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Y Negative
In the last surviving cities of a ruined world, the concept of “woman” has been forgotten to history. Those unfortunate enough to lack a Y chromosome live as second-class citizens in a world dominated by mascs.
Ember is Y negative. He is scorned, bullied, abused by every masc he encounters, at work and at the gym. Not even his Y negative roommate cuts him any slack. He wants so desperately to be accepted as a masc that he’d rather buy black market testosterone than food. Something’s gotta give—he needs a change in his life, but has no idea how to find it.
Jess is a masc with a passion for studying the recovery of their devastated world. His boyfriend is pressuring him for more commitment, and his father expects him to take over the family business. He can’t wait to get away from civilization for his seasonal research out in the wild.
When Jess offers Ember a job, their lives collide in the isolated wasteland, and their initial attraction turns into a relationship that horrifies those around them. Soon their struggle to stay together and to be who they are turns into a fight for their lives.
Ember is Y negative. He is scorned, bullied, abused by every masc he encounters, at work and at the gym. Not even his Y negative roommate cuts him any slack. He wants so desperately to be accepted as a masc that he’d rather buy black market testosterone than food. Something’s gotta give—he needs a change in his life, but has no idea how to find it.
Jess is a masc with a passion for studying the recovery of their devastated world. His boyfriend is pressuring him for more commitment, and his father expects him to take over the family business. He can’t wait to get away from civilization for his seasonal research out in the wild.
When Jess offers Ember a job, their lives collide in the isolated wasteland, and their initial attraction turns into a relationship that horrifies those around them. Soon their struggle to stay together and to be who they are turns into a fight for their lives.
317 pages, Paperback
First published November 16, 2015
6 people are currently reading
224 people want to read
About the author
Kelly Haworth
9 books26 followersKelly Haworth has way too active an imagination, so she channels it into writing. Kelly is genderfluid and pansexual, and honestly doesn’t know if she’ll ever write an allo-cishet couple again. When not working at a genetics lab or staying up too late writing, she can be found wrangling her two toddlers, working on cosplay, or curled up on the couch with a good TV show or book.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
August 3, 2016
This book.
Is special.
In so many ways. Man, this really rocked my world for a few days. I read it slowly because I was studying very hard for the exams but I couldn't put it down when it was (more than) time to go to sleep. The cover doesn't do justice, this tale is more than a story or two. It's about Ember and the world he lives in. A world divided by genetics, full of dangers and disdain from the mascs towards the Y negatives, the lowest of the food chain. In between we have the andros, Y negatives who have already served the purpose of continuing the species with their bodies. They inject testosterone in order to fit into society and look more “normal”. But it’s a society they will never fully belong to. It's a battle lost before they even begin it. They will always be disregarded and considered less than human. They will always be used and pushed aside. Mascs will never consider them equals and even less bond with them.
The world is so well built it felt like a movie. I related it to Blade Runner, with bodily paints with flavor as a plus but with the same look-where-are-you-stepping-on feeling. Ember doesn't dream of electric sheep. He dreams of becoming a masc and being close to one. An impossible aim. He has desires he is afraid to acknowledge out loud but that doesn’t stop him from dreaming. Because he knows there is no hope to fulfill them. But still, he goes on, he works out in the gym and struggles to earn his next testosterone dosis rather than eating real food. Misery in the whole sense of the word. Because when Tuesdays come, he feels like a man, although this feeling is not enduring. I could feel his loneliness as a stone, his emptiness and his longings sharp like a knife. He indeed left a mark on me.
Despite this, life goes on, and we get glimpses of what being an andro implies, how they barely have a decent existence. How they get by with the constant abuse and the reminder that they will never be enough for the rest of the world. The author managed to slap me in the face once and again, moving me in ways I never expected her to. I wanted so badly for things to change, as much as Ember does. And they do. Suddenly there is a masc, Jess, at his door, offering him a job for several weeks. A job that takes him apart from everything he has ever known, alone with 4 mascs with no way to escape. Sounds like the best plan. He clutches the straw and agrees.
The Outskirts are dangerous, and Law takes a whole different meaning out of the big cities where people manage to survive. But what is even more dangerous is the proximity he feels towards Jess, by each passing day. The atmosphere turns into something more intimate at this instance, more secluded, and more meaningful that everything they hade ver experienced. It was beautiful to see their struggles, the conflicts and the sweet surrender to each other and to themselves.
I truly loved Jess but I think he wasn’t wholly developed as a character. Sometimes the author skipped parts of his personality and scenes that could have been so much more. We was such a faint-hearted guy I wanted to shake him up now and then. Still, I could see he had never been one to harm other people just for the sake of it, as other mascs do for fun or to fit a certain mold. But he has never been brave enough to break said mold and swim in the opposite direction. He is quiet and thoughtful, letting others take the reins and adapting to their wishes when the momento requires it. But when he meets Ember, he feels alive for the first time in his life, which fills him with confusión and doubts. He wants to get closer, but at the same time he knows shit will hit the fan the moment he makes a movement. Is Ember worthy of it all? Or is it better to keep blending and silencing his needs and resigning himself to what people has always been expecting of him?
I was truly enchanted with it all. The writing style drew me in with no effort at all. The environment is ugly but uncannily attractive at the same time. There is that special magic in the air, the certainty that something signiticative and beautiful will happen eventually. And it does. Along the hopelessness, there are bright moments and wonderful insights of the MCs' minds. I wanted to dwell on it forever. The story covered me like a warm blanket, it's a feeling I don't usually have while I read post-apocalyptic books, but there was a familiar comfort here.
Yes, it's a bizarre story, that with the androgynous character and all that he has to go through. I think this is the first ambiguous MC I have ever read. The events and the characters' actions are not the ones I waited for. They just came, never following a certain scheme. The story just flowed and I just devoted myself in reading and reading. I love it when authors don't restrain their imagination and creativeness. Because even though after a while I realize nothing that occurs in this book is really original in the big scheme of things, I still felt I had never heard of them before.
No, it's not perfect. I must admit there were some moments which felt too strange for me. For instance: apart from that I could find a scene or two that felt a little lacking because they left things unexplained and unsolved. But overall, I must say this is a pretty solid read, and that managed to take my mind elsewhere.
****
***Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.***
Is special.
In so many ways. Man, this really rocked my world for a few days. I read it slowly because I was studying very hard for the exams but I couldn't put it down when it was (more than) time to go to sleep. The cover doesn't do justice, this tale is more than a story or two. It's about Ember and the world he lives in. A world divided by genetics, full of dangers and disdain from the mascs towards the Y negatives, the lowest of the food chain. In between we have the andros, Y negatives who have already served the purpose of continuing the species with their bodies. They inject testosterone in order to fit into society and look more “normal”. But it’s a society they will never fully belong to. It's a battle lost before they even begin it. They will always be disregarded and considered less than human. They will always be used and pushed aside. Mascs will never consider them equals and even less bond with them.
The world is so well built it felt like a movie. I related it to Blade Runner, with bodily paints with flavor as a plus but with the same look-where-are-you-stepping-on feeling. Ember doesn't dream of electric sheep. He dreams of becoming a masc and being close to one. An impossible aim. He has desires he is afraid to acknowledge out loud but that doesn’t stop him from dreaming. Because he knows there is no hope to fulfill them. But still, he goes on, he works out in the gym and struggles to earn his next testosterone dosis rather than eating real food. Misery in the whole sense of the word. Because when Tuesdays come, he feels like a man, although this feeling is not enduring. I could feel his loneliness as a stone, his emptiness and his longings sharp like a knife. He indeed left a mark on me.
Despite this, life goes on, and we get glimpses of what being an andro implies, how they barely have a decent existence. How they get by with the constant abuse and the reminder that they will never be enough for the rest of the world. The author managed to slap me in the face once and again, moving me in ways I never expected her to. I wanted so badly for things to change, as much as Ember does. And they do. Suddenly there is a masc, Jess, at his door, offering him a job for several weeks. A job that takes him apart from everything he has ever known, alone with 4 mascs with no way to escape. Sounds like the best plan. He clutches the straw and agrees.
The Outskirts are dangerous, and Law takes a whole different meaning out of the big cities where people manage to survive. But what is even more dangerous is the proximity he feels towards Jess, by each passing day. The atmosphere turns into something more intimate at this instance, more secluded, and more meaningful that everything they hade ver experienced. It was beautiful to see their struggles, the conflicts and the sweet surrender to each other and to themselves.
I truly loved Jess but I think he wasn’t wholly developed as a character. Sometimes the author skipped parts of his personality and scenes that could have been so much more. We was such a faint-hearted guy I wanted to shake him up now and then. Still, I could see he had never been one to harm other people just for the sake of it, as other mascs do for fun or to fit a certain mold. But he has never been brave enough to break said mold and swim in the opposite direction. He is quiet and thoughtful, letting others take the reins and adapting to their wishes when the momento requires it. But when he meets Ember, he feels alive for the first time in his life, which fills him with confusión and doubts. He wants to get closer, but at the same time he knows shit will hit the fan the moment he makes a movement. Is Ember worthy of it all? Or is it better to keep blending and silencing his needs and resigning himself to what people has always been expecting of him?
I was truly enchanted with it all. The writing style drew me in with no effort at all. The environment is ugly but uncannily attractive at the same time. There is that special magic in the air, the certainty that something signiticative and beautiful will happen eventually. And it does. Along the hopelessness, there are bright moments and wonderful insights of the MCs' minds. I wanted to dwell on it forever. The story covered me like a warm blanket, it's a feeling I don't usually have while I read post-apocalyptic books, but there was a familiar comfort here.
Yes, it's a bizarre story, that with the androgynous character and all that he has to go through. I think this is the first ambiguous MC I have ever read. The events and the characters' actions are not the ones I waited for. They just came, never following a certain scheme. The story just flowed and I just devoted myself in reading and reading. I love it when authors don't restrain their imagination and creativeness. Because even though after a while I realize nothing that occurs in this book is really original in the big scheme of things, I still felt I had never heard of them before.
No, it's not perfect. I must admit there were some moments which felt too strange for me. For instance: apart from that I could find a scene or two that felt a little lacking because they left things unexplained and unsolved. But overall, I must say this is a pretty solid read, and that managed to take my mind elsewhere.
****
***Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.***
September 12, 2015
WOW.
Woooooooow.
This is by far one of the most bizarre book concepts I have ever read, the synopsis didn’t even touch the surface of how twisted and unique this world was… I can’t say whether that was a good or bad thing, it was just bizarre.
There are no women in this world, people have even forgotten what the word mother is. “Females” are non existent, but actually not really. There is no easy way for me to explain but simply stating the facts, so heres a quick learners guide...
People are divided in to three main categories;
Masc’s (The most “manly” on the food chain of humans)
Andro’s (Y Negatives that take steroids to enhance their masculine features, still looked down upon by society though.)
Y Negative (People born without the Y chromosome, therefore in this world less worthy, the scum, pretty much looked down upon by everyone…Including other Y Negative's)
Y Negatives are forced to carry babies for other families, normally large quantities before they can become Andro’s, they are paid to be surrogates and continue to reproduce as to maintain the human population. Families have a Father and a Dad. Like I said “Females” are no longer in existence, which in my mind confused me because Y Negatives are from what I read, Female. They have a vagina, (not called that in the book though) and they carry babies, and it was just very confusing… Not at all what I expected when I picked it up.
Overall even though I enjoyed learning about this new world and the relationships that developed, I didn’t quite connect to the individual characters. Both narrators left me very on the ledge, not quite sure whether I liked them or not. I felt like their relationships should have dragged a little more. It would have held my attention better!
This was a truly unique experience which in all honestly is what I look for in a book, so I decided to rate it 3.5 stars!
This title was generously provided by (RipTide Publishing) on NetGalley for a honest review!
Woooooooow.
This is by far one of the most bizarre book concepts I have ever read, the synopsis didn’t even touch the surface of how twisted and unique this world was… I can’t say whether that was a good or bad thing, it was just bizarre.
There are no women in this world, people have even forgotten what the word mother is. “Females” are non existent, but actually not really. There is no easy way for me to explain but simply stating the facts, so heres a quick learners guide...
People are divided in to three main categories;
Masc’s (The most “manly” on the food chain of humans)
Andro’s (Y Negatives that take steroids to enhance their masculine features, still looked down upon by society though.)
Y Negative (People born without the Y chromosome, therefore in this world less worthy, the scum, pretty much looked down upon by everyone…Including other Y Negative's)
Y Negatives are forced to carry babies for other families, normally large quantities before they can become Andro’s, they are paid to be surrogates and continue to reproduce as to maintain the human population. Families have a Father and a Dad. Like I said “Females” are no longer in existence, which in my mind confused me because Y Negatives are from what I read, Female. They have a vagina, (not called that in the book though) and they carry babies, and it was just very confusing… Not at all what I expected when I picked it up.
Overall even though I enjoyed learning about this new world and the relationships that developed, I didn’t quite connect to the individual characters. Both narrators left me very on the ledge, not quite sure whether I liked them or not. I felt like their relationships should have dragged a little more. It would have held my attention better!
This was a truly unique experience which in all honestly is what I look for in a book, so I decided to rate it 3.5 stars!
This title was generously provided by (RipTide Publishing) on NetGalley for a honest review!
January 20, 2016
Imagine a world with only one gender, the male. Only gay relationships. There would be no need to bigot or discriminate any longer, right?
WRONG!!
In this Dystopia world the male gender is divided into 4 sub-genders:
1 – The Mascs, they are truly 100% genetically male
2 – The Exins, also genetically male but with some abnormalities that makes them more feminine.
3 – The Andros, Y-negatives (genetically female) that have endured being surrogates for the human population and now are allowed to remove their breasts and start injecting male hormones.
4 – Y-negatives, lowest in the rank.
Ember is born as an Y-negative. He had surgery done and every week is injecting himself with a cocktail of testosterone. These are expensive and there is hardely any money left for food. But all is worth it because Ember is working hard to become a male. He is convinced he should have been a masc and is also working out all the time at the gym to grow THE muscles.
Ember’s life isn’t going well. He’s fighting everyday against his body and his struggle to make a future for himself. He has his own business but has trouble finding enough costumers to pay his injectives, rent money and food. And in this order...
Jess is a masc and offers Ember a job. They are going to the outside world of Atlanta to check the sensors that monitor how earth is recovering from the pollution. Everything is inexistent and they have also these acid rains.
Jess is a different. He doesn’t redicule or harass Y-negatives and he becomes friends with Ember. Relationships between mascs and Y-negatives are not illegal but are found disgusting. Ember tries to ignore his growing feelings towards Jess. But everything changes as Jess seems to return his feelings.
During a heavy acid rainstorm they are attacked by scavengers that apparently live in the outskirts. The scavengers were out to steal their goods. They are treated as prisoners and Jess will be used as ransom for his controlling father. Ultimately they are saved and separated from each other. And everything is back to normal again.
Ember goes back to his job but because he hasn’t had his shots for a long time, his body has lost their muscles and he loses his beard. The time in the scavenger’s camp has Ember thinking. Are these hormones he keeps injecting doing their job or is there something in them that’s just addictive??
“I forgot what I was fighting for.”
“And what’s that?”
“Myself. My right to exist. Because if I don’t fight for it, who will?”
I enjoyed this read. It was interesting but totally fucked up. In the end Jess and Ember choose for each other and you can already see things changing. People trying to accept their relationship and I would love to know if they’ll succeed more!!
The only negative thing I would want to say is that there was no information how the world had become one gender minded. A pitty.
November 17, 2015
Five fabulous stars!!!!!!
My gosh I truly enjoyed this story! It has a dystopian/sci fi feel to it and drew me in, holding my attention from the first word. It was just such a great read!!
I was rather curious when I saw this on NetGalley but requested it because it sounded interesting. I do like sci-fi as long as it doesn't have too much futuristic technology and this book was pitched at the right level. Both fans and non-fans of dystopian or sci fi fiction will enjoy this story about a world where gay relationships are the norm and straight relationships are scorned by society. This future version of our world where to be a man is to be a masc and anything else is substandard and a stigmatised Y negative or andro.
There are so many mm books to choose from but this one definitely has a distinctive edge.
In a society of men one would think that there would be equality but there isn't. Time and pollution has changed the human race and now there are only men but even within this gender differences keep people apart.
Ember is Y negative, although he is a man he takes injections to keep his muscular form because he is physically different to the mascs this sets him apart and leaves him open to abuse and violence. Despite living in a world where he is considered to be less than a man, he has his own business and persists in keeping focused on his physical abilities and his sense of self but his hearts desire is to be a masc. Worse than that he is attracted to mascs (men who are fully masculine with a male physical shape and the chromosomes to match). Ember knows that this is something he may desire but will never see, but things change when he gets a job working with Jesse.
Jesse is a masc but he is not someone who takes delight in humiliating others. He is focused on his father's research firm and keen to see the development of new technology that will help heal the barren land surrounding their towns. He recruits Ember as a tech specialist. Working with Ember challenges Jesse and helps him to understand what non-mascs experience and slowly as he and Ember face the challenges of the wasteland Jesse begins to draw closer to Ember seeing more than just the physical.
But there are challenges for both Jesse and Ember:
a highly damaged and poisonous environment,
a discriminating and judgemental society,
a race of wild people who live in the outskirts beyond the reach of the law,
a family that has expectations,
And the need to find scientific break throughs to help heal the earth.
I don't think I have the words to explain how brilliant this story is. It took me a bit of time to get to grips with the world building and the societal structure but the character of Ember portrayed this in a way that caught my imagination and also enabled me to empathise with him. Ember's challenges and frustrations are felt and experienced through his relationships with his family, his few friends, his desperate desire to be a masc and the challenges of running a business in a world that see him as less than perfect. But Ember is also courageous and visionary and not afraid to try and shape his life and a future for himself. In this story we participate in his struggles but also in his self discovery and when he finds himself working with a group of masc strangers his character comes alive and the story just flows.
And together with Jesse, Ember encounters the challenges of the outskirts, the challenges of the city and the challenge of staying alive.
I like stories that are different and worlds which are new and creative and the author has managed to do this in a really brilliant way.The story is gripping, the characters are all very different and engaging, and there is a sense of tension that threads it's way through the story, alerting us to the fact that anything can happen and that this is not a road that we have travelled before, or even a book that we have read before. And the story maintains this pace and this tension right to the very end.
My only gripe is the cover. The cover makes the story look as if the book is "like any other mm story" and it isn't. There are so many fantastic scenes in this book which would have captured something of the story far better than the cover of the single bloke in an anorak!
But moving on
This is a great story, both creative and unique, and well worth adding to the ever growing to read pile that we all have, but it is to be read sooner rather than later.
I hope to read more from this author in the future.
Copy provided by Riptide Publishing via NetGalley - Nice one!! Many thanks!
My gosh I truly enjoyed this story! It has a dystopian/sci fi feel to it and drew me in, holding my attention from the first word. It was just such a great read!!
I was rather curious when I saw this on NetGalley but requested it because it sounded interesting. I do like sci-fi as long as it doesn't have too much futuristic technology and this book was pitched at the right level. Both fans and non-fans of dystopian or sci fi fiction will enjoy this story about a world where gay relationships are the norm and straight relationships are scorned by society. This future version of our world where to be a man is to be a masc and anything else is substandard and a stigmatised Y negative or andro.
There are so many mm books to choose from but this one definitely has a distinctive edge.
In a society of men one would think that there would be equality but there isn't. Time and pollution has changed the human race and now there are only men but even within this gender differences keep people apart.
Ember is Y negative, although he is a man he takes injections to keep his muscular form because he is physically different to the mascs this sets him apart and leaves him open to abuse and violence. Despite living in a world where he is considered to be less than a man, he has his own business and persists in keeping focused on his physical abilities and his sense of self but his hearts desire is to be a masc. Worse than that he is attracted to mascs (men who are fully masculine with a male physical shape and the chromosomes to match). Ember knows that this is something he may desire but will never see, but things change when he gets a job working with Jesse.
Jesse is a masc but he is not someone who takes delight in humiliating others. He is focused on his father's research firm and keen to see the development of new technology that will help heal the barren land surrounding their towns. He recruits Ember as a tech specialist. Working with Ember challenges Jesse and helps him to understand what non-mascs experience and slowly as he and Ember face the challenges of the wasteland Jesse begins to draw closer to Ember seeing more than just the physical.
But there are challenges for both Jesse and Ember:
a highly damaged and poisonous environment,
a discriminating and judgemental society,
a race of wild people who live in the outskirts beyond the reach of the law,
a family that has expectations,
And the need to find scientific break throughs to help heal the earth.
I don't think I have the words to explain how brilliant this story is. It took me a bit of time to get to grips with the world building and the societal structure but the character of Ember portrayed this in a way that caught my imagination and also enabled me to empathise with him. Ember's challenges and frustrations are felt and experienced through his relationships with his family, his few friends, his desperate desire to be a masc and the challenges of running a business in a world that see him as less than perfect. But Ember is also courageous and visionary and not afraid to try and shape his life and a future for himself. In this story we participate in his struggles but also in his self discovery and when he finds himself working with a group of masc strangers his character comes alive and the story just flows.
And together with Jesse, Ember encounters the challenges of the outskirts, the challenges of the city and the challenge of staying alive.
I like stories that are different and worlds which are new and creative and the author has managed to do this in a really brilliant way.The story is gripping, the characters are all very different and engaging, and there is a sense of tension that threads it's way through the story, alerting us to the fact that anything can happen and that this is not a road that we have travelled before, or even a book that we have read before. And the story maintains this pace and this tension right to the very end.
My only gripe is the cover. The cover makes the story look as if the book is "like any other mm story" and it isn't. There are so many fantastic scenes in this book which would have captured something of the story far better than the cover of the single bloke in an anorak!
But moving on
This is a great story, both creative and unique, and well worth adding to the ever growing to read pile that we all have, but it is to be read sooner rather than later.
I hope to read more from this author in the future.
Copy provided by Riptide Publishing via NetGalley - Nice one!! Many thanks!
March 8, 2017
For a first novel Y Negative is an excellent achievement. Kelly Haworth has written one kick ass fantasy, which is also dystopian in nature and rather dark but not over the top nasty as some dystopian novels can be.
The basis of the story is obviously about genetic's and I'm sure a few people might relate it to other books but because I read a lot in this genre I found it had an original and refreshing storyline.
Without giving too much away you do not want to be male in this repressed world that is missing his Y chromosome. What they're subjected to is horrendous but with great writing and interesting MC's it makes for a sad but captivating thriller. I also think that Kelly Haworth could write a kick ass sequel to this book. It doesn't end as a cliffhanger but it ends with a multitude of excellent possibilities.
The basis of the story is obviously about genetic's and I'm sure a few people might relate it to other books but because I read a lot in this genre I found it had an original and refreshing storyline.
Without giving too much away you do not want to be male in this repressed world that is missing his Y chromosome. What they're subjected to is horrendous but with great writing and interesting MC's it makes for a sad but captivating thriller. I also think that Kelly Haworth could write a kick ass sequel to this book. It doesn't end as a cliffhanger but it ends with a multitude of excellent possibilities.
November 18, 2015
4.5 star review by The Blogger Girls.
This story was unlike any I’ve read before. There is a lot of worldbuilding in this dystopian futuristic society where the world has all but been destroyed. Most of society lives in the city where everything is carefully controlled, from the air to the food and even the people to a degree.
Outside the city is a vast wasteland that is monitored and tested for signs of recovery. It is out here where most of the story takes place.
Then there are the people and where the story really hits new territory. There are basically no women. Men are considered mascs. Jess is a masc. Ember is a Y negative, or a female who is basically a trans. Ember is addicted to taking the hormones that at least make him appear more masc, using every available fund to pay for the shots. There is a lot of bullying about the Y negatives, as they are looked down upon in a big way. Gay relationships are the norm here, and since Y negatives are not considered actual men, they take a lot of heat for it. It was tricky to follow, but worth hanging in for.
Jess does research at his father’s firm. He offers Ember a job as the IT specialist for an expedition to the wasteland. Jess is not a normal masc in that he doesn’t believe in bashing/shaming the Y negatives, and, in fact, is actually curious about what it is like to be one. The two become friends and then lovers as their relationship grows. This was a very emotional based relationship, as opposed to sexual, though there was that as well. They face many problems, both in the wasteland, as well as back in the city once they return.
While this story was very different and a bit confusing at times, it was so interesting that I kept turning pages to try and understand, figure out and see where things would go next. There is a lot going on plot-wise which really kept things exciting. I loved that it kept my interest in so many different ways. It was extremely unique and unlike any mm story out there. If you are able to open your mind to the possibilities in this story, you will see a lot of color in an otherwise very gray world. I’ll definitely be looking for more from Ms. Haworth in the future.
November 18, 2015
Y Negative was generously provided to me by the publisher, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review
Wow. So, that was one of the most usual stories I've read in a while. I wasn't, at all, sure what to expect when I requested this book from Netgalley, but the blurb sounded really interesting. And so was the book.
Y Negative takes place in a future where women no longer exist - but that isn't really true. They're still there, it's just that the male pronouns are used to refer to everyone. And Y negative individuals - ie women - are only used as surrogates for the mascs, or the genetic men. After they perform their duty several times they have their breasts surgically removed and start taking testosterone to more fit in with the womenless society. At this point, they are referred to as andros.
Except, that doesn't work, either - shocking, I know. Andros are treated lower than second class and no matter what they do, they are never accepted into society. And don't even think about mixing with the mascs, oh, no. Families are made up of a Father and a Dad and whatever children they they commission from surrogates. This is such a fucked up system and really reminded me of A Handmaid's Tale. And andros pretty much only mix with each other and sames with the mascs. It was just...odd.
Ember is a genetic Y negative. But the difference between him and most other andros around, is that he really feels like he should be a masc. In his brain, he is a masc. But his body just isn't right. He does everything he can to look masc - he exercises as much as he can, he takes protein supplements, he does what he has to to bulk up, but it isn't enough. He even takes as many black market testosterone injections as he can manage, but still, he doesn't fit in. Society is still a problem and he still gets beat down at every turn. Ember only wants to find himself a masc who will love him for who he is. But that's just a pipe dream. So he's lonely and because business is slow and he refuses to miss a dose of his testosterone, he's also often hungry.
Jess is the oldest son of a very wealthy man. Jess is a masc, but while his Father is a ruthless businessman, his Dad was more compassionate. Jess takes after his Dad, though, and never quite grasped why andros should be treated with such disdain. As the book progressed, we get to know Jess a little bit, but not as much as I would have liked. While I felt like I kind of knew Ember, by the end, I still didn't really feel all that close to Jess, except to feel he was a nice guy.
Where Y Negative kind of lost me is that we never find out how it is that society devolved to the point where there is only one gender pronoun. The ruined environment, I can only assume we did ourselves with the endless greed and war that we see all around us. But the no women thing? I never got why.
Also, the last 20% of the book was mostly just depressing. Ember's and Jess's separation lasted way too long and once they finally got back together, we don't at all see the struggles that they will undoubtedly go through as a couple. The story just kind of ends.
What I'm left with is me just trying to process. It wasn't a bad story, it was very unique and I thought the first 80% or so was pretty good. Around a 3.5, I think. But that last 20%, just kind of lost me. It was entirely about Embers suffering, and at no time do we see how Jess is doing. So, with that, I'd call this a 3 star *mixed feelings* read.
Wow. So, that was one of the most usual stories I've read in a while. I wasn't, at all, sure what to expect when I requested this book from Netgalley, but the blurb sounded really interesting. And so was the book.
Y Negative takes place in a future where women no longer exist - but that isn't really true. They're still there, it's just that the male pronouns are used to refer to everyone. And Y negative individuals - ie women - are only used as surrogates for the mascs, or the genetic men. After they perform their duty several times they have their breasts surgically removed and start taking testosterone to more fit in with the womenless society. At this point, they are referred to as andros.
Except, that doesn't work, either - shocking, I know. Andros are treated lower than second class and no matter what they do, they are never accepted into society. And don't even think about mixing with the mascs, oh, no. Families are made up of a Father and a Dad and whatever children they they commission from surrogates. This is such a fucked up system and really reminded me of A Handmaid's Tale. And andros pretty much only mix with each other and sames with the mascs. It was just...odd.
Ember is a genetic Y negative. But the difference between him and most other andros around, is that he really feels like he should be a masc. In his brain, he is a masc. But his body just isn't right. He does everything he can to look masc - he exercises as much as he can, he takes protein supplements, he does what he has to to bulk up, but it isn't enough. He even takes as many black market testosterone injections as he can manage, but still, he doesn't fit in. Society is still a problem and he still gets beat down at every turn. Ember only wants to find himself a masc who will love him for who he is. But that's just a pipe dream. So he's lonely and because business is slow and he refuses to miss a dose of his testosterone, he's also often hungry.
Jess is the oldest son of a very wealthy man. Jess is a masc, but while his Father is a ruthless businessman, his Dad was more compassionate. Jess takes after his Dad, though, and never quite grasped why andros should be treated with such disdain. As the book progressed, we get to know Jess a little bit, but not as much as I would have liked. While I felt like I kind of knew Ember, by the end, I still didn't really feel all that close to Jess, except to feel he was a nice guy.
Where Y Negative kind of lost me is that we never find out how it is that society devolved to the point where there is only one gender pronoun. The ruined environment, I can only assume we did ourselves with the endless greed and war that we see all around us. But the no women thing? I never got why.
Also, the last 20% of the book was mostly just depressing. Ember's and Jess's separation lasted way too long and once they finally got back together, we don't at all see the struggles that they will undoubtedly go through as a couple. The story just kind of ends.
What I'm left with is me just trying to process. It wasn't a bad story, it was very unique and I thought the first 80% or so was pretty good. Around a 3.5, I think. But that last 20%, just kind of lost me. It was entirely about Embers suffering, and at no time do we see how Jess is doing. So, with that, I'd call this a 3 star *mixed feelings* read.
September 19, 2015
“So I was just born bad and you’re bad by choice?”
In this case, being born bad, is having the misfortune to be Y Negative. You may expect a life of prejudice and antagonism. Y Negatives strive to be accepted as male using both weekly testosterone injections and surgery, but their 'andro' status is viewed with scepticism and hostility, and therefore they mostly keep to themselves.
In this skewed world Ember lives as an andro and struggles to pay his rent, buy his weekly injection and pay for groceries. Despite being talented and knowledgeable about repairing and upgrading technology, work is not always easy to come by. Ember finally gets a well paid month long gig traveling into the wilderness with a team of corporate researchers, to keep their technology repaired from the sustained acid rain.
Hired by Jess, a privileged male - a 'masc'- and the son and heir to the owner of the company. The rest of the team is shocked to be spending a month in the wilderness with an andro. Andros and mascs are rarely in each others company and the atmosphere is strained.
Spending time together, Jess and Ember feel an
growing attraction between them, much to their teammates shock.
The world building is believable and interesting; however it would be fair to say I struggled to fully understand the concept of the prejudice against Y Negatives. Brighter people than me could probably get their heads around this much more quickly. Essentially, being 'het'is dimly viewed, therefore Ember looking for a relationship with a masc rather than another andro is an almost hopeless prospect (especially given the scorn and contempt he endures already).
I found the story intriguing despite my head melting as I tried to comprehend the sexuality and mores of this future world...Surely, if you are born female or Y Negative and undergo surgery, take additional testosterone and refer to yourself as he, does that not suggest you identify as male? In which case surely being attracted to a guy is not het?...I am confused. My mind does all kind of mental gymnastics. I wish that all this made more sense to me, but I think it is my ignorance rather than the book at fault.
I enjoyed my own mental gymnastics and struggles to understand, the story was a thought provoking glimpse into a dystopian future.
We journey from life in the city, to the wilderness and return to the city. Following Ember's traumatic experiences in the wild, he re-evaluates his life and priorities based on new understandings.
I struggled with Ember, I never particularly warmed to him. I suppose his strength and endurance are admirable, but as a person I could take or leave him and on the whole I would probably leave him - clearly not an ideal response to a main character. He's a bit whingy in truth, which I sincerely hope is his personality, and not a comment on his Y Negative origins; on the other hand if I lived in his world I might grumble too. I found it difficult to imagine why he would be attractive to Jess.
Y Negative is an interesting and unusual novel, full of unexpected twists and a scarily dystopian theme of prejudice. Dive in and enjoy it will certainly give you pause for thought,
* I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review *
July 17, 2016
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
One of the things I loved about this book was that it really turned sexuality on its head. There are no women, at least none in the traditional sense. The people once called women are now called Y-Negatives. So for those born Y-Negative, they generally had women’s genitals. Or at least, they mutilated themselves so they would have them. Or something. I didn’t really get that part. A Y-Negative is forced to be a surrogate for the majority of their lives. Generally, guys hired surrogates, but they never saw them or interacted them. The surrogate is forced to have the baby, then the baby goes to the new parents and the surrogate never sees the baby at all. They are called Andros and then guys born with the Y chromosome are called mascs. If an andro is attracted to mascs, then they are called “het.” (Get it? Heterosexual?). And this is really, really frowned upon, kind of like some people frowning on homosexuality. Ember is one such andro. He doesn’t tell many people about his attraction to mascs because people frown on it. Mascs treat Andros like they aren’t people. Andros are basically a lower class of people. There were so many interesting concepts the author introduced regarding gender and sexuality that my head was spinning. It was interesting that behavior that would be classified as heterosexual is what is frowned upon in this society. The problem was that there was so much confusion and the author introduced many terms, but didn’t really explain them. For instance, there was yet another class of people (higher than an andro, apparently) who were exins. But I have no clue how an exin was different from an andro or a masc.
When Ember meets Jess (a masc), there is an instant attraction. Personally, I didn’t feel the chemistry. Jess was attracted pretty quickly and then there were declarations of love after a few weeks of knowing each other. Okay, so another part that confused me was the location of where everyone lived. I mean, I get they lived in Atlanta. But when Jess and Ember went somewhere for work (Kansas City, I think), there was still tons of acid rain and they had to be careful about being covered when outside. Then there were scavengers, who were people . . . who did something, somewhere and no one like them. Yeah, I didn’t get it either. I didn’t get why Atlanta was fine and everywhere else was dangerous. I didn’t understand why the scavengers were or what they were looking for or why there was a need for them to sign some kind of peace treaty. Then there was an allusion to a secret Jess’s father (a big researcher) was keeping and some kind of fraud or something. Seriously, so much missing information. I was totally and completely lost.
As far as the relationship between Jess and Ember, I don’t feel much time was put into it and I don’t feel like much changed. Ember was actually as disgusted with the Y-Negative body as anyone else. He took testosterone on a regular basis and was obsessed with working out so he could look like as much of a masc as possible. He was as prejudiced as anyone. But he never changed. He still had the same feelings at the end of the book. The ending was just sort of boring because nothing changed. Nobody’s feelings changed and it just fell flat.
One of the things I loved about this book was that it really turned sexuality on its head. There are no women, at least none in the traditional sense. The people once called women are now called Y-Negatives. So for those born Y-Negative, they generally had women’s genitals. Or at least, they mutilated themselves so they would have them. Or something. I didn’t really get that part. A Y-Negative is forced to be a surrogate for the majority of their lives. Generally, guys hired surrogates, but they never saw them or interacted them. The surrogate is forced to have the baby, then the baby goes to the new parents and the surrogate never sees the baby at all. They are called Andros and then guys born with the Y chromosome are called mascs. If an andro is attracted to mascs, then they are called “het.” (Get it? Heterosexual?). And this is really, really frowned upon, kind of like some people frowning on homosexuality. Ember is one such andro. He doesn’t tell many people about his attraction to mascs because people frown on it. Mascs treat Andros like they aren’t people. Andros are basically a lower class of people. There were so many interesting concepts the author introduced regarding gender and sexuality that my head was spinning. It was interesting that behavior that would be classified as heterosexual is what is frowned upon in this society. The problem was that there was so much confusion and the author introduced many terms, but didn’t really explain them. For instance, there was yet another class of people (higher than an andro, apparently) who were exins. But I have no clue how an exin was different from an andro or a masc.
When Ember meets Jess (a masc), there is an instant attraction. Personally, I didn’t feel the chemistry. Jess was attracted pretty quickly and then there were declarations of love after a few weeks of knowing each other. Okay, so another part that confused me was the location of where everyone lived. I mean, I get they lived in Atlanta. But when Jess and Ember went somewhere for work (Kansas City, I think), there was still tons of acid rain and they had to be careful about being covered when outside. Then there were scavengers, who were people . . . who did something, somewhere and no one like them. Yeah, I didn’t get it either. I didn’t get why Atlanta was fine and everywhere else was dangerous. I didn’t understand why the scavengers were or what they were looking for or why there was a need for them to sign some kind of peace treaty. Then there was an allusion to a secret Jess’s father (a big researcher) was keeping and some kind of fraud or something. Seriously, so much missing information. I was totally and completely lost.
As far as the relationship between Jess and Ember, I don’t feel much time was put into it and I don’t feel like much changed. Ember was actually as disgusted with the Y-Negative body as anyone else. He took testosterone on a regular basis and was obsessed with working out so he could look like as much of a masc as possible. He was as prejudiced as anyone. But he never changed. He still had the same feelings at the end of the book. The ending was just sort of boring because nothing changed. Nobody’s feelings changed and it just fell flat.
March 17, 2019
3.5 Stars
I liked this more than the rating probably suggests. The world-building was kind of confusing and I'm still not sure why the world is post-apocalypic (neither are the characters, though) and why the default is "male" when there are clearly XX chromosomal females. I'm sure the message is in there somewhere but I had a hard time teasing it out.
What I loved, absolutely loved, was Ember's journey. He's desperate to be a Masc...not to fit in or have a better life (not necessarily; although Y-Negs and Andros ARE treated as lesser) but because he feels like his body is wrong. He's had top surgery, takes black-market testosterone, works out religiously, dresses as a Masc. And still he hates his body, because as much as he works to look like a Masc, act like a Masc, he's still quite often recognized as Y-Neg (softer jawline and wider hips are two traits frequently mentioned). He's been forced to give birth, hates the stretchmarks and extra skin. Resents the people/government/? that made him go through that so many times. And he's also sexually attracted to Mascs. Most of whom find that disgusting or only use him to satisfy a kink or for convenience. Because, in this world, homosexuality is the default, and with him being genetically Not-Male, his orientation is seen as a perversion.
(The reversal of modern-day expectations/norms/etc. was also interesting. The cause of it just wasn't well-explained.)
I think, had this just been a FTM trans* story, without all the SciFi trappings, it would have been just as good. Maybe even better. Those were the truly engaging parts of this book.
I liked this more than the rating probably suggests. The world-building was kind of confusing and I'm still not sure why the world is post-apocalypic (neither are the characters, though) and why the default is "male" when there are clearly XX chromosomal females. I'm sure the message is in there somewhere but I had a hard time teasing it out.
What I loved, absolutely loved, was Ember's journey. He's desperate to be a Masc...not to fit in or have a better life (not necessarily; although Y-Negs and Andros ARE treated as lesser) but because he feels like his body is wrong. He's had top surgery, takes black-market testosterone, works out religiously, dresses as a Masc. And still he hates his body, because as much as he works to look like a Masc, act like a Masc, he's still quite often recognized as Y-Neg (softer jawline and wider hips are two traits frequently mentioned). He's been forced to give birth, hates the stretchmarks and extra skin. Resents the people/government/? that made him go through that so many times. And he's also sexually attracted to Mascs. Most of whom find that disgusting or only use him to satisfy a kink or for convenience. Because, in this world, homosexuality is the default, and with him being genetically Not-Male, his orientation is seen as a perversion.
(The reversal of modern-day expectations/norms/etc. was also interesting. The cause of it just wasn't well-explained.)
I think, had this just been a FTM trans* story, without all the SciFi trappings, it would have been just as good. Maybe even better. Those were the truly engaging parts of this book.
April 4, 2019
3.5 Stars I am fascinated by post-apocalyptic stories and the world building that some authors can perform. The description for 'Y Negative' interested me immediately. I couldn't imagine a world where the gender equivalent of female had disappeared and been replaced with Y Negatives. These people account for one fifth of the population, having no Y chromosome bundles on either X chromosome. They are not referred to as females, girls, ladies, or women. Everything in this world has a male designation, although the Y Negatives are also referred to as andros.
The Y Negatives are all required to do their surrogacy duty, once they're of age, and the government pays them for it. Once that duty is fulfilled, these Y Negatives have their breasts removed, and begin taking testosterone injections. There are no het pairings, and the majority of andros fulfill their needs with one another. Except Ember has no interest in other andros, he's het and only wants mascs, and he's paid the price for it his entire life by being beaten up, mocked, and ridiculed. In fact, all andros are treated poorly by the mascs.
Jess is in college working to get his credentials, so he can further study the environment and try to help repair some of the damage done. Jess's Father owns the R&D company that designs and develops much of the new advances. Unfortunately Jess's father is intimidating, and Jess doesn't know how to tell him that he doesn't want to work in the company labs; that instead, he wants to spend his time at the stations doing the field work his dad did.
Jess hires Ember, as his computer tech specialist, to accompany his team for a month as they travel to various environmental stations to check on upgrades, perform maintenance, etc. The money offered is the only incentive that gets Ember to spend a month in close confines with four mascs. Unfortunately for Ember, he starts to develop an attraction to Jess. What he can't believe is when Jess appears to return it.
“Yes . . . Why are you—” Doubt collapsed my throat.
“I’m trying to understand why everyone says this is wrong.” His whispers eased occasionally into the deep resonance of his voice. The sound reverberated through me.
“Have you figured it out?” I asked, and he squeezed my hip. “No.”
The Outskirts is the land outside the cities, and where not only the stations are, but where the scavengers live. Scavengers consist of mascs and Y Negatives who've left the cities, tired of the bureaucracies, and for the negatives tired of being told what they can and can't do, and being forced to mutilate themselves with testosterone injections in the hope they'll be accepted. These men live out on the land, dealing with the scars they get from the acid rain, and the sunburns from the heat they can't escape. They raid and kill just to survive while scorning those who live in the cities. After an attack where Ember is injured, Jess races him to a scavenger settlement when he learns they have a doctor. Jess willingly undergoes their barbaric treatment of him, just to get Ember what he needs. But it will be up to the two of them to save their lives and get home.
I'm at a conflict regarding my feelings about this novel. I think the author did a really wonderful job at world building and creating a storyline I've never seen before. However, throughout the whole book I kept waiting for something…I'm not even sure what…but it felt as if the author was taking me somewhere exciting, and then I was just left, waiting. This is only my personal opinion. I liked the characters although I wished Jess had been stronger, but Ember is definitely worth a read. Overall, I enjoyed the post-apocalyptic and dystopian aspects, so if that's something you really enjoy, then this might be the right book for you.
NOTE: This book was provided by Riptide Publishing for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews
The Y Negatives are all required to do their surrogacy duty, once they're of age, and the government pays them for it. Once that duty is fulfilled, these Y Negatives have their breasts removed, and begin taking testosterone injections. There are no het pairings, and the majority of andros fulfill their needs with one another. Except Ember has no interest in other andros, he's het and only wants mascs, and he's paid the price for it his entire life by being beaten up, mocked, and ridiculed. In fact, all andros are treated poorly by the mascs.
Jess is in college working to get his credentials, so he can further study the environment and try to help repair some of the damage done. Jess's Father owns the R&D company that designs and develops much of the new advances. Unfortunately Jess's father is intimidating, and Jess doesn't know how to tell him that he doesn't want to work in the company labs; that instead, he wants to spend his time at the stations doing the field work his dad did.
Jess hires Ember, as his computer tech specialist, to accompany his team for a month as they travel to various environmental stations to check on upgrades, perform maintenance, etc. The money offered is the only incentive that gets Ember to spend a month in close confines with four mascs. Unfortunately for Ember, he starts to develop an attraction to Jess. What he can't believe is when Jess appears to return it.
“Yes . . . Why are you—” Doubt collapsed my throat.
“I’m trying to understand why everyone says this is wrong.” His whispers eased occasionally into the deep resonance of his voice. The sound reverberated through me.
“Have you figured it out?” I asked, and he squeezed my hip. “No.”
The Outskirts is the land outside the cities, and where not only the stations are, but where the scavengers live. Scavengers consist of mascs and Y Negatives who've left the cities, tired of the bureaucracies, and for the negatives tired of being told what they can and can't do, and being forced to mutilate themselves with testosterone injections in the hope they'll be accepted. These men live out on the land, dealing with the scars they get from the acid rain, and the sunburns from the heat they can't escape. They raid and kill just to survive while scorning those who live in the cities. After an attack where Ember is injured, Jess races him to a scavenger settlement when he learns they have a doctor. Jess willingly undergoes their barbaric treatment of him, just to get Ember what he needs. But it will be up to the two of them to save their lives and get home.
I'm at a conflict regarding my feelings about this novel. I think the author did a really wonderful job at world building and creating a storyline I've never seen before. However, throughout the whole book I kept waiting for something…I'm not even sure what…but it felt as if the author was taking me somewhere exciting, and then I was just left, waiting. This is only my personal opinion. I liked the characters although I wished Jess had been stronger, but Ember is definitely worth a read. Overall, I enjoyed the post-apocalyptic and dystopian aspects, so if that's something you really enjoy, then this might be the right book for you.
NOTE: This book was provided by Riptide Publishing for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews
September 5, 2016
I absolutely loved this book. Although a little confusing at first, it completely absorbed me and I found that I couldn't put it down. I read it with a buddy, and we talked about it for hours.
Yes, there are issues that aren't completely developed, but that's what sequels are for. I just found Ember so endearing and the romance so compelling that none of that matters. And the premise--so interesting! What an imagination the author has, and what a great storyteller she is.
This isn't a story for nitpickers, but if you're the kind of person who can suspend disbelief, I highly recommend it!
Yes, there are issues that aren't completely developed, but that's what sequels are for. I just found Ember so endearing and the romance so compelling that none of that matters. And the premise--so interesting! What an imagination the author has, and what a great storyteller she is.
This isn't a story for nitpickers, but if you're the kind of person who can suspend disbelief, I highly recommend it!
February 22, 2016
Wow. Just wow. I was/am just completely blown away by this novel. I'm not sure what to do with myself after finishing it and I wish I hadn't finished it yet, or that maybe there was a sequel. Amazing book.
Read
November 27, 2015DNF @ 55%
I rarely flounce. But this time I just couldn't read on.
I'm sorry.
It's a great story, just not for me.
Flounced - no rating.
I rarely flounce. But this time I just couldn't read on.
I'm sorry.
It's a great story, just not for me.
Flounced - no rating.
November 29, 2015
I received a copy of this title to read and review for Wicked Reads
5 Stars
In the last surviving cities of a ruined world, the concept of “woman” has been forgotten to history.
Genre: Dystopian | MM Romance (but not) | Transgender (but not) | Government influence affecting societal actions and reactions (Brainwashing the sheep) | Violence | Dark & Twisted | Heat-level: low (story-driven) |
The first thought that came to my mind upon finishing Y Negative, "I hope there is a sequel- I'd read it in a heartbeat!"
I'm not entirely sure how to review this, to the point I refused to read other reviews prior to doing so, not wanting their undue influence. So this review is running on my turbulent emotions.
My first thoughts upon starting Y Negative, "OH! I know what the author has in store!" I wanted to seek Kelly Haworth out and give a high five, but not for the reasons you'd think.
(I'm sure the author wanted to highlight how idiotic bigotry is by showing it in reverse)
I belong to an MM group where most of the fans are anti-lady-bits, to the point they won't read a book which has any in it. Here is a dystopian world comprised of all MEN, in a world without women. Sounds like it's totally up their alley, doesn't it? "Who mutilated you?" I make no judgments- read whatever entertains you. But some go as far as to call their own sexuality GROSS in their quest to read books that are about tolerance and acceptance, not realizing they are being biased against what inherently makes them who they are. If there was ever a book to draw this to attention, Y Negative (as in XX) would be it.
Tolerance and acceptance should be across the board, toward yourself and others. To accept anyone who is different than yourself shouldn't mean you can't accept who you are. It isn't an either/or situation. Read whatever trips your trigger, but don't act like an entire gender or persuasion should be off-limits. Y Negative shows this perfectly.
I was rabid while reading Y Negative, annoyed when interrupted even for a minute. The concept was so intriguing, my mind was blown.
MIND BLOWN
Now, the other reason I can't truly give a thorough review, because to dissect the book is to give important plot points away that would ruin it for readers. This is a book I'd suggest you read with a buddy, someone you could chat with during and after, to pick apart the meaning of things, whether it was what the author meant to create or not.
My thoughts, because I didn't get to do a buddy-read: aside from the warped bigotry, which makes a person think- control in general, but population control. If all you had was men, and men who wanted children had to request to have children, the population was controlled with children only given to those who the government deemed deserving. How do you do this? Remove the concept of women, and make it taboo for het coupling, which would result in a child if the government didn't sterilize the Y Neg. Ember wished to transition into someone he was not only because that was the only way he could be with who he genetically desired (If he was as masculine as possible, it wouldn't be a het coupling anymore, would it?). Among a billion other things rattling around in my head.
Y Negative is a thought-provoking read, and that is a very good thing indeed.
________
One drawback: The world building was intriguing, but in a world with one gender (XY) divided by other types, it was never truly explained what those types represent. I can't go into detail, not wishing to spoil the reading experience, but I understood what meant what except for one type mentioned only a handful of times (whatever Kacy was supposed to be) I never could put a finger on what that 'gender' was.
_______
For those who are adamant against anything but males in their MM reads, unless you have an open mind, no matter how much I want you to read this book, I don't want you to read this and get angry with the author. Even if I'd get a kick out of you reading an MM with this narrator. But then again, since it's not driven by between-the-sheets action... Just don't say I didn't warn you that this is NOT traditional MM romance.
5 Stars
In the last surviving cities of a ruined world, the concept of “woman” has been forgotten to history.
Genre: Dystopian | MM Romance (but not) | Transgender (but not) | Government influence affecting societal actions and reactions (Brainwashing the sheep) | Violence | Dark & Twisted | Heat-level: low (story-driven) |
The first thought that came to my mind upon finishing Y Negative, "I hope there is a sequel- I'd read it in a heartbeat!"
I'm not entirely sure how to review this, to the point I refused to read other reviews prior to doing so, not wanting their undue influence. So this review is running on my turbulent emotions.
My first thoughts upon starting Y Negative, "OH! I know what the author has in store!" I wanted to seek Kelly Haworth out and give a high five, but not for the reasons you'd think.
(I'm sure the author wanted to highlight how idiotic bigotry is by showing it in reverse)
I belong to an MM group where most of the fans are anti-lady-bits, to the point they won't read a book which has any in it. Here is a dystopian world comprised of all MEN, in a world without women. Sounds like it's totally up their alley, doesn't it? "Who mutilated you?" I make no judgments- read whatever entertains you. But some go as far as to call their own sexuality GROSS in their quest to read books that are about tolerance and acceptance, not realizing they are being biased against what inherently makes them who they are. If there was ever a book to draw this to attention, Y Negative (as in XX) would be it.
Tolerance and acceptance should be across the board, toward yourself and others. To accept anyone who is different than yourself shouldn't mean you can't accept who you are. It isn't an either/or situation. Read whatever trips your trigger, but don't act like an entire gender or persuasion should be off-limits. Y Negative shows this perfectly.
I was rabid while reading Y Negative, annoyed when interrupted even for a minute. The concept was so intriguing, my mind was blown.
MIND BLOWN
Now, the other reason I can't truly give a thorough review, because to dissect the book is to give important plot points away that would ruin it for readers. This is a book I'd suggest you read with a buddy, someone you could chat with during and after, to pick apart the meaning of things, whether it was what the author meant to create or not.
My thoughts, because I didn't get to do a buddy-read: aside from the warped bigotry, which makes a person think- control in general, but population control. If all you had was men, and men who wanted children had to request to have children, the population was controlled with children only given to those who the government deemed deserving. How do you do this? Remove the concept of women, and make it taboo for het coupling, which would result in a child if the government didn't sterilize the Y Neg. Ember wished to transition into someone he was not only because that was the only way he could be with who he genetically desired (If he was as masculine as possible, it wouldn't be a het coupling anymore, would it?). Among a billion other things rattling around in my head.
Y Negative is a thought-provoking read, and that is a very good thing indeed.
________
One drawback: The world building was intriguing, but in a world with one gender (XY) divided by other types, it was never truly explained what those types represent. I can't go into detail, not wishing to spoil the reading experience, but I understood what meant what except for one type mentioned only a handful of times (whatever Kacy was supposed to be) I never could put a finger on what that 'gender' was.
_______
For those who are adamant against anything but males in their MM reads, unless you have an open mind, no matter how much I want you to read this book, I don't want you to read this and get angry with the author. Even if I'd get a kick out of you reading an MM with this narrator. But then again, since it's not driven by between-the-sheets action... Just don't say I didn't warn you that this is NOT traditional MM romance.
September 5, 2016
I've read in a lot of the other comments that this world Kelly Haworth created is really confusing to them. For some reason, it wasn't for me. Sure, there were some aspects that seemed a bit foreign but nothing I couldn't get into after reading the first few chapters.
This is just a really good book from the first to the last sentence. I wish there was a sequel.
A friend of mine said to just ask for one, so here I go:
Dear Kelly, I loved your book. Please write a sequel! :P
This is just a really good book from the first to the last sentence. I wish there was a sequel.
A friend of mine said to just ask for one, so here I go:
Dear Kelly, I loved your book. Please write a sequel! :P
March 5, 2016
This is sort of a HET-for-you..... but it isn't because there are not any 'women' in the book. Just different types of men...kinda. Wow it's so hard to explain.
This was amazing.... Wish there was more but also glad with the way it ended.
This isn't a typical Romance book and there isn't the MM sex you usually expect. You don't miss it. It's there just different.
Loved it and wish more people read it.
This was amazing.... Wish there was more but also glad with the way it ended.
This isn't a typical Romance book and there isn't the MM sex you usually expect. You don't miss it. It's there just different.
Loved it and wish more people read it.
May 5, 2019
Around 3.5 stars?
November 18, 2015
4.5 stars
This is not your typical M/M romance and that is one of the reasons I loved it so freaking much. I love it when authors push the boundaries and manage to create something both unique and well-written.
This is basically a dystopian tale, but the focus is on sexuality and gender rather than what happened to the planet. That’s not to say there isn’t any world building because that isn’t the case, not at all. In fact the world building is phenomenal, it’s just not the usual type that occurs in sci fi and dystopian novels.
In the book there are no longer women, not really anyway. For some reason gay males, referred to as mascs, are now the dominant and preferred sexuality and gender. They basically rule the world, think white privilege, and get the best jobs, lives, etc.
People born Y negative are required to carry children for gay couples several times before they are free to live their own lives. Not that they have many choices. Y negs, also called Andros, have a hard time finding good paying jobs and are often bullied and ostracized by the mascs. Many Y negs take testosterone and work out attempting to look more masculine, even though it doesn’t help them fit in at all.
Ember is one such Y neg who busts his ass exercising and spends every possible dime on injections. He hates every aspect of being a Y neg, including that he should only date and sleep with other Andros. He’s only drawn to mascs which sucks because most mascs would rather beat him up than have anything to do with him.
Jess is a slightly different type of masc. He’s always lived his life as expected, which includes being involved with his own ‘kind.’ However, unlike others, including his boyfriend, he isn’t offended by Y negs and doesn’t understand the need to bully them or treat them like lower life forms.
Jess hires Ember, a computer expert, to join a team Jess is taking into the wilds to work on equipment owned by his father. There’s quite a bit of drama in the group, especially since most of the group, including Jess’s boyfriend, hate having a Y neg on the team. It sucks for Ember not just because of the treatment by the other men, but also because he is hopelessly drawn to Jess. Jess feels the same but is torn because he isn’t supposed to feel that way.
Though Ember lives on a male and seeks to become masculine, he is, biologically, a female. Due to his attraction to mascs that makes him het. Some would say that makes this not an m/m story but I would disagree, after all he lives as a male. And for those worried about female parts in a gay story, no need to avoid this stellar tale on that account. Though Ember and Jess do have sex it’s handled skillfully without explicit mentions of Ember’s female anatomy.
The issues Jess and Ember face in this world are the same gay men and women deal with in the real world. People say they shouldn’t be together and they have to overcome other people’s perceptions and beliefs to forge a life together.
I absolutely loved the author’s prose in many parts. She really knows how to set a scene.
I strode down the hall, in shadow, light, shadow, light. Outside, hot sticky air greeted me.
I laughed at this line that works as a subtle nod to the gay for you trope.
“What, ‘cause you’re a negative and I’m het for you?”
There’s a lot of action in the book, but what I loved most were the times Jess and Ember were together. I wasn’t sure there was going to be a happily ever after because I wasn’t sure it would be possible, but the author does a splendid job giving Jess and Ember their HEA and making it unbelievable.
Ever readers who aren’t fans of Sci Fi and dystopian books should give this one a chance. At its heart is a sweet romance all readers could enjoy.
This is not your typical M/M romance and that is one of the reasons I loved it so freaking much. I love it when authors push the boundaries and manage to create something both unique and well-written.
This is basically a dystopian tale, but the focus is on sexuality and gender rather than what happened to the planet. That’s not to say there isn’t any world building because that isn’t the case, not at all. In fact the world building is phenomenal, it’s just not the usual type that occurs in sci fi and dystopian novels.
In the book there are no longer women, not really anyway. For some reason gay males, referred to as mascs, are now the dominant and preferred sexuality and gender. They basically rule the world, think white privilege, and get the best jobs, lives, etc.
People born Y negative are required to carry children for gay couples several times before they are free to live their own lives. Not that they have many choices. Y negs, also called Andros, have a hard time finding good paying jobs and are often bullied and ostracized by the mascs. Many Y negs take testosterone and work out attempting to look more masculine, even though it doesn’t help them fit in at all.
Ember is one such Y neg who busts his ass exercising and spends every possible dime on injections. He hates every aspect of being a Y neg, including that he should only date and sleep with other Andros. He’s only drawn to mascs which sucks because most mascs would rather beat him up than have anything to do with him.
Jess is a slightly different type of masc. He’s always lived his life as expected, which includes being involved with his own ‘kind.’ However, unlike others, including his boyfriend, he isn’t offended by Y negs and doesn’t understand the need to bully them or treat them like lower life forms.
Jess hires Ember, a computer expert, to join a team Jess is taking into the wilds to work on equipment owned by his father. There’s quite a bit of drama in the group, especially since most of the group, including Jess’s boyfriend, hate having a Y neg on the team. It sucks for Ember not just because of the treatment by the other men, but also because he is hopelessly drawn to Jess. Jess feels the same but is torn because he isn’t supposed to feel that way.
Though Ember lives on a male and seeks to become masculine, he is, biologically, a female. Due to his attraction to mascs that makes him het. Some would say that makes this not an m/m story but I would disagree, after all he lives as a male. And for those worried about female parts in a gay story, no need to avoid this stellar tale on that account. Though Ember and Jess do have sex it’s handled skillfully without explicit mentions of Ember’s female anatomy.
The issues Jess and Ember face in this world are the same gay men and women deal with in the real world. People say they shouldn’t be together and they have to overcome other people’s perceptions and beliefs to forge a life together.
I absolutely loved the author’s prose in many parts. She really knows how to set a scene.
I strode down the hall, in shadow, light, shadow, light. Outside, hot sticky air greeted me.
I laughed at this line that works as a subtle nod to the gay for you trope.
“What, ‘cause you’re a negative and I’m het for you?”
There’s a lot of action in the book, but what I loved most were the times Jess and Ember were together. I wasn’t sure there was going to be a happily ever after because I wasn’t sure it would be possible, but the author does a splendid job giving Jess and Ember their HEA and making it unbelievable.
Ever readers who aren’t fans of Sci Fi and dystopian books should give this one a chance. At its heart is a sweet romance all readers could enjoy.
November 16, 2015
A Joyfully Jay review.
2.75 stars
I noticed this book months and months ago and I was so excited to read it because I have a weakness for dystopian fantasies, but to be honest, I really wasn’t feeling it. One thing I will say is that the premise of the story is fabulous, but I felt like as a reader I was led to the edge of something spectacular, but not given the full picture.
The way the author deals with gender identity is intriguing. At one point there is even a line that struck me as groundbreaking, which identifies who exactly the Y Negatives are. And I like the mystery of it, although the reasons for Y Negatives and Ember in particular taking drugs or enhancers is unclear until 66% of the way through the book. I had ideas, but nothing solid and the more classifications the author added outside of Y Negative and masc, the more I found myself confused.
There is a lot of time that the group spends in Arkansas (shout out!) that I feel could have been omitted. Whether redundant or plain uneventful, the middle of this book lags so much that I began to lose interest even before the scavengers entered the picture. After they appear, I was frustrated because there are accusations made with no basis and no proof, and I could see the point, yet in the end we don’t truly find out if these things are factual or not. Is CamCo bad? What about the testosterone injections, is that intentional? I was confused by the point of the scavengers in the end because they added a little bit of a conflict, but not enough to do any lasting damage to the story or to the relationship between Jess and Ember.
Read Crissy’s review in its entirety here.
2.75 stars
I noticed this book months and months ago and I was so excited to read it because I have a weakness for dystopian fantasies, but to be honest, I really wasn’t feeling it. One thing I will say is that the premise of the story is fabulous, but I felt like as a reader I was led to the edge of something spectacular, but not given the full picture.
The way the author deals with gender identity is intriguing. At one point there is even a line that struck me as groundbreaking, which identifies who exactly the Y Negatives are. And I like the mystery of it, although the reasons for Y Negatives and Ember in particular taking drugs or enhancers is unclear until 66% of the way through the book. I had ideas, but nothing solid and the more classifications the author added outside of Y Negative and masc, the more I found myself confused.
There is a lot of time that the group spends in Arkansas (shout out!) that I feel could have been omitted. Whether redundant or plain uneventful, the middle of this book lags so much that I began to lose interest even before the scavengers entered the picture. After they appear, I was frustrated because there are accusations made with no basis and no proof, and I could see the point, yet in the end we don’t truly find out if these things are factual or not. Is CamCo bad? What about the testosterone injections, is that intentional? I was confused by the point of the scavengers in the end because they added a little bit of a conflict, but not enough to do any lasting damage to the story or to the relationship between Jess and Ember.
Read Crissy’s review in its entirety here.
January 23, 2016
Wow! Just Wow!
So I am going to be honest and say that I am not a fan of Sci-Fi and I wasn't too sure about this book. I found the premise intriguing but I was a bit wary not knowing what to expect. The first part of the book was hard for me. Chapters 1 through 3 seemed to drag and they were hard to understand, at least to me. I knew we needed it so the reader could get an idea of the world these characters were living in but I had a hard time connecting to the story because of it. I even considered whether or not I'd be able to actually finish it.
Once I started reading Part 2, chapter 4 I started to think maybe it wouldn't be as hard to read as I thought. By 30% I started to really get into the story. 50% I found I hadn't put it down and was hooked and by 90% I was sobbing, now totally invested in it all, I almost didn't want it to be over.
So,did I enjoy Y Negative? Yes! Would I recommend it? If you like SciFi and/or Dystopian then you'll most likely enjoy it. If you are like me and not really sure about it, give Y Negative a chance you might just be surprised. Just know that you have to be patient, because when the story finally gets going you'll be drawn into the story of Ember and Jess.
It's not a light read, it's not an easy romance. Ember's life is a hard one, he faces challenges in everything he does, everywhere he goes. He'll make you cry because he is so real, his struggles painful and heartbreaking. Jess as well. It may seem as if his life is golden but he soon realizes what it's like to face adversity at every turn. To have people hate you and try to break you down for things that were out of your control. But in the end I am glad I took a chance on it.
So I am going to be honest and say that I am not a fan of Sci-Fi and I wasn't too sure about this book. I found the premise intriguing but I was a bit wary not knowing what to expect. The first part of the book was hard for me. Chapters 1 through 3 seemed to drag and they were hard to understand, at least to me. I knew we needed it so the reader could get an idea of the world these characters were living in but I had a hard time connecting to the story because of it. I even considered whether or not I'd be able to actually finish it.
Once I started reading Part 2, chapter 4 I started to think maybe it wouldn't be as hard to read as I thought. By 30% I started to really get into the story. 50% I found I hadn't put it down and was hooked and by 90% I was sobbing, now totally invested in it all, I almost didn't want it to be over.
So,did I enjoy Y Negative? Yes! Would I recommend it? If you like SciFi and/or Dystopian then you'll most likely enjoy it. If you are like me and not really sure about it, give Y Negative a chance you might just be surprised. Just know that you have to be patient, because when the story finally gets going you'll be drawn into the story of Ember and Jess.
It's not a light read, it's not an easy romance. Ember's life is a hard one, he faces challenges in everything he does, everywhere he goes. He'll make you cry because he is so real, his struggles painful and heartbreaking. Jess as well. It may seem as if his life is golden but he soon realizes what it's like to face adversity at every turn. To have people hate you and try to break you down for things that were out of your control. But in the end I am glad I took a chance on it.
March 4, 2016
This book is very hard to rate. I liked the world building and it reminded me a little of the movie Total Recall in that where Ember lived was kind of like an underground city where you went from place to place without actually going outside. Ember was very well developed. I could feel his frustration and self-loathing at being a negative. I liked Jess but I think his character should have been more developed. We didn't really get to see inside what he was feeling for the most part even though some of the book was told from his POV.
There was a lot that was glossed over I thought. After the issue with the Scavengers that I thought were kind of important, they were never really mentioned again. The death of Adin and the testosterone cocktail weren't really dealt with either. I'm letting all of that slide though because I'm wondering if this will become a series where these will come up later. There's almost too much going on for this to just be a standalone.
As in some of the other reviews, I'm confused about the Y negatives themselves. They don't have male body parts and are used as surrogates. They can choose to become Andros by having their "breasts" removed after the surrogacy period is over, and taking testosterone to be more "manly". I read the Andros as being transgendered as opposed to "male" and I'm not sure if that's what the author intended, but I couldn't keep it straight in my mind as I was reading. The Y negatives read as "female" because they have higher pitched voices and smaller musculature.
The writing was good and there weren't many editing issues besides a forgotten word here or there but that didn't take me out of the story at all. This was a good book and I recommend it for someone who's looking for something a little different than the norm.
There was a lot that was glossed over I thought. After the issue with the Scavengers that I thought were kind of important, they were never really mentioned again. The death of Adin and the testosterone cocktail weren't really dealt with either. I'm letting all of that slide though because I'm wondering if this will become a series where these will come up later. There's almost too much going on for this to just be a standalone.
As in some of the other reviews, I'm confused about the Y negatives themselves. They don't have male body parts and are used as surrogates. They can choose to become Andros by having their "breasts" removed after the surrogacy period is over, and taking testosterone to be more "manly". I read the Andros as being transgendered as opposed to "male" and I'm not sure if that's what the author intended, but I couldn't keep it straight in my mind as I was reading. The Y negatives read as "female" because they have higher pitched voices and smaller musculature.
The writing was good and there weren't many editing issues besides a forgotten word here or there but that didn't take me out of the story at all. This was a good book and I recommend it for someone who's looking for something a little different than the norm.
January 7, 2016
Y Negative by author Kelly Haworth is a very different take on the future. There are no women per say in the in this future. But there are people born XX they have to take hormone treatments and are subjected to horrible body mutilation. They are also teased and beaten by the XY group of men. This has been the life of Ember. He has dealt with being XX all his life. He wants to be more than what he was born into, but life keeps kicking him down. He would love to have an XY man love him but being andros he knows this will never be happening. Then he gets an interesting job offer from Jess.
Jess has always been XY. He has never had to deal with what Ember has had to, to just live. He wants to work on the environmental stations and needs a crew. He offers Ember a job. Since Ember would like to eat some time this century Ember says yes. Jess is a good person. He is fair minded and doesn't believe in kicking Ember just because he is different. But when he falls for Ember his life changes forever.
I liked the theme of this book, which seems to be loving yourself just the way you are not as society sees you. Hard thing for both Ember and Jess to do in this book. There are a lot of politics and layers to this book, I would love to see this explored in a sequel. There is a lot of story inside this book and really glad I picked it up. I will say this is not light reading. This is a book you pick up when you want to be swept away inside a story, transported to a new world, and fall in love along the way.
Five Shooting Stars
Jess has always been XY. He has never had to deal with what Ember has had to, to just live. He wants to work on the environmental stations and needs a crew. He offers Ember a job. Since Ember would like to eat some time this century Ember says yes. Jess is a good person. He is fair minded and doesn't believe in kicking Ember just because he is different. But when he falls for Ember his life changes forever.
I liked the theme of this book, which seems to be loving yourself just the way you are not as society sees you. Hard thing for both Ember and Jess to do in this book. There are a lot of politics and layers to this book, I would love to see this explored in a sequel. There is a lot of story inside this book and really glad I picked it up. I will say this is not light reading. This is a book you pick up when you want to be swept away inside a story, transported to a new world, and fall in love along the way.
Five Shooting Stars
October 7, 2015
The world building is very unique. The characters live in an acidic wasteland so old that no one even remembers how it came to be that way. Masc or males are dominant. Y negatives (or females) are nothing more than slaves used for surrogacy. Once the babies are born, they are given to their masc fathers to be raised. When Y negatives are finished with surrogacy, they remove the parts they no longer need and start taking testosterone injections.
The main character Ember is Y negative. He goes without food rather than miss his weekly injection. He exercises daily to bulk up his body. He suffers daily ridicule and harassment for being born a Y negative. He hates himself and his life. He wants to be a masc and love a masc.
This book wasn't a fun read but a very thought provoking one. Yes, it had different concepts to grasp like all new fictional worlds. It made this girl pause and think what the world would be like if het sex was taboo and I was the one being so violently discriminated against. But to me the author also did an excellent job showing through Ember how difficult it is to keep going when you hate your life or who you are and you have no way to change it.
I'm really glad I read this book; and, I give it 5 stars. I won a early copy from Riptide.
The main character Ember is Y negative. He goes without food rather than miss his weekly injection. He exercises daily to bulk up his body. He suffers daily ridicule and harassment for being born a Y negative. He hates himself and his life. He wants to be a masc and love a masc.
This book wasn't a fun read but a very thought provoking one. Yes, it had different concepts to grasp like all new fictional worlds. It made this girl pause and think what the world would be like if het sex was taboo and I was the one being so violently discriminated against. But to me the author also did an excellent job showing through Ember how difficult it is to keep going when you hate your life or who you are and you have no way to change it.
I'm really glad I read this book; and, I give it 5 stars. I won a early copy from Riptide.
June 12, 2016
Astonishingly good! Kelly Haworth's future-Earth dystopian romance is insanely, mesmerizingly, off-the-hook great reading. I couldn't put it down, and I spent several hours after I finished it in that disconnected state where the novel's world is still more real than the real world. Haworth is a gifted wordsmith. Near photographic descriptions of the shattered environment set the backdrop, while the inventive slang used by the characters reveals the twisted social milieu of their world. The people of this world are robbed of their opportunity to be human by circumstances beyond their control, yet somehow, Ember and Jess find the courage to love. They persist in their struggle to be authentic in a society lacking even the words that describe who and what they truly are. Howarth maintains the novel's grim integrity to the end: no HEA, just a precarious HFN and a thread of hope. Fantastic!
June 21, 2016
I would recommend Y Negative to anyone who's interested in exploring the many meanings of sex and gender. It was all too easy for me to understand Ember's disgust at being Y negative in a world that only values being Y positive. Yes, I found the terms a bit confusing at first, but it didn't take long for me to figure it out. I can also understand his het orientation, in a world where such a thing is considered to be hateful and perverse. During the course of this novel, many perspectives were brought up and many concepts of what sex is and should be were turned on their heads. Sometimes we can see our own reality better when it is exaggerated and thrown into reverse. This book accomplishes that in a gripping and ruthless manner.
January 31, 2016
I loved the twist on the world, and this book really drives home how dangerous and painful homophobia is in today's society. The hurt it does to those who are "different" and how hard many of them try to fit in just to be "normal". The descriptions of society in the city and in outskirts was a tough and thought provoking read. Even now several days after I finished it I can't stop thinking about this book. I highly recommend it.
Read
January 15, 2017After finishing the book, I did read an article by the author that I wish I'd read before the book. I recommend reading it prior to reading the story:
http://scatteredthoughtsandroguewords...
http://scatteredthoughtsandroguewords...
October 27, 2015
Unlike anything else I have ever read, truly a one of a kind novel. Depicts a unique portrayal of a minority influenced society. Kept me thoroughly entertained the entire read.
February 1, 2016
Interesting concept, tough is was painful to read about Ember's life. Happy he had Jess.
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