Book Review: Y Negative by Kelly Haworth

Release Date: November 16, 2015
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Format: ebook (kindle)
Pages: 278 pages
Genre: LGBT/ Sci Fi/ Fantasy/Dystopian
Buy: Kindle | Paperback


Synopsis: 

In the last surviving cities of a ruined world, the concept of “woman” has been forgotten to history. Those unfortunate enough to lack a Y chromosome live as second-class citizens in a world dominated by mascs.

Ember is Y negative. He is scorned, bullied, abused by every masc he encounters, at work and at the gym. Not even his Y negative roommate cuts him any slack. He wants so desperately to be accepted as a masc that he’d rather buy black market testosterone than food. Something’s gotta give—he needs a change in his life, but has no idea how to find it.

Jess is a masc with a passion for studying the recovery of their devastated world. His boyfriend is pressuring him for more commitment, and his father expects him to take over the family business. He can’t wait to get away from civilization for his seasonal research out in the wild.

When Jess offers Ember a job, their lives collide in the isolated wasteland, and their initial attraction turns into a relationship that horrifies those around them. Soon their struggle to stay together and to be who they are turns into a fight for their lives.

Review: 

Very interesting twist on the world.  This world is gay and heterosexuality is not tolerated.  Those born female or Y negative are used as surrogates and then allowed to remove their breasts and use testosterone.  They are considered Andro's and those born male, Masc's. Andro's are supposed to only date Andro's and Masc's stick to Masc's.  Ember is an Andro who longs to be with a Masc but is tormented, bullied and abused for his desires.

While working out in the wastelands Jess and Ember become close and soon find themselves at the mercy of the Scavengers or those who live in the Outskirts, people who have shunned city ways and try to live off the land and what they can scavenge to survive.  In this community being Het isn't a problem and in fact they have many "natural" children born to them.

I loved the twist on the world, and this book really drives home how dangerous and painful homophobia is in today's society.  The hurt it does to those who are "different" and how hard many of them try to fit in just to be "normal".  The descriptions of society in the city and in outskirts was a tough and thought provoking read. Even now several days after I finished it I can't stop thinking about this book.  I highly recommend it.






Disclaimer:  I received this book from the publisher through netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review

Comments

  1. Thank you for writing such a great review. After reading it, I understood that this story is quite a complicated story that touches a problem of not fitting in society. I'll definitely read it!

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  2. It was fabulous. Definitely something that can spark a good conversation.

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