between Alex and Damon, so much so that I wanted this to morph into a friendship-relationship book, rather than a traditional romance. When this book ::POW:: became a GFY, it stunned me. It felt completely forced. I didn't understand how Damon would be able to be intimate with a man when he seemed to have no interest in men at all. I get that he saw the "person" of female-Alex in male-Alex, but I didn't buy the chemistry. I felt like I missed a whole chunk of the book where the sexual chemistry developed.
Aside from just the physical aspect of their relationship, I didn't feel Alex and Damon as a couple. I felt the companionship between them, but the romance wasn't there. There was some nostalgia, some reflecting on their past romance, but I didn't feel the romance during the timeframe of the book.
I think this book was a great idea, and could have made a great gay-lit book, but it didn't work as a romance for me.
**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
December 25, 2016
Wow! Such an enthralling story. As Damon (my favourite name ever!) says in the end, "Goddamn, what a ride."
This was a completely foreign concept to me - shifters, but of genders and not bodies. But it was a very intriguing theme. Both Alex and Damon were amazing characters. A thing I liked a lot was that they both were very shy yet strong people, not bold and brazen. Another thing that I enjoyed was that they didn't have easy money, as very few people do in my life, so those stories don't give us much of a chance to enjoy realistic fantasies based on them. But I had fun daydreaming in my head about one such loving couple...
Damon, Damon, Damon. He is my book boyfriend for the Christmas this year, and I wish I could find such an awesome guy in real life someday. I am just going to make Damon give me a foot massage during the holidays. I badly need them. It was exciting to read about how much he had to come out of his shy shell to be brave with Alex. He was like a pillar of strength for Alex, staying there for him in spite of his own discomfort and confusion about the whole situation. But I loved the way he shouldered the pain along with Alex, supporting him through the terrible situation to get to a happy outcome.
Alex was completely successful in describing to us what all he was going through. His pain was strong enough to bring me to tears. It was a nail-biting experience, waiting for the surgery to be done with so we could finally know what the results would be. And it pleased me that the author didn't make it easy. If the surgery had gone without any complications, then I would have felt a bit disappointed. Because considering all the loops Alex and Damon went through, an easy procedure wouldn't have sounded believable.
I loved the story arc, the pace, everything. I was even orgasming reading the perfect punctuation! But then there were slight hiccups in it at the end, but it didn't bother me much.
This was a completely foreign concept to me - shifters, but of genders and not bodies. But it was a very intriguing theme. Both Alex and Damon were amazing characters. A thing I liked a lot was that they both were very shy yet strong people, not bold and brazen. Another thing that I enjoyed was that they didn't have easy money, as very few people do in my life, so those stories don't give us much of a chance to enjoy realistic fantasies based on them. But I had fun daydreaming in my head about one such loving couple...
Damon, Damon, Damon. He is my book boyfriend for the Christmas this year, and I wish I could find such an awesome guy in real life someday. I am just going to make Damon give me a foot massage during the holidays. I badly need them. It was exciting to read about how much he had to come out of his shy shell to be brave with Alex. He was like a pillar of strength for Alex, staying there for him in spite of his own discomfort and confusion about the whole situation. But I loved the way he shouldered the pain along with Alex, supporting him through the terrible situation to get to a happy outcome.
Alex was completely successful in describing to us what all he was going through. His pain was strong enough to bring me to tears. It was a nail-biting experience, waiting for the surgery to be done with so we could finally know what the results would be. And it pleased me that the author didn't make it easy. If the surgery had gone without any complications, then I would have felt a bit disappointed. Because considering all the loops Alex and Damon went through, an easy procedure wouldn't have sounded believable.
I loved the story arc, the pace, everything. I was even orgasming reading the perfect punctuation! But then there were slight hiccups in it at the end, but it didn't bother me much.
could-not-finish
February 1, 2019CNF at 60%/Chap 14
I tried so hard, but even with an amazing narrator, I couldn't finish this. I was bored....as in, I fell asleep a few times trying to get through it. I'm starting to wonder if this author is for me anymore. :-(
I tried so hard, but even with an amazing narrator, I couldn't finish this. I was bored....as in, I fell asleep a few times trying to get through it. I'm starting to wonder if this author is for me anymore. :-(
August 6, 2014
Reviewed for Prism Book Alliance
That is the question posed by Static.
Two things drew me to this book, the first being a good GR friend wrote a fantastic review and, the second this topic is out of my comfort zone and I wanted to push my envelope, so to speak.
Let me qualify my statement about this being out of my comfort zone, "this" being the transgendered. I hope I don't offend anyone by saying I have a hard time wrapping my mind around transgenderism. I've had numerous conversations, read articles, seen the popular movies and even a few documentaries and finally narrowed my confusion down to this: I have a hard time separating gender and sexuality. I think most of the things I've read or seen about transgenderism have focused on discrimination, surgeries and how expensive they or how happy the people are or aren't before, during and after the surgery rather than the mentality. I need to understand the thought process behind feelings or what motivates actions for me to "get it". I'm not going to perpetrate and say I completely get it after having read this, but I will say I get it a lot more than I ever have before.
Static is categorized as transgender and, I have to say, I think Ms. Witt presented the whole issue of gender identity brilliantly with the use of the shifter theme. Yes, Alex is a shifter. If anyone else just heard the True Blood theme song, raise your hand. I digress. Anyway, Alex is a shifter; there are apparently different levels of shifter and Alex falls into the 50/50 category meaning half the time he's male, the other half female. Static takes a compelling look at gender, relationships, prejudice, family dynamics, bigotry, religion and the difficulties associated with adhering to cultural standards.
Alex's bigoted and cult brainwashed mother and stepfather drug him one night and have their pastor perform an illegal procedure on him which prevents him from shifting from his male form. And you know what? As hella fucked up as it sounds this is, in many ways, the best thing that's ever happened to him. Ms. Witt could've easily turned Static into rage lit about all the zealots and haters in the world, instead it became about finding love, support and acceptance in unexpected places. Is there discrimination and asshattery? Yes. Do douchecanoes cross Alix's path? You bet. It wouldn't be credible or authentic if there weren't; it would be a utopian society which is only realistic in a Disney film. I use the term "realistic" loosely here.
Alex has struggled most of his life with depression, loneliness, despair and feeling uncomfortable in his own skin. His circle of friends who actually know he's a shifter is small. Very small. Microscopic, in fact. He's been in a committed relationship with Damon for almost 2 years and has somehow kept it from him. He has struggled with suicide attempts, cutting and uses alcohol as a crutch far too often, all in an effort to keep his secret and/or as a means of escape. He's moody, has a tendency to shut down and shut people out and has an unhealthy amount of self-loathing. In short, he's a mess, but you can't help but feel for him.
Damon is wonderful. Imagine you drive to your girlfriend's house after she's not answered the phone or called for hours only to have the door opened by a bleary eyed, sleep mussed guy in sweat pants. How would you react? He is angry and hurt initially, but it quickly turns to concern. He's learned to read Alex over the course of their relationship and puts up with her, now him, and those little idiosyncrasies cannot be explained away as coincidence. It's a bumpy road for these two but the bottom line is they love each other no matter the package. Still, Damon struggles mightily with the implications of having a boyfriend after 2 years and considering he's hetero… it's a leap, but inside the male exterior is Alex, the person he fell in love with. He just has to find a way to move beyond the exterior since he can't seem to leave Alex.
The most compelling and emotional aspect of Static is that it tells the story from both of their perspectives. All of it is realistic, authentic and complex, as it should be. There is angst aplenty and it's marvelously written.The secondary characters aside from the cray cray parents were all tremendous and added to the overall message of Static which is a message of hope for the future. That things will change; not everyone is a bigot; some people will actually give you the shirt off their back if you're in need and sometimes you find support in the unlikeliest of places.
I hesitate to use the word 'important' when referencing a romance novel, but I believe it's apropos here. If nothing else, it's certainly informative.
I would like to thank Riptide for providing me with a copy of Static in exchange for my honest review.
Is gender really important?
That is the question posed by Static.
Two things drew me to this book, the first being a good GR friend wrote a fantastic review and, the second this topic is out of my comfort zone and I wanted to push my envelope, so to speak.
Let me qualify my statement about this being out of my comfort zone, "this" being the transgendered. I hope I don't offend anyone by saying I have a hard time wrapping my mind around transgenderism. I've had numerous conversations, read articles, seen the popular movies and even a few documentaries and finally narrowed my confusion down to this: I have a hard time separating gender and sexuality. I think most of the things I've read or seen about transgenderism have focused on discrimination, surgeries and how expensive they or how happy the people are or aren't before, during and after the surgery rather than the mentality. I need to understand the thought process behind feelings or what motivates actions for me to "get it". I'm not going to perpetrate and say I completely get it after having read this, but I will say I get it a lot more than I ever have before.
"No. No, it didn't. My genders are up here." I tapped my temple with one finger. "Being a shifter just means I can adjust my body to match."
Static is categorized as transgender and, I have to say, I think Ms. Witt presented the whole issue of gender identity brilliantly with the use of the shifter theme. Yes, Alex is a shifter. If anyone else just heard the True Blood theme song, raise your hand. I digress. Anyway, Alex is a shifter; there are apparently different levels of shifter and Alex falls into the 50/50 category meaning half the time he's male, the other half female. Static takes a compelling look at gender, relationships, prejudice, family dynamics, bigotry, religion and the difficulties associated with adhering to cultural standards.
Alex's bigoted and cult brainwashed mother and stepfather drug him one night and have their pastor perform an illegal procedure on him which prevents him from shifting from his male form. And you know what? As hella fucked up as it sounds this is, in many ways, the best thing that's ever happened to him. Ms. Witt could've easily turned Static into rage lit about all the zealots and haters in the world, instead it became about finding love, support and acceptance in unexpected places. Is there discrimination and asshattery? Yes. Do douchecanoes cross Alix's path? You bet. It wouldn't be credible or authentic if there weren't; it would be a utopian society which is only realistic in a Disney film. I use the term "realistic" loosely here.
Alex has struggled most of his life with depression, loneliness, despair and feeling uncomfortable in his own skin. His circle of friends who actually know he's a shifter is small. Very small. Microscopic, in fact. He's been in a committed relationship with Damon for almost 2 years and has somehow kept it from him. He has struggled with suicide attempts, cutting and uses alcohol as a crutch far too often, all in an effort to keep his secret and/or as a means of escape. He's moody, has a tendency to shut down and shut people out and has an unhealthy amount of self-loathing. In short, he's a mess, but you can't help but feel for him.
And no matter how much I wanted to convince myself I could handle it if he left, the fact was, I needed Damon. I needed him, and I wanted him, and fuck if I wasn't stuck in a body I couldn't ask him to want.
Damon is wonderful. Imagine you drive to your girlfriend's house after she's not answered the phone or called for hours only to have the door opened by a bleary eyed, sleep mussed guy in sweat pants. How would you react? He is angry and hurt initially, but it quickly turns to concern. He's learned to read Alex over the course of their relationship and puts up with her, now him, and those little idiosyncrasies cannot be explained away as coincidence. It's a bumpy road for these two but the bottom line is they love each other no matter the package. Still, Damon struggles mightily with the implications of having a boyfriend after 2 years and considering he's hetero… it's a leap, but inside the male exterior is Alex, the person he fell in love with. He just has to find a way to move beyond the exterior since he can't seem to leave Alex.
The most compelling and emotional aspect of Static is that it tells the story from both of their perspectives. All of it is realistic, authentic and complex, as it should be. There is angst aplenty and it's marvelously written.The secondary characters aside from the cray cray parents were all tremendous and added to the overall message of Static which is a message of hope for the future. That things will change; not everyone is a bigot; some people will actually give you the shirt off their back if you're in need and sometimes you find support in the unlikeliest of places.
I hesitate to use the word 'important' when referencing a romance novel, but I believe it's apropos here. If nothing else, it's certainly informative.
I would like to thank Riptide for providing me with a copy of Static in exchange for my honest review.
February 1, 2012
I enjoyed this book very much-- the idea as a metaphor for transgender identity was brilliant, and it did what good sci-fi SHOULD do--show us our own world on a canvas so subtly warped, with colors so delicately changed from our own reality that the truths of our own societal inadequacies aren't hurtful--they are simply revealing. The fact that Witt tackled this difficult, delicate subject in speculative fiction was, in fact, ingenious, and it truly made a solid, important point about respecting transgenderism and being good to people--ALL people--and respectful of gender identity as it is presented to us by a person using their own self-perception.
My only problem was one induced by the structure--and the author did this on purpose, and she did it skillfully--and that was that she made the relationship between the two protagonists match the situation. It was, in fact, static, until Damon got over his original self-acknowledged prejudices, and that static quality between the two characters was VERY difficult for me to read. (I write and read with ADHD-- is something happening now? Now? Are they fighting? Fucking? Running for their lives? Has the sky fallen? Dammmit, why not?) The thing is, I think Witt was brilliant-- I do. She should be proud of this, it's an amazing concept. Any flaws I've discussed here are really flaws in my own attention span--but I like to think someone reading this review who had the same problem will be able to put their finger on it, so there it is.
This was an awesome book, and an important one, and I enjoyed it very much.
My only problem was one induced by the structure--and the author did this on purpose, and she did it skillfully--and that was that she made the relationship between the two protagonists match the situation. It was, in fact, static, until Damon got over his original self-acknowledged prejudices, and that static quality between the two characters was VERY difficult for me to read. (I write and read with ADHD-- is something happening now? Now? Are they fighting? Fucking? Running for their lives? Has the sky fallen? Dammmit, why not?) The thing is, I think Witt was brilliant-- I do. She should be proud of this, it's an amazing concept. Any flaws I've discussed here are really flaws in my own attention span--but I like to think someone reading this review who had the same problem will be able to put their finger on it, so there it is.
This was an awesome book, and an important one, and I enjoyed it very much.
July 2, 2011
Review #2 for Reviews by Jessewave
4.75 stars
From what I understand, this is the first novel reviewed on this blog that deals specifically with transgendered people in a starring role. Sure, there have been books (not many, though) that deal with varying gender discussions in all sorts of ways, occasionally in the forefront, but not often, and very rarely about trans, intersex, or gender fluid people (thought that is a completely different discussion). Like all marginalized populations there is often several turnings of the tide, and with last week’s post by Jaye Valentine and Wave on men who cross dress (you can see it here, if you missed it), the growing group of m/m readers who are calling for books that look into the lives of a more diverse group of people, and this new shiny book by LA Witt just recently released by Amber Allure, it is high time, I think for a book about this subject that reaches this audience. Sure, not every book is to everyone’s taste for a variety of different reasons, but I’m happy to read an m/m book that delved more deeply into this subject, and I hope most readers agree with me. And though I would never have though to explore that in a paranormal subtext, I can see how the idea of shifting between genders, a familiar trope, can be used to illustrate the warring factions some people have between their brain and their body. Now that I’ve had my say — off to the review.
The book opens from the POV of Damon Bryce, worried about his girlfriend Alex who he hasn’t seen or spoken to in over two days. They’ve been dating for two years, and Damon is worried about the silence. Alex left him last to meet her parents, a pair of extremely radical fundamentalists, and the visits always send Alex into a spiraling depression that can last days or weeks. Yet, Damon loves Alex, and no matter how often she pushes him away for what seems no reason at all, or refuses to marry him, he knows he has to check up on her. When he arrives at her house, a nearly naked man answers the door and Damon’s first thought is in anger, assuming Alex is cheating on him. Yet the man is in pain, something about a terrible headache and he can barely walk. After getting the strange man settled on Alex’s couch, he finally listens to the man’s story — or rather, Alex’s story.
Alex is a shifter, a small group of people that are able to shift between both genders. He has been afraid to tell Damon because of the suffering and rejection experienced growing up in such a hostile home. Furthermore, Alex is regretful that she didn’t tell Damon before this point because now he’s stuck, unable to shift, after his parents drugged him and had a shady surgeon implant a black market device in his spine, which in their eyes will make him right with God. The loss of his female form is staggering. As a shifter that generally spends an equal amount of time in each body, he feels the extreme loss of half of his identity. Not only that, but the after-affects of the surgery seems the be the most terrible headache in existence.
Damon takes Alex to the hospital where Alex finds that the surgery had caused a spinal fluid leak, resulting in the terrible pain in his head. The situation isn’t serious, but they both soon learn exactly what his parents have done with their illegal actions. The implant may not be stable and could cause paralysis and death. The removal of the implant is incredibly expensive and infinitely more dangerous than the original procedure. And even if Alex is able to get the implant removed, he still might never be able to shift again. Alex also has to decide if it is worth pressing charges against his parents. He wants to save his little sister Candace from his parents clutches, but she already seems to be brainwashed against him. And on top of all that, how will Damon deal with him now being a man? Damon doesn’t know what to think. He loves Alex, but he keeps trying to find the woman he loves in the man standing before him. Can they have a relationship that isn’t sexual? Or is it possible that he can see past the biological trappings and focus on the person he loves with all his heart?
This is a slow story, that really isn’t a romance until quite far into the book. I have been very interested in other people’s reception of this book since it came out earlier this week and I have seen some people say that they don’t believe this is actually a romance. I disagree — sure, it isn’t typical, especially in m/m where the majority of our hero’s are strapping bucks with devilish smiles and killer sex drives. Maybe a better classification for this is a love story (and don’t get upset guys, I don’t mean that this doesn’t end with an HEA, which is all I’ll say about the ending). What I loved most, I suppose, is Damon’s slow realization of what love really means. Damon is a steady and empathic man. He isn’t afraid of what his friends and co-workers will think of Alex being a shifter. The issues he needs to work through are purely internal, and the issues he worked through and the support he offered were heartening to me.
Alex is an example of what a harsh world can make of a person. He is a puzzle to be solved as we slowly learn more about his childhood and how those experiences correlate to his fear of being touched at times, his deep pits of despair, and his self-medication with alcohol. The change of his body to match the gender of his mind at any given time has really been his only therapy in life, and when it is gone, he has no way to cope. What I found most interesting in the discussion within this novel about gender shifters and transgendered people were the differences between them. I loved Tabitha, Alex’s best friend and boss — a biological man who identifies as female, but until such time as a safer and better surgery is invented is permanently pre-op. When Alex loses his ability to shift he unexpectedly leans on Tabitha and can finally understand what it must be like to be faced with the possibility of permanently feeling like you reside in the wrong body. Still, Alex is lucky in that half the time he feels male. He still has a reprieve from that crushing feeling. The exploration of the issues was done very sensitively and thoroughly and presents a real challenge for the romance between Alex and Damon.
There are quite a few surprises within, and let me tell you, it has been quite difficult to talk around them all (so I hope I’ve done a good job). Some readers may find fault with the ending, but I didn’t. I was surprised that I wasn’t surprised, if that makes any sense. The ending is definitely open to interpretation, which I thought really worked for the couple and I could see their way forward in a very clear light. LA Witt has impressed me in a quite a few of her books with the deep psychological dynamics that arise between her characters. She has her characters really work through their problems. I’ll leave that up to you to decide if you felt the same with this book. I was certainly satisfied and I came away from the book still thinking about what she wrote days later. No matter your reception to the story, that’s worth a lot. Last, but definitely not least, during my reading I kept thinking of this story as a GFY plotline. Now, I’ve changed my mind. I think this is a story about finding someone who is the right person for you. I think that is the real message Witt was trying to show.
NOTE: As for the use of pronouns, I stuck with a similar usage as the novel.
NOTE 2: I think this is one of the most beautiful Amber Allure covers I’ve seen yet, and I think it does justice to the story.
------------------------
Original GR Review - June 30
I've been a fan of LA Witt for a while and I'm always a fan of her stories dealing with very deep and convoluted relationship dynamics. This is another story in that vein, but this time she tackles the subject of gender and people who are intersex all with a very clever paranormal twist.
Alex is a shifter (gender shifter) that was born male. While every shifter is different in this society that reflects a contemporary US, Alex is pretty even divided in which gender he prefers, simply changing his body to match the gender he feels in his mind. There are two problems, however. One, Alex has been dating Damon for two years now -- as a female, and hasn't yet worked up the courage to tell Damon that she is male also; and two, Alex's radially fundamentalist mother and step-father have been pressuring Alex to surgically implant a device that will cause Alex to become static, remain in one gender. The story starts from the POV of Damon, not having seen or heard from Alex in over two days after he knew Alex was meeting her parents. He goes to look for her and finds a man in her house. After a very surprising conversation for him, Alex tells Damon that she went to her parents house, where they proceeded to drug him and have a shady back-alley surgeon implant a black-market device into his spine against his will. For the time being, until he can make sure that the forced surgery wasn't botched, whether to decide to press charges against his parents, and whether it will be possible for him to have the implant removed, he is stuck in the male form. Along with his manic depression over sometimes being in the wrong body and his fear that he'll be stuck that way forever, Alex will have to work out his relationship with Damon, a completely straight man who can't seem to find the woman he loves in the man that now stands in her place.
I thought this was a beautiful story about what it means to love a person -- their soul and not the trappings that surround it. Who are we really at our core, and what difference does societal pressure put on us to conform? LA Witt deals with some heavy issues here and this is not a light read, though the emotions are well balanced throughout the novel. The pace is very slow, as much of the story from Damon's POV revolves around his growing awareness of what it means to be a shifter, and how he can stand by Alex. Can he find a way to love the man? Or will he be able to see that the man and the woman are the same person? It is a very interesting take on the GFY trope, and one that I felt was handled very well.
Kudos goes to Witt for her creation of Alex's friend Tabitha and the gang at The Welcome Mat, the bar which Alex bartends and also Alex's safe haven away from the world. I also loved the sub-plot of Alex's little sister Candace, though I wish that we'd gotten to know her a just a little better. Most of all, I found this story fascinating. Usually with a slowly paced book such as this, I find myself reading at a slow pace, but I devoured this book, unable to put it down.
A favorite for sure, and possibly my favorite of LA Witt's works so far.
4.75 stars
From what I understand, this is the first novel reviewed on this blog that deals specifically with transgendered people in a starring role. Sure, there have been books (not many, though) that deal with varying gender discussions in all sorts of ways, occasionally in the forefront, but not often, and very rarely about trans, intersex, or gender fluid people (thought that is a completely different discussion). Like all marginalized populations there is often several turnings of the tide, and with last week’s post by Jaye Valentine and Wave on men who cross dress (you can see it here, if you missed it), the growing group of m/m readers who are calling for books that look into the lives of a more diverse group of people, and this new shiny book by LA Witt just recently released by Amber Allure, it is high time, I think for a book about this subject that reaches this audience. Sure, not every book is to everyone’s taste for a variety of different reasons, but I’m happy to read an m/m book that delved more deeply into this subject, and I hope most readers agree with me. And though I would never have though to explore that in a paranormal subtext, I can see how the idea of shifting between genders, a familiar trope, can be used to illustrate the warring factions some people have between their brain and their body. Now that I’ve had my say — off to the review.
The book opens from the POV of Damon Bryce, worried about his girlfriend Alex who he hasn’t seen or spoken to in over two days. They’ve been dating for two years, and Damon is worried about the silence. Alex left him last to meet her parents, a pair of extremely radical fundamentalists, and the visits always send Alex into a spiraling depression that can last days or weeks. Yet, Damon loves Alex, and no matter how often she pushes him away for what seems no reason at all, or refuses to marry him, he knows he has to check up on her. When he arrives at her house, a nearly naked man answers the door and Damon’s first thought is in anger, assuming Alex is cheating on him. Yet the man is in pain, something about a terrible headache and he can barely walk. After getting the strange man settled on Alex’s couch, he finally listens to the man’s story — or rather, Alex’s story.
Alex is a shifter, a small group of people that are able to shift between both genders. He has been afraid to tell Damon because of the suffering and rejection experienced growing up in such a hostile home. Furthermore, Alex is regretful that she didn’t tell Damon before this point because now he’s stuck, unable to shift, after his parents drugged him and had a shady surgeon implant a black market device in his spine, which in their eyes will make him right with God. The loss of his female form is staggering. As a shifter that generally spends an equal amount of time in each body, he feels the extreme loss of half of his identity. Not only that, but the after-affects of the surgery seems the be the most terrible headache in existence.
Damon takes Alex to the hospital where Alex finds that the surgery had caused a spinal fluid leak, resulting in the terrible pain in his head. The situation isn’t serious, but they both soon learn exactly what his parents have done with their illegal actions. The implant may not be stable and could cause paralysis and death. The removal of the implant is incredibly expensive and infinitely more dangerous than the original procedure. And even if Alex is able to get the implant removed, he still might never be able to shift again. Alex also has to decide if it is worth pressing charges against his parents. He wants to save his little sister Candace from his parents clutches, but she already seems to be brainwashed against him. And on top of all that, how will Damon deal with him now being a man? Damon doesn’t know what to think. He loves Alex, but he keeps trying to find the woman he loves in the man standing before him. Can they have a relationship that isn’t sexual? Or is it possible that he can see past the biological trappings and focus on the person he loves with all his heart?
This is a slow story, that really isn’t a romance until quite far into the book. I have been very interested in other people’s reception of this book since it came out earlier this week and I have seen some people say that they don’t believe this is actually a romance. I disagree — sure, it isn’t typical, especially in m/m where the majority of our hero’s are strapping bucks with devilish smiles and killer sex drives. Maybe a better classification for this is a love story (and don’t get upset guys, I don’t mean that this doesn’t end with an HEA, which is all I’ll say about the ending). What I loved most, I suppose, is Damon’s slow realization of what love really means. Damon is a steady and empathic man. He isn’t afraid of what his friends and co-workers will think of Alex being a shifter. The issues he needs to work through are purely internal, and the issues he worked through and the support he offered were heartening to me.
Alex is an example of what a harsh world can make of a person. He is a puzzle to be solved as we slowly learn more about his childhood and how those experiences correlate to his fear of being touched at times, his deep pits of despair, and his self-medication with alcohol. The change of his body to match the gender of his mind at any given time has really been his only therapy in life, and when it is gone, he has no way to cope. What I found most interesting in the discussion within this novel about gender shifters and transgendered people were the differences between them. I loved Tabitha, Alex’s best friend and boss — a biological man who identifies as female, but until such time as a safer and better surgery is invented is permanently pre-op. When Alex loses his ability to shift he unexpectedly leans on Tabitha and can finally understand what it must be like to be faced with the possibility of permanently feeling like you reside in the wrong body. Still, Alex is lucky in that half the time he feels male. He still has a reprieve from that crushing feeling. The exploration of the issues was done very sensitively and thoroughly and presents a real challenge for the romance between Alex and Damon.
There are quite a few surprises within, and let me tell you, it has been quite difficult to talk around them all (so I hope I’ve done a good job). Some readers may find fault with the ending, but I didn’t. I was surprised that I wasn’t surprised, if that makes any sense. The ending is definitely open to interpretation, which I thought really worked for the couple and I could see their way forward in a very clear light. LA Witt has impressed me in a quite a few of her books with the deep psychological dynamics that arise between her characters. She has her characters really work through their problems. I’ll leave that up to you to decide if you felt the same with this book. I was certainly satisfied and I came away from the book still thinking about what she wrote days later. No matter your reception to the story, that’s worth a lot. Last, but definitely not least, during my reading I kept thinking of this story as a GFY plotline. Now, I’ve changed my mind. I think this is a story about finding someone who is the right person for you. I think that is the real message Witt was trying to show.
NOTE: As for the use of pronouns, I stuck with a similar usage as the novel.
NOTE 2: I think this is one of the most beautiful Amber Allure covers I’ve seen yet, and I think it does justice to the story.
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Original GR Review - June 30
I've been a fan of LA Witt for a while and I'm always a fan of her stories dealing with very deep and convoluted relationship dynamics. This is another story in that vein, but this time she tackles the subject of gender and people who are intersex all with a very clever paranormal twist.
Alex is a shifter (gender shifter) that was born male. While every shifter is different in this society that reflects a contemporary US, Alex is pretty even divided in which gender he prefers, simply changing his body to match the gender he feels in his mind. There are two problems, however. One, Alex has been dating Damon for two years now -- as a female, and hasn't yet worked up the courage to tell Damon that she is male also; and two, Alex's radially fundamentalist mother and step-father have been pressuring Alex to surgically implant a device that will cause Alex to become static, remain in one gender. The story starts from the POV of Damon, not having seen or heard from Alex in over two days after he knew Alex was meeting her parents. He goes to look for her and finds a man in her house. After a very surprising conversation for him, Alex tells Damon that she went to her parents house, where they proceeded to drug him and have a shady back-alley surgeon implant a black-market device into his spine against his will. For the time being, until he can make sure that the forced surgery wasn't botched, whether to decide to press charges against his parents, and whether it will be possible for him to have the implant removed, he is stuck in the male form. Along with his manic depression over sometimes being in the wrong body and his fear that he'll be stuck that way forever, Alex will have to work out his relationship with Damon, a completely straight man who can't seem to find the woman he loves in the man that now stands in her place.
I thought this was a beautiful story about what it means to love a person -- their soul and not the trappings that surround it. Who are we really at our core, and what difference does societal pressure put on us to conform? LA Witt deals with some heavy issues here and this is not a light read, though the emotions are well balanced throughout the novel. The pace is very slow, as much of the story from Damon's POV revolves around his growing awareness of what it means to be a shifter, and how he can stand by Alex. Can he find a way to love the man? Or will he be able to see that the man and the woman are the same person? It is a very interesting take on the GFY trope, and one that I felt was handled very well.
Kudos goes to Witt for her creation of Alex's friend Tabitha and the gang at The Welcome Mat, the bar which Alex bartends and also Alex's safe haven away from the world. I also loved the sub-plot of Alex's little sister Candace, though I wish that we'd gotten to know her a just a little better. Most of all, I found this story fascinating. Usually with a slowly paced book such as this, I find myself reading at a slow pace, but I devoured this book, unable to put it down.
A favorite for sure, and possibly my favorite of LA Witt's works so far.
January 23, 2019
Audiobook review4,5 stars
I'm in love with this book and these characters. This book fascinated me. I’ve read numerous shifter stories before, but those were shifting human to animal or different creatures. Static was about shifting genders. It was new and it was different, but more than that – I loved every word of it.
Damon and Alex are in love, they've been together two years and Damon is doing his best to convince Alex to marry him, only so far she's resisting. Yes, I did say she, because as far as Damon knows Alex is a girl, the girl. So when she disappears without warning and no contact he is naturally worried and goes over to her place hoping to find her. What he does find is a man he's never seen before and one that's obviously comfortable in his girlfriend's apartment. When he finds out that not only is his girlfriend a shifter, the man before him was actually Alex, his lost girlfriend.
Alex put off telling Damon about being a shifter, shifting from male to female on a regular basis with no real preference for either. A dinner at his parents’ house (he always goes as male as they are less than tolerant of him shifting) goes catastrophically wrong as they not only do their usual ranting and raving about what an abomination he is, but takes it one step further. They drug him and force an implant in his spine which will keep him from shifting, to be static. So now he's stuck in a male's body, with a headache from hell, a boyfriend that doesn't know he (was) male half the time and with no clue how to get back what he lost.
Like I mentioned previously, I loved the gender shifting concept and the world Witt created, the characters. I really enjoyed Alex’s POV, dealing with being static, forced into a male body and how that impacted and upended his entire life. From the bigotry and snide comments at his first work to the acceptance and support from his second. But also dealing with his parents – to report or not report?
I loved how Damon handled everything. His confusion about the whole situation was clear throughout. About his feelings towards Alex as a shifter, and “her” being stuck as male. I mean he’d proposed marriage to female Alex, but now she was kind of gone, but also still there. Oh and he did I mention that Damon was not gay? Yet as time pass and he gets to know male Alex and realizes they are one and the same, he finds himself attracted to this version as well and a new relationship develops between them. I liked how that was allowed to grow. It wasn’t forced in any way. Neither was there blame or expectations, just two rather confused people trying to deal with their new deck of cards that reality left them with. However, I also felt like the time from confused Damon trying to wrap his head around Alex as male to him finding Alex attractive and the subsequent sex scenes were too quick – at least compared to the pacing of the rest of the book.
Michael Ferraiuolo is a fantastic and extremely talented narrator. He adds so much passion and feeling to his words that you can’t help but to be sucked in, become a part of the story. I listened to this book in one go, I just couldn’t let it go and for these hours I was in this amazing world Will created and Ferraiuolo brought to life. I felt the despair from Alex realising he was stuck in a male’s body, the desperation to get the implant removed. It was there so clearly in every word. As was Damon’s confusion and his worry. My only niggle, and this is a very small one is that the voice he had for Alex was a bit too feminine. But I had such a great time listening to this book and Ferraiuolo’s talented narration that I could gladly listen to it many more times.
A copy of this book was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review
July 23, 2016
"Step right up, see the fourth-floor freak show! What once was a woman is now a man, have a peek, have a look!"
(internal monologue from the main character)
3.5 stars. I enjoyed this unique take on shifters. People aren't shifting into animals or other mythical creatures. People are shifting into another form of themselves. Man becomes woman, and woman becomes man. Yes, I can say that I haven't read this specific story before.
It wasn't hard to root for Alex and Damon because I felt for the two of them, being thrown into a strange situation together without warning. Alex was forced to live in his male body full time; Damon had no clue his girlfriend was actually two sexes.
Books like these always raise the "What would you do?" question. Would most people be able to see the person inside of the shell? Would I?
It's a tough question to look at. Some relationships crumble over things like weight gain, or other physical changes which are far less minor. I think even the strongest of relationships would be put through the ringer if one person revealed themselves to be something or someone else, especially if it could become full time and permanent. Even putting any sort of secrecy aside, it would be a challenge to look at a person and try to see them for who they were before, merged with who they are now, which is why I was fascinated with how everything was going to unfold.
I was pleased to see that the book didn't skimp on the story for the sake of sex scenes. I liked that the mood fell closer to a dramatic story for the sake of realism. There was no way that a sex scene could happen too early in the book or any sort of sex (whether it was between the two main characters or showing them with other people) wouldn't have felt organic to the progression of events. This is one instance where it was important (in my mind) to have the characters take their time figuring out who they were and who they needed to be.
As far as stumbling blocks...I might have had some issues with the preachy moments. I believe that if a story is good enough on its own, the message will come through without having to beat people over the head with the point. If the story is a success, readers will most likely examine their feelings in the process.
For the sake of characters, I probably preferred Damon's PoV to Alex's. While it must have sucked to be Alex and stuck in a situation beyond his/her control, I think as a reader, I was more curious to see where Damon's head was at. It was easy for me to skim Alex's chapters because I had less of an interest in his work situation (yes, it was partially a coming out story, but the draw here for me was in the Damon/Alex dynamic).
Overall, I thought it was an interesting read, if a little heavy handed at times with the execution.
June 22, 2012
An imaginative and well-written story about a world where in addition to all of our own GLBTQ rainbow there are people who are shifters, who can deliberately shift from male to female and back, at will. This is the story of Alex, a shifter who has been allowing her boyfriend to only see and know her female form, and who is now suddenly trapped in his male form. Witt also gives us the POV of Damon, the man who thought he was in love with a static woman named Alex, and who now must deal with having the person he loves inhabiting a male body. This is a fascinating look at the issues of gender identity and its imperatives, and at the pain of being closeted, from a novel viewpoint.
June 27, 2019
DNF @ 60%.......Audiobook. So, check this out: I fell asleep somewhere while listening to this and when I woke up about an hour later I didn’t realize that I had missed 1.5 hours of narration. Why? Because they were having the same fucking conversation. One they had already had.
Ya. Not going to stay on that merry-go-round even if the concept of gender shifting was interesting. This was just too shifter-phobic and slow moving for my tastes.
Ya. Not going to stay on that merry-go-round even if the concept of gender shifting was interesting. This was just too shifter-phobic and slow moving for my tastes.
July 5, 2011
Excellent book by L.A. Witt!! It dealt with a great deal of issues most books only touch on (transgender, gay, hetero, prejudice, loving the PERSON, whatever they may look like on the outside). This was my first book from L.A. Witt, and it certainly won't be my last! The ending was not a surprise, but then again, it was. Very tightly written and from both protagonists POV---brilliant!!
June 1, 2013
A very interesting exploration of social gender roles and a touching romance. This seems to be a book people either love or hate--i fall firmly in the former.
January 25, 2014
Heartbreaking violation perpetrated by family members will always catch my attention. Ms. Witt is an author I can always depend on for a great read. Static may be a revision for her, but it is new to me and breaks my heart. It is a bit embarrassing to cry whilst reading this book on the airplane. This book moved me. If you haven't read it yet, buy the book and read it now.
Ms. Witt takes a concept and totally runs with it. The way she presents an idea and makes it relatable is truly an art form. Damon is a man who loves his very moody girlfriend, Alex. Worried about Alex, he goes over to her home only to find a man there instead. Surprise, it's his girlfriend, now a boyfriend. Ms. Witt creates a fascination supposition. What happens if the person you love is no longer the physically sexual gender you started out with? What happens if she becomes a he? What happens if you are not bisexual?
Rather than take the standard animal shifter, Ms. Witt comes up with a gender bender shifter. It's fabulous how she shows how love shouldn't be just based on physical and societal dictation. Instead, love a person by who they are. This speaks to me so loudly because I thought I was the only one who felt this way. Now, I'm no Shifter although I'd love to be one or be involved in one. This is because I always felt the categorizations and labels of sexuality to be too limiting. In Static, the reader sees the difficulties from both Damon and Alex's point of view. It's not easy. Damon wrestles with how to reconcile loving the person, not the body. Whilst this is an extreme, it's interesting to see how he copes and the questions he asks himself. Alex goes from choosing his identity to forced conformity which nearly literally kills him. This is a deeper philosophical question Ms. Witt poses.
Does a family member have the right to impose their views upon a person for their "safety". How are people who are outside of the normal treated? Why are they treated in this manner? How do those who are considered deviant discriminated against both socially and financially? All of these points Ms. Witt brings up shows how thorough she thought this story out. On the surface it comes across as something simple. When a reader digs deeper, there are so many discussion points which is fabulous. A book which makes a person think and perhaps change their viewpoint is an excellent book.
From a character standpoint, I confess I didn't really like Alex. Ms. Witt tends to create these characters which are realistic and not the best role models. Alex is an alcoholic drama queen at times. He flies off the handle and sometimes needs to be bitch-slapped to gain some sanity. Ms. Witt carefully built Alex's persona based on his experiences. While it is completely understandable why Alex behaves the way he does, it is unappealing to me because of my personal preferences. Alex is a victim. He's always a victim, not a survivor. This is okay because there are people around him who are survivors and balance Alex's weakness. Damon is truly the amazing one in this story. His world is flipped upside down and he still sticks through with Alex. If this isn't love, I don't know what is.
We did, so hush. We passed the hat around, and . . .” She paused. “Well, we got a little carried away.”
I swallowed. “Carried away?”
“Oh, just a little. We only expected it to go on here in the club, but then a bunch of people spread the word to their churches, their offices, all over the place. Someone did a website, and I think someone even auctioned their underthings on eBay. Oh, and you should have seen the carwash.” (loc. 2175-2178)
The scene which breaks me down in tears is when all the inhumane injustices are righted by a gift which is more than monetary. This one act of kindness from many people shows how Ms. Witt still is an optimist who believes in hope and people doing the right thing. It's beautiful and a powerful message. This story's message is more than just about love from a lover. It's about acceptance and friendship. Recommend this gender bending book to everyone.
*provided by NetGalley
Ms. Witt takes a concept and totally runs with it. The way she presents an idea and makes it relatable is truly an art form. Damon is a man who loves his very moody girlfriend, Alex. Worried about Alex, he goes over to her home only to find a man there instead. Surprise, it's his girlfriend, now a boyfriend. Ms. Witt creates a fascination supposition. What happens if the person you love is no longer the physically sexual gender you started out with? What happens if she becomes a he? What happens if you are not bisexual?
Rather than take the standard animal shifter, Ms. Witt comes up with a gender bender shifter. It's fabulous how she shows how love shouldn't be just based on physical and societal dictation. Instead, love a person by who they are. This speaks to me so loudly because I thought I was the only one who felt this way. Now, I'm no Shifter although I'd love to be one or be involved in one. This is because I always felt the categorizations and labels of sexuality to be too limiting. In Static, the reader sees the difficulties from both Damon and Alex's point of view. It's not easy. Damon wrestles with how to reconcile loving the person, not the body. Whilst this is an extreme, it's interesting to see how he copes and the questions he asks himself. Alex goes from choosing his identity to forced conformity which nearly literally kills him. This is a deeper philosophical question Ms. Witt poses.
Does a family member have the right to impose their views upon a person for their "safety". How are people who are outside of the normal treated? Why are they treated in this manner? How do those who are considered deviant discriminated against both socially and financially? All of these points Ms. Witt brings up shows how thorough she thought this story out. On the surface it comes across as something simple. When a reader digs deeper, there are so many discussion points which is fabulous. A book which makes a person think and perhaps change their viewpoint is an excellent book.
From a character standpoint, I confess I didn't really like Alex. Ms. Witt tends to create these characters which are realistic and not the best role models. Alex is an alcoholic drama queen at times. He flies off the handle and sometimes needs to be bitch-slapped to gain some sanity. Ms. Witt carefully built Alex's persona based on his experiences. While it is completely understandable why Alex behaves the way he does, it is unappealing to me because of my personal preferences. Alex is a victim. He's always a victim, not a survivor. This is okay because there are people around him who are survivors and balance Alex's weakness. Damon is truly the amazing one in this story. His world is flipped upside down and he still sticks through with Alex. If this isn't love, I don't know what is.
We did, so hush. We passed the hat around, and . . .” She paused. “Well, we got a little carried away.”
I swallowed. “Carried away?”
“Oh, just a little. We only expected it to go on here in the club, but then a bunch of people spread the word to their churches, their offices, all over the place. Someone did a website, and I think someone even auctioned their underthings on eBay. Oh, and you should have seen the carwash.” (loc. 2175-2178)
The scene which breaks me down in tears is when all the inhumane injustices are righted by a gift which is more than monetary. This one act of kindness from many people shows how Ms. Witt still is an optimist who believes in hope and people doing the right thing. It's beautiful and a powerful message. This story's message is more than just about love from a lover. It's about acceptance and friendship. Recommend this gender bending book to everyone.
*provided by NetGalley
March 21, 2014
Have you ever played that game with your significant other, the one that goes 'Would you still love me if..."? Would you still love me if I grew hair all over my entire body? Would you still love me if I had Hobbit feet?
How about this one, 'Would you still love me if I was suddenly the opposite gender?' For some, that's probably a real toughy. I know my own husband very gently told me that while he still would love me, he's not sure that he could remain intimate with me. I'm not offended, human sexuality is a complicated creature.
It brings up one of my favorite debatable topics: What is Attraction? We all know what we're attracted to in the immediate, but what about those husbands or ex's that that didn't fit your type? What about attraction that grows in places where in the beginning there was none? Is it still about someone physically, or is it about the person they are inside that you got to know? And if that's the case, if it's about the person inside, what does gender have to do with it?
These are the questions that are posed to you in Static. Alex is a shifter, except in this world a shifter changes their gender. It isn't about a superpower, or a battle with a big bad. This is simply about having the ability to be who you are in your mind. If your brain says, "I'm a boy," shifters have the ability to make their body match. Wow, I mean that is quite a concept. On top of all that, Alex's boyfriend Damon never knew that Alex was a shifter, only finding out the truth because Alex was forced into becoming a static male. Damon is heterosexual, and he's been in a two year relationship with Alex in her woman form.
That's some deep stuff.
In addition, Static talks about what it must feel like for those who are Transgender yet do not have the ability to shift. How there's a whole world of people with the ability to make their body match their mind. It discusses those who vehemently oppose any lifestyle that isn't deemed 'normal'. It discusses the emotional impact on someone who's different.
So, I could tell you about how the book starts off so abruptly, with very little back story, that it felt jarring. I could go into how the writing itself was only so-so, and the actual plot was a little weak. I could talk about how Alex was sometimes a little whiney, though really, could you blame him? All of those are true, and the reason why this book is only 4 stars. I'm not going to, though. I don't want to leave you with that; it was so secondary to how much this book stretched my imagination. I have found myself asking everyone I know how it would impact them, and their relationships, if they were suddenly the opposite gender.
I love a book that makes me think and question life, and Static delivered, absolutely. At the end of the day, the idea's presented in this book are what will stick with me, likely forever.
Read this review and more at Badassbook Reviews.
How about this one, 'Would you still love me if I was suddenly the opposite gender?' For some, that's probably a real toughy. I know my own husband very gently told me that while he still would love me, he's not sure that he could remain intimate with me. I'm not offended, human sexuality is a complicated creature.
It brings up one of my favorite debatable topics: What is Attraction? We all know what we're attracted to in the immediate, but what about those husbands or ex's that that didn't fit your type? What about attraction that grows in places where in the beginning there was none? Is it still about someone physically, or is it about the person they are inside that you got to know? And if that's the case, if it's about the person inside, what does gender have to do with it?
These are the questions that are posed to you in Static. Alex is a shifter, except in this world a shifter changes their gender. It isn't about a superpower, or a battle with a big bad. This is simply about having the ability to be who you are in your mind. If your brain says, "I'm a boy," shifters have the ability to make their body match. Wow, I mean that is quite a concept. On top of all that, Alex's boyfriend Damon never knew that Alex was a shifter, only finding out the truth because Alex was forced into becoming a static male. Damon is heterosexual, and he's been in a two year relationship with Alex in her woman form.
That's some deep stuff.
In addition, Static talks about what it must feel like for those who are Transgender yet do not have the ability to shift. How there's a whole world of people with the ability to make their body match their mind. It discusses those who vehemently oppose any lifestyle that isn't deemed 'normal'. It discusses the emotional impact on someone who's different.
So, I could tell you about how the book starts off so abruptly, with very little back story, that it felt jarring. I could go into how the writing itself was only so-so, and the actual plot was a little weak. I could talk about how Alex was sometimes a little whiney, though really, could you blame him? All of those are true, and the reason why this book is only 4 stars. I'm not going to, though. I don't want to leave you with that; it was so secondary to how much this book stretched my imagination. I have found myself asking everyone I know how it would impact them, and their relationships, if they were suddenly the opposite gender.
I love a book that makes me think and question life, and Static delivered, absolutely. At the end of the day, the idea's presented in this book are what will stick with me, likely forever.
Read this review and more at Badassbook Reviews.
January 23, 2014
Imagine a place where there are not only 2 genders, but three.
The ‘shifters’ are born with both male and female chromosomes, and mentally, emotionally and physically switch between the genders. Some shifters are unable to actually shift, and are trapped in their alter body. Others change back and forth at will, becoming male or female when they wish or need to.
Need. This is the importance here. It’s not always simply a desire to change to use their gender to the benefit of the situation…it’s a necessity. The pull or draw to a particular gender may be fulfilled by a quick switch, sometimes merely minutes will suffice the urge. However, if the change is permitted the shifter will become a prisoner in their own skin.
Allow me to introduce you to Alex.
Alex has struggled with her shifting ability her entire life. She nearly lost the fight (for her will to live) on several occasions. Her family believes she is an abomination and they have successfully driven their horrors deep into her soul. She wholeheartedly believes she is a disgrace and her shame is warranted.
No one will ever love her for who she truly is.
She goes to painstaking costs to hide her true self, even from the one person she loves the most. When she is attacked, drugged, and forced to undergo a surgery to stop her shifting ability, the love of her life is blindsided with her secret.
Born a male, her assailants (her parents) determine the will of the Lord is that Alex should remain a man forever.
Damon has never loved anyone more than Alex and has been trying to convince her to spend the rest of her life with him. After he finds out why she falls into her cycles of depression, and refuses to accept his hand in marriage he realizes not only is their relationship on the line, but her life is as well.
Can he set aside his own self-doubt and anger when Alex needs him? And what happens if Alex remains in his male form forever?
Wow….absolutely brilliant.
I found this to be an extremely fascinating concept with a thorough assessment of the struggles of gender identification.
It wasn’t strictly a romance. No. It was more of self-acceptance, fighting discrimination and conquering brainwashing from ignorant family members and society in general.
There was no shortage of pain…but the reward of love was most definitely worth the struggle.
I highly recommend giving this stirring story a chance, for it is a story I will not soon forget.
*4.5 fabulous-fascinating-freeing stars*
The ‘shifters’ are born with both male and female chromosomes, and mentally, emotionally and physically switch between the genders. Some shifters are unable to actually shift, and are trapped in their alter body. Others change back and forth at will, becoming male or female when they wish or need to.
Need. This is the importance here. It’s not always simply a desire to change to use their gender to the benefit of the situation…it’s a necessity. The pull or draw to a particular gender may be fulfilled by a quick switch, sometimes merely minutes will suffice the urge. However, if the change is permitted the shifter will become a prisoner in their own skin.
Allow me to introduce you to Alex.
Alex has struggled with her shifting ability her entire life. She nearly lost the fight (for her will to live) on several occasions. Her family believes she is an abomination and they have successfully driven their horrors deep into her soul. She wholeheartedly believes she is a disgrace and her shame is warranted.
No one will ever love her for who she truly is.
She goes to painstaking costs to hide her true self, even from the one person she loves the most. When she is attacked, drugged, and forced to undergo a surgery to stop her shifting ability, the love of her life is blindsided with her secret.
Born a male, her assailants (her parents) determine the will of the Lord is that Alex should remain a man forever.
Damon has never loved anyone more than Alex and has been trying to convince her to spend the rest of her life with him. After he finds out why she falls into her cycles of depression, and refuses to accept his hand in marriage he realizes not only is their relationship on the line, but her life is as well.
Can he set aside his own self-doubt and anger when Alex needs him? And what happens if Alex remains in his male form forever?
Wow….absolutely brilliant.
I found this to be an extremely fascinating concept with a thorough assessment of the struggles of gender identification.
It wasn’t strictly a romance. No. It was more of self-acceptance, fighting discrimination and conquering brainwashing from ignorant family members and society in general.
There was no shortage of pain…but the reward of love was most definitely worth the struggle.
I highly recommend giving this stirring story a chance, for it is a story I will not soon forget.
*4.5 fabulous-fascinating-freeing stars*
June 26, 2011
Excellent m/m romance about a guy who doesn't realize his girlfriend is a shifter (able to shift between female and male) until after her extremely religious parents force her to have a gender freezing chip inserted, which leaves her stuck in her male form. This book really got me thinking on the complexity of gender.
May 22, 2024
Review from 2019
I've given this an A for narration and an A- for content at AudioGals.
I think it’s safe to say that the premise of L.A. Witt’s Static is one of the most original I’ve come across. It’s set in a world very like our own with one major difference – shifters are known to exist, but instead of being able to assume animal shapes, these shifters are able to change gender at will. Some are straight, some are not; some are happy to spend their lives as one gender, some gravitate towards one but do shift sometimes, and others – like Alex in this story – are non-binary which, in Alex’s case, means spending roughly half the time as male and half as female. But while the existence of shifters isn’t a secret, many of them choose to keep their ability under wraps due to the overwhelmingly negative perceptions of them by the “static” public, and the amount of prejudice they encounter.
Damon and his girlfriend have been in a relationship for a couple of years now, and although it’s not been without its ups and downs (Alex can be very moody and sometimes drinks heavily) they love each other and Damon would like them to get married – although Alex keeps dodging the issue. When she doesn’t answer his calls one morning, Damon is immediately worried about her; she went to visit her parents the night before, and he knows she finds those visits incredibly difficult – so he heads over to her house to check on her, and is astonished when a young man opens the door.
Damon is furious, upset, worried and completely bewildered. Who the hell is this guy and why is he in Alex’s house? Has Alex been cheating on him? Whoever he is, the man looks exhausted and like he’s in pain, and Damon eventually finds out why. Alex is a shifter, and always visited her ultra-conservative parents in her male form (as they refused to accept her genderfluidity) and the previous night, they drugged Alex and had an implant put into her spine which means she’s unable to shift. Alex is now static – and male. Possibly forever.
(As Alex spends 99% of the story as male and the author uses male pronouns, I’m going to use them in the rest of this review.)
Damon is, of course, completely thrown by this, but he’s a decent man and seeing Alex’s extreme distress, sets aside his own concerns for the time being to take him to the hospital to get him checked out. The implant is most likely a black-market one and the surgery was most likely carried out by someone unqualified; Alex is at risk of infection and other serious complications, but the tests show he’s mostly fine – physically at least – and after treating him for the crashing, almost unbearable headache he’s been enduring, he’s discharged, and Damon takes him home.
During the hospital visit, they learn that the likelihood of being able to remove the implant without extreme risk to Alex’s life is tiny. Alex has to face the prospect of living the rest of his life feeling like he’s not who he’s supposed to be for half the time, while Damon has no idea what to do next. Unlike many, he’s not prejudiced against shifters, and he’s not going to just abandon Alex while he’s in pain and so vulnerable – that would be a really shitty thing to do. But Damon fell in love with a woman, and even though his rational brain tells him that the Alex he fell for is still there, right in front of him, what he sees is a man – and Damon is straight.
Static is an amazing, intense and compelling story that captured my attention so thoroughly that I listened to the entire book in a couple of sittings. I’m a straight, cis-gendered woman, so I don’t feel qualified to comment on the accuracy (or otherwise) of the portrayal of Alex’s genderfluidity (although from reading around, I understand the author did extensive research) – all I can really do is talk about my emotional reactions to the story, which ran the gamut. Alex’s despair at the thought of being trapped for at least part of the rest of his life in the ‘wrong’ body is brilliantly conveyed; his confusion, terror and despair are palpable, and the scene following his parents’ trial where he breaks down and tells Damon that being with him was the first time he –Alex – had felt truly human made me tear up. I was completely horrified at the way he was treated by his mother, disgusted by the prejudices so blatantly displayed by his colleagues, and elated when he realised he had so many people who genuinely cared about and sympathised with him.
Damon’s journey is a difficult one as well. It takes him a while to completely understand that the person he loved wasn’t gone, but his reactions to what happened and his need to take time to process it all felt natural. He didn’t always like his thoughts – worrying he was acting out of guilt or a sense of obligation (and sometimes he was) – but I liked how honest he was with himself. The new relationship that builds between Damon and Alex isn’t forced and evolves naturally as they spend time together, although perhaps Damon’s move from confused and trying to wrap his mind around Alex as a man to being sexually attracted to him happened a tad quickly. Still Damon’s a good and decent man who is willing to provide the support Alex so desperately needs.
The main reason I’ve given Static an A- rather than an A for content is that I found the ending a bit anticlimactic. It’s weird, I know – I’m all about the HEA, and if anyone deserved one, it was Alex and Damon, but after all the tension and the angst and the build-up, after everything they’d been through, especially given the severity of the potential complications of the surgery to remove the implant, the ending felt rushed and I’d really have liked a little glimpse into their lives afterwards.
Michael Ferraiuolo is an extremely experienced narrator, but somehow, I’ve only listened to him once before and it was quite a while ago. His performance here has reminded me that I really need to listen to him more because he does an absolutely superb job with the narration, providing distinct character voices for everyone, even those characters with only a couple of lines. Most importantly, he completely nails both Alex and Damon and their roiling, shifting emotions – Alex’s despair and desperation, Damon’s confusion and genuine concern, and everything in between – and their emotional connection, which is sorely tested but which deepens throughout the course of the story.
Static isn’t without its lighter, humorous moments, but it’s most definitely not a breezy listen and may not suit those who don’t like a lot of angst in their romance. But it’s an extremely well-written, poignant and thought-provoking story that shows love is (or should be) more than skin deep which, combined with Michael Ferraiuolo’s fantastic performance, makes it an audiobook I’m more than happy to recommend.
I've given this an A for narration and an A- for content at AudioGals.
I think it’s safe to say that the premise of L.A. Witt’s Static is one of the most original I’ve come across. It’s set in a world very like our own with one major difference – shifters are known to exist, but instead of being able to assume animal shapes, these shifters are able to change gender at will. Some are straight, some are not; some are happy to spend their lives as one gender, some gravitate towards one but do shift sometimes, and others – like Alex in this story – are non-binary which, in Alex’s case, means spending roughly half the time as male and half as female. But while the existence of shifters isn’t a secret, many of them choose to keep their ability under wraps due to the overwhelmingly negative perceptions of them by the “static” public, and the amount of prejudice they encounter.
Damon and his girlfriend have been in a relationship for a couple of years now, and although it’s not been without its ups and downs (Alex can be very moody and sometimes drinks heavily) they love each other and Damon would like them to get married – although Alex keeps dodging the issue. When she doesn’t answer his calls one morning, Damon is immediately worried about her; she went to visit her parents the night before, and he knows she finds those visits incredibly difficult – so he heads over to her house to check on her, and is astonished when a young man opens the door.
Damon is furious, upset, worried and completely bewildered. Who the hell is this guy and why is he in Alex’s house? Has Alex been cheating on him? Whoever he is, the man looks exhausted and like he’s in pain, and Damon eventually finds out why. Alex is a shifter, and always visited her ultra-conservative parents in her male form (as they refused to accept her genderfluidity) and the previous night, they drugged Alex and had an implant put into her spine which means she’s unable to shift. Alex is now static – and male. Possibly forever.
(As Alex spends 99% of the story as male and the author uses male pronouns, I’m going to use them in the rest of this review.)
Damon is, of course, completely thrown by this, but he’s a decent man and seeing Alex’s extreme distress, sets aside his own concerns for the time being to take him to the hospital to get him checked out. The implant is most likely a black-market one and the surgery was most likely carried out by someone unqualified; Alex is at risk of infection and other serious complications, but the tests show he’s mostly fine – physically at least – and after treating him for the crashing, almost unbearable headache he’s been enduring, he’s discharged, and Damon takes him home.
During the hospital visit, they learn that the likelihood of being able to remove the implant without extreme risk to Alex’s life is tiny. Alex has to face the prospect of living the rest of his life feeling like he’s not who he’s supposed to be for half the time, while Damon has no idea what to do next. Unlike many, he’s not prejudiced against shifters, and he’s not going to just abandon Alex while he’s in pain and so vulnerable – that would be a really shitty thing to do. But Damon fell in love with a woman, and even though his rational brain tells him that the Alex he fell for is still there, right in front of him, what he sees is a man – and Damon is straight.
Static is an amazing, intense and compelling story that captured my attention so thoroughly that I listened to the entire book in a couple of sittings. I’m a straight, cis-gendered woman, so I don’t feel qualified to comment on the accuracy (or otherwise) of the portrayal of Alex’s genderfluidity (although from reading around, I understand the author did extensive research) – all I can really do is talk about my emotional reactions to the story, which ran the gamut. Alex’s despair at the thought of being trapped for at least part of the rest of his life in the ‘wrong’ body is brilliantly conveyed; his confusion, terror and despair are palpable, and the scene following his parents’ trial where he breaks down and tells Damon that being with him was the first time he –Alex – had felt truly human made me tear up. I was completely horrified at the way he was treated by his mother, disgusted by the prejudices so blatantly displayed by his colleagues, and elated when he realised he had so many people who genuinely cared about and sympathised with him.
Damon’s journey is a difficult one as well. It takes him a while to completely understand that the person he loved wasn’t gone, but his reactions to what happened and his need to take time to process it all felt natural. He didn’t always like his thoughts – worrying he was acting out of guilt or a sense of obligation (and sometimes he was) – but I liked how honest he was with himself. The new relationship that builds between Damon and Alex isn’t forced and evolves naturally as they spend time together, although perhaps Damon’s move from confused and trying to wrap his mind around Alex as a man to being sexually attracted to him happened a tad quickly. Still Damon’s a good and decent man who is willing to provide the support Alex so desperately needs.
The main reason I’ve given Static an A- rather than an A for content is that I found the ending a bit anticlimactic. It’s weird, I know – I’m all about the HEA, and if anyone deserved one, it was Alex and Damon, but after all the tension and the angst and the build-up, after everything they’d been through, especially given the severity of the potential complications of the surgery to remove the implant, the ending felt rushed and I’d really have liked a little glimpse into their lives afterwards.
Michael Ferraiuolo is an extremely experienced narrator, but somehow, I’ve only listened to him once before and it was quite a while ago. His performance here has reminded me that I really need to listen to him more because he does an absolutely superb job with the narration, providing distinct character voices for everyone, even those characters with only a couple of lines. Most importantly, he completely nails both Alex and Damon and their roiling, shifting emotions – Alex’s despair and desperation, Damon’s confusion and genuine concern, and everything in between – and their emotional connection, which is sorely tested but which deepens throughout the course of the story.
Static isn’t without its lighter, humorous moments, but it’s most definitely not a breezy listen and may not suit those who don’t like a lot of angst in their romance. But it’s an extremely well-written, poignant and thought-provoking story that shows love is (or should be) more than skin deep which, combined with Michael Ferraiuolo’s fantastic performance, makes it an audiobook I’m more than happy to recommend.
August 6, 2012
Despite rave reviews of L.A. Witt's book, STATIC, I did not enjoy the book very much myself. If I could, I would have rated it a 3.5, just because of the thought provoking subject matter and originality. The story is about Damon who is worried about Alex, his girlfriend for the past two years, because she has not answered his calls for over 48 hours. Frantic and distressed, Damon finds himself pounding on Alex's apartment door until an ill looking man he has never seen before finally answers. Immediate feelings of jealously turns into disbelief as the man reveals the truth that HE is Alex and has kept the secret that he is a shifter who is able to change his gender identity at will. Yet, due to the nafarious actions of Alex's mom and step-father, he now finds himself unable to shift and is stuck, or rather static, in his male form. The remaining bulk of the story is about the struggles and triumphs of the two maIn characters as they try to find forgiveness, love and acceptance.
STATIC is written in alternating first-person perspective between the two main characters. This writing technique is vital to understand the range of emotions both Damon and Alex feel in dealing with the new challenges their relationship must endure. The ability to read both perspectives was very successful in the beginning of the book, but fell apart in the second half.....At first it was a raw, eye-opening experience to read Alex's anguish and pain of being forced to remain only his male gender. It was like reading about somebody who lost half of his soul and I felt compassion for anybody who has suffered from gender identity issues. How difficult it must be knowing in your heart and mind that you are female and have mistakenly been born in a male body. Vice-versa of a male being born in a female body. Compelling controversies wrapped around betrayal and bigotry made the beginning very engrossing. Especially for me, reading Damon's point-of-view and his realization that he sexually was not attracted to the male version of the woman he once loved and planned to marry.
At this point in the book, the plot and characters became disingenuous and the story disintegrated into unrealistic romantic fluff geared toward an HEA. I found it implausible that Damon, a stout heterosexual, could generate feelings of attraction strong enough to have sex with another male. I heartedly believe in the ability to love someone, seeing the person beyond gender. But for it to manifest into a physical sexual relationship would take more than just recognizing the same mannerisms that Alex as a female use to have. There is no way Damon would be willing to suck cock just because the static male Alex twists sugar packets with his fingers while dining in a restaurant like the female version did. This is where I felt L.A. Witt dropped the ball. Damon goes from having conflicting emotions of being sexually straight to giving a foot massage to quickly being willing to engage in homosexual activity. I didn't buy it and Witt did not provide a storyline with enough details to make it believable. In fact, the fade out to the bedroom resulting in an automatic acceptance that Damon and Alex have a good homosexual relationship had me scrolling back through the book thinking I must have missed a few chapters. If there was any indication that Damon might be bi-sexual like Alex was, the it might have worked. It still would have been too rushed to be believable as the second half of the book seem to skim over their resolutions of their individual internal stifes. I lost the connection between the two main characters, which caused what had the potential of being a great book to just OK.
STATIC is written in alternating first-person perspective between the two main characters. This writing technique is vital to understand the range of emotions both Damon and Alex feel in dealing with the new challenges their relationship must endure. The ability to read both perspectives was very successful in the beginning of the book, but fell apart in the second half.....At first it was a raw, eye-opening experience to read Alex's anguish and pain of being forced to remain only his male gender. It was like reading about somebody who lost half of his soul and I felt compassion for anybody who has suffered from gender identity issues. How difficult it must be knowing in your heart and mind that you are female and have mistakenly been born in a male body. Vice-versa of a male being born in a female body. Compelling controversies wrapped around betrayal and bigotry made the beginning very engrossing. Especially for me, reading Damon's point-of-view and his realization that he sexually was not attracted to the male version of the woman he once loved and planned to marry.
At this point in the book, the plot and characters became disingenuous and the story disintegrated into unrealistic romantic fluff geared toward an HEA. I found it implausible that Damon, a stout heterosexual, could generate feelings of attraction strong enough to have sex with another male. I heartedly believe in the ability to love someone, seeing the person beyond gender. But for it to manifest into a physical sexual relationship would take more than just recognizing the same mannerisms that Alex as a female use to have. There is no way Damon would be willing to suck cock just because the static male Alex twists sugar packets with his fingers while dining in a restaurant like the female version did. This is where I felt L.A. Witt dropped the ball. Damon goes from having conflicting emotions of being sexually straight to giving a foot massage to quickly being willing to engage in homosexual activity. I didn't buy it and Witt did not provide a storyline with enough details to make it believable. In fact, the fade out to the bedroom resulting in an automatic acceptance that Damon and Alex have a good homosexual relationship had me scrolling back through the book thinking I must have missed a few chapters. If there was any indication that Damon might be bi-sexual like Alex was, the it might have worked. It still would have been too rushed to be believable as the second half of the book seem to skim over their resolutions of their individual internal stifes. I lost the connection between the two main characters, which caused what had the potential of being a great book to just OK.
December 26, 2021
2021 audio review
Really enjoyed the audio!! Great narration and highly recommend. Some of the things that bothered me below didn't this time around.
5 stars audio
2017 ebook review
I liked this story. Did I love it? I loved parts of it. I wish the time change from week to week wasn't so much. What I mean by that is they are talking and getting along and then it's a week later or even two weeks later. I wanted that time between on page; I wanted to see them interact with each other more.
Damon is a really great guy. Totally a fictional male ;).
He is sweet and understanding. He is scared but doesn't let that stop him from helping Alex. With the help of his friend, Damon understands that this male Alex is still the same PERSON as female Alex. Just a different package. The inside - brain, mannerisms, personality, etc. It's all still ALEX, male or female. And I LOVED that Damon saw that and fell in love with the whole Alex.
I didn't like Alex's parents at all. I hate people who use God as an excuse to do what they "think" is right. If you believe in a God, then you know that He doesn't discriminate or want people to kill/harm/hate in His name. And if you don't believe in a God, then there is still the adage of "do unto others as you wish done onto you," or something like that (don't know exact quote, but you get my message.)
I also wanted a more, hmm, expansive ending. I didn't feel like there was closure at the end. There should have been scenes with Damon and Alex, shifting between male and female. We know that Alex ached to be in his male form some days but needed Damon more so suffered thru female form. I wanted to see that happen.
Overall a thoroughly enjoyable read and I do recommend. 4 stars.
Really enjoyed the audio!! Great narration and highly recommend. Some of the things that bothered me below didn't this time around.
5 stars audio
2017 ebook review
I liked this story. Did I love it? I loved parts of it. I wish the time change from week to week wasn't so much. What I mean by that is they are talking and getting along and then it's a week later or even two weeks later. I wanted that time between on page; I wanted to see them interact with each other more.
Damon is a really great guy. Totally a fictional male ;).
He is sweet and understanding. He is scared but doesn't let that stop him from helping Alex. With the help of his friend, Damon understands that this male Alex is still the same PERSON as female Alex. Just a different package. The inside - brain, mannerisms, personality, etc. It's all still ALEX, male or female. And I LOVED that Damon saw that and fell in love with the whole Alex.
I didn't like Alex's parents at all. I hate people who use God as an excuse to do what they "think" is right. If you believe in a God, then you know that He doesn't discriminate or want people to kill/harm/hate in His name. And if you don't believe in a God, then there is still the adage of "do unto others as you wish done onto you," or something like that (don't know exact quote, but you get my message.)
I also wanted a more, hmm, expansive ending. I didn't feel like there was closure at the end. There should have been scenes with Damon and Alex, shifting between male and female. We know that Alex ached to be in his male form some days but needed Damon more so suffered thru female form. I wanted to see that happen.
Overall a thoroughly enjoyable read and I do recommend. 4 stars.
November 27, 2019
4.5 Stars
Review:
This book had a really interesting premise about a world in which some people are shifters, meaning they can shift their bodies between male and female. And the story is about what happens when Alex gets stuck in his male form and reveals to his straight boyfriend that he is a shifter.
As someone who has been understanding and exploring my own genderqueerness/thoughts on gender lately and looking for more books about genderqueer and nonbinary characters, this book was the perfect find at the perfect time. It was refreshing and thought-provoking, and I appreciated it. There was so much in this book that I could relate to, as well as things I've just randomly pondered about in regards to gender and sexuality.
I felt like the author handled everything about the premise so well. The book explored so much about gender and even sexuality, like how it feels to be genderfluid and/or stuck in one gendered body, how each shifter feels different and handles their gender differently, how every relationship with a shifter is different, how sexuality and gender are completely separate things, how people can't help who or what they're attracted to, gender roles and stereotypes, and more. There was also the whole thing about Damon, a straight man, suddenly finding himself in a relationship with someone who was not a woman. I liked that his reaction wasn't overly perfect but also not bigoted. He still loved Alex, but he simply wasn't attracted to his male form, and that wasn't something that he could just snap his fingers and change. *SPOILER* *END SPOILER* The only thing that wasn't really explored was non-binary genders, in the sense that the word 'non-binary' was never used, they/them pronouns were never mentioned, and there was no mention of any genders aside from male and female. But keep in mind that this book was written years ago when info and understanding of these words probably weren't as easily found.
All of the characters' actions and reactions felt very realistic and believable. Even the difficulties and complications involved with the legal and medical situations seemed realistic.
Also important was the relationship between Alex and Damon. It was an established relationship but also kinda like a new romance in a way. They obviously had a lot to discuss and figure out. Their relationship was so real and sincere and good that it made me emotional reading about it. And aside from Alex keeping the fact that he was a shifter secret, something that was understandable when you learned his reasons, their relationship was a pretty healthy one.
Honestly, this book was mostly characters' thoughts, feelings, and discussions, as opposed to plot action, but I didn't mind at all. I enjoyed every minute of it. The characters and their relationship and all the exploration of gender and sexuality kept me completely invested.
And of course the narration was fantastic and so natural. Michael Ferraiuolo's narration always is.
Overall, this was a low-key kinda book with a lot of realism, a very healthy and sweet relationship, and a lot of great exploration of gender and sexuality, and I loved it!
Recommended For:
Anyone who likes explorations of gender and sexuality, nonbinary characters, and sweet, healthy relationships.
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight
Review:
This book had a really interesting premise about a world in which some people are shifters, meaning they can shift their bodies between male and female. And the story is about what happens when Alex gets stuck in his male form and reveals to his straight boyfriend that he is a shifter.
As someone who has been understanding and exploring my own genderqueerness/thoughts on gender lately and looking for more books about genderqueer and nonbinary characters, this book was the perfect find at the perfect time. It was refreshing and thought-provoking, and I appreciated it. There was so much in this book that I could relate to, as well as things I've just randomly pondered about in regards to gender and sexuality.
I felt like the author handled everything about the premise so well. The book explored so much about gender and even sexuality, like how it feels to be genderfluid and/or stuck in one gendered body, how each shifter feels different and handles their gender differently, how every relationship with a shifter is different, how sexuality and gender are completely separate things, how people can't help who or what they're attracted to, gender roles and stereotypes, and more. There was also the whole thing about Damon, a straight man, suddenly finding himself in a relationship with someone who was not a woman. I liked that his reaction wasn't overly perfect but also not bigoted. He still loved Alex, but he simply wasn't attracted to his male form, and that wasn't something that he could just snap his fingers and change. *SPOILER* *END SPOILER* The only thing that wasn't really explored was non-binary genders, in the sense that the word 'non-binary' was never used, they/them pronouns were never mentioned, and there was no mention of any genders aside from male and female. But keep in mind that this book was written years ago when info and understanding of these words probably weren't as easily found.
All of the characters' actions and reactions felt very realistic and believable. Even the difficulties and complications involved with the legal and medical situations seemed realistic.
Also important was the relationship between Alex and Damon. It was an established relationship but also kinda like a new romance in a way. They obviously had a lot to discuss and figure out. Their relationship was so real and sincere and good that it made me emotional reading about it. And aside from Alex keeping the fact that he was a shifter secret, something that was understandable when you learned his reasons, their relationship was a pretty healthy one.
Honestly, this book was mostly characters' thoughts, feelings, and discussions, as opposed to plot action, but I didn't mind at all. I enjoyed every minute of it. The characters and their relationship and all the exploration of gender and sexuality kept me completely invested.
And of course the narration was fantastic and so natural. Michael Ferraiuolo's narration always is.
Overall, this was a low-key kinda book with a lot of realism, a very healthy and sweet relationship, and a lot of great exploration of gender and sexuality, and I loved it!
Recommended For:
Anyone who likes explorations of gender and sexuality, nonbinary characters, and sweet, healthy relationships.
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight
December 9, 2013
This is, hands down, one of the best Alternate Universe stories I have ever read.
The world is full of shifters, people who can change their bodies between genders at will, though they are a minority within a populations of "statics", or people whose bodies cannot change. It should be noted that in the case of the main shifter character, Alex, that his mind shifts as well--he's mentally male around half the time, female the other half--and he shifts his body to match his mind, not the other way around. This is not true of every shifter in the universe. Statics are mostly very shifterphobic and often treat them with contempt and disgust, as non-human, though it is mentioned that shifters have historically been exploited for the masses whenever it suited the world's need (in times of war, for example). In the modern world, shifters are slowly gaining rights, much as the LGBT movement is slowly gaining rights in today's world. The parallels are unmistakeable.
This story covers the life of one couple, Damon, who is static but shifter-friendly, and Alex, who is a shifter. They have been seriously dating for 2 years, but Damon didn't know Alex is a shifter and only knows her in her female form, though she was born male. The story begins in Damon's POV as he walks in on Alex in his male form for the first time.
Alex has a very strained relationship with his mother and step-father, who are both exceptionally shifterphobic. They've been trying for years to get Alex to get an implant to prevent his "unnatural" shifting so he can lead a "normal" life. At the beginning of the story, we find out on his most recent visit that they drugged and illegally forced a black market implant into him, and now he is stuck in his male form (because he never goes to see his parents in his female form, so he was male at the time they gave him the implant).
Damon and Alex run through the gamut of emotions over this, wondering how their relationship will survive since Damon has never been attracted to men. Wondering what life will be like if Alex can't get the implant out, or even if he does get it out, wondering if he'll be paralyzed or remain static anyway. Wondering if they can ever be as happy again as they once were as male and female.
Without giving away the ending, it does work out for them in the end. Watching how Damon overcomes his own mental blocks and finally comes together with Alex in his male form is the most beautiful part of this story, and his actions and reactions felt completely natural all the way through. And because you're in their heads and completely invested in their emotions, those sex scenes are, by far and large, some of the most incredible scenes that I have ever read.
And in addition to their relationship, we also get to see the world through Alex's eyes and heart. We see the shifterphobia around him when he has to go to his day job for the first time as a male (when only one of his colleagues previously knew about his shifter status). We feel his pain at making the decision to prosecute his parents for their crime, which will leave his little sister (whom he fears is completely brainwashed to hate him) in the lurch. And then there's reliving his depressed, suicidal past during the trial (though we see that part through Damon's eyes).
I cannot speak highly enough about this book. It is fabulous in all the right ways and an absolute must read. Consider me a fan, Ms. Witt. =)
The world is full of shifters, people who can change their bodies between genders at will, though they are a minority within a populations of "statics", or people whose bodies cannot change. It should be noted that in the case of the main shifter character, Alex, that his mind shifts as well--he's mentally male around half the time, female the other half--and he shifts his body to match his mind, not the other way around. This is not true of every shifter in the universe. Statics are mostly very shifterphobic and often treat them with contempt and disgust, as non-human, though it is mentioned that shifters have historically been exploited for the masses whenever it suited the world's need (in times of war, for example). In the modern world, shifters are slowly gaining rights, much as the LGBT movement is slowly gaining rights in today's world. The parallels are unmistakeable.
This story covers the life of one couple, Damon, who is static but shifter-friendly, and Alex, who is a shifter. They have been seriously dating for 2 years, but Damon didn't know Alex is a shifter and only knows her in her female form, though she was born male. The story begins in Damon's POV as he walks in on Alex in his male form for the first time.
Alex has a very strained relationship with his mother and step-father, who are both exceptionally shifterphobic. They've been trying for years to get Alex to get an implant to prevent his "unnatural" shifting so he can lead a "normal" life. At the beginning of the story, we find out on his most recent visit that they drugged and illegally forced a black market implant into him, and now he is stuck in his male form (because he never goes to see his parents in his female form, so he was male at the time they gave him the implant).
Damon and Alex run through the gamut of emotions over this, wondering how their relationship will survive since Damon has never been attracted to men. Wondering what life will be like if Alex can't get the implant out, or even if he does get it out, wondering if he'll be paralyzed or remain static anyway. Wondering if they can ever be as happy again as they once were as male and female.
Without giving away the ending, it does work out for them in the end. Watching how Damon overcomes his own mental blocks and finally comes together with Alex in his male form is the most beautiful part of this story, and his actions and reactions felt completely natural all the way through. And because you're in their heads and completely invested in their emotions, those sex scenes are, by far and large, some of the most incredible scenes that I have ever read.
And in addition to their relationship, we also get to see the world through Alex's eyes and heart. We see the shifterphobia around him when he has to go to his day job for the first time as a male (when only one of his colleagues previously knew about his shifter status). We feel his pain at making the decision to prosecute his parents for their crime, which will leave his little sister (whom he fears is completely brainwashed to hate him) in the lurch. And then there's reliving his depressed, suicidal past during the trial (though we see that part through Damon's eyes).
I cannot speak highly enough about this book. It is fabulous in all the right ways and an absolute must read. Consider me a fan, Ms. Witt. =)
June 26, 2011
Strictly speaking, this is not an m/m romance. But if you're interested in gender roles, the way society forces us to conform to "normal" behavior or people who are intersex, this is one hell of a read.In the book Alex and Damon only have sex while Alex is male but in the end (s)he gets the ability to shift between male and female back. Alex needs to be (and have sex) in both a female and a male body and Damon has learned that outer appearances don't matter. It's about the person you love and the importance of that person being happy.
In my opinion this is the best book LA Witt has written so far - and I loved her other books.
In my opinion this is the best book LA Witt has written so far - and I loved her other books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2014
After reading Ms. Witt's intense, emotional attachment to this story, I'm attempting to adjust my reaction to it. She spoke of a tremendous amount of research into transgenders and her use of this story as a textbook or educational tool, I would guess. If you keep that in mind, you will be happy. I wasn't really looking to be quite so thoroughly educated. I really wanted more emotional attachment between the two main characters. That really didn't seem to gel until nearly 80% in. The messages were clear about how transgender people feel in their skin and how we, as a society, should love the person and not the gender.
July 3, 2011
4.5 stars
Note to some of my friends: even if you don't like gfy, I think you'll like this story. In fact, to me this isn't really gfy at all; this is about Damon loving Alex, a shifter, whether Alex is in her female body or he is in his male body.
Note to some of my friends: even if you don't like gfy, I think you'll like this story. In fact, to me this isn't really gfy at all; this is about Damon loving Alex, a shifter, whether Alex is in her female body or he is in his male body.
September 4, 2018
«Ma, in fondo, è parte della maledizione di nascere mutagenere in questa società. Questo mondo è fatto per persone che hanno il cervello giusto nel corpo giusto e vaffanculo a chiunque non solo può, ma ha bisogno di cambiare di giorno in giorno, o di ora in ora. Per la società, io dovrei essere ciò che non disturba tutti gli altri. Quando mai a qualcuno è importato qualcosa di cosa ho bisogno io? Oh, certo, possiamo tollerare tutti i mutagenere, a patto che non lo diano a vedere, non ne parlino mai o, che Dio ce ne guardi, abbiano l’ardire di cambiare sesso. Hai la minima idea di cosa voglia dire doversi adattare alle aspettative di due generi diversi?»
3,5 - Trama davvero interessante, anche se il problema di relazionarsi con un mutagenere che all'improvviso passa da M a F e viceversa lo aveva affrontato la Le Guin decenni fa (quindi niente di nuovo sotto il sole...).
Resta un messaggio profondo e molto bello, lodevole l'intento di sottolineare i pregiudizi , l'odio e la solitudine, ma purtroppo i personaggi (nonostante i due POV alternati) rimangono freddi, sullo sfondo, senza entrarti dentro.
I cattivi sono così cattivi che sono sopra le righe, la storia si risolve così facilmente.
Finisci il libro con il fastidioso sospetto che il fidanzato sia rimasto con Jason/Alex per comodità (non ho voglia di cercarmi una nuova partner e ricominciare il corteggiamento da capo: vediamo se questa/questo mi ritorna come prima e... voilà, sospiro di sollievo).
E, altra cosa, il problema dell'alcolismo sembra buttato lì, tanto per rendere più triste e empatica la situazione di Alex/Jason, ma non si comprende come fosse affrontato prima.
Ovvero: una fidanzata carina/normale ma alcolizzata andava comunque bene, e il nostro bel Damon non faceva una piega?
Per capire se un libro mi è piaciuto davvero, mi pongo sembra una domanda: tra qualche anno lo rileggerei? Forse no.
Altri libri della Witt mi sono piaciuti moltissimo (e resta un'autrice che consiglio sempre), questo un po' meno.
3,5 - Trama davvero interessante, anche se il problema di relazionarsi con un mutagenere che all'improvviso passa da M a F e viceversa lo aveva affrontato la Le Guin decenni fa (quindi niente di nuovo sotto il sole...).
Resta un messaggio profondo e molto bello, lodevole l'intento di sottolineare i pregiudizi , l'odio e la solitudine, ma purtroppo i personaggi (nonostante i due POV alternati) rimangono freddi, sullo sfondo, senza entrarti dentro.
I cattivi sono così cattivi che sono sopra le righe, la storia si risolve così facilmente.
Finisci il libro con il fastidioso sospetto che il fidanzato sia rimasto con Jason/Alex per comodità (non ho voglia di cercarmi una nuova partner e ricominciare il corteggiamento da capo: vediamo se questa/questo mi ritorna come prima e... voilà, sospiro di sollievo).
E, altra cosa, il problema dell'alcolismo sembra buttato lì, tanto per rendere più triste e empatica la situazione di Alex/Jason, ma non si comprende come fosse affrontato prima.
Ovvero: una fidanzata carina/normale ma alcolizzata andava comunque bene, e il nostro bel Damon non faceva una piega?
Per capire se un libro mi è piaciuto davvero, mi pongo sembra una domanda: tra qualche anno lo rileggerei? Forse no.
Altri libri della Witt mi sono piaciuti moltissimo (e resta un'autrice che consiglio sempre), questo un po' meno.
May 24, 2017
3 stars
Well, this one could be so good. I really liked the "shift in another genre" concept. This was interesting, but the story wasn't so well developed.
It felt boring sometimes and I don't know if I liked the main characters. They were together for two years, but they couldn't talk to each other. They avoided subjects and it was a little frustrating. I understood that they were in a difficult situation, trying to find out what to do in that case, but for two so called in love that did think, maybe, marry each other sometime soon, they could at least talk, right? *sigh*
I liked the plot... It was interesting, I just wanted more in the relationship part. Am I asking too much?
I liked the whole "I love you in any genre"... but the attraction part was a little rushed.
Well, It was not that bad, but not that good as it could be either.
Well, this one could be so good. I really liked the "shift in another genre" concept. This was interesting, but the story wasn't so well developed.
It felt boring sometimes and I don't know if I liked the main characters. They were together for two years, but they couldn't talk to each other. They avoided subjects and it was a little frustrating. I understood that they were in a difficult situation, trying to find out what to do in that case, but for two so called in love that did think, maybe, marry each other sometime soon, they could at least talk, right? *sigh*
I liked the plot... It was interesting, I just wanted more in the relationship part. Am I asking too much?
I liked the whole "I love you in any genre"... but the attraction part was a little rushed.
Well, It was not that bad, but not that good as it could be either.
November 2, 2012
This was such an amazing book. The concept is unique and interesting. Once I started, I got sucked into the story.
I loved both characters. The suffering Alex goes through being stuck as a man when he wants to be a female is quite intense as well as having his boyfriend not want to touch him is heartbreaking. The struggle Damon goes through in accepting that his girlfriend, Alex, is a shifter and stuck as a man was awe-inspiring because it would have been easy for him to just leave Alex right then.
Their relationship isn't much of a romance for most of the book but there's already feelings there so most of the story is about Damon coming to accept that his love for his girlfriend is still the same when his girlfriend is a man instead. Then there's Alex that has to come to terms with possibly being stuck as a man forever. It's sweet and intense and angsty but it was an amazing story. Plus, the world is really awesome. There are so many shifter stories out there but how many are people shifting into a different gender? None that I've read and that's why I enjoyed this book so much. It's different and unique. The book also slowly develops but I never wanted to stop reading even though there's not much suspense.
While the book was awesome, I still had a few problems with it. It's alternating first person POVs which is my least favorite. I'd forget who's POV I was in sometimes and had to reread a few passages to figure out who's head I was in. There's also a few repetitive phrases, words and meanings that grew tiresome because they were used so much. The ending was a bit abrupt, too. I'd have liked to actually see their wedding.
Aside from that, this was a truly great story, one I'd love to have in paperback. I'm glad I finally read it and curious if Ms. Witt will write more in this world someday. Definitely recommended for those who want something different.
I loved both characters. The suffering Alex goes through being stuck as a man when he wants to be a female is quite intense as well as having his boyfriend not want to touch him is heartbreaking. The struggle Damon goes through in accepting that his girlfriend, Alex, is a shifter and stuck as a man was awe-inspiring because it would have been easy for him to just leave Alex right then.
Their relationship isn't much of a romance for most of the book but there's already feelings there so most of the story is about Damon coming to accept that his love for his girlfriend is still the same when his girlfriend is a man instead. Then there's Alex that has to come to terms with possibly being stuck as a man forever. It's sweet and intense and angsty but it was an amazing story. Plus, the world is really awesome. There are so many shifter stories out there but how many are people shifting into a different gender? None that I've read and that's why I enjoyed this book so much. It's different and unique. The book also slowly develops but I never wanted to stop reading even though there's not much suspense.
While the book was awesome, I still had a few problems with it. It's alternating first person POVs which is my least favorite. I'd forget who's POV I was in sometimes and had to reread a few passages to figure out who's head I was in. There's also a few repetitive phrases, words and meanings that grew tiresome because they were used so much. The ending was a bit abrupt, too. I'd have liked to actually see their wedding.
Aside from that, this was a truly great story, one I'd love to have in paperback. I'm glad I finally read it and curious if Ms. Witt will write more in this world someday. Definitely recommended for those who want something different.
August 10, 2025
Reread 02/2024 review- 4. 1～4.3 stars?? In all fairness, this wasn't what I really wanted to read, but nothing else was appealing either so 🤷♀️😮💨
Reread 03/2022 review- 4.8 stars? I LOVE this book 🥺🥰
Reread 09/ 2021 review- 4.7 stars?🤷🏻♀️
Reread 02/2021 review- 4.8 stars?
Original 10/2020 review-4.77 stars? This book was so so much better than I expected!! I LOVE when LA Witt’s books have less of a sex focus & frequency (in fact I much prefer them that way). The only negative thing I can say about it is that, while I could feel the strong love and bond between Damon and Alex, I couldn’t feel the sexual connection/chemistry ... which honestly didn’t really bother me.
Quotes:
☆”What's wrong?" I asked.
He cleared his throat. "That was one of the reasons I was
afraid to tell you."
"What do you mean?"
Looking into his nearly empty beer bottle, he said, "With you, I
finally felt like there wasn't anything wrong with me. When I took
you to the Mat, you didn't freak about the people who were there.
Shifters, trans, anyone. And I guess I got hooked on that. On
being around someone who made me feel..."
I leaned forward, inclining my head slightly. "What?"
"You made me feel human." He looked at me. "I didn't want to
lose that." 😭
☆ "So, to recap.....Leaving it in could kill me, taking it out could kill me, and living with it for the rest of my life will make me wish I was dead. How the fuck was your day?"
TW:
Reread 03/2022 review- 4.8 stars? I LOVE this book 🥺🥰
Reread 09/ 2021 review- 4.7 stars?🤷🏻♀️
Reread 02/2021 review- 4.8 stars?
Original 10/2020 review-4.77 stars? This book was so so much better than I expected!! I LOVE when LA Witt’s books have less of a sex focus & frequency (in fact I much prefer them that way). The only negative thing I can say about it is that, while I could feel the strong love and bond between Damon and Alex, I couldn’t feel the sexual connection/chemistry ... which honestly didn’t really bother me.
Quotes:
☆”What's wrong?" I asked.
He cleared his throat. "That was one of the reasons I was
afraid to tell you."
"What do you mean?"
Looking into his nearly empty beer bottle, he said, "With you, I
finally felt like there wasn't anything wrong with me. When I took
you to the Mat, you didn't freak about the people who were there.
Shifters, trans, anyone. And I guess I got hooked on that. On
being around someone who made me feel..."
I leaned forward, inclining my head slightly. "What?"
"You made me feel human." He looked at me. "I didn't want to
lose that." 😭
☆ "So, to recap.....Leaving it in could kill me, taking it out could kill me, and living with it for the rest of my life will make me wish I was dead. How the fuck was your day?"
TW:
May 26, 2014
I read this a while ago, but got hold of the new reprint and just read it again. And it's just as fantastic.
This story challenging readers to think of people as people of many dimensions and not solely as their outward trappings. Interesting that te author chose to use first POV for both the MCs. I wonder if this gave us an insight that might not have been possible using 3rd POV. Although there was plenty of self exploration, I'm always up for more angst. While this could have been a tear-jerking story, overall, it was more a message story. The subtle (okay, sometimes not so subtle) way the characters are made to see each other, the assumptions of bias. The premise is poignantly genius.
This story challenging readers to think of people as people of many dimensions and not solely as their outward trappings. Interesting that te author chose to use first POV for both the MCs. I wonder if this gave us an insight that might not have been possible using 3rd POV. Although there was plenty of self exploration, I'm always up for more angst. While this could have been a tear-jerking story, overall, it was more a message story. The subtle (okay, sometimes not so subtle) way the characters are made to see each other, the assumptions of bias. The premise is poignantly genius.
September 9, 2018
Adoro la Witt ma questa volta purtroppo non mi è piaciuto per niente il suo libro! Non lo so mi è sembrato tutto un po' deprimente, lento e forzato... Ciò non toglie che continuerò a leggere le sue storie!
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