The Great Disillusionment of Nick and Jay by Ryan Douglass

The quick cut: A reimagining of "The Great Gatsby" where seventeen-year-old Nick Carrington tries to start over in Harlem and becomes the center of trouble. 

A real review: 

 Everyone wants to believe that they can choose their own future. When that happens in the wake of loss, it can be difficult. For seventeen-year-old Nick, this is very much the situation when he leaves Oklahoma to start over in Harlem, New York. 

 Nick Carrington has longed to leave Greenwood, Oklahoma and to make a name for himself. Coming from a family of writers, the goal has always been to be a writer. When he loses everything and comes to Harlem to get a new start, he hopes that he'll be able to do just that. His excitement only builds when he gets into the prestigious West Egg Academy. Will this new future be a bright one? Or is a dark secret hiding behind it all?  

 This story is truly a reimagining of a class. While retelling a classic story is definitely a popular subgenre, this particular one stands in a class of its own. The author did a truly phenomenal job of taking the original story & characters and changing them to tell a whole new tale. While staying true to the timeline it was written in, the author tells a story that resonates for both the present and the past. I couldn't stop smiling even as the story ended. 

 Nick lost everything and came to Harlem to build a future for himself again. His father tried to steer him away from writing and Nick never understood why. He definitely learns quickly why his father tried to move him to anything else. Good writing can inspire others to change, but sometimes that can also make you a target. Nick finds himself embroiled at the center of the drama that unfolds as the truth behind West Egg Academy becomes known. 

 With conversations about racism and sexuality, the story here puts some very pertinent themes at the core of the plot. Nick develops feelings for Jay and it's not one way. While these may not have been discussions that occurred in the 1920s, it definitely existed and seeing the author discuss them while staying true to the hidden reality was a powerful one.  

 An exciting and heart wrenching reimagining of a classic story. 

My rating: 4.75 out of 5