Review of Vicissitudes

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Sarah Schmidt
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Review of Vicissitudes

Post by Sarah Schmidt »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Vicissitudes" by Kim Green.]
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3 out of 4 stars
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Vicissitudes is a romance novel written by Kim Green. A tale filled with pain, change, and acceptance, it describes a transsexual black man’s love story and the difficulties he faces as it progresses.

Morgan, a single mother, is drained both emotionally and physically, scarred from a failed love and her battle with lupus. At her best friend’s wedding, she meets Jahn, a mysterious charmer who makes her feel alive again. Bolstered by her daughter's urging, Morgan initiates a relationship with Jahn, abandoning her insecurities and taking one last leap of faith. Jahn is fighting his own demons, however. Struggling to establish his identity in a change-resistant society, he desperately tries to escape a past he did not want. Morgan offers him a warmth he has always longed for, but his fear of rejection, along with the secrets he hides, threatens their relationship before it even begins. When a student discovers his secret and uses it to blackmail him, Jahn fears the fallout. Morgan and Jahn must fight an uphill battle to find out if they are truly made for each other.

The beautiful narrative gripped me from the very beginning. The analogies, metaphors, and descriptions were nearly poetic. A major drawback of the writing was that the story was inundated with errors, though. These occurred way too frequently and could not be hidden by the awesome writing. They led me to the assumption that this book has not been professionally edited.

I liked that Jahn was not too likeable, oddly enough. He was multidimensional, and I loved that. He wanted acceptance, yet he was extremely willing to turn his back on the transsexual men and women he called his friends as soon as his transition was complete, something I found hypocritical and unfair. This highlights how everyone’s feelings about one’s identity and the subsequent path to discovery are unique, so I could not fault him for that.

Another thing I enjoyed was reading about Morgan’s relationship with her daughter. It showcased a more carefree, easier form of love than the one Morgan shared with Jahn. I also felt that Green did a marvellous job of portraying the insensitive nature of humanity when faced with change or something we do not understand, much less desire to accept. An important point of note is that Vicissitudes is an adult-aged novel. As such, profanity and sexual content make several appearances in the book.

I disliked Bethany very much. Her constant misgendering of Jahn was a sore point throughout the book. I kept wondering what her problem was. I get where she was coming from, what with how she felt abandoned by Jahn as he got through his transition, but she overstepped far too many boundaries. It was made worse by the fact that she was newly married and, rightfully, should have been focussing on the bliss of married life. Instead, she remained entrenched in the past, making everyone around her miserable.

I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. The removal of one star is owed to the significant number of errors present. Everything else was a blast and the book was worth the read. I recommend this book to readers who love romance novels, especially those with protagonists who are members of the LGBTQIA+ community. I do not think that this book would be suited to individuals whose preference leans more toward fluffy, angst-free romance novels. Also, as a result of the previously mentioned explicit content, the target audience for Vicissitudes is a mature one.

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Vicissitudes
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Mayur Arjune
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Post by Mayur Arjune »

The LGBT rights has been put forth through this review and I feel that vibe of Freeney from this review about the book.
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