A Million Quiet Revolutions is a wonderful YA about two trans boys, written in verse, personal and lyrical, powerful and rhythmical, and so incredibly vulnerable.

I like YA in verse. Instead of a word vomit like a cascade, a novel in verse is a gorgeous stream, bending and accelerating and then slowing down again, the words quietly rolling.

This book is not your usual story from start to end. It’s more a stream of thoughts, texts, and letters of two trans boys that beautifully come together. Two teens in love, going through the same phases, deciding together they don’t want to use their deadnames anymore and choosing names that two women, possible trans men, used during the Revolution. Doubting themselves because sometimes it doesn’t feel right to just move from one gender to the other. Robin Gow doesn’t shy away from heavy, important topics, and I cried multiple times.

I cried when Oliver came out to his parents, and they just hugged him and said they loved him. I cried when I read about the abuse in the Catholic Church. I cried because of Aaron’s winter poems. And sometimes, I just smiled. Because of all those special moments those two boys had.

The quietness of A Million Quiet Revolutions touched me deeply and reflected the feelings of Oliver and Aaron so beautifully. The only criticism I have is that the POVs of Aaron and Oliver were quite similar. But you know what? Even with a bit of criticism, I’m giving this important novel five magnificent stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!

Stream of conscious writing is not typically my cup of tea, but the way this is written really works for the book. It allows you to fully understand the characters feelings about themselves and each other.

It’s written in verse but it also feels very approachable. The two leads nicely complement each other and there is an authenticity to their dynamic that is really lovely to read. This internal way of storytelling has kind of a slow burn but there is enough plot to move the story forward.

It is really refreshing to see an poc and trans narrative and its even more refreshing to read one told so beautifully.

This is a heartwarming (and at times heartbreaking) coming of age novel in poetry about two men navigating society as transgender people. I loved the structure of the writing, the journey you take with the characters, and the honest emotion woven in the words. Would definitely buy for my bookshelf and friends.

This novel in verse captured me from the beginning. Robin Gow delicately unfolds the identity discovery of two young trans friends and the love that grows between them as they deepen their understanding of themselves. Finding their names from the story of trans soldiers, Aaron and Oliver write to each other when familial trauma forces them apart, and it’s in these letters Gow layers intricate detail about their interests and experiences that provide a multifaceted look at coming out.

I adored this book. It has such as strong coming of age story and the poetic writing is beautiful. It made me realize that I need to read more books with that writing style. Aaron and Oliver are the perfect protagonists. I can see the possibility of this book and these characters helping someone come out to their family and struggling with their identity. I will definitely be recommending this whenever I can.

Oh my gosh, I don’t even know what to say about this book. This is a delight and emotional and wonderful and a book I feel everyone should read.

Aaron and Oliver are best friends, boyfriends, and the one who they came to understand their trans identity with. And they gave each other their name. But when Aaron’s older brother, José, comes forward about the sexual abuse in their Catholic Church, Aaron and his family move away from small-town Kutzman to New York. Aaron and Oliver try to stay in contact via letters like the Revolutionary War soldiers they named themselves after, thinking of the 1778 Aaron and Oliver as trans history and something they want to embody.

This book was so emotional to read, and I am so glad I was able to read an early copy. I loved Oliver’s Jewish identity and the bits of his Jewishness that shaped his character. Seeing a queer Jewish trans man character, and seeing him getting a happy story, fills my heart with such joy.

This book is told in verse, and I really feel that added to the emotional impact throughout. Oliver and Aaron navigating their identity, their family, and their distance was such a fulfilling story. I highly recommend this for anyone looking for more trans stories with teens finding love and happiness and acceptance. Plus the blending of history and Oliver’s fascination with history just added so much depth. I adored this book and cannot wait for more people to get to read it~

This book was incredible! I loved the poetic writing style and the coming of age storyline. As an ally of the LGBTQ+ community it was eye-opening to read from the perspective of someone afraid to come out to their parents. I can genuinely see this book helping someone who is either struggling with their own identity or if they have a friend or family member who's a part of the community.

I really wanted to like this one, but I’m just not into books about the revolutionary war. I heard so many good things about it but just didn’t like reading it. Aaron and Oliver are incredible protagonists and I probably would’ve loved it if it was in a more modern day setting.

This novel in verse was a very powerful read. I liked that this book not only centerd two trans characters but really went into their experience of being trans. Gow did a great job of recording many feelings commonly experienced by trans youth including body disphoria, the struggle of being out some places and hiding in others, how to talk to their parents about trans issues, how they may relate to their past as they grew up in their assigned at birth gender roles, if they should start taking hormones, and how it's okay to like, or not like, differnet parts of your body.

Even though there was so much about the trans experience in this book, there was also a whole story about best friends moving away, the very common teenage struggle of are-we-friends-or-are-we-dating-and-what's-the-difference, a love of history, a budding reenactment hobby, and questions about what comes after high school.

Overall I thought this was a great book that both trans and cis teens will be able to relate to.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for providing an eARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Written in verse through the format of thoughts, texts, and letters, A Million Quiet Revolutions is the story of two gay trans teens moving through life both together and on their own.

This story is the first book I've read in verse that wasn't for a class, and while the format isn't what I'm used to, I really enjoyed this book. Its a dual POV story, and I will say that sometimes the voices of Aaron and Oliver were a little too similar for my taste.

The romance itself is really sweet, and also has some realistic and messy aspects to it that I think a lot of authors shy away from, so props to that.

As someone who has always loved learning about popular historical figures that might have been queer, the whole concept of the story was really enjoyable for me, and I think this is an important story to tell.

CONTENT WARNINGS: gender dysphoria, transphobia, deadnaming (name not mentioned), war

I LOVE stories told in verse and this book was no exception. The character development was really strong and the writing style really makes you feel connected to the emotions the characters are experiencing. I HIGHLY recommend this one for classroom libraries - get this book into the hands of as many teen readers as possible.

✨ BOOK REVIEW: A Million Quiet Revolutions by Robin Gow
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Thank you to Robin Gow, Macmillan's Children, and NetGalley for this wonde ful eARC! This is another novel to look forward to when it gets published in the spring of 2022!
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This novel is told in-verse from the PoV of two transgender boys named Aaron and Oliver, who deal with coming-of-age, understanding and accepting their individual identities, and trying to find their place in history.
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This was ABSOLUTELY such a lovely read. This has a very loose plot, as it follows each boy's train of thought for a decent amount of time. There's a very heavy focus on each boy's internal journey, as opposed to events going on around them, which to me, made this a slower read, but it made every step of the way worth it.
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This is one to check out!

A Million Quiet Revolutions is a great look into the lives of two young people whose histories are too often erased. Oliver and Aaron are the characters we all need in our lives right now: hopeful cynics who are authentically themselves. Gow's decision to add the mystery of queer history was a brilliant move and a necessary reminder of queerness and its transcendence across decades.

I like the main characters in this book, even though they sounded a bit too much alike for a split POV story. I was a little thrown off by how much the plot jumped around. Also, it’s more of a snapshot than a story—there’s not much of a plot to speak of, which isn’t my kind of story. I do love the authentic presentation of two trans boys trying to make sense of their world and the exploration of love in its different forms, though.

This is one of those books that certain readers will absolutely connect with but is not one that will be flying off the shelf. I thought the concept with historical references was great and will definitely be buying.