The Complications of T

This is the second book I've read by Bey Deckard. The first was [b:Better the Devil You Know 27159197 Better the Devil You Know Bey Deckard https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1444706703l/27159197.SY75.jpg 46224590], which bothered me in a lot of ways, including the handling of its one trans character as a mere plot device subjected to hate crimes for the sake of furthering a cis guy's plot. Because that was an intentionally dark book, I figured maybe the point was edginess and taboo nonsense for the sake of shock value. Thus, I decided I'd give another of Deckard's works a chance - particularly what's supposed to be a standard, not-super-dark story.Unfortunately, this book left me with many of the same, icky emotions despite seemingly intending to be a normal story and not one written to be extremely dark. I suspect that many of the questionable things I forgave as intentionally dark and edgy in Better the Devil You Know are, in fact, unnerving elements of Deckard's personal style.It often felt more like the story was fetishizing Tim (the transmasculine character) and transmen in general than like it was a story which just happened to include a transman. So much emphasis is placed on scars and genitalia and having Tim happily answer extremely, grossly insensitive questions that it just doesn't ring true. A large chunk of the story also includes the narrating character misgendering Tim based on his body type being feminine in general, yet it's revealed later that he's had top surgery and has always been more muscular than a typical woman. So what's the excuse for assuming female? And why does Stu, who's supposedly fallen into insta-love, still not have the basic respect to stop thinking “she... oops, I mean he” for over half the story when thinking about Tim? Sorry, but no. I don't buy it.Among other things which ring false is the idea that any actual human with the knowledge that comes with being on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum would use terms like “hetero-curious” for a gay man who occasionally considers women. Bisexuality exists. We bi people are not a myth. Even tons of other things on the spectrum exist which fall between gay and straight. But beyond that, you can't be certain you're into the same gender and also “hetero-curious” because heterosexual means being only into the opposite gender. That's why the phrase “bi-curious” exists. And then to turn around and have the guy who's mostly into women but also slightly into men call himself “homo-curious” after he just had sex with a transman...? I'm just not here for this kind of nonsense, insensitivity, and bi erasure.Emphasis on the bi erasure, because as a bi woman myself I take deeply personal offense to the refusal to even mention bisexuality by name and the insistence on pretending it's a completely either/or thing. I expect better from a book about a LGBTQIA+ character!But then, it really isn't, is it? The story is told in Stuart's voice, leaving Tim to be othered, mentally misgendered, fetishized, and subjected to insensitive interrogation from a distance. This isn't a story about a transman finding love. It's a story about the otherness, uniqueness, and other problematic ways of viewing him from the lens of a straight man who's potentially bi-curious (the actual term mentioned previously can shove off; what's being referenced is really bi-curiosity) and shows interest initially because he thinks the transman is a woman.There are some elements of acceptance and whatnot, but I didn't believe it. With all the other elements, it just rang hollow. Add onto this the first person POV smut and insta-love, and I just didn't care for the experience. Then there's an absolutely ridiculous decision they make which leads to a segment where one acts emotionally abusive and the other like a stalker, but it's apparently all okay because Twu Wuv (TM) or whatever.