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Static

by L.A. Witt (Goodreads Author)

3.98 of 5 stars 3.98 · rating details · 344 ratings · 81 reviews

Damon Bryce is worried sick when he doesn’t hear from his girlfriend after she visits her estranged parents, but when he checks up on her, he’s in for the shock of his life: She’s a shifter, part of a small percentage of the population who can shift genders at will. Thanks to her parents, though, she’s been forcibly given an implant that leaves her static—unable to shift—a...more

ebook, 287 pages

Published June 26th 2011 by Amber Allure (first published June 17th 2011)

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Between Sinners and Saints by Marie Sexton

Best M/M Romance Published in 2011

60th out of 399 books — 856 voters

Gay Romance Written In First Person POV

53rd out of 141 books — 83 voters

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Jul 02, 2011 Cole Riann rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, m-m-family-kids, m-m-gfy-ofy, m-m-hurt-comfort, m-m-pnr, m-m-shifters, m-m-substance-abuse, m-m-trans-xdress, jessewave, 2011-lambda-finalists

Review #2 for Reviews by Jessewave

4.75 stars

From what I understand, this is the first novel reviewed on this blog that deals specifically with transgendered people in a starring role. Sure, there have been books (not many, though) that deal with varying gender discussions in all sorts of ways, occasionally in the forefront, but not often, and very rarely about trans, intersex, or gender fluid people (thought that is a completely different discussion). Like all marginalized populations there is o...more

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Mar 09, 2012 Nancy L rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: alternate-reality, fantasy, m-m, shifters, romance

Amazing. I had tears! I felt Alex's inner struggle. (view spoiler)

Yes, this book was an inner discovery instead of adventure so don't expect a log of dialog. This is not a romance necessarily ei...more

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Jun 26, 2011 MandyM rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m-romance

Not really my style. The idea of Shifters being people who shifted between genders (and nothing to do with animals) was a unique idea. But I found myself flicking through the pages of internal monologue where Alex and Damon worry about whether they will continue their relationship. The M/F pairing had more chemistry than the M/M. I can't believe I'm saying this but I think this book would have had more impact for me if it was shorter.

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Aug 28, 2012 Tammy K. rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: no one

Recommended to Tammy K. by: Adriana

Shelves: adult-content, shapeshifters, science-fiction, paranormal, lgbt-character, fantasy

I was in a buddy read on this book in the MM Romance group. For a breakdown of my review feel free to look into it there.
I can say that I did not enjoy this read. I found the characters extremely unlikeable. Alex wrapped herself in so much self pity and bitterness that I could not feel sorry for her as she felt sorry enough for herself for the both of us. The character of Damon was totally whipped.
So the romance was not a romance. It was highly abusive and dysfunctional. I never felt connected...more

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Nov 23, 2011 Adara rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone

Recommended to Adara by: Vicktor Alexander

This is, hands down, one of the best Alternate Universe stories I have ever read.

The world is full of shifters, people who can change their bodies between genders at will, though they are a minority within a populations of "statics", or people whose bodies cannot change. It should be noted that in the case of the main shifter character, Alex, that his mind shifts as well--he's mentally male around half the time, female the other half--and he shifts his body to match his mind, not the other way...more This is, hands down, one of the best Alternate Universe stories I have ever read.

The world is full of shifters, people who can change their bodies between genders at will, though they are a minority within a populations of "statics", or people whose bodies cannot change. It should be noted that in the case of the main shifter character, Alex, that his mind shifts as well--he's mentally male around half the time, female the other half--and he shifts his body to match his mind, not the other way around. This is not true of every shifter in the universe. Statics are mostly very shifterphobic and often treat them with contempt and disgust, as non-human, though it is mentioned that shifters have historically been exploited for the masses whenever it suited the world's need (in times of war, for example). In the modern world, shifters are slowly gaining rights, much as the LGBT movement is slowly gaining rights in today's world. The parallels are unmistakeable.

This story covers the life of one couple, Damon, who is static but shifter-friendly, and Alex, who is a shifter. They have been seriously dating for 2 years, but Damon didn't know Alex is a shifter and only knows her in her female form, though she was born male. The story begins in Damon's POV as he walks in on Alex in his male form for the first time.

Alex has a very strained relationship with his mother and step-father, who are both exceptionally shifterphobic. They've been trying for years to get Alex to get an implant to prevent his "unnatural" shifting so he can lead a "normal" life. At the beginning of the story, we find out on his most recent visit that they drugged and illegally forced a black market implant into him, and now he is stuck in his male form (because he never goes to see his parents in his female form, so he was male at the time they gave him the implant).

Damon and Alex run through the gamut of emotions over this, wondering how their relationship will survive since Damon has never been attracted to men. Wondering what life will be like if Alex can't get the implant out, or even if he does get it out, wondering if he'll be paralyzed or remain static anyway. Wondering if they can ever be as happy again as they once were as male and female.

Without giving away the ending, it does work out for them in the end. Watching how Damon overcomes his own mental blocks and finally comes together with Alex in his male form is the most beautiful part of this story, and his actions and reactions felt completely natural all the way through. And because you're in their heads and completely invested in their emotions, those sex scenes are, by far and large, some of the most incredible scenes that I have ever read.

And in addition to their relationship, we also get to see the world through Alex's eyes and heart. We see the shifterphobia around him when he has to go to his day job for the first time as a male (when only one of his colleagues previously knew about his shifter status). We feel his pain at making the decision to prosecute his parents for their crime, which will leave his static little sister (whom he fears is completely brainwashed to hate him) in the lurch. And then there's reliving his depressed, suicidal past during the trial (though we see that part through Damon's eyes).

I cannot speak highly enough about this book. It is fabulous in all the right ways and an absolute must read. Consider me a fan, Ms. Witt. =)(less)

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Jul 05, 2011 Tame rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: re-read-favorites

Excellent book by L.A. Witt!! It dealt with a great deal of issues most books only touch on (transgender, gay, hetero, prejudice, loving the PERSON, whatever they may look like on the outside). This was my first book from L.A. Witt, and it certainly won't be my last! The ending was not a surprise, but then again, it was. Very tightly written and from both protagonists POV---brilliant!!

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Jun 18, 2012 Anna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: currently-own, fiction, glbt

I'm a sucker for romance novels in large part because zero thinking is required in order to read them and they often have feel-good endings. I can live without sexually explicit content, but in this particular book, it was done in moderation and just right in a way that I really appreciated -- a book about love instead of lust is a rare find indeed.

The premise of the novel definitely intrigued me and was done pretty well -- the science geek in me was cringing about it, but let's face it, sometim...more

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Jan 31, 2012 Amy Lane rated it 5 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book very much-- the idea as a metaphor for transgender identity was brilliant, and it did what good sci-fi SHOULD do--show us our own world on a canvas so subtly warped, with colors so delicately changed from our own reality that the truths of our own societal inadequacies aren't hurtful--they are simply revealing. The fact that Witt tackled this difficult, delicate subject in speculative fiction was, in fact, ingenious, and it truly made a solid, important point about respecting...more

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Nov 03, 2011 Jaime rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, romance, science-fiction

I have never read a novel with a transgender character before now. Perhaps to soften what can be a controversial topic, the author used science fiction to craft the story. The story takes place in our world, but with a new element. Shifters exist - people who can shift between being a man or a woman. Alex is a shifter who has been hiding her dual nature from her boyfriend, Damon. Until the night her parents drug her and have a surgical implant inserted that prevents her from shifting in order to...more I have never read a novel with a transgender character before now. Perhaps to soften what can be a controversial topic, the author used science fiction to craft the story. The story takes place in our world, but with a new element. Shifters exist - people who can shift between being a man or a woman. Alex is a shifter who has been hiding her dual nature from her boyfriend, Damon. Until the night her parents drug her and have a surgical implant inserted that prevents her from shifting in order to make her "normal." There are many heavy issues tackled here: sexual/gender identity, society's oppressive need for conformity, how her parents violated her and the consequences of being "outed".

Alex and Damon are strong characters. They come across as real people, and I liked them. Supporting characters, though less developed, serve the story. This is not a typical romance with the typical angst. Damon and Alex have serious issues to contend with, and it takes most of the novel. The story is alternately narrated by Damon and Alex, in first person POV. A few times, this became problematic as they are both men, with a heavy use of the pronoun "he," so that I forgot who was talking. Yet readers need to see the story from both of their sides. I like how the author addressed gender and sexual identity. There is explicit and very steamy sex. The author handled it exceptionally well; in particular, addressing the "gay for you" issue. Alex and Damon had to work through a lot, so the sex happened late in the story. Damon is not gay, he fell in love with Alex as a woman and that is how he is sexually attracted to Alex. But, Alex as a male is still the person Damon loves and would desire intimacy with. Alex is attracted to men - in both her forms, because that is who she is.

The novel has a major downside, however. Many times, it was downright depressing. The author labored over the tortured emotions Alex and Damon were going through with pages and pages of very gloomy internal dialog. I'm not downplaying the importance of Alex's identity crisis, or the pain of enduring society's scorn/rejection for being different. But, it went so far to the point where I almost set the book aside. I read fiction for escapism, and this book severely pushed the limit. Overall, it was a gripping story with a solid HEA; I would try more from this author. Recommended.(less)

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Oct 15, 2011 Nicci rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance, fantasy, m-m-romance, m-m-shapeshifters

Ha. I love the opening scene of L. A. Witt’s, Static. It reminds me of the movie, The Crying Game with less violent actions but just as painful. Fergus (Stephen Rea) learns Dil is not the beautiful female he had fallen in love with, but is something more, a transgender.

While the movie reaches the climax with the discovery of Dil’s identity, Static’s opening scene starts at this point. Damon Bryce discovers his lover of two years is a shifter. The woman he is in love with is now a static male, pe...more Ha. I love the opening scene of L. A. Witt’s, Static. It reminds me of the movie, The Crying Game with less violent actions but just as painful. Fergus (Stephen Rea) learns Dil is not the beautiful female he had fallen in love with, but is something more, a transgender.

While the movie reaches the climax with the discovery of Dil’s identity, Static’s opening scene starts at this point. Damon Bryce discovers his lover of two years is a shifter. The woman he is in love with is now a static male, permanently changed forever. The life Damon wants with Alex Nichols as his wife, it shatters into the abyss.

What makes this novel interesting is the creation of a third gender. The special gene allows humans to transforms gender, male to female or female to male, at will. In this universe, the existence of transgender is irrefutable. No one can question the psychology of gender identification. It is just so.

What hasn’t changed in this book with a slight bent to fantasy is the prejudice towards something different and how cruel people act on their biases.

Case in point, Alex’s parents coerced Alex into having an illegal operation without her consent. They decided Alex’s male identity preferable to her female identity. That she as a shifter is an abomination to their religion and especially to them. One had to wonder if you love your child, why in the world you would destroy half of her soul and as an adult violate her human rights.

Static is however an m/m romance between Alex and Damon. The action of the parents is the driver that forces Alex’s secret into the open. A secret kept from Damon, as some of Alex’s closest friends know what she is.

Narrated by Alex and Damon, the story reveals Alex’s perspective, the history of trauma, the sufferings of a shifter, the strength of character gained through experiences.

Damon is like a rock. While he gives Alex support, the operation is life threatening, Damon works through his issues alone and with Alex. He doesn’t do violence nor does he run off scared. Damon is not gay and now has to decide if he can reshape his relationship with Alex in his mind.

Of the two main characters, I sympathize with and feel Damon is the real hero.

What I enjoyed the most about Static is how L.A. Witt develops the characters, structure the theme of gender identity, and the balance between action and drama. The story conveys a sense of hope. The revelation is beautiful and poignant after much painful introspection by both men.

Review originally posted at http://twlibreviews.com
(less)

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Oct 12, 2011 Kira rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: best-of-the-best, family, favorites, unique

I read so much yet I rarely find a book that makes me go "now this is unique..." one way or another. Everything seems to have been written before.

Not this story.

It's such a simple idea, really: There have always been shifters, people who don't turn into animals or whatnot, but people who can and need to, change genders. Sure, there are also what we have in our reality, people who are transgender and every sexuality we can think of, and all this book really adds are the shifters.

In some ways the...more

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Oct 02, 2011 Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: erotic, contemporary, anal-play-sex, m-f, m-m, science-fiction-fantasy

Originally posted at: http://whippedcream2.blogspot.com/201...

Static is not your average shifter story. Alex is part of a small percentage of the population who can shift genders at will. When her boyfriend Damon is unable to get in touch with her after a visit to her strict parents, he panics and thinks the worst. A man answers her door, and Damon has no idea his life is about to be thrown for a loop. Alex’s family forces a procedure that implants a chip that forces the user to be one gender an...more

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Aug 31, 2011 Denni rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I liked the summary for this book, was really looking forward to the non-traditional (gender bending) aspects, and purchased as soon as it was available.

Bummmer, not my favorite by L.A. Witt. IMO the first half of the book reads like a social rant (nobody likes me, everybody hates me, yada, yada, yada). The third quarter of Static finally gets into the characterizations and relationship issues I was hoping for (and this author is capable of). But the final quarter of the book limps off into narr...more

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Jul 31, 2011 Jalisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

"Static...is an intriguing, unique read from its title, to its gambit of subjects, to its delivery. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever read, or even attempted to read and it’s so good at doing its job. This can only be because its author L.A. Witt, a fantastic friend, went out of her comfort zone to create an Urban Fantasy unlike any other. Static is a story about Alex, a “shifter,” a person who can change genders at will, who is abducted, drugged and illegally operated on to receive an implant that...more

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Aug 05, 2012 Alie38 rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: m/m romantics/paranormal

Recommended to Alie38 by: GR friend

Shelves: kindle-loanable, m-m, para-normal-romance, recommended

Despite rave reviews of L.A. Witt's book, STATIC, I did not enjoy the book very much myself. If I could, I would have rated it a 3.5, just because of the thought provoking subject matter and originality. The story is about Damon who is worried about Alex, his girlfriend for the past two years, because she has not answered his calls for over 48 hours. Frantic and distressed, Damon finds himself pounding on Alex's apartment door until an ill looking man he has never seen before finally answers. Im...more Despite rave reviews of L.A. Witt's book, STATIC, I did not enjoy the book very much myself. If I could, I would have rated it a 3.5, just because of the thought provoking subject matter and originality. The story is about Damon who is worried about Alex, his girlfriend for the past two years, because she has not answered his calls for over 48 hours. Frantic and distressed, Damon finds himself pounding on Alex's apartment door until an ill looking man he has never seen before finally answers. Immediate feelings of jealously turns into disbelief as the man reveals the truth that HE is Alex and has kept the secret that he is a shifter who is able to change his gender identity at will. Yet, due to the nafarious actions of Alex's mom and step-father, he now finds himself unable to shift and is stuck, or rather static, in his male form. The remaining bulk of the story is about the struggles and triumphs of the two maIn characters as they try to find forgiveness, love and acceptance.

STATIC is written in alternating first-person perspective between the two main characters. This writing technique is vital to understand the range of emotions both Damon and Alex feel in dealing with the new challenges their relationship must endure. The ability to read both perspectives was very successful in the beginning of the book, but fell apart in the second half.....At first it was a raw, eye-opening experience to read Alex's anguish and pain of being forced to remain only his male gender. It was like reading about somebody who lost half of his soul and I felt compassion for anybody who has suffered from gender identity issues. How difficult it must be knowing in your heart and mind that you are female and have mistakenly been born in a male body. Vice-versa of a male being born in a female body. Compelling controversies wrapped around betrayal and bigotry made the beginning very engrossing. Especially for me, reading Damon's point-of-view and his realization that he sexually was not attracted to the male version of the woman he once loved and planned to marry.

At this point in the book, the plot and characters became disingenuous and the story disintegrated into unrealistic romantic fluff geared toward an HEA. I found it implausible that Damon, a stout heterosexual, could generate feelings of attraction strong enough to have sex with another male. I heartedly believe in the ability to love someone, seeing the person beyond gender. But for it to manifest into a physical sexual relationship would take more than just recognizing the same mannerisms that Alex as a female use to have. There is no way Damon would be willing to suck cock just because the static male Alex twists sugar packets with his fingers while dining in a restaurant like the female version did. This is where I felt L.A. Witt dropped the ball. Damon goes from having conflicting emotions of being sexually straight to giving a foot massage to quickly being willing to engage in homosexual activity. I didn't buy it and Witt did not provide a storyline with enough details to make it believable. In fact, the fade out to the bedroom resulting in an automatic acceptance that Damon and Alex have a good homosexual relationship had me scrolling back through the book thinking I must have missed a few chapters. If there was any indication that Damon might be bi-sexual like Alex was, the it might have worked. It still would have been too rushed to be believable as the second half of the book seem to skim over their resolutions of their individual internal stifes. I lost the connection between the two main characters, which caused what had the potential of being a great book to just OK.(less)

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Aug 29, 2012 Gyn rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm not really sure how I fee about this stoy. First off I would warn you that if you're looking for a romance story I don't think this is for you. I felt like it was more of a political, social, and religious statement than a story about love. I appreciated the view it gave me into the mind of the transgendered. There were many very helpful metaphors and insights. The view of society at large I didn't find to be enlightening. I already know people are assholes.

In terms of the MCs I didn't find...more

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Nov 06, 2011 L-D rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, pnr, romance, sci-fi, shifters-weres

Not quite 4 stars

This book had a very interesting premise. Alex Nichols is a shifter, but not in the sense that I'm used to reading about in the paranormal realm. Alex shifts genders. She shifts from fully male to fully female. When she is female, she has a female mind and personality, and when he is male, he is fully male. L.A. Witt designed a society where shifters are shunned the way some people shun homosexuality today. Unfortunately, Alex's mom and step-dad are part of the church that belie...more

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Aug 22, 2011 Misa Buckley rated it 5 of 5 stars

**Reviewer disclaimer - I am a friend of the author!**

I read STATIC in less than twenty-four hours, after my "early night" turned into a rather late one because I just couldn't put this book down.

The shifts (heh, pun) in POV really made the story work. I got into the mind of both characters and really felt for both of them. Their emotions, thoughts, doubts and fears made the story very real, even though it's urban fantasy.

The author really caught humanity's prejudices, especially towards anythin...more

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Sep 11, 2011 Vicktor Alexander rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: thorny, kate, katharina, matt, brad, betryal, jase, debbie, anne tenino, tj klune, jordie,

Shelves: gay-family-drama, gay-supernatural, hot-gay-men, m-m-futuristic, m-m-romance, m-m-scifi, m-m-transgender, shapeshifters, paranormal-romance, m-m-paranormal, love

This book left me shaking. I'm not kidding you. I waited WEEKS before even attempting to write a review of this book. Not because it was that bad but because it was THAT GOOD and it affected me THAT MUCH. I had a little bit of a panic attack while reading this book because I could so identify with the character of Alex, who was born a "shifter", but not like a wolf shifter, but someone who could change genders at will.

Alex is dating Damon and when Alex goes missing for a while after visiting wit...more This book left me shaking. I'm not kidding you. I waited WEEKS before even attempting to write a review of this book. Not because it was that bad but because it was THAT GOOD and it affected me THAT MUCH. I had a little bit of a panic attack while reading this book because I could so identify with the character of Alex, who was born a "shifter", but not like a wolf shifter, but someone who could change genders at will.

Alex is dating Damon and when Alex goes missing for a while after visiting with "her" parents, Damon comes over to check on her and finds instead a man who says that he is actually Alex. Alex is forced to reveal to Damon that he is a shifter and Damon is forced to come to a decision about staying with someone who is not fully female but is also fully male, simultaneously, especially since Alex has received an implant that will keep him as a man permanently, one that was forced upon him by his parents. Having felt this way all of my life but denying it to the best of my ability I felt as if my feelings and my thoughts were being projected onto the pages of this book.

I have only read one other book that had a transgendered person as the main character and that was "Hawk's Landing" by Carol Lynne and while Carol did a great job, nothing went as deep into the core of what I feel on a daily basis as this book. The struggle that Alex goes through when wanting to be a female but being unable to shift was heartbreaking, the depression, the loneliness, feeling as if you're not really accepted because you don't really belong in just one form, even the fear that no one would ever be able to truly love you because you are two genders at the same time (called bi-gendered by some doctors), is something that rocked me to my very core. I had to walk away from reading this book a few times because I was crying.

The transgendered part of the LGBT community is overlooked in a lot of fiction and in other areas as well and I am so glad that Mrs Witt wrote this book and did it with such graceful skill, depth, emotion and talent that for me, at least, it changed my entire world. It's amazing that a book should be able to do that, but this book did, it showed me the truth about myself and let me know that it was okay to be who I am, to embrace that part of me and to declare it to the world.

This book is a gem for me, one that I would recommend to everyone, gay, straight, bisexual, transgender, male, female, married, single, engaged, dating. This book is about so much more than truth, acceptance of oneself, acceptance of others, loyalty to each other, not forcing our beliefs and our will on others, it's about more than sex (although it was hot when it happened....REALLY hot), it's about more than just a part of humanity that is overlooked or sneered at or ignored or tucked away into the corner and told to be seen but not heard, this book is about love. Love of a person, NOT a gender, not a look, not the outside packaging, but the treasure that lies within. That's what this book is about.

Love.(less)

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Jun 30, 2011 Lauraadriana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: love-conquers-all, loved-it, m-m

4.5...This books left me smiling and that is a very good thing.

Alex is a shifter...he can change into female or male form. His crazy fundamentalist parents drug him and trick him and force on him a surgical procedure that keeps in his male for and unable to change into a woman.

He has been seeing Damon as Alex, a woman. Damon doesnt know he is a shifter...Unable to change he must tell Damon his secret.

This book was very clever...and certainly had an interesting out look on transgenders and the ch...more

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Nov 18, 2011 Eva rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mm-trans, paranormal-and-fantasy-fiction, contemporary-fiction, mm-romance-or-erotica

A truly wonderful love story, beautifully written and with characters that come alive and make you care about what happens to them.
The story is placed in a contemporary world but with a twist in that some people have the ability to shift genders. While to the outside world the biggest change is in the physical shift, there is also a mental aspect to the shift that happens in the mind of the shifter. Alex, one of the main protagonist is a shifter and the story opens with him being stuck in his ma...more A truly wonderful love story, beautifully written and with characters that come alive and make you care about what happens to them.
The story is placed in a contemporary world but with a twist in that some people have the ability to shift genders. While to the outside world the biggest change is in the physical shift, there is also a mental aspect to the shift that happens in the mind of the shifter. Alex, one of the main protagonist is a shifter and the story opens with him being stuck in his male form due to his parents machinations. The story opens with Alex's boyfriend Damon being worried about his girlfriend (he doesn't know Alex is a shifter) after not hearing from her since she went to visit her parents. Worried he goes to see her, only to discover Alex is a shifter and is now stuck in male form because of a spinal implant that prevents shifting.
For the rest of the book we are treated to a beautiful story of love and acceptance. The novel is written in alternating first person pov so we see how both Alex and Damon are dealing with the new situation.
Alex was born a boy, but doesn't lean more to either gender instead he describes himself as being equally male and female. Since the implant only stops the physical change he now has to deal with not only being static (a word used to describe the people who can't shift) but also with his mind shifting while his body can't. On top of that he also has to cope with the fear of possibly staying static for the rest of his life. Plus, there is the big elephant in the room in the form of his relationship with Damon.
At the same time Damon has to reconcile the fact he's never been attracted to men with the idea of Alex being a shifter and currently (and possibly forever) being stuck in male form.
Throughout the book both Damon and Alex do quite a bit of avoidance of talking about the situation they are in. They skirt around the issue with Damon being apologetic for not being gay and Alex apologizing for not telling him sooner. At the same time both of them talk of getting the implant out and sorting things out later while trying to push aside the fact that Alex is who he is and will still be a shifter after the implant is removed.
One of the most beautiful moments in the book for me was when Damon finally starts to see that being male or female has nothing to do with him being in love with Alex, since Alex is Alex no matter what body parts he does or doesn't have.
Overall this was a wonderful book, on I'll most definitely read again. And again.(less)

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Jan 22, 2013 David rated it 4 of 5 stars

Interesting departure from the standard gay paranormal romance fare (there is a phrase I never thought I would use!). I was torn I will admit; gender shifting seemed a little tortured at first as a substitute for talking about transgender or glbt issues directly, which were also addressed in the book. Overall it worked and brought some welcome depth and complexity to what is usually a (satisfyingly) shallow genre. I am more drawn to emotional rather than physical pron in these books, and Static...more

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Jun 26, 2011 Enny rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 08, 2013 Fiona McGier rated it 5 of 5 stars

I had no expectations when I picked up this book, but I was totally engrossed very soon. It explores the idea of love and what it really means to love someone. And if that someone is changed somehow, but still the person that you love...would you still love that person? I don't want to say too much more as a spoiler.

This book made me laugh at some points, and I cried at one particular scene. I finished it and immediately wanted to read it again. I bought 2 copies to give to friends to share it...more

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Sep 05, 2011 Anna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, m-m-hits

Exquisite m/m story! Really thought-provoking.

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Mar 17, 2013 Ayanna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, favorites, evocative-or-edifying, non-pulpy

Very evocative. I was hesitant to read this at first because Alex is originally a female, but it's not erotica at all. Well, there was that one-ish sex scene, but it was legitimately a pivotal moment. So yeah, basically, for those of you who are squeamish, no need to worry about squicky female bits.

The middle part actually kind of reminded me of P.S. Longer Letter Later in a weird way. It was interesting seeing all of the subtext right out there and stuff.

(view spoiler)...more Very evocative. I was hesitant to read this at first because Alex is originally a female, but it's not erotica at all. Well, there was that one-ish sex scene, but it was legitimately a pivotal moment. So yeah, basically, for those of you who are squeamish, no need to worry about squicky female bits.

The middle part actually kind of reminded me of P.S. Longer Letter Later in a weird way. It was interesting seeing all of the subtext right out there and stuff.

(view spoiler)

The entire thing was rather thought-provoking and brought up a lot of questions on the fluidity on human sexuality in just our world (without shifters, ya kno?) It was kind of a hard concept to grasp, but at the same time, not really. The development and characterization was beautiful - even for Alex's parents. I could see where each side was coming from and though I did champion one side over the other, I couldn't completely hate the parents. I could empathize with them, if not sympathize.

This, for me, brings up the idea of pansexuality and such, which kind of gets eclipsed by the LGBT community. I suppose this is the Q in LGBTQ (Actually, a quick google search revealed this LGBTQIA thing. Of course, some of my friends in GSA would also add P,S,O, etc., etc.)
ANYWAYS. My point is this brings up a lot of issues of human sexuality that "polite society" tends to skirt around.

It's definitely not porn, but rather a beautiful exploration into the complex and convoluted world of human sexuality and the associated problems.

Very interesting and very highly recommended.

ETA
Okay, now that I think of it, I remember there were some grammatical mistakes that rather annoyed me. And I suppose I wasn't exactly reading this as a romance, per se. I kind of figured the romance was already in place, so I didn't have some of the reservations some of the reviewers had (I forget exactly who). I think I was looking at the entire thing more abstractly, more at the dissonances between gender roles and the false dichotomies society conforms to. *shrugs. I'm still sticking with my 5-star rating, even after reading some of other peoples' takes on this book.(less)

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Jun 16, 2012 Violetta Vane added it

Shelves: mf, mm

I heard a lot of good buzz about this book, decided to check it out, and was so glad I did. The story is wonderful, original, and thought-provoking.

I think the central premise is clear, so I'll just mention two issues that tripped me up a bit as a reader, but which I don't think are, in the end, weaknesses.

1) the framing of shifting. From a science fiction perspective, I can't grasp it, because your body needs energy to do something like that. So it's not scientifically grounded in the way that...more

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Jan 31, 2012 Phoebe Gee rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: alternate-reality, tear-jerker, all-time-faves, reread, under-appreciated, must-read

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 07, 2012 Noughty rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: g-paranormal, c-shifter, qq, o-gfy, k, b-reviewed, fav-single-titles

4,5

It was a very good read. Characters were very well done. Writing was good. Plot interesting and unusual. I really liked how it was dealt with the sex shifting. But not how it dealt with sexual orientation.

The only complain could be that our straight character decided he feels sexual attraction for a man in one night. I would have liked it to be gradual - for him to discover his bisexuality. Many people are bisexual with strong leaning towards straight or gay so it isn't out of a question for...more

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Nov 02, 2012 Nikyta rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: amber-allure, challenge-member-choice-awards-2011, angst, all-time-favs, broken-to-bits, bubbles-safe, contemporary-fantasy, closet-cases, deception-betrayal-lies-omissions, gfy-ofy, grieving, in-sickness-and-in-health, injury-recovery, little-or-no-smexing, existing-relationships, m-m, other-shifters, religion, suicidal, transgender, want-pbhc, published-on-amazon

This was such an amazing book. The concept is unique and interesting. Once I started, I got sucked into the story.

I loved both characters. The suffering Alex goes through being stuck as a man when he wants to be a female is quite intense as well as having his boyfriend not want to touch him is heartbreaking. The struggle Damon goes through in accepting that his girlfriend, Alex, is a shifter and stuck as a man was awe-inspiring because it would have been easy for him to just leave Alex right th...more

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About L.A. Witt

L.A. Witt is an abnormal M/M romance writer who, after three years in Okinawa, Japan, has recently relocated to Omaha, Nebraska, with her husband, two cats, and a three-headed clairvoyant parakeet named Fred. There is some speculation that this move was not actually because of her husband's military orders, but to help L. A. close in on her arch nemesis, erotica author Lauren Gallagher, who has al...more

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