Pate Boone, a twenty-six-year-old transgender man, embarks on a new adventure when his childhood best friend, and yes, ex-lover, Oakley Ogden, convinces him to escape their hometown in hopes for something new.

This was really one the best book I have read in 2022,i liked the writing style it's was really beautiful

The idea of a transgender and a bisexual man finding themselves, and their loves, it's was big yess for me.

I will definitely recommend this book to everyone!!!

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Mansi Rathod - Reviewer

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How is this a debut novel?

 

Love TRULY knows no gender.

 

LGBTQ+ rep

Small town

Platonic soulmates

 

Please check content warnings! (Heavy emphasize on internalize homophobia and transphobia, suicidal thoughts, attempt of suicide (in the past), depression, social anxiety, mention of SA, cancer)

 

“Everyone else is just being themselves. And if that bothers you, well, that’s your problem. Not theirs.”

 

Pate and Oakley find themselves in small town Cloverleaf so that Oakley can take care of his grandma as she battles with breast cancer. She encourages the two to enroll in college while they are there. While, they each deal with their own internal struggles, you see their relationships and friendships been tested in this small town. Pate being a trans man and Oakley figuring out his sexuality. This is all laced with their past and their friendship; navigating new romantic relationships and what this means for each other and their future.

 

I genuinely remember reading the synopsis of this book and I knew I was going to be a mess of a human being — but for the last 20% of the book I was SOBBING non stop. This is truly a beautiful story of platonic relationships, figuring out your sexuality, trying to find your identity, loving yourself wholeheartedly and all while moving to a really small town and trying to find their footing with a new crowd.

 

Both Pate and Oakley are in very different points of understanding their own identities and sexuality orientation and Carey PW does a BEAUTIFUL job of depicting this journey — as hard as it is at times.

 

I swear from minute one I was in love with Pate, Oakley, Stormy and Jody!!!! I would give anything for a novella or another book about them. They truly hurt my feelings in the best way possible.

 

I also think i planned Maybelle’s death after 20% into this book —- Jesus i wanted to strangle her.

 

Pate and Oakley broke my heart to put it all back together.  Friendship is utterly the best thing I’ve read so far. I could read about them for years on end. What a heart wrenching love stories — I am still SOBBING!

 

The only thing that bothered me was that there was a frequent slurs used… but that could also be because I am a bit of a sensitive reader so that made me feel icky.

 

Overall this was a 4.5 starts and everyone should go and read it!

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Natalia Liste Colomina - Reviewer

What a heartfelt story! This story really touches on so much about being in the LGBT+ community ESPECIALLY in a small town in Montana!!!

 

This was such a rare gem for me. I had not seen it anywhere on Booksta or BookTok. I stumbled across it on NetGalley and I cannot stop singing my praise now!

 

Please please please go read this one!

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Christopher Remus - Reviewer

Grayality by Carey  P W is the touching and compelling story of Pate Boone, a twenty-six year old transgender man and his best friend and ex-lover, Oakley Ogden. The two must find their niche in the rural Montana town that is not always open and accepting. Pate becomes enthralled with Maybelle to whom he has yet to reveal his transgender identity. Oakley, while supportive of his friend’s budding relationship, finds himself falling for Jody, a confident and gay drag queen, and struggles with accepting his own bisexuality. Is the love between Pate and Maybelle strong enough for her to accept him as he truly is? And can Oakley overcome his insecurities before he loses the love of his life?⠀

⠀

This is a beautifully written and emotionally charged novel that explores the idea of love being blind to gender. The story is authentic and honest as these two men struggle to find their identity in a judgmental and often unaccepting society. After pursuing a relationship myself with a transgender man whom I loved deeply, I can speak authoritatively of the author’s depiction of the struggles and conflicts involved. I wish a book like this had been around back then. ⠀

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Walter Roper - Media/Journalist

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I was fortunate to read a free ARC of GRAYALITY after volunteering to review it and went in with no idea of how much I’d love this book. I never expected to identify so deeply with Pate. There were several times when I just wanted to hug him. Even the references to his anxiety feel cathartic rather than triggering. I appreciated Oakley’s story, as I feel it’s just as relevant and needs to be told. Stormy was a good example of how not everyone in a rural town is a bigot. I adore Jody and like the body positivity around Maybelle despite not liking her character. There’re too many people in the world like Bullet, so no problem with believability there.

The entire book flows well and manages to be an easy read even with the heavy subject matter. It’s so good that I started rereading it the day I finished. It’s been years since I’ve found a book I can connect with, but GRAYALITY has jumped into my top 10 favorite books of any genre. I’d recommend it to anyone who’s ever struggled with their identity or been unfairly judged by society. I’ll be purchasing this book and reading it more than a few times, I’m sure. My only complaint doesn’t pertain to the story itself, but I wish I could have a physical copy in addition to the digital. There are multiple quotable passages of axiomatic wisdom and relatable statements. I found myself highlighting something nearly every chapter. I hope Carey continues to write more books as moving as GRAYALITY. I’ll be waiting to read them.

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Aino Jarvinen

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GRAYALITY is a book full of emotions, both good and bad. Pate is a trans-man who likes the on-and-off again girlfriend of the local bully, and Oakley, his best friend, thinks he is straight until he meets Sadie at a drag-queen show. Their new start in a small country town just got more complicated.

There are words of wisdom in here, spoken between the two best friends, or their new friends. However, there is also a lot of country stereotypical behaviour that may or may not be exaggerated.

I loved seeing Pate and Oak go through their relationships, although I can honestly say I couldn't stand Maybelle from the beginning. Oak is the one who had to change his thinking the most and is also the one who suffered the most, I would say. Pate is the one who physically paid for being who he is.

This was a great story that I thoroughly enjoyed. It is emotional and almost tangible in what our young friends go through. A brilliant read that I highly recommend.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

 

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!