Review: Yes and no
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 19, 2012
I have not read that much fiction with the transgendered protagonists, so I was very eager to read this story. It is beatifully written and I ached for the main character's struggle to get what he wants because of who he is and liked that he finally went for it and hope that he will get a chance to develop a relationship with the character he seems to have a feeling for. I thought the ending was just about right - enough uncertainty and hope mixed together. What annoyed me though are the settings of the story. Not the settings per se, but this unbelievable resign to the fate, it seems like all the young characters are ready to die with the city (in a metaphorical sense - they are not dying literally)? Eh how to put it? The settings reminded me of the settings in my beloved Russian stories of the 19 century. Only guess what? The whole society was rotten in many ways and people truly felt that hopelessness and no reason to assume that it could be better even if they left the small cities. What century is this again? Yes, I can buy that there are no jobs in the small cities, but get your behind and leave! Sorry, I just could not feel sympathy for that aspect of their lives, having moved to another country and having have to built a life for me and family from scratch and having to listen to their whining. That hopelessness just felt artificial to me. Yes, it is horrible for older people, because nobody wants to hire you when you are over 50, I do not think that capitalist economy is perfect or anything like that, but please, main character and his annoying friend are healthy and young. Leave, please do. Sorry, rant is over, but that is the reason why the story does not get five stars and honestly my emotional satisfaction was more like three stars, but out of respect for the writing it gets four.