REVIEW SPEEDRUN!! I’m in a crunch so idk, I might add onto this later but time will tell. Exactly 4 stars! An enjoyable reimagining, with some wonderful queer representation. Plus Remixed Classics always have the best romances in them, even if it goes against the vibes of their original stories?? (I was smiling so many times!! I love transgender people)

There were also a couple sprinklings of historical fashion, which I enjoyed! Especially the creative use of Symington Side Lacers. I’m no fashion history expert, but I still found it interesting.

I didn’t give this 5 stars though, for a few reasons. 1) my love-hate relationship with Anna-Marie McLemore’s poetic prose. There wasn’t a ton of room for that, which surprised me, but when things got a little sappy and dramatic(positive connotation) you could see it more on the pages(more negative connotation). 2) The pacing between chapters was a little weird sometimes? Mostly because of Daisy’s letters. 3) Because the characters had to be aged down for YA, the timeline gets a little funky.

Also, if you loved the original Great Gatsby, I can’t guarantee if you’ll also love this one?!? Because Nick and the rest are noticeably different from their original counterparts. (I assume so, at least, I haven’t actually read “The Great Gatsby”.) They’re written more sympathetic. While there’s the bare bones of the original story’s events, thematically, “Self-Made Boys” is definitely its own property lol.

But anyhow, this was a read for Trans Rights Readathon and it’s always lovely to come back to Anna-Marie McLemore’s queer characters. I had so much fun reading this, between the reimagined character dynamics, the drama, and the representation!