I adored this book. I have been having trouble with historical books lately, but the narration on this book was spectacular and really brought this book to life.

I hate classics - more than the average reader of modern fiction, I will readily admit. My memories of reading The Great Gatsby in high school are colored (ha!) by the sheer unnecessary attention to detail required to write the assigned analysis of the way the meanings and uses of various colors change throughout the book. What I really remember is that all of the characters are vapid and shallow and irredeemable and that the text is a criticism of the nouveau riche and the inevitable fall as a result of a lavish but shallow life.

McLemore writes beautifully at the sentence level (certainly prettier than Fitzgerald; I'll die on that hill), but as far as the plot goes... By making these characters "good humans deep down", it takes a lot of the bite out of the story. This is a common issue with Gatsby retellings. And as much as I loved how queer and inclusive the characters and story became as a result of McLemore's changes, I felt the book didn't hold my attention.

Excellent audiobook and excellent story. I love this so much more than the original and I just loved this entire series.

I have absolutely loving these queer retellings of classic stories. This one was no different. While I am not the biggest fan of The Great Gatsby I truly thought Anna-Marie did a great job still having the essence of the source material while also giving it a new spin.

I love the premise of this novel! Nick is transgender and trying to make a name for himself in New York City. Yes, you read that correctly. This whole novel re-imagines the classic with LGBTQIA+ characters and race differences. I won't ruin the twists on the classic here, but I will tell you that it's so worth reading!

If you loved The Great Gatsby, but need a modern update - this is it!!!

What I loved: the social commentary, the new romances, the end!

This is a strong book, with great characters and important perspectives for this time period. It is not my favorite of Anna-Marie McLemore's books, but that would be tough to accomplish- as all of their books are amazing.

An absolutely stunning retelling of Gatsby's original that acknowledges and celebrates the underlying queer subtext as text!

If you are someone who is looking for a beat for beat retelling of Gatsby, this book is probably not for you. However, if you are someone who loves classics, but wonder about the people who are left out of most of them, and enjoy beautiful, descriptive writing, you will likely enjoy this book.

I listened to the audiobook, and thought both narrators did a wonderful job adding to the story. They conveyed so much feeling and connection to the material without being distracting.

One of my favorite things about this retelling was not only the inclusion of diversity through Latino, Trans, and queer characters, but also that the author did not shy away from the reality of the times this story took place in. While it was a bit jarring to hear some of the outright racist themes in this story, the author handled it with such care showing that it was a criticism of the more historically accurate portrayal, rather than an acceptable practice.

This is one of those retellings of a story that will actually keep you guessing throughout, and unsure of the story you know. The author weaved together so beautifully both the callbacks to the original story, and the new stamp she put on this classic. I will absolutely be checking out more of the remixed classics series, and would suggest you do too!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the advanced review copy.

Incredibly creative and so fun to read! As a mixed latinx I’m always on the lookout for books featuring latinx characters. I also love the Great Gatsby, so this was the perfect storm. I adored it. It was such a fantastic retelling of a favourite classic, I would recommend it to any Fitzgerald fan.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and to the punisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the great Gatsby so I was ready for this one. I couldn't get enough of these characters. the world is so beautiful and the writing was even better. I can't recommend this enough especially for young adult readers.

I didn’t realize this was a book i needed to read, but I’m happy it popped up on netgalley. I don’t know if this was something I’d normally give a listen to, but i was pleasantly surprised by this Gatsby retelling!

I read a few reviews saying that Anna-Marie McLemore does an amazing job with the characters in Self-Made Boys so I was dying to see how The Great Gatsby would translate with LGBTQIA+ characters.

The answer? It was fantastic!

If you’re a fan of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel, and enjoy historicals with queer characters, definitely pick up Self-Made Boys. Not only does Anna-Marie McLemore do justice to the undercurrents of attraction between Jay and Nick, but they also delve into the issue of race (with Nick’s character being latinx).

This version of Gatsby stays pretty true to the original story, and Anna-Marie McLemore adds some interesting twists. The whole thing really works well.

The audio version is performed by Avi Roque and Kyla Garcia.

This was such a fantastic take on The Great Gatsby retelling, and I couldn't be happier with the novel that McLemore delivered. I love the examination of queerness as well as the intersectionality of being Latinx. Here we see that Nick is judged for the color of his skin and is begrudgingly accepted while his cousin Daisy is able to pass because of her white skin. I hope to see more modernized takes on classics such as these that incorporate marginalized identities.

okay we all knew the great gatsby was queer as hell with subtext, but this is the explicitly queer version of this story that we deserved. i love how nick and jay’s friendship and romance develop so naturally and beautifully. i love that they are both trans boys. i love this version of daisy. and i adore how the events of tgg are retold here, through the queer found family lens i never knew i wanted. i read this on audio, and it really is a great audiobook with an excellent narrator, as well. i love this book. this is now the canon tgg okay.

taylor swift vibe: the lucky one/starlight

recommended for: those of us who were obsessed with the queer subtext in the great gatsby when we read it for school

An excellent book incorporating a modern twist while still staying true to the vibe of the original Gatsby.

The Great Gatsby was one of my favorite books I read in school, and I loved this queer reimaging of the story where Nick and Jay Gatsby are trans men, and Daisy is a white passing Latina. It expands on the ideas of the American dream that the original novel addresses with it's own twists that I loved.

I don't know why The Great Gatsby is one of my favorite classic novels. It really shouldn't be, as problematic as it is. But I won't apologize for it. That said, SELF-MADE BOYS is the remix I didn't know I needed. This gorgeously queer and Latine take on a classic story was the perfect way to refresh the narrative and help me fall in love all over again with these characters (and feel less guilty about it).

I am a fan of Anna-Marie and I will say that I was no disappointed by this book! It was a little bit of a different feel from their other books as it didn't have their signature magical elements though the color description felt like that aspect of magic they typically give. I really loved the cast of characters and the twist that was at the end! I didn't read the original Great Gatsby and I didn't have interest in it but Anna-Marie made it very interesting and I was really invested in the story! I hope that Anna-Marie does more remixes like this one! The narrators were amazing. I really appreciated that they had 2 narrators as well. They really made the story come alive for me as if I was watching it play out like a movie for me.

Narration on this audiobook was amazing! I could not stop listening!!!

I don't read many of the remixed classics, but I hopped on the chance to read a queer Great Gatsby. When assigned The Great Gatsby in high school, I went on a rant in class about how Nick was clearly gay & the book would be better if more gay.

Well, SELF-MADE BOYS delivers. It's what the Great Gatsby should have always been. Nick is now Nicolás Caraveo, a trans Latino who moves to the big city to reunite with his cousin and finally be himself. Nick realizes being yourself in New York is harder than it seems. Even Daisy, who seems to be living her best life, is hiding who she truly is. Nick falls hard for Jay Gatsby, a man who rose from nothing to host the popular parties in town.

SELF-MADE BOYS brings all the glitz, glam, and gaiety of the 1920s, and tops it off with a delightfully queer & cinematic ending.

I just listened to the ALC of Self-Made Boys by AM McLemore that I got through @netgalley and I adored it!! I've been loving the Classics Remixed series that @macmillanusa is doing and this book was such a perfect addition!

Self-Made Boys is a Great Gatsby retelling but make it very queer. Our main characters Nick and Jay are trans and there's some great sapphic rep as well! This book is set in the 1920s and it does a great job of acknowledging the struggle and danger of being queer back then while still showcasing the types of safe spaces the queer community has made for themselves throughout history. I absolutely loved the characters and the found family aspect of the story. I think McLemore did a great job of honoring the source material while making this story truly unique and separate from The Great Gatsby! I was definitely tearing up by the end. I'd highly recommend this to anyone interested in historical LGBTQ+ literature!

Trigger warnings for racism, transphobia, homophobia, and mention of PTSD.