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.

Just like any collection of essays, some definitely landed more than others, but overall I really enjoyed the author’s commentary on moving through the world as a trans woman + shining light on aspects of the trans experience with both humor and urgency.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!!!

I've never read a book of essays outside of required school reading, so this was a bit different for me, and I'm glad it was. I read this not in one sitting which I think helped me out a bit. Some essays flowed better together but overall I think it was meant to be read in spurts. Not every essay resonated with me and I often felt they started to spiral out of control before almost some invisible parent told the writer to stop talking. I think they were entertaining and gripping but not super cohesive.

Aggregated Discontent is a sharp, vibrant collection that balances intellect, wit, and vulnerability in a way that's rare and refreshing. Harron Walker's voice is unapologetically bold, yet tender, navigating topics like queerness, media, culture, and personal reflection with clarity and urgency.

Engaging, important, and informative collection of essays on trans womanhood in the 21st century. Not only did I learn a lot about social issues, unfair laws, and healthcare (or the lack thereof), I also found a new writer whose voice I really enjoy, and I will absolutely read anything she writes. 4/5 stars because a couple of the essays felt a bit out of sync with the rest, specifically the Anne Hathaway “girlboss” essay and the essay on childless women, especially since the last four essays go into more detail regarding trans parenthood.

I was asked to review Aggregated Discontent, a compelling but uneven essay collection by Harron Walker. Blending personal reflections with cultural analysis, Walker explores trans womanhood, identity, and activism with wit and depth. Standout essays, like Tales from the Hosiery Counter, shine, though some sections feel disjointed. While not universally strong, it’s an insightful read for those interested in trans narratives and contemporary social issues.

Like any collection of essays, there is a mixture of quality, and some will resonate more with certain readers than others. Some of the essays deal heavily with the author's own experiences, including finding employment, obtaining medical care and navigating relationships as someone who is transgender. Other essays highlight prominent transgender figures or focus on overarching themes that affect the transgender community (and others), such as access to healthcare, what it means to be a "woman" or "female", and the efforts to try to legislate away transgender individuals, including all the hypocrisy involved.

"Tales from the Hosiery Counter" is my favorite, as the author learns from her aunt about her grandmother, who died when the author was too young to really remember her. Her grandmother worked in a department store, selling jewelry and cosmetics but also lingerie and hosiery. Men would come in to buy jewelry for their wives, and she would ask them what their wives would be wearing the jewelry with to help determine the style, design, color, etc. One day, a male customer confided that he needed a dress and asked her to help him choose one. She helped him choose a dress, as well as the proper foundation garments, and makeup. She soon had other cross-dressing customers coming to her for assistance/advice with jewelry, makeup and/or clothing. Her goal was that the customer, female or male, left the store looking their best and feeling satisfied with the shopping experience. Her attitude and acceptance were wonderful. Society needs more people like her.

Other good essays were "Pick Me", "Fertility", "In/fertility", and "Im/possibility."

My least favorite essay was "She Wants, She Takes, She Pretends", about transgender artist Greer Lankton. The essay itself is not bad, but I felt it was too long, especially in comparison to other essays that dealt with broader topics and/or transgender individuals of more significance/influence.

This is a lovely collection of musings about being a trans woman told by an expert in her craft. Throughout the collection, the through point is Harron Walker’s own experiences of life and love as a trans woman. By opening the book with a discussion of fiction as fact and a (nonfiction) narrative that leads, reciprocally, to this book, is a lovely bit of self-reflective meta and sets up the tone for the conversations to come in later chapters, whether obviously self-reflective or not.

I want to highlight two other sections I particularly enjoyed. I loved learning about Greer Lankton’s art and story. I think this was a story that Walker wanted to tell more than anything, but it was also an opportunity to remind the reader that not every trans story is the same or uplifting.

I also really loved the inclusion of Walker’s grandmother’s story here. This is a beautiful personal story and piece of trans history, regardless of its “official” standing as fact. The oral history shared of helping crossdressing/trans men find the right outfits for their bodies is an important one to share to remind us that trans people have always been here, especially during this politic climate.

Finally, Harron Walker’s Aggregated Discontent is an enjoyable read that is infused with humour throughout, while touching on some deeply emotional topics.

This review is my honest opinion of the book. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for providing a copy for me to read in advance of the publication date.