I can't really say this wasn't what I expected (positive) because I didn't go in with any expectations, having not even read the blurb, but even when I thought I had a grasp on where the book was going, I was surprised. The change in perspective kept the story moving at a good pace, and while it was certainly a heavy read, it contained so much fun and joy. 
This wasn't the Vivek Shraya work I had planned to read for the Trans Rights Readathon, but it was the work my library had available, and I'm so glad I checked it out. Thank you to the TRR for continuing to introduce me to incredible works, and thank you to public libraries for everything and more. 

A last note - once again begging authors to stop including references to Harry Potter in their work, though this book may be just old enough to escape the worst of the trend.