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Circle of Change
Kim is in his last year of high school and just hopes to make it through the year without running into any gay bashing. The thing is, Kim is not only gay, but he's transgender, too. He's unhappy and lost in his female body, and his mother has agreed it's time for him to undergo hormone therapy and possibly surgery.
Things get even more complicated when university student Dash joins Kim's mother's coven. Dash is immediately attracted to Kim and they wind up going out together, but when Kim reveals he's a female to male transgender, Dash reacts badly.
With all the other things going on in their lives, will Kim and Dash be able to try again and find happiness with each other?
Things get even more complicated when university student Dash joins Kim's mother's coven. Dash is immediately attracted to Kim and they wind up going out together, but when Kim reveals he's a female to male transgender, Dash reacts badly.
With all the other things going on in their lives, will Kim and Dash be able to try again and find happiness with each other?
171 pages, ebook
First published May 1, 2009
2 people are currently reading
282 people want to read
About the author
Laney Cairo
25 books45 followersLaney lives in a queer commune with three of her favourite people and two of her favourite dogs. When not writing, she teaches university students about apostrophes, scientific methodology and visual culture. In her spare time she photographs fjords and works on being kinder.
In her previous professional incarnations she has been a masseuse, owned a genre bookshop and dipped her toes in the civil service. In her long distant past Laney has undertaken nude modelling, been a fairy-for-hire, run murder mystery nights and been a breastfeeding educator; but not all at the same time.
Laney likes to tell stories about people who could be real, imagined into the future or an alternate reality.
Laney would rather curl up with a pot of tea and her laptop than speak to a group of people. Laney’s favourite word is ‘utterly’ and her long-suffering editor often has the task of restricting her to one per story. If you find an extra one she’d be utterly, utterly delighted to hear from you at laney [at] laneycairo [dot] com.
In her previous professional incarnations she has been a masseuse, owned a genre bookshop and dipped her toes in the civil service. In her long distant past Laney has undertaken nude modelling, been a fairy-for-hire, run murder mystery nights and been a breastfeeding educator; but not all at the same time.
Laney likes to tell stories about people who could be real, imagined into the future or an alternate reality.
Laney would rather curl up with a pot of tea and her laptop than speak to a group of people. Laney’s favourite word is ‘utterly’ and her long-suffering editor often has the task of restricting her to one per story. If you find an extra one she’d be utterly, utterly delighted to hear from you at laney [at] laneycairo [dot] com.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 14, 2009
I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading Circle of Change by Laney Cairo. I knew by the description of the story line that one of the heroes is going through a cross gendered transformation from female to male.
I wasn’t sure how I would feel about that. I can say that I honestly liked this story. Not only did I soon become an avid supporter of Kim and Dash’s relationship, I loved all of the secondary characters as well. There isn’t a lot of angst in this book. Because of the steady transition of Kim’s gender changing from female to male, there is much information about the things that people who transform themselves into the opposite sex that I found very interesting.
Because of the subject matter this book may not be for everyone. I liked the freshness about it, plus honestly I saw Kim as a man, never as a woman. Even when Kim and Dash have sex, I never thought that Dash was having sex with a woman, just someone who had some special needs. There relationship is based on trust and love. I really enjoyed that.
Kim is an eighteen year old senior that has been living as a boy for the past year. Because of Kim’s homosexuality and being transgendered, he has had some problems with other people’s cruelty, especially at school. Kim has just started taking hormones to allow changes to occur to make his body and emotional well being more male than female. Kim is an intelligent young man, who has never had a relationship with another man, which is something that Kim dreams about frequently.
Kim’s mother is a practicing witch and has her own coven that meets regularly at her home. As fellow Wiccan’s they are very in tune with Mother Nature and are peace loving people. They accept and embrace Kim’s changes and never question whether or not Kim’s decision is the incorrect one. (It isn’t)
Dash is a makeup wearing, Wicca practicing college student who embraces his homosexuality and his own individualness. He is looking for a coven who embraces homosexuality as well as heterosexuality. When he hears about Kim’s mother’s coven he immediately meets with Kim’s mother and applies to become a member. In the process he meets Kim, who he is immediately attracted too.
Dash has no idea that Kim is transgendered. He believes that Kim is just a very small and beautiful male. The more he gets to know Kim, the more he becomes attractive to him. Eventually Dash asks Kim out, and Kim feeling more than a crush on Dash readily agrees.
Kim does not want to lie to Dash, so after their first kiss; he confesses he is a female to male transgendered person. This scares Dash at first, and he pushes Kim away and immediately ends their date.
As time goes by, and Dash continues to be active in the coven, he and Kim continue to become friends, and soon Dash comes to realize that Kim being transgendered doesn’t really matter at all and starts persuading him.
I loved the way that Dash and Kim’s relationship progresses. I liked the love has no boundaries aspect of their relationship, and the trust, friendship and eventual love between them was very apparent. I liked how patient they were with one another while they ironed out some questions and concerns that would come up in any relationship, much less when one partner is transgendered.
I would love for this story to continue. Dash and Kim are still very young. I would love to see how their relationship evolves as time goes on, and they become more adult with adult responsibilities, plus the problem that may come up as Kim’s transition continues as time goes by.
If you are offended by this subject matter, this book is not for you. There is some pot smoking, (not a lot) spell casting, hot sexual acts between two men who adapt because of one being somewhat different than the other. If this bothers you, this book will not be for you. Otherwise, I loved the core of Kim and Dash’s relationship and that was trust and friendship. In my book, it just doesn’t get much better than that.
4.5 stars but I'll bump it up to 5
I wasn’t sure how I would feel about that. I can say that I honestly liked this story. Not only did I soon become an avid supporter of Kim and Dash’s relationship, I loved all of the secondary characters as well. There isn’t a lot of angst in this book. Because of the steady transition of Kim’s gender changing from female to male, there is much information about the things that people who transform themselves into the opposite sex that I found very interesting.
Because of the subject matter this book may not be for everyone. I liked the freshness about it, plus honestly I saw Kim as a man, never as a woman. Even when Kim and Dash have sex, I never thought that Dash was having sex with a woman, just someone who had some special needs. There relationship is based on trust and love. I really enjoyed that.
Kim is an eighteen year old senior that has been living as a boy for the past year. Because of Kim’s homosexuality and being transgendered, he has had some problems with other people’s cruelty, especially at school. Kim has just started taking hormones to allow changes to occur to make his body and emotional well being more male than female. Kim is an intelligent young man, who has never had a relationship with another man, which is something that Kim dreams about frequently.
Kim’s mother is a practicing witch and has her own coven that meets regularly at her home. As fellow Wiccan’s they are very in tune with Mother Nature and are peace loving people. They accept and embrace Kim’s changes and never question whether or not Kim’s decision is the incorrect one. (It isn’t)
Dash is a makeup wearing, Wicca practicing college student who embraces his homosexuality and his own individualness. He is looking for a coven who embraces homosexuality as well as heterosexuality. When he hears about Kim’s mother’s coven he immediately meets with Kim’s mother and applies to become a member. In the process he meets Kim, who he is immediately attracted too.
Dash has no idea that Kim is transgendered. He believes that Kim is just a very small and beautiful male. The more he gets to know Kim, the more he becomes attractive to him. Eventually Dash asks Kim out, and Kim feeling more than a crush on Dash readily agrees.
Kim does not want to lie to Dash, so after their first kiss; he confesses he is a female to male transgendered person. This scares Dash at first, and he pushes Kim away and immediately ends their date.
As time goes by, and Dash continues to be active in the coven, he and Kim continue to become friends, and soon Dash comes to realize that Kim being transgendered doesn’t really matter at all and starts persuading him.
I loved the way that Dash and Kim’s relationship progresses. I liked the love has no boundaries aspect of their relationship, and the trust, friendship and eventual love between them was very apparent. I liked how patient they were with one another while they ironed out some questions and concerns that would come up in any relationship, much less when one partner is transgendered.
I would love for this story to continue. Dash and Kim are still very young. I would love to see how their relationship evolves as time goes on, and they become more adult with adult responsibilities, plus the problem that may come up as Kim’s transition continues as time goes by.
If you are offended by this subject matter, this book is not for you. There is some pot smoking, (not a lot) spell casting, hot sexual acts between two men who adapt because of one being somewhat different than the other. If this bothers you, this book will not be for you. Otherwise, I loved the core of Kim and Dash’s relationship and that was trust and friendship. In my book, it just doesn’t get much better than that.
4.5 stars but I'll bump it up to 5
September 7, 2010
It was a good book, but not a good romance. The book stretched my comfort zone in more then one way and for that it got some points.
First there was the whole trans-gender issue - emotional turmoil, physical changes after taking hormones, working around sex. Some of these made me uneasy, most made me think. You think two gay guys have problems? Try to imagine two gay guy, where one is anatomically a female!... yeah.
And than there were the Wiccans rituals... just weird. I don't know much about Wicca and judging from the Acknowledgements in the book the author has personal experience with it, but some of the acts described in the book (masturbating to praise the Goddess, singing '70 musical songs during Summer Solstice) made it difficult to treat it seriously. The practices just lacked the sense of reverence that any religious activities should have (in my opinion). Still, after the book I won't freak out if I meet some Wiccans.
What I found sadly lacking in the book is the romance. I just didn't feel the chemistry between main couple. There was also hardly any reflection on the meaning of their relationship, either from the first point of view (internal dialogues) or the narrators point of view. Their thoughts and emotions were obscure, and I wasn't sure were it all was going to.
All in all, it was an interesting, solid 4-stars read.
First there was the whole trans-gender issue - emotional turmoil, physical changes after taking hormones, working around sex. Some of these made me uneasy, most made me think. You think two gay guys have problems? Try to imagine two gay guy, where one is anatomically a female!... yeah.
And than there were the Wiccans rituals... just weird. I don't know much about Wicca and judging from the Acknowledgements in the book the author has personal experience with it, but some of the acts described in the book (masturbating to praise the Goddess, singing '70 musical songs during Summer Solstice) made it difficult to treat it seriously. The practices just lacked the sense of reverence that any religious activities should have (in my opinion). Still, after the book I won't freak out if I meet some Wiccans.
What I found sadly lacking in the book is the romance. I just didn't feel the chemistry between main couple. There was also hardly any reflection on the meaning of their relationship, either from the first point of view (internal dialogues) or the narrators point of view. Their thoughts and emotions were obscure, and I wasn't sure were it all was going to.
All in all, it was an interesting, solid 4-stars read.
December 6, 2009
OMG! This book represented two firsts for me: my first Laney Cairo book and my first book about a transgendered character. I bought it on Thursday and have already reread it three times(in three days). It's that good.
April 25, 2016
***Coming of Age and Coming Into Your Own***
Kim is an 18 year old high school senior and the eldest child of his mother, Helen, second in command of a Wiccan coven. Dash is a 19 year old college student seeking a more open environment than the coven he’s studying with, and his professor, also Wiccan, suggests his own - should Dash be approved to join. Dash falls for Kim, but struggles with Kim’s FTM trans status, and Kim, who has already been struggling with being accepted for who he is, is emotionally very vulnerable.
This is a very busy, detailed book. If you are already familiar with Paganism and the associated rites, it will seem significantly less so, but there are a lot of lessons in this story. It is less romance and more growing up, coming into one’s own, and learning to love who one is rather than how one appears. I adored that this was a Pagan trans book, and I reveled in reading about the nature rites of a religion that is so often targeted as heavily as gays by mainstream religious groups.
Kim is not part of the coven. He’s got his hands full just being him - a senior in high school, FTM trans, eldest of three children, a father who does not support him in accepting who he is, and a mother who adores him but is still, in the end, a mom (because what teen is ever happy with their mom *all* the time, right??).
Dash is happily welcomed into the coven and continues learning - about himself, about his place in the world, about the God/dess, and about how to fall in love with a beautiful boy who is only starting to reflect on the outside that which he is in his core.
This is a solid plot with vast quantities of information, well researched and beautifully written. The pacing is slow to start but then becomes steady, the dialogue is witty yet heartfelt, and the peripheral characters really enrich the world created by the author.
I hesitate to use the term “chemistry” because of the androgen chemicals involved in Kim’s transition, but the attraction between the two characters is immense and well done. The increase in aggression and sexual desire that accompanies Kim’s injections is spot on and written so as to not be tawdry. I expected their sex life to take off like a bullet once he started receiving regular injections, and that is precisely what happened.
My sole disappointment with this story is the abrupt way in which it cuts off, and there is nothing else out there to continue this story. I fully expected to find the next book, or even multiple books, with these two characters once I finished this, and I was surprised and disappointed to find that there was nothing. Even though it’s been seven years since this was originally published, I sincerely hope that the author will revisit this tale. There is clearly much more to be told. Four and a half stars for this incredible book!
Review Copy of Circle of Change provided by the Author, Laney Cairo for an honest Review.
Reviewed by Cat from Alpha Book Club
Kim is an 18 year old high school senior and the eldest child of his mother, Helen, second in command of a Wiccan coven. Dash is a 19 year old college student seeking a more open environment than the coven he’s studying with, and his professor, also Wiccan, suggests his own - should Dash be approved to join. Dash falls for Kim, but struggles with Kim’s FTM trans status, and Kim, who has already been struggling with being accepted for who he is, is emotionally very vulnerable.
This is a very busy, detailed book. If you are already familiar with Paganism and the associated rites, it will seem significantly less so, but there are a lot of lessons in this story. It is less romance and more growing up, coming into one’s own, and learning to love who one is rather than how one appears. I adored that this was a Pagan trans book, and I reveled in reading about the nature rites of a religion that is so often targeted as heavily as gays by mainstream religious groups.
Kim is not part of the coven. He’s got his hands full just being him - a senior in high school, FTM trans, eldest of three children, a father who does not support him in accepting who he is, and a mother who adores him but is still, in the end, a mom (because what teen is ever happy with their mom *all* the time, right??).
Dash is happily welcomed into the coven and continues learning - about himself, about his place in the world, about the God/dess, and about how to fall in love with a beautiful boy who is only starting to reflect on the outside that which he is in his core.
This is a solid plot with vast quantities of information, well researched and beautifully written. The pacing is slow to start but then becomes steady, the dialogue is witty yet heartfelt, and the peripheral characters really enrich the world created by the author.
I hesitate to use the term “chemistry” because of the androgen chemicals involved in Kim’s transition, but the attraction between the two characters is immense and well done. The increase in aggression and sexual desire that accompanies Kim’s injections is spot on and written so as to not be tawdry. I expected their sex life to take off like a bullet once he started receiving regular injections, and that is precisely what happened.
My sole disappointment with this story is the abrupt way in which it cuts off, and there is nothing else out there to continue this story. I fully expected to find the next book, or even multiple books, with these two characters once I finished this, and I was surprised and disappointed to find that there was nothing. Even though it’s been seven years since this was originally published, I sincerely hope that the author will revisit this tale. There is clearly much more to be told. Four and a half stars for this incredible book!
Review Copy of Circle of Change provided by the Author, Laney Cairo for an honest Review.
Reviewed by Cat from Alpha Book Club
November 21, 2013
This book is not my usual affair being a YA book about a trans character, with lots of Wiccan stuff thrown in for good measure.
I'm not sure I got all that invested in the romance, but it was really interesting to read about Kim - a F to M trans character and all the trauma he was going though trying to make his body fit with how he sees himself.
The Wiccan element was a good way to get the characters to meet, but there was a lot of time spent in the Wiccan ceremonies and rituals which I'm not sure added a lot to the story.
Overall this was interesting and thought provoking and has made it more likely that I'd pick up another book with trans characters.
I'm not sure I got all that invested in the romance, but it was really interesting to read about Kim - a F to M trans character and all the trauma he was going though trying to make his body fit with how he sees himself.
The Wiccan element was a good way to get the characters to meet, but there was a lot of time spent in the Wiccan ceremonies and rituals which I'm not sure added a lot to the story.
Overall this was interesting and thought provoking and has made it more likely that I'd pick up another book with trans characters.
Read
June 5, 2009This is a coming of age story: Kim is 18 years old and his beau, Dash, is 19 years old, so this is the classical story of love that feels too much and too strong, of difficulties that seem insurmountable, of the awkwardness to find a place where you can be together, when you are still living with your mother or in a dorm with a roommate. The fact that Kim is a gay teenager out and proud who is struggling to finish the last year of high school to finally reach the dreamland that is the college campus, and that Dash is a strange guy, all long trench and eyeliner, would make this already an interesting book, but there is something more.
Kim is not exactly a gay teenager, he is a transgender female to male; the previous year, when he was still underage, he had a breakdown, but the consequences were not so bad, both his mother than his doctors understood that for Kim was not just an attitude, he was really a man trapped in a woman body, and they took the necessary step. Now Kim frequents a new school and both his friends than his family think at him as a guy. And he looks also as a guy, a pretty boy sure, but a boy nevertheless. And so when Dash meets him, he has no doubt that he is looking and a very pretty boy, one he would be interested to frequent.
Dash is a first year university student with a bit of a rebel behavior, but all in all not a bad life. From a wealthy family that seems to have not problem with him being gay, Dash is also quite handsome and so he has no problem to meet guys. Actually Dash is the perfect teenager dream date, all dark and fashion, what fashion define an emo boy, I believe. He has some bad experiences in the past, he lost his sister to illness, and even if not exactly explained, I believe there were some tensions with his family on his chosen path for the future (both as sexual preferences than professional career); but truth be told, Dash comes out like a very lucky guy, even maybe a little spoiled, his family fears to deny him something since having lost a daughter, now they pour all their love on the remaining child. Knowing that, Dash's first reaction to Kim's revelation that he is transgender is almost expected: Dash is not used to have things don't go as he wants, and he is used to have all simple and ready; probably at first he thinks that it's not worth to complicate his life with Kim. But then Dash is not a bad guy, and after the first shock he is willing to try.
Dash is a nice character, but most of the story turns around Kim. The plot doesn't develop Kim's struggle to be accepted as a man, when the book starts he has already the support he needs, now it's only a question for him to really understand if he has to go on with the change. It's not even something related to the outside world, if we arrive to the bone of the matter, Kim is attracted to men, so probably he would have no problem to find a man that would comply with his request in bed even if he was a woman. Kim decides to change since he is not comfortable with himself, he is not comfortable inside his body. It's not a matter of Kim related to the world, it's a matter of Kim related to himself.
As always Laney Cairo chooses a not simple plot, and deals with it with enough analytical approach to make it real, but also with enough romance attitude to make it appealing; while reading you are aware that this is an important issue, that it was not simple for Kim, and that probably it will be not even in the future, but you are also aware that this is a love story, and it's sweet and romantic, and powerful as only a teenager love story can be.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002JNXOZE/?...
Kim is not exactly a gay teenager, he is a transgender female to male; the previous year, when he was still underage, he had a breakdown, but the consequences were not so bad, both his mother than his doctors understood that for Kim was not just an attitude, he was really a man trapped in a woman body, and they took the necessary step. Now Kim frequents a new school and both his friends than his family think at him as a guy. And he looks also as a guy, a pretty boy sure, but a boy nevertheless. And so when Dash meets him, he has no doubt that he is looking and a very pretty boy, one he would be interested to frequent.
Dash is a first year university student with a bit of a rebel behavior, but all in all not a bad life. From a wealthy family that seems to have not problem with him being gay, Dash is also quite handsome and so he has no problem to meet guys. Actually Dash is the perfect teenager dream date, all dark and fashion, what fashion define an emo boy, I believe. He has some bad experiences in the past, he lost his sister to illness, and even if not exactly explained, I believe there were some tensions with his family on his chosen path for the future (both as sexual preferences than professional career); but truth be told, Dash comes out like a very lucky guy, even maybe a little spoiled, his family fears to deny him something since having lost a daughter, now they pour all their love on the remaining child. Knowing that, Dash's first reaction to Kim's revelation that he is transgender is almost expected: Dash is not used to have things don't go as he wants, and he is used to have all simple and ready; probably at first he thinks that it's not worth to complicate his life with Kim. But then Dash is not a bad guy, and after the first shock he is willing to try.
Dash is a nice character, but most of the story turns around Kim. The plot doesn't develop Kim's struggle to be accepted as a man, when the book starts he has already the support he needs, now it's only a question for him to really understand if he has to go on with the change. It's not even something related to the outside world, if we arrive to the bone of the matter, Kim is attracted to men, so probably he would have no problem to find a man that would comply with his request in bed even if he was a woman. Kim decides to change since he is not comfortable with himself, he is not comfortable inside his body. It's not a matter of Kim related to the world, it's a matter of Kim related to himself.
As always Laney Cairo chooses a not simple plot, and deals with it with enough analytical approach to make it real, but also with enough romance attitude to make it appealing; while reading you are aware that this is an important issue, that it was not simple for Kim, and that probably it will be not even in the future, but you are also aware that this is a love story, and it's sweet and romantic, and powerful as only a teenager love story can be.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002JNXOZE/?...
September 10, 2015
ohh boy this book; where do I even begin? i mind as well start off on what i enjoyed first.
well first of all i loved Kim and Helen's relationship. it's quite refreshing to see a loving and supportive mother. Like Helen is seriously such an open, accepting, and loving mother. i loved her so much
And Kim's character was pretty good too. i quite enjoyed him. or well i did until he started dating Dash *shutters* But i quite enjoyed getting to know Kim, and understand him as a person. Although, why did Kim choose the name Kim? I thought a trans man would at least choose a more masculine name. Unless Kim could be considered unisex or from different cultures?
And now for Dash. uugghhss... i hated Dash. His character was dull as dishwater. No personality, no sense of humor, dryer than burnt toast. Like even Dash's parents had more of a personality, and were more interesting than him! I literally hated Dash so much. I couldn't stand him.
And now onto Dash and Kim's relationship. It sucked!! It was atrocious. They mainly just kept having sex. like literally everytime they were together they got down and busy. It was totally annoying! There was like no emotional development. They just kept fucking non-stop like bunnies. Like seriously every scene between them was sexual, and it was annoying.
And now about those sex scenes. They were atrocious! Like has the author ever seen or looked up how two guys have sex? Like literally "don't stretch me just get lube and fuck me" like that hurts!!! you can't just stick a dick in your ass without fingering first because that shit hurts like a motherfucker!! And what the hell was with that scene and the random thought of chocolate cake? "he's trying to concentrate hard on chocolate cake " like why are you thinking of cake while blowing someone? Where the hell did chocolate cake even come from? it's such a random thought in a sex scene. Why chocolate cake? Is Kim a person of color and Dash was concentrating on his ass? or like seriously what's with the chocolate cake?
And now onto the witchy stuff. i quite enjoyed reading all the rituals and ceremonies. Plus, the coven were filled with pretty awesome people. Marie, Peter, and Luci were all pretty awesome characters. Especially, Marie. she was waaayy cool. Especially when she took Kim to the adult store. And i just loved Helen as a person so much. she's pure awesomeness.
But yeah, so in all this book is a good book, except for the relationship between Dash and Kim. That sucked horribly!! The romance was atrocious, or should i say the lack of romance because all they did was have sex non-stop. But everything else was really good!!
well first of all i loved Kim and Helen's relationship. it's quite refreshing to see a loving and supportive mother. Like Helen is seriously such an open, accepting, and loving mother. i loved her so much
And Kim's character was pretty good too. i quite enjoyed him. or well i did until he started dating Dash *shutters* But i quite enjoyed getting to know Kim, and understand him as a person. Although, why did Kim choose the name Kim? I thought a trans man would at least choose a more masculine name. Unless Kim could be considered unisex or from different cultures?
And now for Dash. uugghhss... i hated Dash. His character was dull as dishwater. No personality, no sense of humor, dryer than burnt toast. Like even Dash's parents had more of a personality, and were more interesting than him! I literally hated Dash so much. I couldn't stand him.
And now onto Dash and Kim's relationship. It sucked!! It was atrocious. They mainly just kept having sex. like literally everytime they were together they got down and busy. It was totally annoying! There was like no emotional development. They just kept fucking non-stop like bunnies. Like seriously every scene between them was sexual, and it was annoying.
And now about those sex scenes. They were atrocious! Like has the author ever seen or looked up how two guys have sex? Like literally "don't stretch me just get lube and fuck me" like that hurts!!! you can't just stick a dick in your ass without fingering first because that shit hurts like a motherfucker!! And what the hell was with that scene and the random thought of chocolate cake? "he's trying to concentrate hard on chocolate cake " like why are you thinking of cake while blowing someone? Where the hell did chocolate cake even come from? it's such a random thought in a sex scene. Why chocolate cake? Is Kim a person of color and Dash was concentrating on his ass? or like seriously what's with the chocolate cake?
And now onto the witchy stuff. i quite enjoyed reading all the rituals and ceremonies. Plus, the coven were filled with pretty awesome people. Marie, Peter, and Luci were all pretty awesome characters. Especially, Marie. she was waaayy cool. Especially when she took Kim to the adult store. And i just loved Helen as a person so much. she's pure awesomeness.
But yeah, so in all this book is a good book, except for the relationship between Dash and Kim. That sucked horribly!! The romance was atrocious, or should i say the lack of romance because all they did was have sex non-stop. But everything else was really good!!
December 15, 2014
well worth reading for the manner in which it portrays the main theme of transgenderism. The writing and the story line are not genius, but well within bearable limits. I agree with some of the previous reviewers that adding the aspect of Wiccan belief and the associated ceremonies made the story a little top heavy and somewhat distracting and I have to admit that I skimmed across many of those sections after a while. However, without that aspect, the book would have been the poorer - we need stories that recognise that we are not only gay or transgender or migrants or whatever single feature happens to form the basis of the story.
I am in two minds about the extremely supportive and positive social environment that the protagonists Dash and Kim find themselves in. On the one hand it is doubtlessly important to show YA, who are likely struggling strongly with the issue, how things would be if the world was as it should be. On the other hand, particularly as pertains to transgenderism and, to a perhaps sligtly lesser degree, homosexuality, it is so far removed from most current reality that it may serve more as escapism than as support. In this point I feel it misses out on some opportunities.
Having said that, the book is brilliant in its detailed description of physical intimacy between two men, one of whom is queer bodied. Our common fixation on body parts and what we do with them, which ones we have and which ones not as definers of who and what people are deserves to be talked about openly far more than it is. I think it is wonderful that this book so easily and clearly shows us one possible interface of gender, sexual orientation and physical biology. Not only that, but it places it in the emotional context of early developing sexuality and first love in young adults in a manner that makes it merely one aspect of the question all of us face then: am I attractive? Can I be loved?
I am in two minds about the extremely supportive and positive social environment that the protagonists Dash and Kim find themselves in. On the one hand it is doubtlessly important to show YA, who are likely struggling strongly with the issue, how things would be if the world was as it should be. On the other hand, particularly as pertains to transgenderism and, to a perhaps sligtly lesser degree, homosexuality, it is so far removed from most current reality that it may serve more as escapism than as support. In this point I feel it misses out on some opportunities.
Having said that, the book is brilliant in its detailed description of physical intimacy between two men, one of whom is queer bodied. Our common fixation on body parts and what we do with them, which ones we have and which ones not as definers of who and what people are deserves to be talked about openly far more than it is. I think it is wonderful that this book so easily and clearly shows us one possible interface of gender, sexual orientation and physical biology. Not only that, but it places it in the emotional context of early developing sexuality and first love in young adults in a manner that makes it merely one aspect of the question all of us face then: am I attractive? Can I be loved?
March 18, 2012
this was a wonderfully written book. I've read Lainey Cairo before. I loved Bad Case of Loving You, so when I found out this book was about a F to M trans teen, I was intrigued on how the story would go.
I have to say that I thought this book was extremely educational. So many issues that I didn't think about especially for a teen--I mean it's hard enough being a teen but to be dealing with this too. WOW. But, the author handled all this beautifully, I thought. There was no holding back, no prettying up the had situations, no euphemisms for the changing of this young teen's body as he started taking testosterone. And I truly think the book was the better for it.
I really thought that the whole Wicca aspect of the book was very interesting as well. I don't think I've ever read a contemporary book that dealt with that religion before, so again very informative.
I will say that my only complaint about this book was that the author had set the book in the USA--California to be exact, but a lot of the language was obviously British. We call someone in America, we don't ring them. And there were several other things like this that just made me most of the time forget that this was supposed to be in America. Then it UCLA would be mentioned, or muscle beach in Venice, and I would remember that that's where we were supposed to be.
Other than that though, I loved it.
I have to say that I thought this book was extremely educational. So many issues that I didn't think about especially for a teen--I mean it's hard enough being a teen but to be dealing with this too. WOW. But, the author handled all this beautifully, I thought. There was no holding back, no prettying up the had situations, no euphemisms for the changing of this young teen's body as he started taking testosterone. And I truly think the book was the better for it.
I really thought that the whole Wicca aspect of the book was very interesting as well. I don't think I've ever read a contemporary book that dealt with that religion before, so again very informative.
I will say that my only complaint about this book was that the author had set the book in the USA--California to be exact, but a lot of the language was obviously British. We call someone in America, we don't ring them. And there were several other things like this that just made me most of the time forget that this was supposed to be in America. Then it UCLA would be mentioned, or muscle beach in Venice, and I would remember that that's where we were supposed to be.
Other than that though, I loved it.
January 5, 2012
It's not an easy undertaking to write a story about paganism or about transgender life. Putting both together, unfortunately, made the story cluttered.
Both the transgendered aspects and the pagan aspects were well researched, but at the same time there were points where, while the information was solid, I felt it wasn't the best way to present an alternative way of life. I had that feeling mostly with the witchcraft storyline, and I suspect that someone who hasn't studied paganism might struggle to understand Dash and the coven, or get the wrong impressions from some of the scenes.
The story was focused on Dash, being about his growth through the coven and falling for a FtM gay man. Kim was a great character, and I would've preferred the story be more focused on him (as opposed to learning about him through Dash). There aren't enough good transgender stories out there.
Both the transgendered aspects and the pagan aspects were well researched, but at the same time there were points where, while the information was solid, I felt it wasn't the best way to present an alternative way of life. I had that feeling mostly with the witchcraft storyline, and I suspect that someone who hasn't studied paganism might struggle to understand Dash and the coven, or get the wrong impressions from some of the scenes.
The story was focused on Dash, being about his growth through the coven and falling for a FtM gay man. Kim was a great character, and I would've preferred the story be more focused on him (as opposed to learning about him through Dash). There aren't enough good transgender stories out there.
not-for-me
November 10, 2013I tried to read this but the themes in this book just aren't of interest to me. Nothing to do with the writing.
That being said, the overload of Wicca info was off-putting to someone who is unfamiliar (and not particularly curious) about the lifestyle. It felt like I was being lectured about Wicca, rather than reading a story about people.
This book is greatly detailed with the Wiccan lifestyle and would be fascinating to those curious about it.
The transgender theme and it's accompanying message of understanding and love could have been powerful but I just didn't feel up to the challenge of finishing the book.
That being said, the overload of Wicca info was off-putting to someone who is unfamiliar (and not particularly curious) about the lifestyle. It felt like I was being lectured about Wicca, rather than reading a story about people.
This book is greatly detailed with the Wiccan lifestyle and would be fascinating to those curious about it.
The transgender theme and it's accompanying message of understanding and love could have been powerful but I just didn't feel up to the challenge of finishing the book.
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December 24, 2022In Rainy Day Review Queue
❥❥**´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•`*ARC provided by Author in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Jaime from Alpha Book Club
❥❥**´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•`*ARC provided by Author in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Jaime from Alpha Book Club
October 25, 2011
Starts out rather clumsily, with some hard-to-believe human interaction, mostly in the form of barely credible dialogue. The main story takes a while to start moving, but once it does, the dialogue and character interactions become much smoother. This book also has the best sex scenes I've read involving a gay FTM character, hands down, and is worth reading at least for that alone.
June 25, 2012
4.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews