Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix
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- Create Date：2022-07-29 09:51:45
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Anna-Marie McLemore
- ISBN：1250774934
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Summary
Stonewall Honor recipient and two-time National Book Award Longlist selectee Anna-Marie McLemore weaves an intoxicating tale of glamor and heartbreak in Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix， part of the Remixed Classics series。
New York City， 1922。 Nicolás Caraveo， a 17-year-old transgender boy from Minnesota， has no interest in the city’s glamor。 Going to New York is all about establishing himself as a young professional， which could set up his future—and his life as a man—and benefit his family。
Nick rents a small house in West Egg from his 18-year-old cousin， Daisy Fabrega， who lives in fashionable East Egg near her wealthy fiancé， Tom—and Nick is shocked to find that his cousin now goes by Daisy Fay， has erased all signs of her Latina heritage， and now passes seamlessly as white。
Nick’s neighbor in West Egg is a mysterious young man named Jay Gatsby， whose castle-like mansion is the stage for parties so extravagant that they both dazzle and terrify Nick。 At one of these parties， Nick learns that the spectacle is all for the benefit of impressing a girl from Jay’s past—Daisy。 And he learns something else: Jay is also transgender。
As Nick is pulled deeper into the glittery culture of decadence， he spends more time with Jay， aiming to help his new friend reconnect with his lost love。 But Nick's feelings grow more complicated when he finds himself falling hard for Jay's openness， idealism， and unfounded faith in the American Dream。
New York City， 1922。 Nicolás Caraveo， a 17-year-old transgender boy from Minnesota， has no interest in the city’s glamor。 Going to New York is all about establishing himself as a young professional， which could set up his future—and his life as a man—and benefit his family。
Nick rents a small house in West Egg from his 18-year-old cousin， Daisy Fabrega， who lives in fashionable East Egg near her wealthy fiancé， Tom—and Nick is shocked to find that his cousin now goes by Daisy Fay， has erased all signs of her Latina heritage， and now passes seamlessly as white。
Nick’s neighbor in West Egg is a mysterious young man named Jay Gatsby， whose castle-like mansion is the stage for parties so extravagant that they both dazzle and terrify Nick。 At one of these parties， Nick learns that the spectacle is all for the benefit of impressing a girl from Jay’s past—Daisy。 And he learns something else: Jay is also transgender。
As Nick is pulled deeper into the glittery culture of decadence， he spends more time with Jay， aiming to help his new friend reconnect with his lost love。 But Nick's feelings grow more complicated when he finds himself falling hard for Jay's openness， idealism， and unfounded faith in the American Dream。
Reviews
Natalie Doran
，
A queer re-telling of The Great Gatsby？ Yes， please！ I was so hype after reading the synopsis alone。 It did not dissapoint。 I have always loved the original story and this was so much fun。 First of all， McLemore does a wonderful job of really transporting you back in time。 You don't see a whole lot of historical fiction with trans representation so this was everything。 The issues of racism and homophobia in addition to the original themes of classism and old vs new money really made the story fe A queer re-telling of The Great Gatsby？ Yes， please！ I was so hype after reading the synopsis alone。 It did not dissapoint。 I have always loved the original story and this was so much fun。 First of all， McLemore does a wonderful job of really transporting you back in time。 You don't see a whole lot of historical fiction with trans representation so this was everything。 The issues of racism and homophobia in addition to the original themes of classism and old vs new money really made the story feel so refreshing。 Daisy is white passing， her and her cousin Nick are both of Mexican descent。 Nick and Gatsby are both trans。 This is like really really cute/sweer/heartwarming Gatsby fanfic but like， top tier。 Loved how it played on the concept of being "Self-Made" and what that means in society back then and today。 The illustrious hope of a nation for "the American dream" and how varying and often unnatainable that is for so many people， in the 20's and in the 2020's。 Long story short， if you are Gatsby fan you will probably enjoy this just as much as I did。 Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the early audiobook！ 。。。more
Nicole
，
Love。 Everything。 This。 Is。
Dilliemillie
，
There's something that is so much fun about a classic getting a modern retelling with a twist。 In this case， it's a multifaceted exploration of identity against the backdrop of the luxurious 1920s with all the well-known characters。 This retelling sticks fairly close to original characters and plot points while changing enough to make the story feel fresh。 Who doesn't love some sweet romance and a good happily ever after？ Best of all， it presents a fascinating peek into LGBT+ experiences of that There's something that is so much fun about a classic getting a modern retelling with a twist。 In this case， it's a multifaceted exploration of identity against the backdrop of the luxurious 1920s with all the well-known characters。 This retelling sticks fairly close to original characters and plot points while changing enough to make the story feel fresh。 Who doesn't love some sweet romance and a good happily ever after？ Best of all， it presents a fascinating peek into LGBT+ experiences of that time period， which deserves so much more attention。 While I really love what this book does， it didn't click for me。 Some of that might have been due to the audiobook narrator， whose unusual cadence prevented my immersion from the beginning。 The author also uses a lot of fanciful language in descriptions that occasionally caught my attention （silver confetti rain） but more often sounded overly dramatic for the scene。 But I'm thrilled to see more books being published that center a variety of experiences and identities， and I hope that trend never reverts。 Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Bri
，
Like most people， I read the original Great Gatsby in school and I remember finding it very interesting。 I thought it was a boring story， but one that intrigued me regardless （honestly， most classics made me feel this way to me）。 But reading the familiar way the Great Gatsby once intrigued me in this story was really fascinating。 I found renewed interest in these characters and I genuinely cared about them。 This book was so wonderfully queer in every way and it made me so happy to read it。 To ha Like most people， I read the original Great Gatsby in school and I remember finding it very interesting。 I thought it was a boring story， but one that intrigued me regardless （honestly， most classics made me feel this way to me）。 But reading the familiar way the Great Gatsby once intrigued me in this story was really fascinating。 I found renewed interest in these characters and I genuinely cared about them。 This book was so wonderfully queer in every way and it made me so happy to read it。 To have a classic story told in such a way that celebrates different identities， it was amazing。I loved the central characters in this。 Even Daisy， who I simply couldn't stand in The Great Gatsby， was a character I ultimately loved in Self-Made Boys。 The standout to me was Nick， who I really loved being with throughout。 His perspective was soothing somehow and it made this story all the better。 Not only is he trans， but he's brown living in a world that is dedicated to crushing those identities。 This was my first Remix book I've read and I'm really looking forward to reading more in the "series。" It was so wonderful to see these changes in a classic story and made me care so much more about what all happened。 I also have to commend the writing。 There were some lines that truly had me rereading them multiple times because of how brilliant they were。 This is my first read from Anna-Marie McLemore and what a great first it was！ Really my only complaint is that it was really slow in some sections and then very fast in others， so I wish the pacing sort of evened out some。 Other than that， no notes！！Thanks so much to Feiwel Friends and NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review！ 。。。more
Claresa
，
I loved all the queer representation。 The queer parties were a fun element。 I like that lavender marriages were discussed。 I was bored with this story。 I feel like it went on forever。 All the characters had well thought out backstories but it just wasn’t enough to make them as interesting as I hoped。 I really wanted to care about these characters。 The little mystery going on did not make me at all curious as to what was really happening。 When it was revealed， the reasoning and people behind it w I loved all the queer representation。 The queer parties were a fun element。 I like that lavender marriages were discussed。 I was bored with this story。 I feel like it went on forever。 All the characters had well thought out backstories but it just wasn’t enough to make them as interesting as I hoped。 I really wanted to care about these characters。 The little mystery going on did not make me at all curious as to what was really happening。 When it was revealed， the reasoning and people behind it was not surprising。 It is an assumption that the reader can easily make。 。。。more
Christiana
，
3。5 stars。 I'm doing some booktalks about the American Dream soon and this I've been hearing about this one for awhile， so it seemed pretty fateful。 I liked the retelling and imagining of what it might look like in this part of history for someone who was trans （also， if you didn't think Nick and Gatsby were acting a tiny bit gay for each other in the original， you arguably weren't doing it right）。 I liked how this one raised issues and necessities of passing and liked how it wove in and out of 3。5 stars。 I'm doing some booktalks about the American Dream soon and this I've been hearing about this one for awhile， so it seemed pretty fateful。 I liked the retelling and imagining of what it might look like in this part of history for someone who was trans （also， if you didn't think Nick and Gatsby were acting a tiny bit gay for each other in the original， you arguably weren't doing it right）。 I liked how this one raised issues and necessities of passing and liked how it wove in and out of the original story。 I guessed where the story was going way early （and that's not something that happens to me a lot） which made it a little tiresome to wait for Nick to catch up， but still glad I read it and the lens of the classic it gave me。 。。。more
Molly
，
When they said remix， they meant REMIX！ I don't know how to feel about this as a Gatsby retelling， but I loved it as a queer & trans Latinx YA historical romance。 We've got a love triangle （quadrangle？） going on & this is filled with familiar young adult themes like self discovery， chasing your dreams， figuring out how to stand up for who you are and what you believe， and imagining a life for yourself beyond what society deems fit for you。This is vastly different from the original thematically， When they said remix， they meant REMIX！ I don't know how to feel about this as a Gatsby retelling， but I loved it as a queer & trans Latinx YA historical romance。 We've got a love triangle （quadrangle？） going on & this is filled with familiar young adult themes like self discovery， chasing your dreams， figuring out how to stand up for who you are and what you believe， and imagining a life for yourself beyond what society deems fit for you。This is vastly different from the original thematically， and many of the characters are reinvented from the inside in order to be more sympathetic and deserving of a happy ending。 This really changed the feel of the narrative - Gatsby's not selling counterfeit bonds， Jordan doesn't tell white lies or drive too fast or spill people's secrets， Nick and Jay don't drink， Gatsby is racially conscious and the book really play up his poor/bootstraps origins。 You can tell from the synopsis that we have trans and Latinx main characters， which obviously puts the book in an position to make some interesting commentary on race and gender in 1920s America （although I found the characters had pretty modern sensibilities， at times feelings a little out of touch with the setting）。 I was also surprised at how making the characters younger （17-19） changed the feel of things as well。 Tom is really our core villain here and the main plot is still the love triangle around Daisy， with subplots like the mystery of a missing pearl necklace and Nick's job in finance as a gay Cassandra predicting the stock market crash。 Daisy gets kind of a Where the Crawdads Sing moment towards the end which was pretty baller。 All this to say that Self-Made Boys is about very different things than The Great Gatsby was about！I really appreciated the complexity added to the text regarding Daisy being a Latinx character passing as white。 I would read a whole book from this Daisy's POV， and you can tell she's a favorite of the author by the way her letters are written。 The romance side of things between Nick and Gatsby develops in a very sweet way which readers will love。 The heart of this book really lies in Nick's love for Gatsby and in Daisy's desire to pursue her lavish life as a socialite even as it slowly erodes her identity， so the scenes between Nick and Gatsby and the scenes where we learn more about Daisy's internal world were definitely my favorites。I'd highly recommend this if you like queer historical young adult books OR if you're someone who DIDN"T like reading The Great Gatsby in high school because you found the original characters hard to like - they're far more likable here！ This definitely deserves a place in classrooms and libraries， and I hope teens are able to see themselves reflected in this book and find their way into this classic！（thank to the publisher on netgalley for the arc！） 。。。more
Zoe Elizabeth （Booksatlunch）
，
This is a super engaging reimagining of Gatsby。 The book is full of history: queer history， the history of New York， how we got into the Great Depression。 There's also some really fantastic discussions about passing。 Passing as white， straight， and CIS。 Gatsby has always felt kinda Queer （Nick is so clearly in love with Gatsby） and it's really satisfying to see all of these classic characters live full-Queer lives。 There's also some new plot points which gives a nice little twist to the story an This is a super engaging reimagining of Gatsby。 The book is full of history: queer history， the history of New York， how we got into the Great Depression。 There's also some really fantastic discussions about passing。 Passing as white， straight， and CIS。 Gatsby has always felt kinda Queer （Nick is so clearly in love with Gatsby） and it's really satisfying to see all of these classic characters live full-Queer lives。 There's also some new plot points which gives a nice little twist to the story and keeps the book engaging and not just a rehashing of the original story。 Thanks to the publishers for an eARC for an honest review。 。。。more
Starr ❇✌❇
，
4。4YES。*Review to come*
Anna
，
I loved this story。 I will admit that I have never read The Great Gatsby but that didn't detract from this retelling in any way。 We're getting two queer trans boys just trying to find a way to exist and get out of their own heads a little bit。 I loved Daisy and I love the concept and execution talking about lavender marriages。 Yeah this is just a really solid story and one that I can't wait to do every rate of and so they can't wait to recommend to people！ I loved this story。 I will admit that I have never read The Great Gatsby but that didn't detract from this retelling in any way。 We're getting two queer trans boys just trying to find a way to exist and get out of their own heads a little bit。 I loved Daisy and I love the concept and execution talking about lavender marriages。 Yeah this is just a really solid story and one that I can't wait to do every rate of and so they can't wait to recommend to people！ 。。。more
Kristin Sledge
，
Wowzer！ What a great remix！ 5 stars！ Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an AudioARC in exchange for an honest review。Self Made Boys is， as the title suggests， a remix of The Great Gatsby。 Many pieces are tweaked and lead to new outcomes of plot lines， but this story is all the richer for it。 Young Nicolas， a trans Latino boy， sets out for New York in hopes of making a name for himself and supporting his family。 His cousin， Daisy， and neighbor， Jay Gatsby， help Nick navigate the social Wowzer！ What a great remix！ 5 stars！ Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an AudioARC in exchange for an honest review。Self Made Boys is， as the title suggests， a remix of The Great Gatsby。 Many pieces are tweaked and lead to new outcomes of plot lines， but this story is all the richer for it。 Young Nicolas， a trans Latino boy， sets out for New York in hopes of making a name for himself and supporting his family。 His cousin， Daisy， and neighbor， Jay Gatsby， help Nick navigate the social scene and help him adapt to life in New York。 Of course， hijinx ensue， and not all of our characters may come out alive。。。Wow。。。。just。。。。。wow！ This story is PHENOMENALLY told by the narrator， Avi Roque。 Their voice acting for all the characters is so beautifully done， especially with Daisy and how she speaks as a high class woman。 I was blown away and sucked in from the start， and Avi was an exquisite choice for narration。 I have listened to other audiobooks that Avi has read， but something about this story。。。。they really sold it to me and I was happy to gobble it up。 The characters have so many layers that you just continue to fall for them throughout the book， and by the end are sad to part ways with them。Five beaming stars for Self Made Boys。 Recommended for readers 12+。 You'll love this story if you enjoy the classics， love a good mystery， and love stories of self worth and finding yourself。 I absolutely adored this story， it's one that shouldn't be missed！ 。。。more
Leah M
，
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review。CONTENT WARNING: racism， homophobia， transphobiaI vaguely remember having to read The Great Gatsby in high school， and being incredibly bored by it。 Turns out， it was lacking some flavor。 And Anna-Marie McLemore took on the challenge， and successfully turned this blah story into one that I couldn’t stop reading。 Shout out to narrators Avi Roque and Kyla Garcia for bringing t Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review。CONTENT WARNING: racism， homophobia， transphobiaI vaguely remember having to read The Great Gatsby in high school， and being incredibly bored by it。 Turns out， it was lacking some flavor。 And Anna-Marie McLemore took on the challenge， and successfully turned this blah story into one that I couldn’t stop reading。 Shout out to narrators Avi Roque and Kyla Garcia for bringing this story into stunning life， and voicing the characters of Nick and Daisy even more beautifully than I could have ever imagined。The story stays relatively true to the original （at least as far as I can remember）， although there was diversity seamlessly woven into it， and it felt like that was what the story was missing all along。 I think one of the most impressive aspects was that McLemore managed to convey all the emotional and social nuance associated with being queer， trans， and a person of color， while staying true to the historical aspects of the 1920s。 Nick is a trans boy of Mexican descent， visiting his cousin Daisy， who is currently passing as white。 He speaks a lot about his own feelings about this， and how brown people who look like him （and how Daisy used to look） are treated in the wealthy neighborhood that he’s now living in。 More than a few times， he’s mistaken for the help， with people handing him their golf clubs or dishes， and even outright told something like， “well， you’re not like them。” He faces racial slurs， which weren’t said on the page， thankfully， because I was already outraged on his behalf。 One of the biggest surprises that he faces is how Daisy introduces him to her fiancé Tom， as the son of her housekeeper， rather than her cousin:“That glance told me that if people like us wanted to make something of ourselves in a world ruled by men as pale as their own dinner plates， we had to lie。 Daisy would help me make my way in New York。 Her price would be the two of us erasing ourselves from each others blood。”The concept of “passing” is also discussed。 Daisy is currently passing， and living her life as a white woman， in order to be accepted in high society。 But hiding your ethnicity isn’t an easy thing。 Ethnicity isn’t just what you look like—it encompasses so much of our identity， and hiding that means turning away from our family， our history， our culture， our language， traditional foods， language， beliefs， and so much more。 Passing involves having difficult discussions， and it seems like Daisy is taking the easy way out， as mentioned by someone else in a similar situation:“‘The problem is that she hasn’t truly reckoned with it， what it means to live as she’s living。 She talks to her family， your family， as though nothing has happened。 As though life is just as it was。 I couldn’t do that。 I had the conversations， hard as they were， I had them。 We had them。 But she hasn’t done that with her family。 I doubt she’s truly even done that with you。’”Under the surface， there’s another level of diversity that can’t be seen as easily， and that’s gender identity and sexual orientation。 Nick is transgender， and so is Jay。 He comes across women who are living their lives as openly gay for the first time， and is welcomed into this new aspect of society that he never even realized existed， and is exposed to different kinds of people than he ever met in rural Wisconsin。 I loved that both Nick and Jay’s families were so supportive of their transitions， and the fact that there was a Jewish lesbian incorporated into the story as well， and how she included her own cultural traditions into her daily life， which were portrayed beautifully and authentically。 I swear， if stories like this were included in the curriculum when I was in school （or if they even existed）， I would have enjoyed high school English class a lot more。 The story kept me hooked from start to finish， and the characters were engaging， well-rounded， and realistic。 I loved every moment of this story， from the start to the stunning climax， and even though I knew the bones of the original story， this remix was masterfully rendered in a fresh and wonderful manner that has the ability to hook a whole new generation of readers in a way that the original never could。 。。。more
Maggie
，
Thank you for this book in exchange for my honest review。 I remember reading The Great Gatsby in high school AP English so this book was an interesting take on the story。 I didn’t know about Lavender Marriages until I read about it in this book， so this book was quite informative。 The “slow burn” romance trope is usually not my first go-to， but this time， I found myself wanting more。
Kim Priest
，
I am truly grateful to have been given the opportunity to read and review this one。 McLemore’s prose is fluid and lyrical， and terribly romantic。 Their characters are complex， endearing， and imperfect in the most human way。 Self-Made Boys is a mixture of realism and wish fulfillment that honors its source material without getting mired down by it。I will admit that I was a little skeptical about this one going in。 The Great Gatsby is a personal favorite of mine and in some ways。 I feel protective I am truly grateful to have been given the opportunity to read and review this one。 McLemore’s prose is fluid and lyrical， and terribly romantic。 Their characters are complex， endearing， and imperfect in the most human way。 Self-Made Boys is a mixture of realism and wish fulfillment that honors its source material without getting mired down by it。I will admit that I was a little skeptical about this one going in。 The Great Gatsby is a personal favorite of mine and in some ways。 I feel protective of it。 Through a modern lens， it has its problems， but there is a reason it’s left such a large mark on so many hearts。 I was concerned because McLemore really bit off a lot here。 The author weaves gender identity， racial， and sexual identity， and passing for something you are not （straight， cis， white） into their story seemlessly。 I worried that all this would be too much and the story would be lost。 It isn’t。 McLemore uses all of these issues to give new depth to the characters and the story。In the original Great Gatsby， Nick’s love for Jay is subtext， just below the surface。 For some readers， it’s right there on the page。 McLemore’s given us a world in which Nick knows and accepts that he loves Jay but still has to struggle with what that love means for him。 A world in which， infuriating as she is， Daisy has depth and nuance。 She is a real woman rather than Gatsby’s dream girl， and she has plans of her own。 Fitzgerald’s novel is a commentary on the American Dream。 I think Self-Made Boys is too， but in a very different， much more hopeful way。 Jay and Nick， Daisy and Jordan exist in an America that wants to remake them in order to accept them。 Instead they may find that there is space within the American Dream for everyone and that you don’t have to pass for something you’re not to find your way there。McLemore gave me the ending for Nick and Jay that I always wanted。 I will be rereading this one soon。 Thank you to the publisher for providing a free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Kayleigh
，
The entire time I was reading Self-Made Boys （in eARC， thank you @netgalley）， I kept saying “I cannot wait to teach this someday”。 It is a beautiful book— A queer retelling of Gatsby that holds on to so many of the themes of the original story （class， race， identity， etc） but does so through characters that are not just straight， cis， and white， so readers can explore the issues of the 20s and of America through perspectives beyond the one of the original book。 The result is that the marginalize The entire time I was reading Self-Made Boys （in eARC， thank you @netgalley）， I kept saying “I cannot wait to teach this someday”。 It is a beautiful book— A queer retelling of Gatsby that holds on to so many of the themes of the original story （class， race， identity， etc） but does so through characters that are not just straight， cis， and white， so readers can explore the issues of the 20s and of America through perspectives beyond the one of the original book。 The result is that the marginalized people who are sort of just contributing background in the original Gatsby get to be fully realized characters whose struggles are at the forefront of the narrative， which gives the whole story more sympathy， depth， and shows a much more diverse vision of the issues of the 20s。If/when I teach an American lit class in the future， I would love to do this alongside the original text and focus on the issues that are common in Gatsby and this， but get students to dig into how differently McLemore and Fitzgerald choose to tackle these problems （and why they did so， and how those differences impact the story）。 Even as a lit circle option （perhaps with every group reading different adaptations of classics） or as an independent reading project， this text would be fantastic， and I imagine any US history teacher would be happy to have their English counterpart taking on a book with as many historical themes as this one。Overall， 5/5 stars for me 🤗 。。。more
Laurie
，
Beautifully retold version of the classic with a diverse cast of characters。 The author stays close to the original story with some creative changes that add depth to the characters and their relationships in a way that invites the reader to connect with each character in a new way。 I loved Nick and his backstory， and while I grew frustrated with Daisy's lies， in the end I appreciated what the author did with this character。 Thank you， NetGalley， for the ARC。 Beautifully retold version of the classic with a diverse cast of characters。 The author stays close to the original story with some creative changes that add depth to the characters and their relationships in a way that invites the reader to connect with each character in a new way。 I loved Nick and his backstory， and while I grew frustrated with Daisy's lies， in the end I appreciated what the author did with this character。 Thank you， NetGalley， for the ARC。 。。。more
Susan
，
Advanced Reader’s Copies （I ended up with an egalley and the audiobook） that were provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 The audiobook is from Macmillan Audio/Macmillan Young Listeners and the egalley is from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group/Feiwel & Friends。Well now THIS is a version of THE GREAT GATSBY that I can fully get behind！ McLemore not only gives readers a new take on Nick， Jay， and Daisy。。。 but we get transgender characters （Nick and Jay）， we get latinx character Advanced Reader’s Copies （I ended up with an egalley and the audiobook） that were provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 The audiobook is from Macmillan Audio/Macmillan Young Listeners and the egalley is from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group/Feiwel & Friends。Well now THIS is a version of THE GREAT GATSBY that I can fully get behind！ McLemore not only gives readers a new take on Nick， Jay， and Daisy。。。 but we get transgender characters （Nick and Jay）， we get latinx characters （Nick， Daisy， and one other main character）， we get a Sapphic romance （that one you'll just have to read to find out）， AND in this version we finally get Nick and Jay admitting their attraction to each other！I will say that the only thing I felt that was missing was the 1920s feel of it - there is some with characters teaching Nick what vocabulary to use， but overall I missed the "1920s Gatsby Party" feel of other versions of this novel。 But that's not to say SELF-MADE BOYS is lacking， or that it wasn't enjoyable。 I really enjoyed it as it was， but was hoping that the descriptions of the decadence of Gatsby's parties would have been taken one step further。 Something McLemore does that I truly appreciated was that in this version， Daisy is still vapid and obnoxious on the surface， but instead of leaving it at that， this Daisy has depth to her and a method to her actions。 Her impact on the overall story hits much harder in McLemore's version than in the original。 And Daisy's story， as is Nick's， are so entwined into this idea of the "American Dream" that was so prominent in the early 1900s。 As is the concept of a self-made person。 Those topics are well suited to this story and will hopefully give readers something to think about along with everything else that happens。And can we talk about the cover art？！ Stunning。Avi Roque and Kyla Garcia do a wonderful job with the audiobook narration and McLemore's story lends well to consuming in this format。 。。。more
Sacha
，
5 stars What I have loved so far about the Remix series is that they are achieving what I expect is their intended purpose: reinvigorating a love for some traditional （aka tired） works with more relatable characters。 This newest piece from McLemore - a proven treasure in the YA world - is no exception， and it is also my favorite of the group thus far。 As this is a remix， the characters readers of the origin point know and have *feelings* about are all present here， but they are so much better in 5 stars What I have loved so far about the Remix series is that they are achieving what I expect is their intended purpose: reinvigorating a love for some traditional （aka tired） works with more relatable characters。 This newest piece from McLemore - a proven treasure in the YA world - is no exception， and it is also my favorite of the group thus far。 As this is a remix， the characters readers of the origin point know and have *feelings* about are all present here， but they are so much better in this version。 The representation is layered and engaging in several areas that McLemore has become known for across their work: gender identity， gender expression， sexuality， and race and ethnicity。 As knowing readers expect， McLemore provides a thorough content warning at the top， so all readers should take note there。 Readers follow these characters on a journey of exploring and coming to terms with all of these areas， and there are some difficult moments and realities。 That noted， this is a WAY more uplifting product overall than its forebearer， and that's particularly impressive with the added explicit identities McLemore introduces throughout。 I know the world is filled with die-hard Gatsby fans， but I have eternally loathed the depressing nature of that book and the horrifying symbolism that highlights it all。 In a remix that could have gone much deeper into darkness， McLemore instead offers a healthy， well， MIX of realistic struggle and uplifting messaging， and I am here for all of it。 McLemore continues to be an essential voice for expansive （see what I did there？） and complex identities that mirror actual people in modern times， and I remain grateful for their prolific work， as well as thrilled to read more as soon as it's available （and before that， when possible）！ *Bonus note: the narrators of the audiobook really enhance the experience。 Select that option when possible！ *Special thanks to NetGalley， Feiwel & Friends， and Macmillan Audio for the e-arc and audio arc respectively。 I received these arcs in exchange for honest reviews， and the opinions expressed here are my own。 。。。more
Jay
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*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review*It's 1922 and Nicolás Caraveo， a 17-year-old transgender boy from Wisconsin， has his sights set on a high-paying job in New York。 Nick， having recently come out as a trans man， goes to New York to fund a better life for his family， to whom he thinks he owes a debt for accepting him and aiding in his transition。 With the support of his cousin Daisy， Nick moves to West Egg and rents a small home *Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review*It's 1922 and Nicolás Caraveo， a 17-year-old transgender boy from Wisconsin， has his sights set on a high-paying job in New York。 Nick， having recently come out as a trans man， goes to New York to fund a better life for his family， to whom he thinks he owes a debt for accepting him and aiding in his transition。 With the support of his cousin Daisy， Nick moves to West Egg and rents a small home from her。 When he gets to New York， he is shocked to find that his cousin has bleached her skin to pass as white， and is going by the name Daisy Fay， hiding her Latine identity from everyone， including her wealthy fiancé， Tom。 In order to protect her true identity， Daisy introduces Nick as the son of one of her family's maids， much to his dismay。 Nick is not in West Egg long before he is introduced to his wealthy and mysterious neighbour， Jay Gatsby， who regularly throws lavish parties the likes of which Nick has never seen。 After an embarrassing first meeting in which Jay helps a drunken Nick back to his rental home， he receives his first invitation to one of Gatsby's lavish parties。 It is at this first party that Nick would discover Jay Gatsby's trans identity and also， seemingly， his past with his cousin Daisy。Upon discovering Gatsby's feelings for his cousin， Nick quickly realizes that the spectacle of the parties and the placement of Jay's house directly across the lake from Daisy's own are no coincidence: it's all to get her attention and to show her what he had made of himself。 When Nick discovers that Tom is cheating on Daisy （and possibly worse）， he decides that he needs to do anything to get his cousin away from that man， and he believes that setting her up with Gatsby is his best shot。 While the two seem to hit it off， Nick begins to grapple with his own feelings for Gatsby， and what those feelings say about the type of self-made man he is。This book was absolutely incredible。 It is a tender love story， with an incredibly queer cast of characters and wonderful explorations of gender identity， colorism and sexuality。 Nick thinks a lot about the kind of man he is， but before Jay， he doesn't know any other trans men and has a certain idea in his head of what a man must be。 He grapples with the idea of being a gay trans man， something he didn't think was possible， as he assumes the default man to be straight。 This book was as fun as it was tender， and I couldn't help but read it all in one sitting。 I have never felt seen by any other book quite as I did by this one。 I feel confident in saying there is no other book out there like this one， and no other author writing books quite like Anna-Marie McLemore。 I can't wait to see what they do next。 。。。more
Peter
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I loved this！ Thanks to Netgalley for the digital ARC。 The Great Gatsby was one of my favorite books in high school。 I'm not sure exactly what that says about me， but I could find myself discussing it easily in class。 And I always enjoyed the film version starring Robert Redford and Mia Farrow。 And I agree with the author of this remixed classic; Daisy is and was infuriating。 But this book painted all of the classic characters in a new light and I enjoyed seeing each and every way that happened。 I loved this！ Thanks to Netgalley for the digital ARC。 The Great Gatsby was one of my favorite books in high school。 I'm not sure exactly what that says about me， but I could find myself discussing it easily in class。 And I always enjoyed the film version starring Robert Redford and Mia Farrow。 And I agree with the author of this remixed classic; Daisy is and was infuriating。 But this book painted all of the classic characters in a new light and I enjoyed seeing each and every way that happened。 I mean， most of all having Gatsby and Nick be transmen？ And and innate queerness of like， all of the other characters？？ Brilliant！ As I neared the end of the book， I thought of the ending to the original book and feared the worst， but without spoiling anything the author spun a number of things （as they were all along throughout the whole book） in a way that was satisfying and poignant。 。。。more
Christie
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review！Okay， so， let me admit first thing that I am a failure of a literature degree-haver; I have never read The Great Gatsby。 The good news is that you don't even need to know the basics of the original to enjoy the story that Anna-Marie McLemore has created in Self-Made Boys。17-year old transgender Nicolás （Nick） Caraveo moves to New York City in early 1920 not for the glitz and glam of the city life， but with the Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review！Okay， so， let me admit first thing that I am a failure of a literature degree-haver; I have never read The Great Gatsby。 The good news is that you don't even need to know the basics of the original to enjoy the story that Anna-Marie McLemore has created in Self-Made Boys。17-year old transgender Nicolás （Nick） Caraveo moves to New York City in early 1920 not for the glitz and glam of the city life， but with the hopes of making a name for himself and money to send make to send back to his family in Minnesota。 He does so by the good will of his cousin， Daisy Fabrega （now calling herself Daisy Fay）， who is living the high life in the city as a white-passing socialite with her wealthy fiancé， Tom。 While he struggles with this new life， he comes to know his new neighbor through his elaborate mansion parties， Jay Gatsby， a mysterious young man with his own secrets who is intent on impressing a girl from his past - Daisy。 At first， Nick is drawn to him through one marked similarity; they're both transgender。 But as Nick gets to know Jay， he finds himself drawn to this boy who is so very different from himself in every way。。。 Even if Jay is only interested in Daisy。The beauty in this story is both in it being a love letter to 1920s New York City and in the way that it calls out everything wrong with the supposed glitz and glam of The Roaring Twenties。 There is that incessant search for the American Dream， and the knowledge that it is accessible only to the most privileged among the population - a fact that Nick learns early， when he discovers that he might be able to pass as male but cannot pass as anything but Latinx， unlike his cousin。 There is the search for happiness in a country that is not yet ready to accept the existence of queer people， handled so aptly and delicately by author McLemore， and what it means to be a queer person in the 1920s， from discussions of lavender marriages to safe spaces they create for themselves within the world。 The very idea of "Self-Made Boys" is a repetitive theme throughout the story， in the discussion of the pursuit of the American Dream and these characters making themselves over as the boys they want the world to see them as。Self-Made Boys is a lovely retelling of a classic story， whether you've read the original or not。 It will make a lovely addition to any bookshelf - and I genuinely cannot wait for the sprayed/stenciled edge bookshops to get their hands on this one！ 。。。more
timewillfall
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10/10thank you to netgalley and macmillan children's publishing group for the arc！i loved reading this book！ i read the original great gatsby in high school and don't remember much of it besides thinking nick was in love with gatsby， and this retelling is everything i could have hoped for。 i love that both nick and gatsby are trans and none of them face homophobia or transphobia from their loved ones （or from any characters really， but it's still there bc of the time period）。 i love the t4t rela 10/10thank you to netgalley and macmillan children's publishing group for the arc！i loved reading this book！ i read the original great gatsby in high school and don't remember much of it besides thinking nick was in love with gatsby， and this retelling is everything i could have hoped for。 i love that both nick and gatsby are trans and none of them face homophobia or transphobia from their loved ones （or from any characters really， but it's still there bc of the time period）。 i love the t4t relationship。 i loved the new layers of complexity added to daisy's character。 i loved the writing。 i thought it was wonderful， and the best thing about it is that you don't need to be familiar with the original story to understand this one， so i would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested but was hesitating because of that， and to anyone in general！ 。。。more
Jada Grisson
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I've been freaking out about this book since it was announced。 Please inject it into my veins I've been freaking out about this book since it was announced。 Please inject it into my veins 。。。more
Renata
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wow these YA classics remixes are KILLING IT。 This was so gorgeously written and for me really enhanced the original while being its own beautiful thing。 And I loved all the historical details about queer and trans lives in the 20s。 I loved the depth granted to each character。
Ashley Dang
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THIS IS THE GREAT GATSBY BOOK YOU NEED！ If you’ve ever read the book and thought to yourself : yup Nick and Gatsby are in love， then THIS IS THE BOOK。 This is a fresh and absolutely wonderful queer retelling of the Great Gatsby with the BEST AND MOST SATISFYING ENDING FOR EVERYONE。 Seriously this was all I could have ever asked for and more， we get the Nick and Gatsby ship of our dreams， we actually get a more fleshed out Daisy and OH BOY DID THIS DAISY ARC WORK OUT SO MUCH BETTER， and my god， t THIS IS THE GREAT GATSBY BOOK YOU NEED！ If you’ve ever read the book and thought to yourself : yup Nick and Gatsby are in love， then THIS IS THE BOOK。 This is a fresh and absolutely wonderful queer retelling of the Great Gatsby with the BEST AND MOST SATISFYING ENDING FOR EVERYONE。 Seriously this was all I could have ever asked for and more， we get the Nick and Gatsby ship of our dreams， we actually get a more fleshed out Daisy and OH BOY DID THIS DAISY ARC WORK OUT SO MUCH BETTER， and my god， the representation in this book was everything to me。 I will be forever telling people to read this book because， it just was perfection。 The story follows Nicolás Caraveo， a 17 year old transgender boy from Wisconsin who wants to establish himself as professional and make enough money to help his family。 With the help of his cousin Daisy Fabrega， who lives in East Egg and her wealthy Fiance， Tom， they get him a little house in the West Egg。 What Nick does not expect to find when arriving is that his cousin has erased so much of her Latin heritage and is now passing as white in order to get on in society and convince her fiancee that she is what he wants。 In addition to this Nick meets his mysterious neighbor， Jay Gatsby， a man who throws extravagant parties in the castle-like mansion next door。 What Nick doesn’t expect to find is that Jay is also transgender。 What begins as unlikely friendship and soon becomes a plan to help Jay get back with Daisy soon spirals out more as Nick and Jay spend more time together， and Nick’s feelings start growing。。。 but there is more going on here than even Nick realizes and soon he’ll discover some unlikely secrets about his cousin and the man who is supposedly in love with her。。。 with whom Nick himself is in love with。 *Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group， Feiwel & Friends for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review* 。。。more
Maddie
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Self-Made Boys is a Great Gatsby retelling。 In which both Nick and Jay are transgender。 It pretty much follows the same story as the Hemmingway version。 However， the characters go through some different things and the ending is different。 The characters find themselves throughout the novel and find love。 Overall， a really good retelling of the classic novel。 The Great Gatsby is one of my favorite books ever。 So I was both excited and nervous to read this one。 But I really loved it。 I enjoyed see Self-Made Boys is a Great Gatsby retelling。 In which both Nick and Jay are transgender。 It pretty much follows the same story as the Hemmingway version。 However， the characters go through some different things and the ending is different。 The characters find themselves throughout the novel and find love。 Overall， a really good retelling of the classic novel。 The Great Gatsby is one of my favorite books ever。 So I was both excited and nervous to read this one。 But I really loved it。 I enjoyed seeing a different side to these characters。 I loved all of the LGBTQ+ representation in this book。 I also liked how this was a different twist on the classic characters， but yet that did not take anything away from the original story。 I think if you are a fan of the Great Gatsby this is one you should add to your list。 Thank you so much NetGalley， Ann-Marie McLemore。 and Macmillan for the ARC of this。 。。。more
dani
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What an absolutely beautiful reimagining of The Great Gatsby。 I am actually beside myself with this one。 It’s been a very long time since I read a book in a single night but here I am， I couldn’t stop myself from turning every page。 This was easily my favorite read of the year thus far。 I feel like my thoughts are a whirlwind right now because there’s just so much to say but long story short the writing was stunning， it’s the kind of writing that just makes you appreciate words。 I literally tear What an absolutely beautiful reimagining of The Great Gatsby。 I am actually beside myself with this one。 It’s been a very long time since I read a book in a single night but here I am， I couldn’t stop myself from turning every page。 This was easily my favorite read of the year thus far。 I feel like my thoughts are a whirlwind right now because there’s just so much to say but long story short the writing was stunning， it’s the kind of writing that just makes you appreciate words。 I literally teared up over every queer aspect of this story and how deeply rooted it was and how it just sort of seemed like it should have always belonged in the world of The Great Gatsby。 The romance and the mystery and the queerness of it all。 I want to tattoo it to the inside of my brain where I can reread it forever。 That’s how I feel。 。。。more
Alex Lake
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I genuinely have no words to express how much I love this book。 I’m so grateful to have been provided an arc of it because now I can scream my love of it from the rooftops。 As a Great Gatsby enthusiast， a firm believer in the fact that Nick and Gatsby were very much in love， a writer， and a trans masc person， I’ve always wanted to write a queer retelling of this story， but now all of my whims （and more） have been satisfied by this book。 It was literally like it was taken from my brain and put in I genuinely have no words to express how much I love this book。 I’m so grateful to have been provided an arc of it because now I can scream my love of it from the rooftops。 As a Great Gatsby enthusiast， a firm believer in the fact that Nick and Gatsby were very much in love， a writer， and a trans masc person， I’ve always wanted to write a queer retelling of this story， but now all of my whims （and more） have been satisfied by this book。 It was literally like it was taken from my brain and put into a book。 I love everything about it and all I want is to permanently etch it on the back of my eyelids。 When I first heard this was gonna be a t4t retelling of one of my favorite classics， I was over the moon and I’m so glad it exceeded my expectations in the way it did。 The references to the source material， the changes in character， the development of the story line， they were all amazing and lovely and just the best things ever。 And at the risk of spoiling everything in this book because all I want to do ir infodump about it now， I’ll leave you with this: if you like The Great Gatsby as much as I do， especially if you’re queer， trans， or latine， and ever wonder what if would be like if the story was as queer as humanly possible， please pick up this book when it comes out in September。 You won’t regret it。 （oh also they turned Meyer Wolfsheim into the coolest lesbian ever and if that doesn’t get you to read it idk what will） 。。。more
Sam - Read & Buried
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A queer retelling of The Great Gatsby？ By THEE Anna-Marie McLemore？ Sign me right up！I'll admit the last time I read the source material I was in high school， and aside from a few key scenes， I can't tell you how well this actually sticks to the original book。 That being said， McLemore does a great job of not expecting the reader to know where things are going while also throwing in bits and pieces that will be recognizable for those who do。 I was finding myself remembering what I'd read years a A queer retelling of The Great Gatsby？ By THEE Anna-Marie McLemore？ Sign me right up！I'll admit the last time I read the source material I was in high school， and aside from a few key scenes， I can't tell you how well this actually sticks to the original book。 That being said， McLemore does a great job of not expecting the reader to know where things are going while also throwing in bits and pieces that will be recognizable for those who do。 I was finding myself remembering what I'd read years ago and being able to pick out things that had stuck out to me as a teenager， all while making the story not feel like a carbon copy of the original。 McLemore's Jay， Nick， and Daisy are built on the strong foundation of Fitzgerald's versions that made the book a classic， but feel more organic here - as if these are the versions of the characters that were begging to be told。 My only complaint is that the plot felt a little convoluted at the end in order to tie up the loose threads and connect it back to the source material。 However， this seems par for the course for retellings and something that at times can't be avoided - it doesn't really affect my feelings on the rest of the book or the characters， but it does have an effect on the way the ending feels。I highly recommend this book to any fans of queer YA lit， historical fiction romances， retellings of classic stories， or those who are McLemore devotees like myself。 Thank you to Feiwel & Friends and NetGalley for providing a copy for review。 。。。more
Laura Richardson
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