Book Review: Self-Made Boys by Anna-Marie McLemore

‘Self-Made Boys’ by Marie McLemore is a reimagining of a classic novel, in this instance, ‘The Great Gatsby’ by F. Scott Fitzgerald. This book tells the story of Nick Carraway and Jay Gatsby in a completely different light and it almost instantly became one of my favourite reads of the year.

Not only were Nick and Jay both trans men, but it provided the reader with a completely new look at the 1920’s and queer life. I loved getting a glimpse into how Daisy and Nick’s relationship with their culture, their family and their sexualities, and how they complimented each other, and with the added angst of changing the story, for example, by setting it before Daisy and Tom were married, and by adding controversy such as the disappearance of a $350,000 pearl necklace which would be valued at $5,496,207.50 nowadays, one Hell of a theft.

The added angst and nuance made the story fresh and new and engaging. McLemore wrote a compelling story that was easy to slip into. From the epistolary elements, providing glimpses into Daisy’s conflicts with her family that she left behind, to the friction between Daisy and Nick, in Daisy’s efforts to conceal her race and appear like a white woman in New York, and revel in the luxuries being wealthy had to offer, while snubbing her cousin, knowing he couldn’t do what she had done, lightening her hair with chemicals and skin with make-up and bleaches. Nick’s struggle to grasp why Daisy’s love for her family had manifested in such a different way than his was so interesting and it really hurt when she showed her hand. I got so invested.

I loved getting a glimpse into the youthful love and innocent sense of endearment that characters would have in their youth. The way that Nick describes realising his feelings was so sweet and reminded me of the childhood wonder that still enraptures people – but over something that was once a brand new innovative design: playing in a revolving door. As someone who had a revolving door into the main foyer of her university, the allure quickly died after being rammed into the wedges like sardines, but in the 1920s? This would have been like a fairground attraction, the dizziness, the endorphins, the magic of the movement would have been so fun and beautiful and the scene was written with such care and love.

Furthermore, the concept of youth was further demonstrated in the subplot about Daisy’s debut into society, and joining the upper-crust world of rich people and old money. Through this, you understand their youth and aspirations more in this adaptation than in the original where the story was of opulence and excess.

This book was absolutely fantastic. I loved it! I would recommend it in a heartbeat. It’s a love letter to a classic novel, with quotes being repurposed and shared and spun into a new light. I loved how events played out, and it gave me the biggest book hangover! I love, love, loved it!