A queer memoir that takes place at the messy intersection between gender and desire, challenging stereotypes and embracing the nuance of identity.
When Valentijn must undergo a mastectomy because of a gene defect, he makes the decision not to have implants and adopts an in-between gender identity that feels more natural. He shaves his head and discards his wardrobe of women's clothes, even the perfect dress his mother was so fond of. But all of this causes friction: not only are Valentijn's doctors stumped, but friends, family, and lovers too. His trans ex helps him feel more comfortable in his new guise-not a girl, not a boy, but an antiboy-while his boyfriend draws away from the relationship. Encircled by grief and loss, Valentijn searches for the ultimate freedom to be allowed to be himself and tries to rebuild the relationships with those around him.
A refined, poetic autobiographical essay about adopting a new and truer identity, Antiboy is poignant without ever being sentimental. Valentijn finds new emotional depth and complexity in his personal relationships, providing readers with a rich and empathetic reading experience. Antiboy goes beyond the author's own journey, becoming a nuanced exploration of human connections amid transformation.
Industry Reviews
"Hoogenkamp graces the cover, openly acknowledging that the book revolves around his own experiences. However, his inclusion as a character is not a mere indulgence in ego; this book transcends being a straightforward autobiography focused on presenting raw facts. Primarily, it stands as a literary achievement, skilfully and visually crafted with mature stylistic elements. Throughout the narrative, numerous sentences stand out, compelling the reader to share them aloud. . . . The exploration of gender is presented as a narrative we collectively construct, beautifully merging literature and life, each complementing and shaping the other in a harmonious blend of necessary conditions." -- Praise for the Dutch edition of "Antiboy" * NRC *
"Hoogenkamp is most moving when he gives free rein to his verbal skills and imagination. The lyrical passages and Hoogenkamp's eye for extraordinary details make reading this, at times painfully poignant, story a thrilling literary experience. . . . Whatever you want to call it, this story is, more than anything else, a sensitively expressed and heart-breaking plea for acceptance and love." -- Praise for the Dutch edition of "Antiboy" * De Standaard *
"This is Rijneveld in short: an earthy and irreverent new voice, thrillingly uninhibited in style and subject matter. . . . The spaciousness of Rijneveld's imagination comes as terror and solace. That lack of squeamishness, that frightening extremity, which, in Hutchison's clean, calm translation, never feels showy or manipulative, gives full voice to the enormity of the children's grief, their obscene deprivation."- -- Praise for Michele Hutchison's translation of "The Discomfort of Evening" * The New York Times, Parul Sehgal *
