This was a book that I could not get into. Stories were flat and were at times hard to follow. I wanted more from this book.

This was such an immersive reading experience that felt like listening to the smartest person you admire. I laughed, I learned, and I loved the whole journey.

I was very excited for this short story collection as it centers transgender stories. However, this just did not work for me. All of the stories were very flat and had a monotone voice. Because of this I was bored by most of the stories and DNFd by 35%. I did truly enjoy Walkers writing style but the stories just did not work for me.

Harron Walker: the last normal woman, the first trans woman to write a book, the only woman to always be correct… Those may be exaggerations, but it’s anything but to call this book brilliant. I’ve long been a fan of Walker’s essays—whether they be cultural criticism, witty detours on topics with impressive breadth and depth, or more personal tales of her various gender affirming surgeries and her transition writ-large. As Harron’s friend remarks early in the book, “[She’s] always opening new tabs as [she] goes,” in conversation, “tabbing, tabbing, tabbing,” but always arriving back at the “first tab [she] started with.” Throughout this deliciously written collection, Walker will lead you down more than few rabbit holes, but you’ll always end up back where you were—or rather, someplace new entirely that encompasses all that you knew before in addition to the precious stones her work uncovers. In a landmark year for trans literature, Harron Walker’s debut is an unmistakeable feat.

4 stars

Having had no exposure to Harron Walker prior to receiving a widget for this book, I came in without expectations. That makes me extra pleased to say that I truly enjoyed this read.

This essay collection features a multitude of topics, but pop culture and transness are among the more pervasive focal points. Walker weaves her own experiences throughout, and this makes the writing feel incredibly revelatory and vulnerable for obvious reasons. This choice also helps Walker create layers to essays on characters from _The Deveil Wears Prada_, for example. Somehow, even the pop and camp topics feel more impactful because readers get to know so much personal information about the person who penned them.

As an avid reader of trans writers, I also appreciated Walker's invocation of several of these folks throughout the community of her works. This is very much A voice and not THE voice of an identity group, and while it should be readers' roles to keep themselves aware of that, Walker does an exceptional job of helping her audience see her as a contributor in conversation.

These are at once personal, vibrant, provocative, and factual efforts, and this collection made me want to engage with more of Walker's writings.

Insightful and incisive personal essays by Harron Walker. There's a lot to like about the essays--the writing is clean, and I felt like I was talking to an old friend while reading these.

I was unfamiliar with Harron Walker’s writing before this book and I found myself both charmed and moved by it. This is a memoir written in essays about Walker’s experiences as an out trans woman and also a bit of cultural criticism about 21st century womanhood. Walker has a lot to say about her own life, but she is also engaged in what’s going on in pop culture, which finds its way into these essays, and I loved that part of it. It’s not just a memoir, but a blend of non-fiction that reads like you’re having a cocktail with your smart and incisive friend. Of course like any essay collection, certain ones hit harder than others and I found my attention dragging at a few. But as a fan of this type of memoir, I enjoyed my time with it.

Jonathan Lethem has been entertaining me for over 25 years with his wit and imagination. This collection is a bit uneven, and I admit having to struggle with otherworldly subjects. His longer books, featuring life in New York, are preferable, but I did enjoy a chance to become acquainted with his shorter works.

I didn’t really jive with this collection of essays, mostly because Harron Walker’s writing style is a bit too casual and referential for me. Although repetitive at times, I did find it insightful and informative. My favorite essay was “Tales from the Hosiery Counter”, which was so sweet, but unfortunately none of the others really stuck with me.

This essay collection felt muddled and chaotic. I felt like the author didn’t do a good job explaining what her motivation was for writing this book. The essays all felt the same. Very repetitive and mundane. I felt disconnected from the author. I felt unmotivated to finish. The last essay was the strongest but overall I felt disappointed bye the content and execution.

4.5 stars.

My efforts to read more nonfiction have been paying off, and I was grateful for an early copy of this diverse and informative essay collection by Harron Walker.

This is a great mixture of personal essay and pop culture analysis, as well as elegantly written investigative articles. Walker is funny, very open about her personal experience with transitioning, and a gifted writer. Her training in the journalism world is apparent. The honesty and vulnerability with which Walker brings her own story into these pieces is admirable, and at the same time she doesn't sugarcoat anything and brings wit and charm into the mix.

At first, I wasn’t super invested in the piece about “The Devil Wears Prada,” because TBH I don’t like that movie. But then the essay evolved into something very interesting and fun, even though she was also writing about negative life experiences. Another great example of Walker's pop culture analysis is the essay about Ed Wood’s “Glen or Glenda.”

I also subscribe to the philosophy of Mother Monster, BTW. <3

I really liked the essay about the artist Greer Lankton, who I had unfortunately not heard of. Walker covers Lankton's life and work so well in one essay that I would truthfully read an expose on just about anyone if she wrote it. And I did seek out Greer Lankton's work for myself because the art really came alive on the page and I wanted to experience the visuals. (I LOVE practically anything involving dolls, especially if there's an unsettling element. I wish I had known about her sooner!)

The piece about Walker's late grandmother helping men pick out garments at the department store where she worked was really moving. Another favorite.

The only one I didn’t really care for was the analysis of the Jenny Lewis song, because it read almost like a brain teaser or a strange math problem and it made my head hurt. But I'm sure that fans of Lewis's music will enjoy it, specifically. And the inclusion of pieces like this one, shorter and more "fun," brought a nice variety into things since a lot of the topics covered could be heavy.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.

Biggest TW: Hate Speech/Slurs, Transphobia, Mention of SA, Disordered Eating

Jonathan Lethem has been entertaining me for over 25 years with his wit and imagination. This collection is a bit uneven, and I admit having to struggle with otherworldly subjects. His longer books, featuring life in New York, are preferable, but I did enjoy a chance to become acquainted with his shorter works.

This collection of essays varied quite a bit, as did my enjoyment of them. Some of them were hits and some didn’t really resonate with me (but most were hits)! These essays ranged from long essays deep with metaphor to one paragraph silly thought. These overarching theme was about the trans experience. I really enjoyed this author’s take on most subjects she discussed.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest rating and review.

My favorite essays in Aggregated Discontent were the ones that put a spotlight on the irony of working in transphobic workplaces in order to have health insurance coverage for gender-affirming procedures and the ones that addressed trans motherhood. The latter topic was particularly compelling because she really hones in on the less sensationalized aspects of what it means or could mean to pursue motherhood as a transwoman. Many of us have seen the articles and accompanying photos featuring transmen with baby bumps, but this is not representative of the trans motherhood of which she speaks. Her attention to the oft ignored or neglected aspects of trans motherhood was a welcome, eye-opening perspective.

This series of essays felt like it had no voice. I don't felt like I got to know the author at all. I didn't understand the tone of the writing. I also did not understand the point of many of the essays or the messaging being conveyed. I do think there is important information and some solid perspective in here, but in general it was not interesting to me. Overall, I found it lacking a strong voice and direction.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC.

An excellent collection of essays from a brilliant talent. Harron Walker's explorations of sex, gender, art, love, life were a wonderful reminder that despite our differences as humans we all want the same things- love, community, to be seen for who we are. I loved this book and it will be a collection that I return to again and again. Can't wait to see this in print and to read more of Walker's future work.

Thanks again to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC. This is normally not a book that I would seek out not just because of the subject matter but I'm more of a fiction reader. With that being said, I found the material enlightening and informative at the least. I had absolute empathy for the people discussed as this cannot be an easy life trying to stay employed to get health-care insurance long enough to get the surgeries you need. Highly recommended.

An enjoyable collection of essays. The writing is strong and I appreciated the author’s ability to find humor in almost any situation. I did not always feel like the essays were cohesive as a whole/flowed but I do think they are worth a read - with sixteen essays, some will resonate with you more than others.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

In sixteen remarkable essays, Walker explores womanhood along with trans identity and narratives through personal reflection and cultural analysis. I was a real fan of Walker’s laid-back but informative approach to the story-telling involved in this collection.

Aggregated Discontent is sharp, witty, insightful, and a real joy to read through. Thank you Random House for the early copy in exchange for an honest review. Available May 20 2025

Very interesting premise. Some parts felt a bit slow or were a bit heavy. I still really enjoyed it.