This was a decent book overall, especially considering what's still available for trans rep. I say "still" because even though there's been a really good increase, I'm *still* rating trans books on an alternative soft ball scale of "3 stars just for existing" and this book gets an extra half star for being semi-decent too because AT LEAST the trans MC doesn't die and AT LEAST the sexual assault isn't a *graphic* rape scene and AT LEAST this is written by a transgender author. 4 stars for everything up to that at the very end, 2 stars for the ending. Averaged out to 3 and gave a .5 bonus just for existing.

I am disappointed with this book. Stay Gold is not at all a light romcom that just happens to have a transgender love interest. Instead, it is yet another book with a transgender character who is the victim of assault before the cisgender people around them start to accept the trans person. Pony is portrayed as a person with some major flaws like falling into misogyny and passive homophobia because he is trying so hard to be “one of the boys”. These are not addressed within the book as problematic. Georgia is incredibly transphobic. Plus, the thing Georgia does at the end with her story is incredibly rude. Her intentions are good, but she publicly outs someone without consent. Throughout the book, and with the storyline of the trauma to acceptance, this is a book written with cisgender people as the target audience. The story is not enlightening or hopeful.

This book is insane! And by insane I mean powerful, beautiful, and absolutely incredible. I read this book in two days and once I completed it I immediately wanted more! (I almost read it over again) McSmith did a terrific job emphasizing the LGBTQIA issues at hand as well as bullying, and Perfectionism. Pony and Georgia feel so real and in some ways relatable they make you want to have a deep conversation with every character in this book. I am not one to cry during books, but twords the end of this one when Pony is getting beat up, and Georgia comes to se him at the hospital, and what she does for him after, almost made me cry! I love this book soooooo much!!!
Stay Gold,
Yellow_Pony_202

I loved this book so much. The author makes it so you can’t help but cry at the ending. So good!

A fantastic read - We did host Tobly McSmith here in Ottawa, but I was thrilled as well to read this book which is a romance between Pony and Georgia, but also contains so much else. It's such a good read, and that ending is both heartbreaking and wonderful. This is one of my fave YA novels this year.

This book makes you open your eyes and heart to people who are transgender. It was a book that I could read a 100 times. This book will make you happy,sad,and blessed.