Ponyboy is trans, in a messy love triangle, and addicted to drugs. Caught in the loneliness of being denied of who he is and wading through self-doubt/denial of his identity, Ponyboy must find what it means to be trans & "masculine" before everything is too late.

I adore the exploration of transgender, queerness, sexual orientation, and identity in PONYBOY—especially the scenes where Ponyboy faces transphobia from "his own" LGBTQ+ community. Duncan raises the question of solidarity with other cis-gendered individuals and examines our deeply rooted inability/unwillingness to separate sexual identity from orientation.

Nonetheless, the overwritten narrative and tangential metaphors overshadow the core message, and I wonder if Duncan's messages could've been more impactful with more straightforward writing. I personally prefer the direct styles of DETRANSITION, BABY (Torrey Peters), NEVADA (Imogen Binnie), PEOPLE COLLIDE (Isle McElroy), and FELIX EVER AFTER (Kacen Callender), allowing for a clearer understanding of the subject matter.