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Stay Gold

Tobly McSmith (Goodreads Author)

3.91 · Rating details · 2,845 ratings · 769 reviews

Debut author Tobly McSmith delivers a coming-of-age teen love story about a transgender boy who’s going stealth at his new Texas high school and a cisgender girl who is drawn to him, even as she’s counting down the days until graduation. Perfect for fans of David Levithan, Becky Albertalli, and Jenny Han.

Pony just wants to fly under the radar during senior year. Tired from ...more

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ebook, 368 pages

Published May 26th 2020 by HarperTeen

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· 2,845 ratings · 769 reviews

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Jul 23, 2020 Chelsea (chelseadolling reads) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: queer

This was NOT an easy read, but wow, did I love it. If you're considering reading this one, please keep in mind that this is a heavy book that includes a lot of potentially triggering material.

TW: dysphoria, transphobia, homophobia, dead naming, bullying, cheating, use of slurs, alcoholism, suicidal thoughts, self harm, public outing, death of a loved one ...more

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Dec 13, 2019 noah rated it liked it

Shelves: young-adult, arc, lgbt, trans-boy

oh man i have so many conflicting feelings about this book.

it was so nice to read a book about a trans dude. there really isn't enough representation out there, but, i gotta say, this was pretty much the boy version of If I Was Your Girl. plotwise it was so similar.

the first chapter from pony's pov was a lot of info dumping on what being transgender is for him, it felt a little stiff, but thankfully pony's pov became a lot more casual and i ended up really liking him. it was really cute experie oh man i have so many conflicting feelings about this book.

it was so nice to read a book about a trans dude. there really isn't enough representation out there, but, i gotta say, this was pretty much the boy version of If I Was Your Girl. plotwise it was so similar.

the first chapter from pony's pov was a lot of info dumping on what being transgender is for him, it felt a little stiff, but thankfully pony's pov became a lot more casual and i ended up really liking him. it was really cute experiencing pony falling in love with georgia and i just wanted him to be happy. and for them to be happy together!! they have such great chemistry.

the thing that got me really angry about this book was how black and white the narrative is about coming out. i know the message was supposed to be "be true to yourself" but it really came across more like "if you're not publicly out to everyone in the world you're a bad person and will never be happy." pony is called a liar by some of the characters for not coming out sooner. and he's constantly berated by his trans friends for not being out to his whole school. there's also an older gay side character who says one of his biggest regrets was not coming out on a large public platform.

i think being out and proud and very vocal about it is great. those people are valuable members of the lgbt community, but i think queer people that only want to be out to their friends and family, and people that stay closeted are also important.

this book made it seem like being trans was the biggest, if not the only, defining identity a trans person can have and that "lying" about it to everyone was more damaging than literally being beaten half to death.

there's more to trans people than just being trans. and it's okay to protect yourself by limiting how many people you come out to.

i think if this book didn't have such drastic ideas about coming out i would have absolutely adored it, because i did find myself smiling and getting warm fuzzy feelings while reading it. i really do hope this book inspires queer people to be true to themselves. i just hope they're safe too! ...more

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Aug 16, 2020 Gabby rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 5-star-books, read-in-2020, books-to-reread-in-the-future, cover-lust, contemporary, romance, audiobooks-i-listened-to, favorite-female-characters, liked-it, all-time-favorites

4.5 stars
I am so surprised by how much I loved this. I listened to this audiobook and I finished it within two days, I couldn't stop listening to it. This is one of the best young adult books I've read in a long time. I absolutely adore Pony and all the characters in this book. But just know going into this that this is not a fluffy sweet contemporary book, this book gets very dark and sad and hard to read at times. Here is a list of some of the trigger warnings for this book: dysphoria, transph 4.5 stars
I am so surprised by how much I loved this. I listened to this audiobook and I finished it within two days, I couldn't stop listening to it. This is one of the best young adult books I've read in a long time. I absolutely adore Pony and all the characters in this book. But just know going into this that this is not a fluffy sweet contemporary book, this book gets very dark and sad and hard to read at times. Here is a list of some of the trigger warnings for this book: dysphoria, transphobia, homophobia, bullying, use of slurs, alcoholism, suicidal thoughts, self harm, public outing, death of a loved one

This audiobook literally had me crying at the end while I was driving, I just got so emotionally attached to Pony while listening to this book. I feel like it's so important to read own voices trans stories because I feel like I learn so much about the trans experience every time I do, and this one might be my new favorite, either this one or Felix Ever After. But I felt so much for Pony in this book. His complicated relationship with his parents hurt me to read about. It broke my heart every time his Dad made some rude comment toward him. I adored his relationship with his sister Rocky and she's seriously one of the bets side characters ever..? And Georgia is a character who definitely has her flaws but I couldn't help but adore her as well. Georgia's family is also very well fleshed out and I adore her Dad with my entire soul, he's so soft and one of my favorite fictional Dads I've ever read about. Also the Love Actually scene in this book was so freaking cute and it made my whole life even though I'm not a huge Love Actually fan, it was just so stinking adorable it made my heart grow ten sizes.

This book just made me feel so many things. Pony will be in my heart for so long after finishing this. I am not trans so I can't speak on the representation in this book, but I do think it's important to read own voices stories from trans authors. I can see a lot of other reviewers have an issue with the fact that this main character is pressured by his friends to come out to everyone he knows, and while I don't think he should've been pressured as much as he was and I think everyone's criticisms of that aspect of the book are valid, it didn't personally affect my enjoyment of the book. I understand that those are important things to point out though so I just wanted to mention it to anyone who is interested in reading this.

But I absolutely adored this book, I can see myself rereading this one in the future. And I'm not even super interested in young adult books anymore but this is one of the best YA books I've read in a while. The ending legit had me bawling my eyes out it was kind of embarrassing. Stay gold, Pony. ...more

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Dec 28, 2019 ✨ jamieson ✨ rated it liked it

Shelves: lgbtqiap, trans-mc, 2020-reads, favourite-covers, romance, contemporary, young-adult

❝ Stay gold, Pony. The world needs you. Stay gold when it’s hard. When it’s lonely. When it’s scary. Especially when it’s scary ❞

When I heard about this book from the publisher, I was pretty excited. It was pitched as a contemporary romance, comparable to ‘To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before’, which is a series I adore. I was expecting a sweet, fluffy romance between the new boy, Pony, who is trans and a popular cheerleader at his school called Georgia. This is what this book is … and it also ...more

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Oct 14, 2019 Gabrielle marked it as to-read · review of another edition

10/14/19

"Stay Gold" ? "Pony" ? THE OUTSIDERS, anyone? Hello???? ...more

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Jun 28, 2020 C.G. Drews added it

Shelves: young-adult, read-2020, contemporary

This book is actually very traumatic to read. It's being comped to "Jenny Han and Becky Albertalli" and I think that marketing is a huge disservice to it. Yes, it has some cute highschool/first love moments -- but it is truly the story of a trans teen going stealth in highschool and the abuse, dysphoria, misgendering, and diminishing experiences Pony goes through the entire time. I definitely think there is a need for #ownvoices authors to write their pain! So I don't not recommend this book. I ...more

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Apr 21, 2020 Virginia Ronan ♥ Herondale ♥ marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, lgbtq

Raise your hand if the first thing that came to your mind was:

"Stay gold, Ponyboy... Stay gold..." *sobs*

I love the cover and the plot idea so I'm really looking forward for this book to come out! =)
The best way to find love is when it unexpectedly bites you into your butt. ;-P ...more

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Apr 12, 2020 Mimi rated it it was ok

Shelves: lgbtqiap-reads

okay, I very rarely do these trigger warnings but since this book is marketed as similar to To All the Boys I've Loved Before and said to be all fun and games, I feel like there need to be trigger warnings so people don't go into this blindly.

Trigger warnings for:
+ casual aphobia
+ lesbophobia in every other chapter, ranging from actual insults "scissor sisters" to internalized lesbophobia and pretending it is the worst thing that someone can be, also the involuntary outing of two lesbians in fro ...more

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May 08, 2020 Caidyn (he/him/his) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: queer-reads, arc, from-publisher-or-author, young-adult-fiction, quarantine-reads, romance

The more I've thought about this book, the less I feel like it's a round up book for me. There are aspects of I don't like at all and think has a bad message. Also, the marketing is insane around this book because this is NOT a happy little romantic book. It's very triggering.

I received an ARC through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review!

CW: outing, terminal illness, physical assault, bathroom harassment, transphobia, homophobia, using slurs such as "tranny" and "lesbos", pressuring someon ...more

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Oct 07, 2020 Lauren Lanz rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, 4-stars

This was a seriously great book about a transgender teen trying to blend in. I couldn't help thinking about the protagonist's struggles, and if/how they stemmed back to the author's life.

First, a fact: this book is definitely not advertised correctly.
Stay Gold is compared to books like Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before in it’s synopsis, which couldn’t be more off. These comparisons make the book sound like a rom-com of sorts.
In reality, Stay Gold deals with ...more

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Jun 17, 2020 Larry H rated it really liked it

Being true to yourself may be the hardest thing to do, but it’s the only thing. That's the message at the core of Tobly McSmith's Stay Gold .

As a military kid, Pony knows about starting over all too well. Since things at his last school went a little off the rails when it was revealed that he was transgender, for his senior year at a new high school he’s determined things will be different. This time he’s decided simply to pass as a guy and not tell anyone the truth. No one in his life thinks ...more

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May 27, 2020 melissa rated it did not like it · review of another edition

I spent too many hours thinking about whether I should give this one or two stars. Turns out I'd be too nice if I gave it two stars. All the things I enjoyed about this were brutally canceled by the things I hated. I was so excited about this book when I found out it had a transgender mc and it ended up being my biggest disappointment of the year so far.

First off, the pros: the cover. That was the only thing I liked.

The cons: oh boy, I don't even know what I should start with. (view spoiler) I spent too many hours thinking about whether I should give this one or two stars. Turns out I'd be too nice if I gave it two stars. All the things I enjoyed about this were brutally canceled by the things I hated. I was so excited about this book when I found out it had a transgender mc and it ended up being my biggest disappointment of the year so far.

First off, the pros: the cover. That was the only thing I liked.

The cons: oh boy, I don't even know what I should start with. (view spoiler)[Georgia is one of the main characters, Pony's love interest. We get to know her a little at the beginning and we find out she's 'the popular cheerleader who actually has a very lonely life and dreams that don't involve cheerleading at all'. We're supposed to feel empathy for her, but that was nearly impossible. She was supposed to be the person who supported Pony the most and ended up being one of the biggest transphobes in the book. She falls for him and is the biggest sweetheart until of course, he comes out as transgender to her. It's valid if she needed some time to process that, I'm not judging her for that, but she ruined everything by calling him a liar for not coming out sooner (he didn't even lie about anything, he IS a man?????) and comparing him to the ex-boyfriend that cheated on her. Are you sure these are the same things, Georgia, when he didn't feel comfortable or safe to come out in a small town because he could be bullied and harassed?

You're probably thinking: oh, but she'll regret that later and realize that what she said in the heat of the moment isn't what she actually meant to say. WELL, YOU'RE IN FOR A RIDE THEN! She never actually shows she's sorry for saying all of that and doesn't develop at all. There's no redemption that doesn't sound extremely rushed or that makes any sense. And that's not even the only time she said stupid shit! The second time Pony confesses his feelings for her, even if they're mutual, she rejects him just because he's trans and tells him that she can't risk ruining her image at school. And when you think she's going to apologize, she never properly does. She only tells him 'I had some stuff to figure out. But that was then and this is now'. Well, you're forgiven then! What kind of excuse is that? Does the author think this is going to make up for every transphobic shit she said throughout the book? She spent more time thinking about how him being trans will ruin her image than thinking about the guy she's supposed to have a crush on? The chemistry between them was nonexistent.

Now, the thing that probably got on my nerves the most: Max. He's Pony's best friend, also a transgender man. He's out and proud, studies in a big school with many students in the LGBTQ+ community and has nothing to hide because he doesn't need to. He spends 90% of the book pressuring Pony into coming out to everybody, to the point he blackmails him and stops being friends with him because he didn't want to risk his safety by doing that. Pony felt so pressured that he ended up coming out in the middle of a prom, in front of everybody. He also did that to protect two students that were outed earlier and show them that they were not alone, but you can't deny he also felt really pressured and probably would have waited more until he was more comfortable if it wasn't for that. On the same night, when he ends up being beaten by some bullies in the bathroom, Max finally takes responsibility for his actions, which is the least he could do. But instead of recognizing how toxic he was, Pony just pretends nothing happened and keeps being his best friend, even though he's partially guilty for Pony even being there. It's so easy to tell him how proud you are and how brave he is when he would have many other opportunities to come out without breaking a few ribs, isn't it?

Honorable mention: some of Georgia's friends, also cheerleaders, acted like the word 'lesbian' was the most offensive thing you could ever call someone.

Overall, Pony and Georgia didn't have any development or chemistry because Georgia spent way more time thinking about how him being trans would affect her social status, Pony's best friend is a selfish and self-centered guy who blackmails him into coming out, and the message of the book was pretty much 'if you're not out, you're not proud and you're not gonna be happy'. And in case you're in the LGBTQ+ community and you're not out yet, please don't believe that. (hide spoiler)]

You can be proud of yourself even though you're not out yet. Please make sure you're comfortable and safe enough when you decide to come out. Don't let anybody else decide the right time to do it, that's up to YOU. You are not alone. ...more

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Jul 07, 2020 Monte Price rated it it was amazing

I went into this book expecting it to be a typical romcom setup, and I think that after walking away that's mostly what I got.

The story is told in altering perspectives of our two love interests, Pony and Georgia, chronically Pony's first semester at his new school and his romance with Georgia. I think that McSmith did a really good job of setting up the romance and then keeping the characters apart. Pony is a character that I'm going to think about for the rest of the year.

I don't have a lot to ...more

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Jul 10, 2020 Ashton rated it it was ok

Shelves: reviewed, all-lgbtq

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. this is going to be more of a rant than a review, because I really can’t be bothered to structure my feelings abt this book.

things I liked: Rocky as a character, the cover. that’s about it.

as much as I wanted to love this story, I’m in the camp of trans people who read it and were really, really disappointed. this book needs every trigger warning out there — transphobia, homophobia (esp. lesbophobia), slurs, sexual and physical assault, family abuse, suicidal ideation, etc. And sure, stories ca this is going to be more of a rant than a review, because I really can’t be bothered to structure my feelings abt this book.

things I liked: Rocky as a character, the cover. that’s about it.

as much as I wanted to love this story, I’m in the camp of trans people who read it and were really, really disappointed. this book needs every trigger warning out there — transphobia, homophobia (esp. lesbophobia), slurs, sexual and physical assault, family abuse, suicidal ideation, etc. And sure, stories can be about that, but this is marketed as like a YA romance?? It’s not really that?? It is ownvoices, so that makes it marginally better, but it’s still extremely binary and trauma-filled. The summary and cover both scream YA romance, coming-of-age, whatever, and this is absolutely not that.

Pony, the main character, wasn’t very likeable for me; he constantly references pick-up artistry which leans into misogyny. He grows a lot as a person through the book, but that’s very much told and not shown. There are no apologies or actions that don’t come off to me as surface-level, and the conclusion is very much ‘he’s dating the popular cishet girl, is accepted by his cishet peers, and gets to medically transition, so now his life is perfect!’

Both Pony (our main character) and Max (pony’s best friend who’s also trans) feel like poorly-constructed stereotypes of trans people. Max is out, proud, and loud, and Pony is stealth. That’s fine, both of those narratives are real and deserve to be told, but their ‘friendship’ is so odd. Pony tells Max about not wanting to be out at his new school, and Max just doesn’t respect that decision, which doesn’t feel like an actual reaction that’d come from anyone so heavily involved in LGBT+ communities. He continues to push him to come out and be a loud advocate, and I understand his view because I’m a loud-and-proud trans person in my own life, but I also understand that many trans people can’t be that because of their own safety and comfort — and that’s okay!

The novel had so many great opportunities for Pony to discuss or even just address his internalized transphobia, but instead it’s all covered up with justifications for it. Pony’s transness was very much medicalised, which I’d be more comfortable with if he’d presented it as HIS story, but the way it’s presented feels like he’s making everything very matter-of-fact. The happy conclusion is that he’s going to raise enough for his top surgery, which is great, but having surgery is not the end-all be-all to transness, and it’s kind of presented as if it is.

The narrative as a whole also has a giant cis saviour trope, and Pony ends up with Georgia (obviously, everyone saw that coming) without her even apologizing for the awful way she treated him when he came out?? And after Pony comes out to his school, GEORGIA OUTS HIM TO THE ENTIRE INTERNET/WORLD WITHOUT HIS CONSENT WHILE HES IN A HOSPITAL BED. And that’s presented as a lovely, positive ally move. Georgia writes this article talking about being an ally and how much she admires Pony, but she never even addresses how she spent the vast majority of this novel being concerned about her social status if she dates Pony and how people might think she’s a lesbian (which is simply the worst possible thing people could think about you, according to her and her friend group.)

On the note of Pony & Georgia’s relationship, it’s averagely written at best? I feel some level of chemistry between them, but Georgia’s transphobia, as I’ve discussed, is just never countered. On top of that, the fact that Pony’s trans is presented as him “lying” to Georgia, especially throughout the beginning/first 3/4 of the book, and that viewpoint is never countered either.

I enjoyed the plotline with Ted London, but it did feel somewhat underdeveloped, and when that plotline ended, it felt messily wrapped up. I wish it was more substantial, I feel like there could’ve been more meaning there.

I know it’s #ownvoices, and I’m glad it is, but to me, it feels written to make cis people feel better. I definitely wouldn’t recommend this book to cis people, as I feel like they might pick up some really harmful and uncontested views on trans people. And I wouldn’t really recommend it to trans people either, as it’s full of microagressions that are rarely countered, medicalized transness, and violent, traumatic transphobia. This isn’t really a contemporary romance or a coming-of-age YA book.

Why is every trans YA novel a narrative about trauma?

Why is the turning point of every trans YA novel a hate crime? ...more

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Nov 23, 2020 Natasha Niezgoda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: love-stories, ya, coming-of-age, audiobook, lgbt

STAY GOLD, PONY BOY. STAY GOLD

description

YEP! Another YA that had me crying at the end and it was so beautiful and so honest!

Pony is a trans youth who wants to be seen for who he is and not what he isn’t. But high schoolers can be cruel. So he’s starting fresh at a new school hoping to forge relationships based on his character and not just the labels that are placed on him.

description

Friends... listen to meeeeee: you need to read this! 👏🏽 This is such a special story. It’s one of love, courage, and belonging. But it ...more

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May 29, 2020 JD rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: lgbt

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I don't often include reviews with my ratings but I found myself so conflicted after reading this book that I felt the need to say something and actually ended up writing a considerable amount. I don't know if it will add anything to the mix of reviews- my conflicted feelings are similar to those of others who noted the significant trigger warnings and problematic elements of this book - and I wanted to love every bit of this book. A YA book about a transman, written by a transman, with Outsider I don't often include reviews with my ratings but I found myself so conflicted after reading this book that I felt the need to say something and actually ended up writing a considerable amount. I don't know if it will add anything to the mix of reviews- my conflicted feelings are similar to those of others who noted the significant trigger warnings and problematic elements of this book - and I wanted to love every bit of this book. A YA book about a transman, written by a transman, with Outsiders references? What's there not to love?

Unfortunately, much more than I expected. Please note as you move forward, that a lot of the trigger warnings noted by others will be present in this review, so be mindful of that as you progress.

I would say my final rating is probably closer to 2.5 stars than 2 - but I felt I couldn't give a 3 - and the low score is mainly because of the problematic elements and trigger warnings, which I feel could have been mitigated, but were not because parts of the book - namely the ones where things could have slowed down to unpack the problematic messages being given and to explore them further in a way that would have given the message that these problematic elements are problematic rather than a way to create unity and equality - seemed to move strangely fast, while other parts of the book seemed unnecessarily long. Particularly the end, which is where I think there could have been some really amazing ways of addressing the problematic elements, came on so fast that there were times when I literally thought I'd missed a page or two and would pause and go back, only to see that it wasn't that I missed anything, things were just moving that quickly and becoming disjointed. One part that stood out to me in particular was the "pivotal moment" where our main character decides to out himself to the school because two lesbians were outed at the homecoming dance in a really awful way. One moment they're being outed, the next our main character is on the stage and announcing that he's transgender, after an entire book of wanting to be stealth and not wanting to be out. There's no internal dialogue going into that moment. There's no real weighing of the pros/cons of stepping forward or considering all of the elements that went into that choice. He's just up there and saying it, as though he teleported onto the stage.

Which is one of the problematic elements - namely that there's this narrative throughout that trans people need to be out and open about their gender identity. Even though as a result of being out, the main character is the victim of a hate crime, that's still upheld as the right thing to do because, as you see in the ending, being the victim of a hate crime automatically brings your school together and creates support for the LGBTQA community. The entire book seems to frame this narrative of "If you're out and open, you're supporting the LGBTQA community but if you're going stealth or in the closet, that makes you selfish and damages the community." Even though the main character repeatedly says that it's unfair to put that responsibility on him and that it's up to each trans person to determine whether they are out or not, there's really no support for his position from external sources and given that he outs himself at the end - with significant consequences but also benefits because the community rallies behind him - that gives the message that trans people need to be out, regardless of the cost. I think this could have been avoided if there were multiple trans friends that the main character had, offering multiple perspectives on being stealth vs. being out, rather than it being just his one friend who pushed that agenda and then ultimately "won" that argument because of the ending. If it were framed more as a choice in the moment that the main character outed himself, where he'd considered all of the options and been supported in all of the options, I think that would have gone a long way in reducing how problematic that felt.

I think what also really got me about the ending was just how fast it seemed and how quickly things became wrapped up in a bow within a sentence or two. Hillcrest went from being a place that did not seem inclusive or supportive, with multiple characters making all sorts of homophobic, transphobic, and other problematic remarks, to suddenly being incredibly supportive, all because of a hate crime. The fact that there had been those remarks made by others was just swept under the rug with basically a, "Yeah, we shouldn't have made jokes and wouldn't have if we known there were LGBT among us" which is super not cool because that 1) misses the fact that it's built into the culture of the school and 2) that's a shitty reason to not make those sorts of remarks. Then our main character's father went from being incredibly unsupportive, transphobic, and outright abusive to supporting the main character because he read some statistics on violence and suicide in the trans community and discovered that his own child had contemplated suicide. The fact that his child had been the victim of a hate crime didn't change his opinion at all but those statistics did. The suicide piece also felt very much swept under the rug, in that our main character is constantly thinking of suicide for the final 1/4th of the book, and that 1) no one around him seems to take him seriously when he brings that up or really even acknowledges that he's having those thoughts and 2) that those thoughts just seem to miraculously go away because of the main character's love interest writing an article that goes viral and increases support for him. There's not even a, "Wow, with all of this support, maybe things aren't so hopeless" moment. It's just that one second he's thinking he'd be better off dead and the next he's crowned homecoming king and everything is fine. Never mind that he was just the victim of a hate crime or that he can't bind for at least a year due to injuries received - and probably can't have top surgery for a significant time as well, even if the money is raised, due to those injuries - suddenly everything is fine at the end because he's been given some acceptance from the school and parents and people are doing a GoFundMe for his top surgery.

I also definitely have issues with the hate crime being the turning point, which seems a really common thread in YA LGBTQA - and especially trans specific - literature. I think there's definitely space to explore hate crimes and the impact that has on people and from a writing standpoint, I can see how that becomes the climax of novels because it is so significant, but I'm also getting really tired of seeing stories about the LGBTQA community, where a hate crime or assault is the point that the main character grows or changes and those around them grown and change, so that everything is better moving forward. I would much rather be seeing a novel where the hate crime is the beginning - and off-screen because we don't need graphic depictions of that - and the climax is a different sort of pivotal moment. Especially in the rom-com subgenre where that's not needed at all and wouldn't be present in cishet rom-coms. I would much rather that the climax include the moment where the trans person has gender-affirming surgery or gets engaged to the love interest or even is crowned homecoming king/queen, after many trials and tribulations. It concerns me to have the hate crime as the pivotal moment because that seems to paint hate crimes in a somewhat positive light - like, since this happened, the main character gets what they were hoping for and the community is supportive and everything is good. It also doesn't give much time to process the aftermath because it happens in the climax, which, again, seems to diminish the significance of that event.

I also did not particularly appreciate the entire part where the main character is hanging out with two of the people making really problematic homophobic and transphobic jokes and is all, "I'm with the boys" even though these two boys are incredibly misogynistic and overall gross. It kinda gave the message of, "To be a transman who passes, you need to buy into the most problematic elements of toxic masculinity." I would have really appreciated seeing the main character actually struggle with this experience of being around two people who are representing these worst elements and considering whether these are the people he wants to call his friends, rather than just having an occasional, "Oh, they were transphobic, that feels bad to me" moment or "I wish they wouldn't say things like that because it's not cool" and just go back to hanging out with them. Especially since these were the two characters who were forgiven because they acknowledged that they shouldn't have been making those sorts of jokes around members of the LGBTQA community - not because everything they said or did was shitty. It was actually even worse because they literally said, "Yeah, we thought you might be trans" when he outed himself, which makes those jokes 100x worse than they already were (which, spoiler alert, was already pretty freaking bad). It would have been nice to see the main character build other, healthy connections with guys who are not jerks and gross and to be able to find his place within the community and to learn that to be a man, he doesn't need to buy into toxic masculinity.

That piece does worry me because I don't want that to be the message that younger trans people are getting. Someone whose opinion I value deeply once told me - "I see transmen as special because they have something different than cisgender men because of the experiences they've had in life and the perspective that they can bring to the masculine community." I would have liked to see more of that, with our main character discovering that he doesn't have to be stereotypical or buy into that toxic BS and can be the type of person who improves the masculine community, not just adds to the worst parts.

And finally, also, with our love interest, she goes from saying she could never date a trans person and that she wouldn't want to be seen as a lesbian by being with our main character, to suddenly being incredibly supportive, all because he publicly outs himself to the school. Suddenly all of those feelings that she had change and she loves him 100% and is putting all of her support behind him. There are certainly hints throughout that she has feelings for him underneath of that transphobia and bigotry but the catalyst for her change feels really inauthentic and the fact that our main character is immediately like, "Cool, we're together now" also felt rushed and uncomfortable.

As a whole, this review was a hard one to write because I wanted to like this book so badly and there were parts that I did. In particular, I hate writing it because I want to support trans authors - it means so much to me, as a trans person, to see that more trans voices are being put out there in the media because I never had that representation growing up. But I felt so conflicted and uncomfortable after reading this book that I really felt the need to say something. I don't necessarily think that the author intentionally put these messages out there but as a reader, this was what I came out of it with.

I'm certainly going to still follow Tobly McSmith's work - I'm always open to second chances. But I couldn't let this book sit without commenting on my reactions. ...more

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Oct 02, 2020 Lyn❤Loves❤Listening #AUDIOBOOKADDICT rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: some-triggers, violent, lgbtq, mfr-ya, emotional, heroine-annoying-at-times, some-angst, great-narrator-pairing, mfr-contemporary, friends-and-or-family-included

Audio - 5 Stars
Story - 3.5 Stars

This was too YA for me, but there were some really great parts that made it worth finishing.

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May 21, 2020 William Morrison rated it it was ok

Novel Trigger Warnings: (view spoiler)

Summarized blurb:
Pony is the new guy at his school. He also happens to be transgender. He decides not to disclose his peers though, as it would complicate everything, including ... whatever this is with his new crush, a smart and charming cheerleader named Georgia. There is more than what meets the eye in this dual-perspective YA novel about what it means to be t Novel Trigger Warnings: (view spoiler)

Summarized blurb:
Pony is the new guy at his school. He also happens to be transgender. He decides not to disclose his peers though, as it would complicate everything, including ... whatever this is with his new crush, a smart and charming cheerleader named Georgia. There is more than what meets the eye in this dual-perspective YA novel about what it means to be true to who you are.

My take:
I have a lot of feelings about this book. I listened to it on audio, and I finished it very quickly because I was captivated by McSmith's take on both Pony's and Georgia's perspectives. Up until the second half of the book, I was so excited to see such nuanced trans representation, and I really identified with Pony's feelings towards Georgia and himself.

With this being said, I would not personally recommend it for transgender people, much less transgender teens. As a transgender man myself, I was severely taken aback by the ending where (view spoiler) as well as (view spoiler). I was also relatively displeased at (view spoiler) and (view spoiler).

It appears clear to me that this book, while well-written, was really not created for the transgender community. It would be an especially great reading for cisgender allies to better understand how one individual’s trans experience might play out. But in the same way that the movie Boys Don't Cry isn't a movie that trans people are going to have on repeat in the background, Stay Gold isn't going to be an ideal read for most transgender people. ...more

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Aug 09, 2020 Leah Waters rated it really liked it

Shelves: lgbtq, dnf, we-need-diverse-books, ya-fiction

So...I've enjoyed the 111 pages of this book I've read, but I just learned that there's self harm and suicidal thoughts later on in the book, and I can't handle that dark stuff right now.

DNF. Not the book's fault, but I'm trying to read more lighthearted books. However, I do think this is an important book to read, so I'll return to it someday. ...more

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Sep 17, 2020 Rachel Aranda rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ebooks, library-rentals, first-reads

3.5-4 stars

This book felt like a typical YA contemporary romance with a realistic look at a transman’s journey. It’s so nice reading a book like this because it helps trans representation, gives statistics, and gives us a way to support them become who they were meant to be. Everyone should be able to find a book they feel represents themselves and feel like any other “normal” person. Not every journey looks like what’s in the book but sadly some do have to face all these things at once. It’s so ...more

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Jun 17, 2020 Elias rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, audiobooks, trans

The fact that I was expecting a cute rom-com when I picked this up and it turned into a big firey mess of trans and queerphobia was such an unpleasant suprise. But sure, as an issue book, it's pretty realistic, but shit there's so much transphobia and overall queerphobia that never gets challenged that it still makes me feel bad now, weeks later.

l really wanna throw all the people in this book in the trash except Pony himself and his sister, cause they were all absolutely awful. Max esepcially ...more

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Dec 21, 2020 layla⚡ rated it it was ok

Shelves: lgbtqiap-trans, young-adult-new-adult, lgbtqiap-polyam, mlm-side, lgbtqiap-gay, lgbtqiap-bi-or-pan, lgbtqiap-lesbian, romance, lgbtqiap, feminism-gender-sexuality

note : this is an ownvoices novel for transgender rep.

tw : deadnaming & misgendering of trans character, on-page physical and sexual assault, contemplation of suicide, on-page outing, use of slurs against trans and lesbian characters, homophobia, harassment.

rep :
🏳️‍🌈 trans mc
🏳️‍🌈 side lesbian character
🏳️‍🌈 side bisexual / pansexual characters
🏳️‍🌈 side trans character
🏳️‍🌈 side minor ( off - page ) polyamorous relationship

*

S T A Y G O L D

i'm extremely conflicted about this book.

on the one hand ...more

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Jun 15, 2020 Dana rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Wow! Little did I know going into this book that it would have such a huge impact on my soul. Stay Gold deserves all the stars... it had me feeling every single emotion - a true roller coaster ride!

Thank you SO much Tobly for this powerful story!

Trigger warnings: violence/hate crime, suicidal thoughts, gender dysphoria, homophobia, transphobia.

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Jan 20, 2020 Sophie Elaina rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: owned-read, read-in-2020, 3-star, owned-arcs

I didn’t love the way this was written at the beginning, it was a little cheesy, but it did get better throughout and I did get used to it. But the first-person addressing the reader style isn’t a favourite of mine. At times it made scenes and monologues feel info dumpy and as though I as the reader was getting educated and lectured to. It was almost like a guide for anyone who doesn’t know what it’s like to be a trans teen. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing but it felt stilted to read and mad I didn’t love the way this was written at the beginning, it was a little cheesy, but it did get better throughout and I did get used to it. But the first-person addressing the reader style isn’t a favourite of mine. At times it made scenes and monologues feel info dumpy and as though I as the reader was getting educated and lectured to. It was almost like a guide for anyone who doesn’t know what it’s like to be a trans teen. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing but it felt stilted to read and made the book less enjoyable.

The plot for this wasn’t my favourite. It’s kind of predictable and I’ve read a few books very similar and watched a million films with similar aspects. But it was enjoyable and just because I’ve read this kind of story before doesn’t mean it’s a bad story, if you know what I mean. It’s a preference and having a more diverse version of this kind of story made it worth the read.

There are no where near enough books with transgender characters and I loved this book for the representation. But I can’t speak about how good the representation is of a trans character on a personal level. I haven’t seen enough own voices reviews yet so I’ll be looking out for them. But I can say there were instances where I felt as though the author was trying to be honest and heartfelt but it came across a little accusatory? As though certain decisions different people make regarding their safety and coming out are a bad thing. The main character going stealth and keeping the fact that they are trans from others they don’t know is written as though it’s a bad thing. I didn’t like this because everyone is different, not everyone will be in the same situation and not everything happens because of certain decisions people make. Sometimes people can be horrible and life can deal you a shitty hand. It’s okay to protect yourself in any way you want to. And the fact that the Pony’s best friend actually belittles him and makes him feel guilty for the choices he’s made was very uncomfortable to read. And I like that this book makes the reader feel uncomfortable, but what happens is never addressed further than that, only in a way that portrays it as being wrong.

I did think that the author did a good job at showing that no one should blame themselves for other people’s actions, the process of getting there was just a little too messy. As a whole it was much more intense and hard-hitting than I was expecting and had been led to believe by the synopsis. There are some light-hearted scenes but mostly it follows Pony experiencing and reflecting on transphobic and abusive encounters. And trying to navigate around these while worrying what his friends and others think of him. In addition to having suicidal thoughts, which were used as a segue to teach the reader about statistics. As a whole I think a lot of things lend this to being a more educational read for the non-trans than for trans teens looking to represented.

Overall I enjoyed this book and would recommend it, but make sure you’re in the right headspace for heavy topics. There is a very abusive scene that takes place in the school bathroom that was extremely graphic and hard to read, so please be wary reading this if you think that might be triggering for you.

Rating: 3.75 Stars

——-

So so so excited for this!!! 👀👀👀

Thank you so much to Harper Collins for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review! ...more

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Jun 18, 2020 Jessica Jeffers rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: lgbtq, audio, ya-fiction

A sweet, realistic romance and some thought-provoking exploration of what it means to be "out and proud" as a trans person in an unwelcoming culture. There were moments of YA wish-fulfillment overload, but Stay Gold was on the whole a fantastic read. ...more

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Jun 30, 2020 Jane (whatjanereads) added it

DNF @ 50%

TW: Homophobia, Transphobia, (almost) deadnaming, constant misgendering
(I think this book can be super triggering for many, so maybe keep that in mind before starting it. This is not your cute, fluffy romance.)

A transphobic loveinterest and homophobic friends, that use homophobic slurs all the time.
Parents and strangers constantly misgendering.
Nobody is ever called out on it.
Also to equal not telling everybody you’re trans with lying....(I was so mad at this!).
Sounds great?
Not to me.

I ...more

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Mar 12, 2020 Madison Mary rated it it was amazing

"They raised daughters named Sarah and Rachel and now they have a transgender son named Pony and a unicorn named Rocky. They must wonder where it all went wrong."

I had no idea that this book would have such a profound impact on my soul. I implore everyone to read this if they get the chance.

SUMMARY
Pony sees his new school as an opportunity to hide the fact that he is transgender and enjoy his senior year in peace. But when he begins to develop feelings for Georgia, one of the cheerleaders, ...more

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Oct 14, 2019 Ben Ace marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: rep-queer, genre-fiction, copy-owned, age-ya, genre-romance

Why did no one tell me about this sooner??!?!!?!

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May 26, 2020 Emily Forsyth rated it did not like it

This book was terrible

Hopefully I can write a review once I’ve stopped fuming but all I’ll say for now is please please please look up trigger warnings for this book before you read it

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Jul 22, 2020 Izzie rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: queer-books-i-ve-read

This book follows 2 main characters, Pony and Georgia. Pony is a trans man who has transferred to a different school so that he can pass as a cis male to avoid ridicule from his peers. Georgia is a cheerleader, and one of the most popular girls in school, so she is extremely focused on her image. However, it means that she is not being authentic or showing her true personality. When Georgia and Pony's worlds collide, Pony has to deal with revealing his identity and Georgia has to reevaluate what This book follows 2 main characters, Pony and Georgia. Pony is a trans man who has transferred to a different school so that he can pass as a cis male to avoid ridicule from his peers. Georgia is a cheerleader, and one of the most popular girls in school, so she is extremely focused on her image. However, it means that she is not being authentic or showing her true personality. When Georgia and Pony's worlds collide, Pony has to deal with revealing his identity and Georgia has to reevaluate what she wants to do with her life.
What I Liked:
Pony. I do appreciate that this was a story about a trans man, written by a trans author. It really came through in the authenticity of Pony. I really liked him as a character and I empathised with how he felt throughout the book.
What I Didn't Like:
Harmful. While I really wanted to love this book, as it was was branded as a cute, queer love story, in reality it was a very dark book which I struggled to read. I will be giving some spoilers while discussing the harmful content of this book. One of the worst themes was the focus on the fact that to be a "good" member of the LGBTQ+ community you had to be out to everybody. I don't think this is a narrative that should be told to teenagers as coming out can be extremely unsafe and difficult. In fact, when Pony does come out as a trans man he is immediately assaulted in a very violent and graphic scene. There is a large amount of lesbophobia and 2 girls are publicly outed without their consent. There seemed to be an unending use of slurs towards pretty much the entire LGBTQ+ community. The love interest, Georgia, states on multiple occasions that she cannot date Pony as this would make her a lesbian which seems to be painted as the worst thing you could be in this book. Pony's new male friends continually use trans phobic slurs, but at the end of the book reveal that they thought Pony was trans all along, and yet this problematic behaviour is never addressed. Finally, there was quite detailed content of suicidal ideation which was upsetting to read.
Overall, this was a book pitched as a lighthearted romance, but was actually a distressing read for me as a 21 year old and I don't think it's a narrative for the teenage market. While I appreciate that this is an own voices book, I just can't get over how this story had no trigger warnings despite its very graphic and triggering content. ...more

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About Tobly McSmith

Tobly McSmith

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Tobly McSmith is the co-creator/writer of eight somewhat successful musical parodies, including Friends! The Musical Parody and The Office! The Musical Parody. Tobly was born in Texas. He now lives in New York City with his two cats, Bam-Bam and Bananas McSmith. Tobly is proud to be transgender.