3 stars

This book is so important and informative about a topic that I knew very little about, but it really did not work for me. I would give this book 4 stars for how much I think it's needed, but my actual reading experience was like 2 stars at best.

In 1932, Bertie lives a mostly safe life as a trans man in Berlin working at the Institute of Sexual Sciences, but unrest is growing and Germany is steadily becoming a very bad place to be non-standard. In 1945, after the Allies gain control over Germany, Bertie and his partner Sofie find another trans man released from a work camp in the backyard of the house they've spent the war hiding in. As American soldiers reimprison queer people, Bertie, Sofia, and Carl must escape a new evil. I love sad books, I love queer historical books, and I'm ashamed to say that before reading this I didn't know Americans had recaptured the queer people who escaped from the Nazis, nor did I know about the extent of the social progressive movement in Germany prior to WWII. In terms of education, this book is so crucial, and yet I really can't recommend it. Part of it was the narrator, who I recognized immediately because I really dislike his narration. It's grating at positive moments and offensively melodramatic at darker ones. It's also just immensely difficult to absorb any feelings of hope or community from the end of this book given the current political climate. As a trans man, this really just felt existentially depressing.

Nothing wrong with the writing, but I just wish my reading experience was better. The reasons this book are important are also the ones that make it nearly unreadable.

Thank you to Milo Todd and Dreamscape Media for this ARC in exchange for my full, honest review!

Happy reading!