Nevada is about self-love and self-hate. it's about identity, transness, community, lack of community. it's about hating everyone but especially hating yourself and figuring out what to do with that feeling. it's a rambling story, one that is punctuated by long paragraphs of protagonist Maria's reflective and unrestrained internal workings. these monologues firmly assert themselves, stealing your attention like a hand at your throat. at times Nevada felt more like an essay or a blog post than a novel, one where Maria is telling you all about herself and her worldview as if you weren't there at all, and that is a good thing.

i loved it. it's hard for me to sit here and pretend that what i have to say matters, since i am not a trans woman and this story is certainly not designed for me. so i won't say much at all, but i'll at least express this: Nevada is worth the read, no matter if you're trans or cis or queer or straight, because it is a practice in empathy, and it is exceptional.