I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Seventeen-year-old Nick Carrington wants nothing more than to leave Greenwood, Oklahoma, behind and make a name for himself in the papers. But when tragedy strikes, dreams turn into a twisted reality. Forced to start anew in Harlem, only a letter of acceptance from the prestigious West Egg Academy is able to pull him back into the world.

But the supposedly integrated private boys’ school is more of a catchy headline than a fact, with the same prejudices Nick left behind back home. And his secret but growing feelings for the founder’s wickedly charismatic son, Jay Gatsby Jr.— who dances past society’s conventions with practiced ease—only add more complications.

When Nick’s cutting pen exposes dangerous truths about West Egg and leads to perilous consequences, he and Jay must decide whether to spend a lifetime outrunning trouble or be the ones to light the match. Can they not only fight back but triumph? Or will the powers that be win yet again?

Short and Sweet Review

Seventeen-year-old Nick Carrington dreams of becoming a journalist and escaping Greenwood, Oklahoma, but everything changes when the Tulsa Race Massacre shatters his family and his future. Forced to start over in Harlem with relatives he barely knows, Nick finds himself trying to rebuild his life while carrying an enormous amount of grief. When he’s accepted into West Egg Academy, an elite boys’ school that claims to be integrated but very much isn’t, Nick is pulled into a world of polished appearances, hidden corruption, and dangerous ambition. It’s there that he meets Jay Gatsby Jr., the magnetic and complicated son of the school’s founder, whose charm and defiance of social rules draw Nick in even as they put him at risk. As Nick sharpens his voice as a writer and begins exposing truths about West Egg, he’s forced to decide how much he’s willing to lose in order to tell the truth—and whether love can survive in a world built on lies.

From the very first pages, the weight of history presses down hard, and Douglass does not soften it for the reader. The opening chapters, rooted in the Tulsa Massacre, are devastating, and they shape everything that follows. Nick’s grief isn’t something he “gets over”; it becomes part of who he is, influencing how he moves through Harlem, how he observes people, and how he writes. His desire to leave Greenwood behind and make a name for himself isn’t about fame, it’s about survival and legacy, about using words the way his father once did. Harlem itself feels alive in this story, full of possibility. It offers Nick safety, community, and room to explore who he is, but it’s also layered with danger, secrecy, and hard truths about power. The queer spaces Nick is introduced to, especially the Green Light felt deeply meaningful, not just as places of romance or rebellion, but as places of self-recognition. Watching Nick slowly come into his sexuality while still carrying fear, caution, and uncertainty felt honest to the time period and to the character. The relationship between Nick and Jay is complicated and messy. Jay is charismatic and thrilling and deeply flawed. Their connection is wrapped up in power dynamics, privilege, secrecy, and desire, and while it isn’t always romantic in a swoony sense, it is emotionally charged. This isn’t a love story that exists in a vacuum, it’s shaped by race, class, danger, and ambition, and that tension sits at the center of the novel.

One of the strongest elements of this book is the role of adults in Nick’s life. His father’s influence, even after death, looms large, and the other adults who guide and challenge Nick help ground the story. Daisy, in particular, is a standout. Her relationship with Nick is tender and fierce, and she repeatedly pushes him to stop shrinking himself to make others comfortable. The contrast between adults who nurture integrity and those who weaponize power is sharp and effective. The writing leans heavily into symbolism and literary ambition, which largely works for me, especially given Nick’s identity as a writer. However, the final act does get a little over-the-top. The escalation of events felt abrupt, and while I understood what the story was trying to say about justice, resistance, and consequences, the execution pulled me out just slightly. I didn’t dislike the ending, but I did find myself wishing the resolution leaned more into Nick’s pen rather than such extreme action. Still, this is a bold, emotionally rich retelling that doesn’t play it safe. It grapples with racism, queerness, corruption, ambition, and the cost of telling the truth, all while reimagining a classic in a way that feels purposeful rather than gimmicky. Nick’s growth from a boy desperate to escape to someone willing to stand and be counted felt earned, painful, and satisfying.

Overall, this isn’t a light read, and it isn’t meant to be. This book asks for your attention and your emotional investment, and while it won’t work for everyone, it left a lasting impression on me. Ryan Douglass took something familiar and built something sharp, thoughtful, and unapologetically layered, and I’m really glad I got to read this book and spend time in this world.