Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix by Anna-Marie McLemore

Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix by Anna-Marie McLemore

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started this book. I hadn’t read any of the remixes in this series (by different authors), but I love retellings and spins on the classics, so I was excited to see what happened. 

I was really impressed with how this interpretation stayed true to the original in so many ways, especially considering both Gatsby and Nick are trans, many characters are LGBTQIA+, and it’s written for young adult readers. That meant some of the relationships were toned down, and of course the violence at the end of the book is different. 

It doesn’t detract though; it helps this book standalone, though I would recommend reading it after the original for older readers, and would hope that younger readers would feel inspired to read the original after they finish this one.

Beautiful Little Fools by Jillian Cantor

Beautiful Little Fools by Jillian Cantor

This book might now be one of my all-time favorites. WOW. I love anything Gatsby, and I’m always intrigued by retellings, whether it’s something inspired by a book or from a different point of view. 

Cantor reimagines The Great Gatsby from the women’s points of view: Daisy, Jordan, and Catherine, Myrtle Wilson’s sister. There’s also a detective thrown into the mix, a new addition since the book focuses on trying to solve Jay Gatsby’s murder. 

It stands alone (I would compare it to Big Little Lies and books along those lines, honestly), but it’s fun to see the little mentions of things that were in Fitzgerald’s original - whether they’re used as-is or seen through a different lens considering the POV of this book. 

There was also a nod to Harold Bloom that made me smile. I can’t recommend this one enough.

I do have one nitpicky remark that I'll hide under a spoiler tag...