Spill enough blood on it, and the earth was bound to go strange.

So I was hesitant to pick this up, as I saw that the main character's transness was very integral to the plot. I often find that equates to an almost obsessive focus on trans suffering, and I generally find that exhausting and reductive. If our suffering is all we have to share, what message does that send to everyone?
HOWEVER
I was pleasantly surprised this book didn't do this. The portrayal is honest, still gritty and hard at times, but honest. I really loved it up until the climax. Leslie and Stevie's romance felt particularly forced and unnecessary. So did the

monsterfucking

. That really took me out of it. 

Overall though, impressed with this and the level of historical research done here. Would read more of this author.