Long Lost Reviews is a monthly meme created by Ally over at Ally’s Appraisals which is posted on the second Thursday of every month. The aim is to start tackling your review backlog. Whether it’s an in-depth analysis of how it affected your life, one sentence stating that you only remember the ending, or that you have no recollection of reading the book at all.
Published: 7 September 2021 (print)/7 September 2021 (audio)
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins Publishers
Pages: 352/9 hrs and 36 mins
Narrator: Shaan Dasani
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Young Adult
★ ★ ★ – 3 Stars
A trans teen walks the fine line between doing whatever it takes for his acting dream and staying true to himself in this moving, thought-provoking YA novel from the acclaimed author of Stay Gold.
Aspiring actor August Greene just landed a coveted spot at the prestigious School of Performing Arts in New York. There’s only one problem: His conservative parents won’t accept that he’s transgender. And to stay with his aunt in the city, August must promise them he won’t transition.
August is convinced he can play the part his parents want while acting cool and confident in the company of his talented new friends.
But who is August when the lights go down? And where will he turn when the roles start hitting a little too close to home?
It is hard to like August at the start. His show off style and desire to stand out and be noticed is grating but as you get to know him you see where he’s coming from and why he’s chosen to put on these various personas. August’s different personas is a clear way he adapts who he is for the people he is around. It’s also a great way to show even though August thinks he knows who he is, he still hasn’t quite figured it out.
He has great character growth and the different characters he interacts with help bring out different sides of him, as well as shape his character to the reader. We see more of him around different people and see his active decisions in his behaviour, coupled with the knowledge we already have of his past.
Other characters are great, well rounded, and real. Mr Daniels is a tough teacher who wants to make sure August is there for the right reasons, while his aunt is supportive in a way his other family isn’t. The plot is slow, it takes time getting going but it does eventually build to a pivotal moment. The slow reveal about different experiences August has had help you understand him as you go along, and it shifts how you feel towards him too. His goal to reinvent himself balances against his need to belong and his need for security and friendship which McSmith manages well.
This is a great found family novel, and one I didn’t mind being set in a school setting. The unique location of the acting school was a fresh focus of American YA and it is a great exploration of different aspects of hobbies and passions. Dasani does a good job as narrator, August’s voice comes through and it’s easy to get immersed in the story.
It has great representation but it wasn’t an amazing book. I liked it, it had its moments, and it is sure to resonate with someone or expose them to a different kind of story which is all you can hope in a book. There’s a few content warnings like transphobia, dead naming, as well as the prospect of conversion therapy but it’s important to include as it paints a realistic picture of the real world situations people like August go through and is a great mirror up to some people and their opinions.
You can purchase Act Cool via the following
Wordery | Angus and Robinson | Blackwell’s
Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust | Audible
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