If you’re planning to read this story, I’m going to assume you were forced to read The Great Gatsby in school as so many of us were. At the time, high school me did enjoy The Great Gatsby (compared to everything else we had to read), but looking back and thinking on it as an adult, I didn’t really like The Great Gatsby all that much after all. It’s a good thing Anna-Marie McLemore remixed it into something more interesting! (Note, you can read this if you’ve never read the original, but I feel like the “retelling” aspect won’t have as much of an impact.)

Nicolás Caraveo, a 17-year-old transgender boy from Minnesota who moves to New York City with the help of his cousin Daisy Fabrega – who goes by Daisy Fay and passes as white, erasing herself as Latina. Nick is obviously a brown boy (his words) and Daisy introduces him as her “friend” rather than cousin. Same as in the original, Nick moves into a small cottage next to the infamous Jay Gatsby who throws lavish parties and is somewhat of a mystery. As Nick gets to know his neighbor Jay, he soon learns Jay is a ‘self-made boy’ just like him and also transgender.

I really enjoyed Anna-Marie’s take on this classic story and making it more diverse and very queer. Nick and Daisy are Latinx, but Daisy passes as white, Jordan Baker, the famous golfer, also passes for white but isn’t. Almost everyone of relevance is queer (besides Tom Buchanan, but is he really relevant?). And yet the historical accuracy was there as well which I appreciated – this did really give me Great Gatsby feelings so the author did a great job of sticking to the story we know but changing certain elements of it.

I liked Nick a lot – he’s fighting for a place in a world that doesn’t respect him because of his skin color and he’s scared they’ll find out he’s also a ‘self-mad boy’ – the word transgender is not used in this book as it was not used in the 1920’s, but the meaning is there and mentioned often. And yet Nick has an air of innocence about him as well, needing even the most basic things of New York society explained to him.

I will say this story does have a happily ever after unlike the original story – so don’t worry, nothing bad happens to Nick, Jay, or Daisy!

Self-Made Boys is narrated by Avi Roque for Nick’s parts and Kyla Garcia for Daisy’s voice reading letters. I’ve listened to Avi Roque previously narrate Cemetery Boys and really enjoyed their voice, so I’m glad the publisher had a Latine, Trans, Queer person narrator for a Latino, Trans, Queer character! Avi has a great voice and it’s always a joy to listen to them read a story.

This was a great retelling of gatsby. I really appreciated the quite literal look at “self made boys” and how that and the background of the characters gave a lot to the story. I also really appreciated the authors content warnings and the context notes as both helped the reader with some of the topics discussed.

*cue screaming*
Okay, OKAY, I think it's very obvious from my initial reaction that I LOVED this book. So, so, soooo much! So much so that I don't really know how to write this review and make it make sense, but let's start.

Self-Made Boys is The Great Gatsby reimagining of the 21st century - it's the book The Great Gatsby probably could've been were it written today (one can hope). We all know the opulent Jazz Age story about a mysterious Gatsby throwing dazzling parties, his later companion, the timid and kinda-a-wallflower, Nick, the every-"man's"-dream, Daisy and her ethereal beauty, and all the other players in this shining but deadly game of wealth and dreams. Some people love it, some hate it - I personally was always intrigued by it. And then we got this contemporary version (in the date it was released, not the setting since the setting stays the same) of Gatsby by the amazing Anna-Marie McLemore. AND it was EVERYTHING I could've wished for and more. McLemore stayed true to the heart of the story that is The Great Gatsby while infusing it with new mysteries, even more heart, and diversity. It was everything I wanted The Great Gatsby to be (the first one being that hello, NIck is IN LOVE with Jay and that can be spotted from a mile away even in the OG story). Okay, let's really start this review now.

In Self-Made Boys we follow Nicolás Caraveo, a 17yo trans boy who is determined to succeed in NYC and provide for his family - with the help of his cousin Daisy who rents him a house and who lives close by with her rich fiancé, Tom. While things are far from perfect (for example Daisy is pretending to not be Nicolá's cousin so she can continue to pass as white and therefore "desirable", Tom is cheating on Daisy), Nicolás gets caught in the glitter of 20s in NYC when he falls in with his neighbour, the mysterious thrower of lavish parties, Jay Gatsby. Jay's motives are known from the get-go - get Daisy to notice him and fulfill his life-long dream of getting a girl like her and settling down with her. But as Nicolás and Jay grow closer, we learn that there is more to Gatsby's dreams that one can see and that he might be more similar to our protagonist than we initially thought.

As I said before, I LOVED this remixed version of The Great Gatsby SO MUCH! It retained the most basic elements of the original story so it's very obvious where the inspiration came from but then it also veered off course and gave us this original story of two mixed-raced cousins, determined to make it in NYC in the 1920s, when racist slurs where flung at every corner and when being queer had to be a deeply hidden secret or you were faced with violent repercussions. Despite this unwelcoming reality of the 1920s, Macklemore spun a story of Latinx and queer joy, celebrating every aspect of their characters - from their race to their sexuality and gender identity. Because even if the past was far from rosy for so many marginalized groups, the truth is that they ALWAYS existed, that they persevered, and most of all, that they ALWAYS thrived despite the challenges they faced on a daily basis. Self-Made Boys gave me hope, made me feel warm inside, and also showed that POC queer people always existed and deserve to be celebrated and remembered, even if history so often tries to erase them.

I got a bit off course here but I really, really loved this story okay, so it's easy to get carried away. Knowing the story of The Great Gatsby, I thought I knew where this was going and I was scared (we know how very dark The Great Gatsby gets in the end). But GOSH was I wrong! Self-Made Boys served realness while also infusing it with light and hope and I should've known that - despite some tears that I shed because hello, this was a gorgeous story and I cry easily - the final chapters would be just as glorious as the first ones, sticking to the original story while adding new twists (that had me gasping out loud) and new dreams.

Self-Made Boys is a glorious celebration ot The Great Gatsby and queer POC (Latinx trans and gay MC, Latinx SCs, lesbian SCs, gay SCs, trans SCs). Like Anna-Marie McLemore said themselves in the author's note, Nick was always in love with Jay (FIGHT ME on this) - and add to that the authors own experiences as a trans Latinx person making their way in the world that is so often still unwelcoming and learning when to draw the line at fitting in at all costs, and you get a gorgeous, contemporary remix of one of the most beloved classics. Relevant, joyful, and heart-wrenching.

Also, the audiobook narration? PERFECTION! I already know I'll listen to this one again and again.

I highly recommend this beautiful story to anyone who loves The Great Gatsby, who wants to read a diverse and utterly amazing historical fiction novel, to anyone who wants to read a book celebrating queer and POC joy and who loves all-queer casts of characters.

This book was the most glorious surprise of 2022 and I am so glad I got to read it before its official release. The biggest thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing the wonderful audiobook of Self-Made Boys.

-Disclaimer: I received this book for free through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.-

Love the cover. I thought the original Great Gatsby was fine. This is completely different from the original. I don't like how Avi Roque read, especially Daisy's parts. He read in a way that was overdone and flowed oddly. It hurt the immersion of the story.

The writing is simple. I couldn't connect with the characters. I am not into slow burn romance. The book just wasn't what I thought it would be. Would have worked better if it was wrote for an older audience. All-in-all, it wasn't a good fit for me.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the arc!

Trigger Warnings: Racism, colorism, transphobia, homophobia, sexism, war, past coming out, alcohol, classism, gun, blood, past boat accident, violence, lavender marriage, coming out, cheating/affair, gambling/debt

Representation: Transgender, Latine, binding, Jewish, Lesbian, Gay, Mexican-American

Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix is a YA historical fiction retelling of The Great Gatsby. Nicolás Caraveo moves to the big city to be with his cousin Daisy. While there, he meets Jay Gatsby, the mysterious next door neighbor known for throwing lavish parties at his mansion. Learning they have more in common than they thought, the men grow closer over a common goal.

I haven’t read the Great Gatsby in 16 years but this story was a fantastic reminder and made it queer! This story was the perfect mix of a queer Great Gatsby and Ocean’s 8! I absolutely loved that movie so this spin-off type story was amazing! I also loved the Latinx influence that occurred in the book.

This book was such a nice queer story. While similar to the original, the queer “history” felt like learning more about our elders and provided a beautiful sense of community. I loved all of the characters, especially the depth they had. The book was an enjoyable read and the audiobook was fantastic! I would definitely recommend this story to everyone!

I was super excited to receive this ARC! I love the great Gatsby and retellings of classics are some of my favorite stories. Especially retellings that bring a lot more representation and diversity to the characters. With both LGBT plus and Latinx characters, I was so excited to start this! The author does an amazing job of creating a beautiful story that just sucks you right in. You can definitely tell the inspiration from the great Gatsby with the overall vibes that really do correlate to the original story.
The audiobook of this pairs very well to the written. I was super lucky to receive both the audio and ER so I would switch between which one I was reading to get a feel for both. The narrator does an amazing job of really capturing the emotions and feelings that the text provokes.
Highly Recommend

Not only is Self-Made Boys the first Anna-Marie McLemore book I've read, it's one of my favorite retellings of The Great Gatsby. It's unapologetically trans, wonderfully Latinx, and as gorgeously written as its cover is illustrated. Throughout the book, McLemore's characters wrestle with the perceptions of their race, sexuality, and status in New York high society, shining a light on the diverse and marginalized people who went unmentioned in Fitzgerald's classic story. Self-Made Boys shows that queer people and people of color are just as worthy of success and love as their straight, white counterparts. Between this and Nghi Vo's The Chosen and the Beautiful, it couldn't be a better time for queer Great Gatsby retellings and Self-Made Boys will rank up there with the best of them. (If you're into audio, Avi Roque and Kyla Garcia do an excellent job narrating McLemore's mesmerizing prose!)

This wasn't quite what I was expecting, but I ended up liking it. Given McLemore's dreamy writing style, I was expecting something that mirrored the tone and vibe of The Great Gatsby, just making the queer themes more overt and adding trans characters. Instead, Self-Made Boys reads rather like Great Gatsby fanfic, but not necessarily in a bad way.

The prose and vibe feel more straightforward than what we usually see from McLemore. It takes the plot beats from the film (this does feel more aligned with the 2013 adaptation than it does with the original text) and turns it into a queer love story that avoids the "bury your gays" trope and explores intentional white passing as well as the realities of living with a marginalized identity in the 1920's, both as a Latinx person and as a queer person.

The original was quite queer in its undertones but this is much more overt. To the point that some readers might find it abrasive. But if you go into this expecting more Gatsby fanfic and less Gatsby retelling, I think you'll have a better time with it. In this version, Jay Gatsby and Nick (Nicolás Caraveo) literalize the ideal of a "self-made man" as trans teenagers. Daisy is Nick's cousin and is passing as a white woman, engaged to a wealthy and bigoted man. The choices are really interesting and while I wasn't totally sold from the start (partly because it wasn't what I expected), I ended up really liking what McLemore did with the story and appreciated their author's note as well. The audio narration is good and has that kind of 20's vibe to it. I received an advance audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

5 Stars...more if I could.

This book was nearly perfect.

While I was never much for the classics, The Great Gatsby was always one that stuck with me while also knowing it was missing something important...something to make the story for real and relatable. Those parts that were missing? Well, here they are. In this wonderful remix.

The author has taken a classic story and breathed life with beautifully written prose, wonderful queer and Latinx representation, and the well crafted romance that everyone wanted for the original story. All the while, providing a new lens to the same themes of class and the American dream as well as continued use of symbolism throughout the story.

While liberties were taken with the characters, their development, and the ending of the book in order to create this story, that was the assignment here. So, if you are a stickler and resistant to change, then look elsewhere. The entire assignment of this book was to make major changes in order to create something more relatable to more people while holding onto the parts of the original story that struck so many people the first time around. I believe the author did this brilliantly.

Another aspect I love about this book is the author's approach to addressing heavy topics, such as racism, homophobia, and transphobia, within the story. They are sure to address these topics within the context of the 1920's without utilizing harmful language on the page that is more likely to incite more anxiety and perpetuate trauma than to progress the story or benefit the reading experience. Recognizing that the inclusive language that we use today was not present in the 1920's. That being said, these themes remain prevalent throughout the book and as such, readers should note the trigger warnings, which are noted both at the beginning of the story and on the author's website.

I feel honored to have listened to an ARC of this audiobook, it was a true delight. The writing was stunning. The narration was wonderful and truly connected the reader to the story and maintained engagement. Additionally, I have never had an authors note at the end of a book put me in my feels as much as this one just did.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Avi Roque and Kyla Garcia, via NetGalley. An advanced reader's copy of this audiobook was provided to me via NetGalley by Macmillan Audio in exchange for an honest review.

I recieved an eArc of this book from NetGalley in exchange for honest review.

Okay so if you're a fan of The Great Gatsby: a book about terrible careless people and the American dream, this is not the book for you. I get it, the world doesn't need more stories of Queer tragedy and pain but what makes The Great Gatsby an interesting novel for me is not the glitz and glamor of the roaring twenties but the complexly awful characters (and the homoeroticism which is of course present in this book). In making all the characters good and likable, this version looses some of the punch of the original.

Also I really didn't enjoy that Nick predicts the Great Depression, like part of the dramatic tension of the original was that not even the author knew that this splendor was the pride before the fall.

All that aside it as fun romp through gay 1920's New York City.

Remix of the Great Gatsby with trans!Jay and trans!Nick
Not a retelling, if that's what someone is going in with, they'll be disappointed
Daisy is still Daisy
Tom is still a dick
It's a swell time in the 20s; colorism, racism, homophobia, insurance fraud, and murder.

I really enjoyed this book! I thought the topics of race, sexuality, and gender were handled in a really nuanced way that was very digestible yet engaging for YA readers, and I will definitely recommend this to my audience.

“…we were as divine as the heavens. We were boys who had created ourselves. We had formed our own bodies, our own lives, from the ribs of the girls we were once assumed to be.”

Trans! Queer! Latinx! Gatsby retelling! SELF-MADE BOYS: A GREAT GATSBY REMIX is a stunning, elevated twist on this classic story. In McLemore’s version, Daisy is a mixed-race Latina passing for white (and straight), Gatsby is a bi trans boy trying to forget his past and solidify his future, and Nicolás Caraveo - aka Nick - is also mixed-race, also trans, gay as hell, a total math nerd, and hopelessly in love with Gatsby. There’s so much beautiful writing here, about trans kids making themselves, about the dark underbelly of the American dream, about family and loyalty and passing, about reclaiming words used against us and our communities, about falling in love and finding the people you can be yourself around. McLemore does an incredible job of blending the realities of the time the original novel is set in with our modern language and sensibilities. It’s completely romantic, delightfully subversive, and an utter joy to read. Avi Roque performs the audiobook with Kyla Garcia and it’s so well done. Thanks to Feiwel & Friends and Macmillan Audio for the review copies!

Content warnings: period-typical racism, colorism, transphobia, queerphobia, and sexism; experiences in war and trauma responses

Rep: gay trans Latinx mc, gay trans mc, lesbian Latinx scs, Jewish lesbian sc

I’ve never actually read The Great Gatsby before, so I was going into this without any knowledge of the original material.

The author did a great job of taking us back in time to the 1920s. They don’t shy away from all the racism and homophobia of that time. It deals with "passing", as white, and also as cisgender and straight. It was really aggravating and disheartening knowing these things happened all the time and seeing what they resorted to to hide parts of themselves. That being said, it was well portrayed. It also deals with classism and new vs old money. All this together really made you feel like you’re in the 20s.

I liked that they discussed lavender marriages, as I’m sure it’s a big part of Queer history, especially during this time. Queerness was super hush hush and shamed back then, so people tend to think it didn’t exist. So it’s nice to have stories like this that show that no, Queer people were always around.

The romance was a really sweet slow burn. It took a while to get there, but it was a nice journey up to it. Very wholesome.

I loved all the diversity. From Latinx, to Jewish, to queer. There’s no shortage here. I always love seeing queer characters. I was happy that Jay and Nick’s families supported their transitions. It must have been a rare thing in that time. But I’m glad the author didn’t make them suffer with that.

The characters all had well thought out backstories and were interesting.

The narrators did a great job. And the cover!! So pretty!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an audio ARC of this book

I loved everything about this reimagining! Great representations!! I feel like I could easily recommend this to people who like the classics and also those who like contemporary!

A queer re-telling of The Great Gatsby? Yes, please! I was so hype after reading the synopsis alone. It did not dissapoint. I have always loved the original story and this was so much fun.

First of all, McLemore does a wonderful job of really transporting you back in time. You don't see a whole lot of historical fiction with trans representation so this was everything. The issues of racism and homophobia in addition to the original themes of classism and old vs new money really made the story feel so refreshing. Daisy is white passing, her and her cousin Nick are both of Mexican descent. Nick and Gatsby are both trans. This is like really really cute/sweer/heartwarming Gatsby fanfic but like, top tier. Loved how it played on the concept of being "Self-Made" and what that means in society back then and today. The illustrious hope of a nation for "the American dream" and how varying and often unnatainable that is for so many people, in the 20's and in the 2020's. Long story short, if you are Gatsby fan you will probably enjoy this just as much as I did. Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the early audiobook!

There's something that is so much fun about a classic getting a modern retelling with a twist. In this case, it's a multifaceted exploration of identity against the backdrop of the luxurious 1920s with all the well-known characters. This retelling sticks fairly close to original characters and plot points while changing enough to make the story feel fresh. Who doesn't love some sweet romance and a good happily ever after? Best of all, it presents a fascinating peek into the experiences of LGBT+ people in that time period, which deserves so much more attention.

While I really love what this book does, it didn't click for me. Some of that might have been due to the audiobook narrator, whose unusual cadence prevented my immersion from the beginning. The author also uses a lot of fanciful language in descriptions that occasionally caught my attention (silver confetti rain) but more often sounded overly dramatic for the scene. But I'm thrilled to see more books being published that center a variety of experiences and identities, and I hope that trend never reverts.

I loved all the queer representation. The queer parties were a fun element. I like that lavender marriages were discussed.
I was bored with this story however. I feel that it went on forever. All the characters had well thought out backstories but it just wasn’t enough to make them as interesting as I hoped. I really wanted to care about these characters. The little mystery going on did not make me at all curious as to what was really happening. When it was revealed, the reasoning and people behind it was not surprising. It is an assumption that the reader can easily make.

Thank you for this book in exchange for my honest review.
I remember reading The Great Gatsby in high school AP English so this book was an interesting take on the story. I didn’t know about Lavender Marriages until I read about it in this book, so this book was quite informative. The “slow burn” romance trope is usually not my first go-to, but this time, I found myself wanting more.

This is a super engaging reimagining of Gatsby.

The book is full of history: queer history, the history of New York, how we got into the Great Depression. There's also some really fantastic discussions about passing. Passing as white, straight, and CIS.

Gatsby has always felt kinda Queer (Nick is so clearly in love with Gatsby) and it's really satisfying to see all of these classic characters live full-Queer lives.

There's also some new plot points which gives a nice little twist to the story and keeps the book engaging and not just a rehashing of the original story.

As for the audiobook, I really enjoyed the dual narrators and thought they both did a great job!