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Long Macchiatos and Monsters
Jalen, lover of B-grade sci-fi movies, meets the far-too-handsome P in a cafe while deciding whether or not to skip uni again. When P invites them along to a double feature of Robot Monster and Cat Women of the Moon, Jalen can hardly believe that hot boys like bad sci-fi, too. But as their relationship progresses, Jalen realizes P leaves them wondering if they're on the same page about what dating means, and if that's what they're doing.
44 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 28, 2015
1 person is currently reading
1023 people want to read
About the author
Alison Evans
10 books190 followersAlison Evans is the author of Ida, which won the People’s Choice Award at the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards 2017.
Their second novel, Highway Bodies, was published earlier this year and they are a contributor to new anthology, Kindred: 12 Queer #LoveOzYA Stories.
They are based in Melbourne.
You can find out more at alisonwritesthings.com
Their second novel, Highway Bodies, was published earlier this year and they are a contributor to new anthology, Kindred: 12 Queer #LoveOzYA Stories.
They are based in Melbourne.
You can find out more at alisonwritesthings.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
June 30, 2018
*3.5/5
I can’t think of a better way to wrap up Pride month than reading an adorable, sexy novella about trans folks falling in love tbh
I can’t think of a better way to wrap up Pride month than reading an adorable, sexy novella about trans folks falling in love tbh
May 18, 2019
Long Macchiatos and Monsters is a novelette that follows the romance between two disabled trans people of color in Melbourne - Jalen, who is genderqueer, and P, who is a trans man - as they bond over bad sci-fi movies.
It's a really cute story with ownvoices trans representation, but the writing could have been better - the time jumps were jarring sometimes and the dialogue didn't flow that well - and I have to say that "let's have sex in random public places" has never been a trope that works for me.
Also, Italian Nitpick Time: "macchiato" means "stained", not "stain", that would be "macchia". It's a small thing but I don't like when English speakers get this kind of thing wrong because really, it takes just a moment to check.
It's a really cute story with ownvoices trans representation, but the writing could have been better - the time jumps were jarring sometimes and the dialogue didn't flow that well - and I have to say that "let's have sex in random public places" has never been a trope that works for me.
Also, Italian Nitpick Time: "macchiato" means "stained", not "stain", that would be "macchia". It's a small thing but I don't like when English speakers get this kind of thing wrong because really, it takes just a moment to check.
June 24, 2018
This was cute, but the writing was a little too choppy and disjointed and I felt like I barely knew the characters.
June 7, 2018
Do you ever just read something and it's like impossible not to smile? Because this is what happened to me while I was reading this ridiculously adorable story.
This is cutest and dorkiest story about Jalen, a genderqueer movie major, and P, a transgender boy. Both love absolutely horrible sci-fi movies, and somehow this is all they need to start liking each other.
This story is about understanding who you are, being utterly happy because someone who gets you is there by your side, but also a story about being scared of what's to come because life is scary af. This short, only 44 pages, but I felt like I knew both Jalen and P, I learnt to love them so damn quickly. I cared about them and their happiness.
Please please please, read this. There is an important discussion on gender and I LOVED IT SO MUCH.
4.75
This is cutest and dorkiest story about Jalen, a genderqueer movie major, and P, a transgender boy. Both love absolutely horrible sci-fi movies, and somehow this is all they need to start liking each other.
This story is about understanding who you are, being utterly happy because someone who gets you is there by your side, but also a story about being scared of what's to come because life is scary af. This short, only 44 pages, but I felt like I knew both Jalen and P, I learnt to love them so damn quickly. I cared about them and their happiness.
Please please please, read this. There is an important discussion on gender and I LOVED IT SO MUCH.
4.75
February 13, 2017
I received a copy of this from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was such a refreshing thing to read amid a paper sea of heteronormativity! I get to read so few love stories about trans characters and I was really excited when I got approved for this on netgalley. I loved both P and Jalen, and really enjoyed seeing their relationship develop. As the story went along they quietly taught me new things about being trans, even though the purpose of this book isn't to be a source of education. I like it when I learn things from books not because they are specifically trying to teach me but because they make me think from a point of view that I've never experienced before. P and Jalen, in addition to being trans, are also people of colour and they both have physical disabilities.
I gave it four stars instead of five only because I was left wanting to know more about P and Jalen than I was told. Which is not an entirely bad thing (mystery = good) but I think it could have benefited from being perhaps a little longer. Jalen has a bit of a crisis that is only touched on very briefly and I would have liked to explore that a bit more, and also to know more in general about The Enigma That Is P. (I also wanted to know more about Roslyn, but that is less of an issue because I have the privilege of Knowing Things That Are To Come.) But, regardless of that, this was a fantastic story that I couldn't stop reading and I am eagerly looking forward to reading anything and everything else that Alison writes.
(And I promise I am not just saying that because they are my friend.)
This was such a refreshing thing to read amid a paper sea of heteronormativity! I get to read so few love stories about trans characters and I was really excited when I got approved for this on netgalley. I loved both P and Jalen, and really enjoyed seeing their relationship develop. As the story went along they quietly taught me new things about being trans, even though the purpose of this book isn't to be a source of education. I like it when I learn things from books not because they are specifically trying to teach me but because they make me think from a point of view that I've never experienced before. P and Jalen, in addition to being trans, are also people of colour and they both have physical disabilities.
I gave it four stars instead of five only because I was left wanting to know more about P and Jalen than I was told. Which is not an entirely bad thing (mystery = good) but I think it could have benefited from being perhaps a little longer. Jalen has a bit of a crisis that is only touched on very briefly and I would have liked to explore that a bit more, and also to know more in general about The Enigma That Is P. (I also wanted to know more about Roslyn, but that is less of an issue because I have the privilege of Knowing Things That Are To Come.) But, regardless of that, this was a fantastic story that I couldn't stop reading and I am eagerly looking forward to reading anything and everything else that Alison writes.
(And I promise I am not just saying that because they are my friend.)
September 3, 2016
SO GOOD, I loved it. It's a very quick read but packs a punch full of feels. More #ownvoices trans people loving trans people pls. This is very much my happy place. :)
April 2, 2017
Long Macchiatos and Monsters is a novella that everyone should pick up. I, because destiny I would believe lmao, saw it one time in my TL on Twitter and decided to save the name. Yesterday I searched for it and saw that it is so frigging cheap on Kindle ??!!?!? (BUY IT!!!) so I obvi bought it. It's 100000% the best.
Both MCs are transgender and also people of color. The setting are definitely various parts of the city like coffee shops, classrooms, cinemas, P's apartment and even out of town places! This is a sweet relationship and so so cute, you'll swoon and care for these characters lots even though it's such a short story, you'll want to know more about them for sure! + There is non-binary rep!!! I'm so happy I got this book and read it in one go, because it's definitely a good experience and I had such a fun time and enjoyed it very very much.
Both MCs are transgender and also people of color. The setting are definitely various parts of the city like coffee shops, classrooms, cinemas, P's apartment and even out of town places! This is a sweet relationship and so so cute, you'll swoon and care for these characters lots even though it's such a short story, you'll want to know more about them for sure! + There is non-binary rep!!! I'm so happy I got this book and read it in one go, because it's definitely a good experience and I had such a fun time and enjoyed it very very much.
May 28, 2020
rep: trans man mc with prosthetic leg, enby mc, mcs of color.
this was a super adorable and sexy novella. lots of cute banter. characters were flawed and interesting.
would have been better as a full length novel though. i feel like i didn't know the characters as much i'd like to. and the time jumps the author places intermittently don't serve a purpose and pulled me out of the story and the scenes didn't flow smoothly due to the cuts.
this was a super adorable and sexy novella. lots of cute banter. characters were flawed and interesting.
would have been better as a full length novel though. i feel like i didn't know the characters as much i'd like to. and the time jumps the author places intermittently don't serve a purpose and pulled me out of the story and the scenes didn't flow smoothly due to the cuts.
September 25, 2019
rep: Latinx nb mc with a disfigured hand, Black trans li with a prosthetic leg
would be so much better if it was longer & edited like 3 more times but okay
would be so much better if it was longer & edited like 3 more times but okay
October 14, 2019
Unexpected and so good.
Different in tone than much romance I'm used to. Not so... tidy. That really worked for me. The writing had so much personality, spare but cutting deep. I personally liked that it's so choppy, because the details that were given evoked mood so intensely without ever describing specific emotions. The story relied almost wholly on dialogue, actions, and setting descriptions to convey emotions and it was so effective. It worked especially well given that the characters are young, raw, emotionally immature, and haven't yet gained the skills to communicate with each other openly, state their needs, ask for support. I recognize them, recognize myself at that age.
For me, the story being set at this point in the characters' life also made things painful - not in a bad way, but just because I feel so much for them and everything is so much. Jalen is depressed, hates their two jobs and the necessity of working them (plus the racism and transphobia they experience there), uninspired by their university program... and P is similarly scared of the future, struggling in an unhealthy relationship with a transphobic parent, and feeling lost. This is all roiling in the background of the sweet, sexy, adorable relationship Jalen and P develop, and it did make me super anxious. I was so excited for them liking each other so much, and simultaneously terrified of them spending so much time together all of a sudden and not drawing on established coping mechanisms (that I could see).
But that makes the story all the more real. None of those background issues gets truly addressed or resolved during the course of the novella, nor do I think they should be. I appreciate the story's sense that these characters are doing their best, coping in sometimes unhealthy ways, caring for each other, and that it's okay to be messy, uncertain, and in pain. There is an explicit theme of not judging other people's efforts and struggles here. The ending had an "okay for right now at this very moment" sense of joy, of choosing to take pleasure in each other, even while sort of floating on a life raft in uncertain choppy seas.
Other elements that played out differently than the usual tropes:
- Jalen thinks P is smoking hot right off the bat, but there's hardly any 'oh no he couldn't possibly like me back' pining. They just make the first move with P at the first opportunity when they have some privacy. I'm all for pining, but it was a nice change of pace for one character's hotness not to be always contrasted with another's low self-confidence or self-perceived lack of desirability.
- nobody was really very driven! I feel like oftentimes in romance people have big study or career goals involved in the plot, and while I'm all for personal development I honestly found it kind of refreshing for Jalen to be like "meh, school."
- once again related to the above, but self-assured hot guy P isn't at all aloof, and constantly expresses desire, emotional support, and interest in the point of view character.
Lastly, the dialogue was phenomenal. And I loved the seamless ways that being trans and an amputee was woven in for both of the characters, the humor around it, how present it was while also not being made an "issue" of. These two punks felt so real.
Readalikes: Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl by Andrea Lawlor and Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Riveraalso center young, reckless, messy queers, though the former is even less upbeat and the latter much moreso, and they both involve more politics than Long Macchiatos does.
Different in tone than much romance I'm used to. Not so... tidy. That really worked for me. The writing had so much personality, spare but cutting deep. I personally liked that it's so choppy, because the details that were given evoked mood so intensely without ever describing specific emotions. The story relied almost wholly on dialogue, actions, and setting descriptions to convey emotions and it was so effective. It worked especially well given that the characters are young, raw, emotionally immature, and haven't yet gained the skills to communicate with each other openly, state their needs, ask for support. I recognize them, recognize myself at that age.
For me, the story being set at this point in the characters' life also made things painful - not in a bad way, but just because I feel so much for them and everything is so much. Jalen is depressed, hates their two jobs and the necessity of working them (plus the racism and transphobia they experience there), uninspired by their university program... and P is similarly scared of the future, struggling in an unhealthy relationship with a transphobic parent, and feeling lost. This is all roiling in the background of the sweet, sexy, adorable relationship Jalen and P develop, and it did make me super anxious. I was so excited for them liking each other so much, and simultaneously terrified of them spending so much time together all of a sudden and not drawing on established coping mechanisms (that I could see).
But that makes the story all the more real. None of those background issues gets truly addressed or resolved during the course of the novella, nor do I think they should be. I appreciate the story's sense that these characters are doing their best, coping in sometimes unhealthy ways, caring for each other, and that it's okay to be messy, uncertain, and in pain. There is an explicit theme of not judging other people's efforts and struggles here. The ending had an "okay for right now at this very moment" sense of joy, of choosing to take pleasure in each other, even while sort of floating on a life raft in uncertain choppy seas.
Other elements that played out differently than the usual tropes:
- Jalen thinks P is smoking hot right off the bat, but there's hardly any 'oh no he couldn't possibly like me back' pining. They just make the first move with P at the first opportunity when they have some privacy. I'm all for pining, but it was a nice change of pace for one character's hotness not to be always contrasted with another's low self-confidence or self-perceived lack of desirability.
- nobody was really very driven! I feel like oftentimes in romance people have big study or career goals involved in the plot, and while I'm all for personal development I honestly found it kind of refreshing for Jalen to be like "meh, school."
- once again related to the above, but self-assured hot guy P isn't at all aloof, and constantly expresses desire, emotional support, and interest in the point of view character.
Lastly, the dialogue was phenomenal. And I loved the seamless ways that being trans and an amputee was woven in for both of the characters, the humor around it, how present it was while also not being made an "issue" of. These two punks felt so real.
Readalikes: Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl by Andrea Lawlor and Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Riveraalso center young, reckless, messy queers, though the former is even less upbeat and the latter much moreso, and they both involve more politics than Long Macchiatos does.
May 27, 2018
Awkward new adult dating with a geeky bad movie habit with a disinterested non binary college student and a mohawked too sexy transgendered hero.
Everything that is this story is good. P and Jalen lightly but with real care deal with issues of gender, class, and disability. However, it is pretty short and some some elements feel stunted and P's lack of communication skills are weary making but lovely overall.
Everything that is this story is good. P and Jalen lightly but with real care deal with issues of gender, class, and disability. However, it is pretty short and some some elements feel stunted and P's lack of communication skills are weary making but lovely overall.
May 15, 2019
This was such a cute novella! It was refreshing getting to read about both a non-binary character and a trans boy. I love being able to find more diversity in novellas, but I do hope that we'll get more diversity (especially gender diversity) in full-length novels soon.
I enjoyed the characters and felt like the relationship was really sweet. The entire aesthetic of the story was perfection. I haven't read many things set in Australia either, so that was really refreshing! I also liked the fact that the main character loved bad sci-fi movies. I also love bad movies!
One of the things I didn't like was the fact that the relationship happened so fast and the story didn't feel fully developed. However, I don't think that's too big of a deal and it didn't stop me from enjoying this novella at all. I still 100% believe this is a novella worth reading. It actually kind of gave me fall vibes, but I'm not familiar with the weather in Australia so I can't say for sure.
Overall, this is a very cute and sweet story about two gender diverse characters and I think everyone should have it on their TBR! It's a very quick, fun, and easy read.
I enjoyed the characters and felt like the relationship was really sweet. The entire aesthetic of the story was perfection. I haven't read many things set in Australia either, so that was really refreshing! I also liked the fact that the main character loved bad sci-fi movies. I also love bad movies!
One of the things I didn't like was the fact that the relationship happened so fast and the story didn't feel fully developed. However, I don't think that's too big of a deal and it didn't stop me from enjoying this novella at all. I still 100% believe this is a novella worth reading. It actually kind of gave me fall vibes, but I'm not familiar with the weather in Australia so I can't say for sure.
Overall, this is a very cute and sweet story about two gender diverse characters and I think everyone should have it on their TBR! It's a very quick, fun, and easy read.
April 18, 2017
A romance novella that you can devour in one sitting and it's perfect to escape cisheteronormativity and white able-bodied stories, for it features trans characters of colour with physical disabilities, and it's written by a non-binary author.
I give four stars instead of five beceause the story felt rushed at some points and I think there are aspects that could haven been explored a bit more. I really wish it was longer <3
I give four stars instead of five beceause the story felt rushed at some points and I think there are aspects that could haven been explored a bit more. I really wish it was longer <3
April 22, 2017
This was short, sweet and adorable. I love that both main characters were trans and there was no bone made about it. That was just who they were, and that was great.
April 14, 2017
See more of my reviews on my blog the Book Deviant
Hilariously cute
Long Macchiatos and Monsters starts right away with Jalen in their seat at the cafe, studying a poster for a B-rate sci-fi movie. Already, Evans is creating this lifelike and relatable character that anyone would find a piece of themselves in. Jalen felt natural and so much like myself that I knew I had found something that would affect me immensely.
Not long after, P walks in and you get this stunning description that basically sums up P's character. Evans's characters are so in-depth and hilarious that you could see the spark between them. Right away, I was rooting for their relationship and their snarky comments and insults.
Even with the little amount of information afforded, Evans managed to send off lots of messages with simple scenes or a simple wording here or there.
Powerful and honest
All I can say about the representation in this book is that I'm still processing it, and it's powerful.
Jalen is genderqueer, and says some things that really affected me. I have never read this honest of representation for nonbinary people before, and--let me just say: when people say representation is important, they aren't fucking joking. I started crying at midnight when I read some of the quotes, because they were just so powerfully me and yelled everything that I had been struggling with as a genderqueer/nonbinary person. I finally felt understood.
I can't say much about the trans rep, but I loved P as a character. I thought it was unique how Evans decided to reveal that he was trans, because honestly I didn't realize it until it was revealed.
Both P and Jalen were also described as POC, with dark skin. P also shows to have some depression throughout. Just the effortless and powerful diversity made this one amazing, but it was everything that made it one of my all-time favorites.
five stars - Overall?
Best. Novella. Ever. I will probably reread this one over and over and over again.
Would I Recommend?
YESYESYESYESYES!!!!! If you're looking for something incredibly diverse, but also cute and entertaining, pick this one up!! (It's also really cheap on Amazon, so there's literally NO excuse.)
Hilariously cute
Long Macchiatos and Monsters starts right away with Jalen in their seat at the cafe, studying a poster for a B-rate sci-fi movie. Already, Evans is creating this lifelike and relatable character that anyone would find a piece of themselves in. Jalen felt natural and so much like myself that I knew I had found something that would affect me immensely.
Not long after, P walks in and you get this stunning description that basically sums up P's character. Evans's characters are so in-depth and hilarious that you could see the spark between them. Right away, I was rooting for their relationship and their snarky comments and insults.
Even with the little amount of information afforded, Evans managed to send off lots of messages with simple scenes or a simple wording here or there.
Powerful and honest
All I can say about the representation in this book is that I'm still processing it, and it's powerful.
Jalen is genderqueer, and says some things that really affected me. I have never read this honest of representation for nonbinary people before, and--let me just say: when people say representation is important, they aren't fucking joking. I started crying at midnight when I read some of the quotes, because they were just so powerfully me and yelled everything that I had been struggling with as a genderqueer/nonbinary person. I finally felt understood.
I can't say much about the trans rep, but I loved P as a character. I thought it was unique how Evans decided to reveal that he was trans, because honestly I didn't realize it until it was revealed.
Both P and Jalen were also described as POC, with dark skin. P also shows to have some depression throughout. Just the effortless and powerful diversity made this one amazing, but it was everything that made it one of my all-time favorites.
five stars - Overall?
Best. Novella. Ever. I will probably reread this one over and over and over again.
Would I Recommend?
YESYESYESYESYES!!!!! If you're looking for something incredibly diverse, but also cute and entertaining, pick this one up!! (It's also really cheap on Amazon, so there's literally NO excuse.)
August 10, 2018
Lovely short romance novella.
Long Macchiatos and Monsters is about two people meeting at the cafe, going on a date to see terrible movies and them starting dating. For such a short format, we get to see the development of their relationship. It’s not very common to follow two people just dating and not their path to do it. Established relationships are fun to read about.
The story is told from Jalen’s pov. Jalen is college student, movie major. Jalen is genderqueer, they have a twin sister, they are rather shy and introverted. Jalen is a huge fan of old terrible sci-fi movies. The love interest is trans guy P, who’s flirty and outgoing and beautiful. P doesn’t easily open up to people and his relationship with his mother isn’t the best.
Both of the characters are disabled people of color. Jalen doesn’t have two fingers on his one hand, P lost his leg beyond the kneecap and he uses prosthesis.
I liked reading about blooming romance between Jalen and P. They were having fun, enjoying each other company and slowly opening up to each other. I could’ve easily read a full length novel about these two, but as it is now, the story is very satisfying and good.
I liked that the events took place in Melbourne. I rarely read books set in Australia so it was fun.
All in all, I definitely recommend to read this novella. It’s charming, it’s diverse, I love the intersectionality here and the writing is solid.
Long Macchiatos and Monsters is about two people meeting at the cafe, going on a date to see terrible movies and them starting dating. For such a short format, we get to see the development of their relationship. It’s not very common to follow two people just dating and not their path to do it. Established relationships are fun to read about.
The story is told from Jalen’s pov. Jalen is college student, movie major. Jalen is genderqueer, they have a twin sister, they are rather shy and introverted. Jalen is a huge fan of old terrible sci-fi movies. The love interest is trans guy P, who’s flirty and outgoing and beautiful. P doesn’t easily open up to people and his relationship with his mother isn’t the best.
Both of the characters are disabled people of color. Jalen doesn’t have two fingers on his one hand, P lost his leg beyond the kneecap and he uses prosthesis.
I liked reading about blooming romance between Jalen and P. They were having fun, enjoying each other company and slowly opening up to each other. I could’ve easily read a full length novel about these two, but as it is now, the story is very satisfying and good.
I liked that the events took place in Melbourne. I rarely read books set in Australia so it was fun.
All in all, I definitely recommend to read this novella. It’s charming, it’s diverse, I love the intersectionality here and the writing is solid.
December 14, 2019
Really nice short story about a black trans guy and a brown enby person, both disabled, who start dating over their shared love of shitty Science Fiction movies.
I enjoyed it a lot <3
Content warnings include: misgendering & deadnaming (off-page), talk about sex though the sex itself isn't on-page, complicated relationship with parents, class difference.
I enjoyed it a lot <3
Content warnings include: misgendering & deadnaming (off-page), talk about sex though the sex itself isn't on-page, complicated relationship with parents, class difference.
April 27, 2017
I could say that nothing really happens in this novella, but it would be so not true. There's a lot going on between the characters - and they're both complex, exceptional people. But the ending feels resolved a bit too quickly.
Read
August 9, 2017Enjoyed this SO much; what delightful voice and comfortable chemistry.
September 18, 2016
I think I probably picked up Long Macchiatos and Monsters by Alison Evans during one of the sales; when I was flipping through my kindle on Thursday to look for something to read, I saw the title and couldn't remember anything about it, but hey, I'm always in the mood for monsters, so why not? Spoilers: There aren't any monsters in this novelette, but it didn't matter that it ran counter to what I thought I was in the mood for, because the charming feel of the writing drew me in almost immediately.
Jalen loves B-grade sci-fi movies, and does not share this trait with any of their friends. They're sitting in their favorite coffee shop trying to side if they should go alone to the theatre to catch a double feature of really bad films when in walks the handsome (and he knows it) P. They catch each other's eye, and the story follows a series of experiences they share over the next three months.
It's a shortish piece, falling somewhere in length between a short story and a novella, and written in first person present tense. It was an unusual choice, but it worked for me because the story itself is very immediate and in the moment; it's essentially a series of vignettes that trace the start of a relationship through the point of view of one of the participants.
Both characters are different in the ways they're similar. They both like monster movies, but Jalen likes the sincerity of them, and P enjoys being horrified by them. They both aren't their assigned gender; Jalen is nonbinary and P is binary trans. They both like coffee, but Jalen likes lattes and P likes macchiatos (and both think the other's drink is gross). They're both amputees—Jalen lost several fingers as a child, and P has a prosthetic leg... and they share many other similar differences as well. This may sound like a list of traits, but the story uses it as a motif to spin development between the two characters, the places where they relate and where they don't, the things they want to learn about each other, the places where similarities immediately spike both understanding and anxiety. All these traits are ways for the two to play off each other, find the rough spots and the smooth ones, without the storytelling of it ever being made overt or hamfisted. There's very much a theme about understanding identity by building a picture out of small things— without giving the details away, I feel like scene with the strawberry ice cream ties it all together perfectly.
Likewise, the story is about public and private spaces. Location is very important in it, and a lot of the individual scenes play off the mood and setting built in different places. Jalen's messy apartment they share with their sister, P's tidy and empty "display home", and how these places change when it's just the two of them versus when family comes over. The movie theatre if you're intending to watch a movie, and the movie theatre if you're intending not to be watching. A coffee shop you go to alone and one you go to with someone. Again, since this is both about the characters' understanding of their own identity ("Do you ever wonder if you're wrong?" "I'm never wrong." "I wonder all the time.") and about how identity is understood outside oneself, the constant redefining of spaces in the story is a beautifully played motif.
I found Jalen a really engaging pov character. Their sense of anxiety and frequent second-guessing is balanced by a deliberate willingness to take chances, and their mental voice is philosophical without being pretentious and has a good sense of wit to it. (Speaking of which, the line where Jalen acknowledges that P is acting super pretentious, and is both amused and horrified by how attracted they were to that really set the tone of the story to me). Conversely, P is a bit of an enigma due to Jalen being the pov. There are a lot of scenes where Jalen doesn't know the specifics of what's happening with him even if they get the general idea, and while as a reader this was occasionally frustrating—I wanted to know more about P too!—it fit the story's theme of trying to learn. Some of the points still feel like a loose thread, but I'm torn on if that bothers me or not, given the shape of what Evans is doing here.
The biggest critical note I have is that the flow of the scenes was occasionally difficult to follow, and some of the shorter segments had a different tone to them than the ones around it, so I found myself rereading certain pages to make sure I understood what the switch was doing there and where/when the characters were now. In general, though, I found it a really nicely written short piece, a three month slice of two characters' lives and how they intersected, and I felt that although I'd have liked to see more, what fit in the story worked well with the time period Evans defined.
Read more of my reviews here!
Jalen loves B-grade sci-fi movies, and does not share this trait with any of their friends. They're sitting in their favorite coffee shop trying to side if they should go alone to the theatre to catch a double feature of really bad films when in walks the handsome (and he knows it) P. They catch each other's eye, and the story follows a series of experiences they share over the next three months.
It's a shortish piece, falling somewhere in length between a short story and a novella, and written in first person present tense. It was an unusual choice, but it worked for me because the story itself is very immediate and in the moment; it's essentially a series of vignettes that trace the start of a relationship through the point of view of one of the participants.
Both characters are different in the ways they're similar. They both like monster movies, but Jalen likes the sincerity of them, and P enjoys being horrified by them. They both aren't their assigned gender; Jalen is nonbinary and P is binary trans. They both like coffee, but Jalen likes lattes and P likes macchiatos (and both think the other's drink is gross). They're both amputees—Jalen lost several fingers as a child, and P has a prosthetic leg... and they share many other similar differences as well. This may sound like a list of traits, but the story uses it as a motif to spin development between the two characters, the places where they relate and where they don't, the things they want to learn about each other, the places where similarities immediately spike both understanding and anxiety. All these traits are ways for the two to play off each other, find the rough spots and the smooth ones, without the storytelling of it ever being made overt or hamfisted. There's very much a theme about understanding identity by building a picture out of small things— without giving the details away, I feel like scene with the strawberry ice cream ties it all together perfectly.
Likewise, the story is about public and private spaces. Location is very important in it, and a lot of the individual scenes play off the mood and setting built in different places. Jalen's messy apartment they share with their sister, P's tidy and empty "display home", and how these places change when it's just the two of them versus when family comes over. The movie theatre if you're intending to watch a movie, and the movie theatre if you're intending not to be watching. A coffee shop you go to alone and one you go to with someone. Again, since this is both about the characters' understanding of their own identity ("Do you ever wonder if you're wrong?" "I'm never wrong." "I wonder all the time.") and about how identity is understood outside oneself, the constant redefining of spaces in the story is a beautifully played motif.
I found Jalen a really engaging pov character. Their sense of anxiety and frequent second-guessing is balanced by a deliberate willingness to take chances, and their mental voice is philosophical without being pretentious and has a good sense of wit to it. (Speaking of which, the line where Jalen acknowledges that P is acting super pretentious, and is both amused and horrified by how attracted they were to that really set the tone of the story to me). Conversely, P is a bit of an enigma due to Jalen being the pov. There are a lot of scenes where Jalen doesn't know the specifics of what's happening with him even if they get the general idea, and while as a reader this was occasionally frustrating—I wanted to know more about P too!—it fit the story's theme of trying to learn. Some of the points still feel like a loose thread, but I'm torn on if that bothers me or not, given the shape of what Evans is doing here.
The biggest critical note I have is that the flow of the scenes was occasionally difficult to follow, and some of the shorter segments had a different tone to them than the ones around it, so I found myself rereading certain pages to make sure I understood what the switch was doing there and where/when the characters were now. In general, though, I found it a really nicely written short piece, a three month slice of two characters' lives and how they intersected, and I felt that although I'd have liked to see more, what fit in the story worked well with the time period Evans defined.
Read more of my reviews here!
January 4, 2022
3.5 stars
I've read another novella by Alison Evans a couple years ago: We Go Forward.
Both books have very much a "light queer comfort book" character whereas they couldn't be any more different.
This book is full of sex and longing and feeling lost in the world and finding someone that makes you feel comforted and home.
It's a cute love story about two young disabled trans people of color.
I actually quite like the simple writing style. It's a good comfort book for a chill quick read. It's nothing deep, but it's cute and realatable and uplifting.
(Bonus for Jalen being the twin of Roslyn from We Go Forward)
I've read another novella by Alison Evans a couple years ago: We Go Forward.
Both books have very much a "light queer comfort book" character whereas they couldn't be any more different.
This book is full of sex and longing and feeling lost in the world and finding someone that makes you feel comforted and home.
It's a cute love story about two young disabled trans people of color.
I actually quite like the simple writing style. It's a good comfort book for a chill quick read. It's nothing deep, but it's cute and realatable and uplifting.
(Bonus for Jalen being the twin of Roslyn from We Go Forward)
July 15, 2017
Short and cute novella featuring two disabled main characters of color. One, a genderqueer person, another a man who's trans. They bond over their love of bad movies and terrible coffee and its just so cute! Felt a little fast paced at times, but it's nothing that stops you from enjoying the story.
February 3, 2018
I liked this alot but I feel like it could have been executed better. I wasn’t a huge fan of the writing style, but I really loved this representation of trans and nobinary characters. These characters were great and the integration of their disabilities was well done, but I felt like it was much too short and I didn't feel any real emotion or excitement. I would recommend it for the rep though if you're interested it's very cute and fluffy. Queer ppl deserve happy, uncomplicated stories and I appreciate this novella for that reason.
September 3, 2017
10/10 stars!
"I didn’t hesitate for a moment in awarding five stars to this little gem, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for more from this author in the future" - Matt
" I could’ve kept reading for ages and ages. 5 stars and a definite recommendation for basically everyone." - Maria
Find our full reviews on our blog here.
"I didn’t hesitate for a moment in awarding five stars to this little gem, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for more from this author in the future" - Matt
" I could’ve kept reading for ages and ages. 5 stars and a definite recommendation for basically everyone." - Maria
Find our full reviews on our blog here.
June 10, 2021
3/5
I really loved the diversity here, as a trans non-binary person I adored reading about a transman and a genderqueer person dating. It made me a little hopeful. P is wild and Jalen is subdued and they make a lovely couple. I also thought it was interesting that both of them had a physical disability and that it just made them more of who they are.
The thing is nothing happens here. It's just these two people dating, exploring Melbourne, drinking coffee, and watching cheesy sci-fi movies. That's it. And while that doesn't sound bad at all I do wish there was something more happening.
Really liked the writing and am looking forward to reading more from this author.
I really loved the diversity here, as a trans non-binary person I adored reading about a transman and a genderqueer person dating. It made me a little hopeful. P is wild and Jalen is subdued and they make a lovely couple. I also thought it was interesting that both of them had a physical disability and that it just made them more of who they are.
The thing is nothing happens here. It's just these two people dating, exploring Melbourne, drinking coffee, and watching cheesy sci-fi movies. That's it. And while that doesn't sound bad at all I do wish there was something more happening.
Really liked the writing and am looking forward to reading more from this author.
August 13, 2017
Rep: genderqueer MC, trans MC, Latinx MC, black MC, disabled MCs, bisexual MCs, mentally ill MC (depression)
Warnings: deadnaming, mention of past self-harm and/or suicide attempt
Warnings: deadnaming, mention of past self-harm and/or suicide attempt
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