Aggregated Discontent: Confessions of the Last Normal Woman

by Harron Walker

A searing journey through the highs and lows of twenty-first century womanhood from an award-winning journalist beloved for her unflinchingly honest and often comedic appraisals of pop culture, identity, and disillusionment

After a brief fling with corporate stability in her twenty-something cis era, Harron Walker has transitioned into a terminally single freelancer and part-time shopgirl. She's in the throes of her second adolescence and its requisite daily spirals. She wants it all, otherwise known as: basic human rights, a stable job with good pay and healthcare benefits, someone to love, the ability to feel safe and secure, the pursuit of satisfaction and maybe even contentment. And when she starts to acquire those things—well, as The Monkey's Paw famously asked, "What could go wrong?"

In sixteen wholly original essays that blend memoir, cultural criticism, investigative journalism, and a dash of fanfiction, Walker places her own experiences within the larger context of the pressing and underdiscussed aspects of contemporary American womanhood that make up daily life. She recounts an attempt to eviscerate a corporation's attempt at pinkwashing their way into bath bomb sales while simultaneously confronting her “pick me” impulse to do so. She interrogates her relationship to labor, from the irony of working in a transphobic workplace in order to cover gender-affirming surgery to the cruel specter of the girlboss that none of us ever think we'll become. She explores the allure and violence of assimilating into white womanhood in all its hegemonic glory, exposes the ways in which the truth of trans women's reproductive healthcare is erased in favor of reactionary narratives, and considers how our agency is stripped from us—by governments, employers, partners, and ourselves—purely on account of our bodies.

With razor-sharp, biting prose that’s as uncompromising as it is playful, Walker grapples with questions of love, sex, fertility, labor, embodiment, community, autonomy, and body fluids from her particular often at the margins, conditionally at the center.

Genres: Nonfiction, Essays, Memoir, LGBT, Queer, Feminism, Audiobook

272 pages, Hardcover

First published May 20, 2025

Reviews

[Nathan Shuherk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really lovely. Harron’s approach to splitting the personal and cultural/artistic trans identities and narratives had both a raw intimacy in parts and a wonderfully distant vantage point in other sections.

[Sunny Lu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and fresh!

[ancientreader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Likely any book of essays by a trans person is going to supply perspective and insight new to my experience of the world. Harron Walker's getting in early with me, and I'm grateful for her work.

I am, for instance, well aware of right-wing attacks on healthcare for trans people, but Walker's discussions (in more than one essay here) of anti-trans legislation have clarified for me that when we speak of attacks on trans people's right to exist we're being entirely literal. To put it another way, I knew that before, but Herron Walker made me understand it physically, viscerally.

Had I not been reading this book at the same time as a novel featuring a trans character, I probably wouldn't have registered that the character has no trans friends, no connection to a queer/trans community. Entirely possible, of course, but, as HW points out in the essay "Obvious Community Member," something that needs accounting for.

Walker's descriptions of trans people having only sex work as an option for making a living, and how the treatment of sex workers effectively criminalizes being trans, brought home to me some things I knew only in the abstract or from journalistic coverage, which no matter how well done functions at a remove from the conditions and people it describes.

Or consider "firsts" -- first trans woman to do A, first trans man to do B, etc. But

The obsession with claiming “trans firsts,” both real and imagined, continues because “trans people are in a constant state of being discovered,” as the historian and filmmaker Morgan M. Page once wrote.

Because of course, since trans people have historically been erased, or invisible to begin with, firsts are illusory; worse, they contribute to the process of erasure, since if something is first then there must not have been anything preceding it.

No doubt I'm well behind the curve in knowledge of trans history and politics -- most of the people Harron Walker cites as important figures are new to me -- and for all I know, the points I mention above as illuminating are actually commonplaces, ditto everything else I learned. I can only read as myself, though: got to start somewhere.

Why three stars. Well -- again, I can read only as myself -- sometimes I was bored. At the heart of "Aggregated Discontent" is a long essay about the artist Greer Lankton, which in the absence of illustrations (or, alternatively, of a reader's pre-existing familiarity with the work) sort of floats above its subject. My own predilections come into play here too, in that to the extent I could visualize Lankton's art it sounded like something I'd actively avoid.

There were times, too, when I found Walker's voice irritating and her swipes misplaced. I admit that the irritation may be partly owed to defensiveness, but it also arose from weariness with a purist and, to my mind, juvenile politics (or, to put it otherwise, yes I do think there are important differences between a Kathy Hochul and an AOC). As for misplaced swipes, I offer this:

I heard a little boy berate his mother in the “Shut up, Mom!” tone that a certain type of little white child is prone to.

Little children are not appropriate targets, especially not when the context suggests that the little child in question, however annoying his tone, may just be tired. "Aggregated Discontent" got my back up in this way often enough to slot itself into the didn't-rock-my-world 3-star range.

Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC.

[Morgan Wheeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading Aggregated Discontent felt like having a long, meandering conversation with a close friend over a few too many bottles of wine—in the best way possible. It’s fun, fast-paced, quirky, and unfiltered in all the right places. As someone who often struggles with nonfiction, I found the essay format incredibly helpful. Breaking the book into smaller, self-contained pieces kept my interest piqued and made it easy to dip in and out without feeling lost.

The only part that didn’t quite land for me was the Devil Wears Prada meets The Intern fanfic-style essay. That section felt a bit too far off course, and I actually put the book down for a day afterward, unsure if I’d pick it back up. I’m really glad I did, though—the strength of the rest of the collection more than made up for it.

This book is not only insightful and entertaining but also an accessible entry point for readers who are newer to nonfiction exploring LGBTQ+ and especially trans experiences. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the early copy.

[gianna cicchetti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just like any collection of essays, some definitely landed more than others, but overall I really enjoyed the author’s commentary on moving through the world as a trans woman + shining light on specific aspects of the trans experience with both humor and urgency.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!!!

[Rachel Lesler · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not everyone actually has something interesting to say, and that’s okay. While I didn’t find Aggregated Discontents compelling on a rhetorical level, I do hope trans readers find a friend in it and cis readers find some self-reflection. Some essays and passages stood out, but not enough to compel me to recommend the book as a whole.

Thank you to Penguin Random House for the arc.

[Stacy (Gotham City Librarian) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

My efforts to read more nonfiction have been paying off, and I was grateful for an early copy of this diverse and informative essay collection by Harron Walker.

This is a great mixture of personal essay and pop culture analysis, as well as elegantly written investigative articles. Walker is funny, very open about her personal experience with transitioning, and a gifted writer. Her training in the journalism world is apparent. The honesty and vulnerability with which Walker brings her own story into these pieces is admirable, and at the same time she doesn't sugarcoat anything and brings wit and charm into the mix.

At first, I wasn’t super invested in the piece about “The Devil Wears Prada,” because TBH I don’t like that movie. But then the essay evolved into something very interesting and fun, even though she was also writing about negative life experiences. Another great example of Walker's pop culture analysis is the essay about Ed Wood’s “Glen or Glenda.”

I also subscribe to the philosophy of Mother Monster, BTW. <3

I really liked the essay about the artist Greer Lankton, who I had unfortunately not heard of. Walker covers Lankton's life and work so well in one essay that I would truthfully read an expose on just about anyone if she wrote it. And I did seek out Greer Lankton's work for myself because the art really came alive on the page and I wanted to experience the visuals. (I LOVE practically anything involving dolls, especially if there's an unsettling element. I wish I had known about her sooner!)

The piece about Walker's late grandmother helping men pick out garments at the department store where she worked was really moving. Another favorite. 

The only one I didn’t really care for was the analysis of the Jenny Lewis song, because it read almost like a brain teaser or a strange math problem and it made my head hurt. But I'm sure that fans of Lewis's music will enjoy it, specifically. And the inclusion of pieces like this one, shorter and more "fun," brought a nice variety into things since a lot of the topics covered could be heavy. 

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.

Biggest TW: Hate Speech/Slurs, Transphobia, Mention of SA, Disordered Eating 

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of this book was pretty weak and when I got to the extended analysis of the Devil Wears Prada I just had to skip. I think Herron writes best when she’s talking about real people/mentors/art she’s been affected by rather than in the abstract. The second half of this book - particularly the one about Greer Langton - was so interesting and much more compelling.

[Sacha · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

Having had no exposure to Harron Walker prior to receiving a widget for this book, I came in without expectations. That makes me extra pleased to say that I truly enjoyed this read.

This essay collection features a multitude of topics, but pop culture and transness are among the more pervasive focal points. Walker weaves her own experiences throughout, and this makes the writing feel incredibly revelatory and vulnerable for obvious reasons. This choice also helps Walker create layers to essays on characters from _The Deveil Wears Prada_, for example. Somehow, even the pop and camp topics feel more impactful because readers get to know so much personal information about the person who penned them.

As an avid reader of trans writers, I also appreciated Walker's invocation of several of these folks throughout the community of her works. This is very much A voice and not THE voice of an identity group, and while it should be readers' roles to keep themselves aware of that, Walker does an exceptional job of helping her audience see her as a contributor in conversation.

These are at once personal, vibrant, provocative, and factual efforts, and this collection made me want to engage with more of Walker's writings.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Jaylen Lopez at Random House & Hogarth Books for this widget, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

[cass krug · Rating 3 out of 5]

thank you to random house for sending me an ARC of aggregated discontent, which came out on may 20th!

this essay collection is full of personality, if a bit uneven at times. walker covers a variety of topics relating to the trans experience, intertwining her life with art, pop culture, and politics. she brings a fresh perspective and humor to the topics, and the collection felt very of-the-moment.

i didn’t love the riff on the devil wears prada and some of the shorter pieces felt incomplete. standouts for me were the piece on greer lankton, an artist i had never heard of, and the series of essays at the end of the book about trans fertility and parenthood. those last couple essays were especially educational and thought provoking. this was a quick, enjoyable read for me but not a new favorite. 3.5 ⭐️

[Brian Shevory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Big thanks to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for sending me an advanced copy of Harron Walker’s collection of essays and articles titled Aggregated Discontent: Confessions of the Last Normal Woman. This book was not on my radar, but I am so glad I received a digital copy. This was a thoughtful and intriguing collection of essays and articles, showcasing Walker’s range as a writer and culture critic. I was not familiar with Harron Walker’s writing but will keep my eye out for her articles since I found these articles both humorous and enlightening. I laughed and learned throughout this book, while also appreciating Walker’s candor and willingness to share about her experiences as a trans woman since hers is not an experience that I am familiar with. When I started this book, I thought that maybe Walker was one of the first trans woman writers, but throughout her book, she frequently cites other authors, auteurs, activists, and artists who also happen to be trans. Reading Walker’s essays, for me, was like opening up a curtain to a new range of experiences for a group that it seems is increasingly marginalized and stigmatized. Walker makes note of this, but also challenges those perceptions throughout her essays. I thoroughly appreciated how her work humanizes a group that was mislabeled as a threat to children during the last presidential election. Although I no longer live in PA, I’m close enough to Philly to catch many of the radio stations, and I was shocked to hear that the current PA senator’s pitch to be elected was fear mongering about the (non) threat of trans athletes, promising to protect female athletes in PA. One of the last essays in the collection highlights the increasing number of legislation against people who identify as trans, and as Walker explains, often pushes them to seek out treatments, medication, and other care in the black market, which not only puts a vulnerable group like the Trans community at further risk, but it also possibly creates further health risks. While Walker documents the more recent legislation, Cynthia Carr’s amazing biography of Candy Darling (Candy Darling: Dreamer, Icon, Superstar) noted how her cancer was most likely a result of malpractice with doctors giving her bad hormone pills.
I really enjoyed all of these articles, but I felt like Walker is at her best when she is surveying the work of an artist or critiquing an aspect of society. “Pick Me”, the second essay, is an interesting critique of the kind of the performative activism seen on social media and more recently by major corporations. She starts the article by recounting her own experience working in a store, appreciating the people she encounters, when she is notified of a new campaign to elevate the voices of Trans employees at a popular store. This prompts her to visit the stores, wondering how many Trans workers they actually employ in several of their Manhattan locations. Furthermore, Walker documents the various statistics and Trans testimonials that are displayed on LED screens in the storefront window. I usually don’t think much about these kinds of events, but Walker’s thoughtfulness to dig deeper and be skeptical of this campaign speaks through her experiences and challenges with finding and maintaining work as a Trans woman. Many of the articles focus on Walker’s experiences with work, an area that often is a challenge for people who identify as Trans. Walker finds that despite the campaign, there are no Trans workers in any of the 6 stores, although many of the clerks mention that there may be some corporate employees who identify as Trans. Her questioning and critique emphasizes that while it is good to raise awareness of the challenges that Trans people face, they still face barriers to areas like employment, housing, and appropriate medical care, and this company seemed to not contribute to making things better. It was also interesting to consider how the media often reports on Trans issues, framing it almost always as dire and at-risk. While there disheartening statistics about the disparity that many Trans people experience, Harron also challenges this notion by presenting other stories highlighting Trans couples preparing for children and how supportive and “mothering” the Trans community is.
“Discontent”, the next essay, is a harrowing portrait of Walker’s work in media, and the challenges she faces navigating a problematic boss who wasn’t even sure what she wanted. While my work experiences have been mostly positive, I’ve definitely had some challenging bosses to work for; however, Harron’s job was providing her with health care that would ultimately pay for her transition, so her experience navigating the kind of harassment and disparity in treatment and expectations were downplayed to a certain extent to pursue her healthcare. This article demonstrated the kind of work challenges that Trans people face, as well as the difficulties in obtaining the health care that they need, and the kinds of mistreatment they might endure to obtain that kind of care. One of my favorite essays was “What’s New and Different?”, which is a fabulous sequel to The Devil Wears Prada that somehow synthesizes another Anne Hathaway film The Intern. It is a brilliant and hilarious creative juxtaposition that manages to also critique the cruelty of the “Girlboss” and how that kind of punishment of working women is almost like a generational trauma, passed down from woman to woman. Walker goes on to critique other 80s films that are predecessors of The Devil Wears Prada—notably Working Girls and Working Girl (the more popular film). Throughout these films, Walker highlights the ways that the woman bosses take advantage of and mistreat their workers, wondering if this kind of treatment (or mistreatment) in popular media stems from marginalized identities, and not just gender. It’s an interesting point to consider, and I loved how Walker investigates this through film, but also creates this speculative sequel to popular films. It was also interesting to read about Working Girl, the Lizzie Borden film that preceded Mike Nicols’ Working Girls. I’ve read about Born in Flames before, and I’m pretty sure I’ve also read something about Working Girls, but I’ve never seen this film. Walker’s description and analysis of the film does make me want to track it down.
“Monkey’s Paw Girl Edition” presents a unique dilemma for Trans women, and again, it was not something I would have ever considered, but Walker presents her concern about walking down the street, being aware of her appearance, and encountering a group of men, hoping that they display misogyny rather identifying her Transness. This leads into the second part about what being treated like a woman really means, and experience the mistreatment, misogyny and harassment they experience.
My favorite piece was “She Wants, She Takes, She Pretends” which was about the artist Greer Lankton, who I am so glad that I found through Walker’s article. Taking a break during my reading of this piece, I looked up Lankton’s amazing doll work and other sculptures, and was transfixed—or maybe just enthralled with the haunting quality of her work. Walker provides both a biography and an overview of Lankton’s themes and interests in her work, highlighting some of the ideas. It was incredibly interesting to learn how Lankton transitioned, and how her parents played a role in supporting her, although Walker also notes that there might be some ambiguity or uncertainty about the role her parents played. Regardless, Lankton was able to transition with her father’s insurance. It seemed like her parents recognized that Lankton was different from other boys, and as a result, was possibly lonely. She began creating dolls, possibly as a way to keep her company, but also as a reflection of herself. One of the other interesting parts about this article was Walker noting Lankton had many photobooth pictures of her transitioning, which it sounded like was something Walker also did to document her own transition. Maybe the dolls were also a way for her to further alter her image or to further present the possibilities of her identity and presenting herself to the world. Regardless, I was fascinated with her work and couldn’t believe I hadn’t heard of her before.
Another favorite was “A Trans Panic, So to Speak,” which examined Ed Wood’s Glen or Glenda, described as possibly “an unexpectedly earnest plea for acceptance”, but it also seems to castigate transsexuals with the Alan/Ann subplot. As Walker explains, both stories have paths to acceptance, where Glen is social, Ann’s is medical, with hormones and surgery. I didn’t realize that there were these attempts to draw “some distance between themselves and other sexual deviants. Rather than trying to find common ground with all the homosexuals, transsexuals, and drag queens…” This article not only takes a unique approach to analyzing a classic Z movie, but also finds a way to examine how these attempts at representation and normalizing ended up further stigmatizing marginalized groups like the Trans community. Walker also brings in her own experience with her date, and questioning his own gender identity, possibly due to his “ethical non-monogamy”, which I wasn’t even aware was a thing. Again, I felt like I learned so much from this book. The last few articles, “Sterility”, “Fertility”, and In/fertility” all dealt with further barriers and complications Trans men and women face, but Walker also ties in her own experiences as well as those of friends and prominent Trans activists and artists. These were also some excellent chapters that all touched on topics related to family, relationships, and health. There were great points to consider, especially about the idea of family and what it means to people who identify as Trans. Walker explains how the Trans community has becoming mothering, and how many older Trans members end up taking on roles where they mother the younger generation who may have been turned out by family and face barriers to housing and jobs. Walker not only examines this supportive community, but is also turning her critical eye back to these barriers and access to care and basic necessities of survival, and how members of the Trans community are often more at risk due to their marginalized status in society. We see this even more within the past few months of the new/old administration that continues its assault on non-normative groups. If anything, Walker’s book is coming out at the perfect time to confront the disinformation and biases. Although I’m not sure whether anyone in the White House reads at all, I can see these essays being valuable in the kinds of anthologies used in first year writing courses. Walker’s perspective brings an important but often under-represented eye to important issues that most young people will experience either in college or after graduation. Plus, her work is funny and humanizing; that is, it shows us how Trans people live, laugh, and love, while also raising awareness about the barriers and issues with accessibility they often face. I really hope that instructors and curriculum developers consider incorporating any of these essays into their courses. Highly recommended collection!

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harron Walker: the last normal woman, the first trans woman to write a book, the only woman to always be correct… Those may be exaggerations, but it’s anything but to call this book brilliant. I’ve long been a fan of Walker’s essays—whether they be cultural criticism, witty detours on topics with impressive breadth and depth, or more personal tales of her various gender affirming surgeries and her transition writ-large. As Harron’s friend remarks early in the book, “[She’s] always opening new tabs as [she] goes,” in conversation, “tabbing, tabbing, tabbing,” but always arriving back at the “first tab [she] started with.” Throughout this deliciously written collection, Walker will lead you down more than few rabbit holes, but you’ll always end up back where you were—or rather, someplace new entirely that encompasses all that you knew before in addition to the precious stones her work uncovers. In a landmark year for trans literature, Harron Walker’s debut is an unmistakeable feat.

[Amr Jal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this on a whim because of the (great) cover, a collection of essays mostly about the trans millennial experience and pop culture, can see this being an expanding experience to people who are not familiar with trans experiences and writing about trans experiences, tied together with cultural critiques, the essays centering trans parenthood, pregnancy and the artist greer lankton were cool, the ones centered about deeply millennial cultural touch points are almost too close to being embarrassing (no more devil wears prada / satc focused essays please).

3.5 stars, should be read in the back seats of long uber drives on a summery afternoon to and from a grocery store that stocks great snacks from around the world.

[Ayannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed learning and understanding Harron's experience as a trans woman and all that she has had to navigate as it related to workplace discrimination, dating and fertility, and the nuanced ways trans people move through the world.

This book also introduced me to the voices of trans people that I am excited to learn more about.

Thanks to Random House for the ARC!

[mz · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting collection of essays by an excellent writer. she has a way of being funny even while talking about tough topics- perhaps this would be called “irreverent,” but that feels silly to say. tons of food for thought here as a cis lady.
is it voyeuristic of me to read this? I dunno. I don’t think so. but maybe it is. I just liked the cover and then I got sucked in by her sharpness and expert handling of stuff that doesn’t affect me cuz she writes in a way that makes me angry. also her fanfic abt anne hathaway’s characters was crazy.

[Kallie · Rating 4 out of 5]

somehow when I picked this up I missed that this was by a trans woman, but that made it even better. though we don't have all the exact same worries and experiences, we share enough that this was easy to nod along to and empathize with. I enjoyed the writing style, casual and careful.

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very very good

[Amisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second half of the book is much stronger than the first- the chapters on Greer Lankton and trans parenthood particularly stood out.

[Tiffannie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Smart, fiery, a little hit-or-miss Some of these essays were absolute gold—sharp, punchy, and made me stop and think. Harron Walker definitely doesn’t hold back, which I loved. That said, a few pieces felt a bit uneven or lost me midway. Still, when it works, it really works. Wouldn’t call it flawless, but I’m glad I read it.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this collection! I appreciated the mix of personal, political, and cultural and I also liked how she was able to write about art, film, and books that I wasn't previously familiar with in a way I could follow and that was still engaging. The insights about journalism, trans healthcare, and motherhood were also thought-provoking.

Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC!

[Ailey | Bisexual Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the eARC! This book will be released in the US on May 20th, 2025.

Harron Walker’s Aggregated Discontent is a razor-sharp, vulnerable, and searingly honest collection of essays that peers into the contradictions of trans womanhood in a cisnormative world. With sardonic wit and emotional clarity, Walker navigates the minefields of passing, labor, spectacle, and survival with a voice that is both unflinching and deeply human.

Across these essays, Walker maps the impossible terrain of what it means to be seen—too much, not enough, only when convenient. She details the emotional calculus of transitioning while broke, the frustrations of rainbow capitalism that promise inclusion but deliver little material change, and the endless loop of wondering if visibility is worth the cost. Her writing oscillates between confessional tenderness and cultural critique, and her prose crackles with punchy rhythm, incisive metaphor, and tongue-in-cheek irony that made me both wince and laugh out loud.

I was especially struck by her reflections on working a job she hated just for the insurance coverage, and the aching uncertainty of early transition—when every new version of yourself is still unfurling. The essay on watching Monica with a cis audience was a standout: layered, sharp, and painfully resonant. Her class-conscious readings of The Devil Wears Prada and The Intern, however, didn’t land for me—perhaps because I’m not a huge fan of either film, and the essay dragged a bit. Similarly, while the piece on Greer Lankton is rich with insight, its length left me a little adrift.

Still, the throughline of the collection—the experience of trans womanhood, from searching for trans elders, to interrogating trans motherhood, and reckoning with social infertility—feels radical in its intimacy. Walker invites us into a degendered, more capacious vision of family, femininity, and care, one where survival doesn’t preclude joy, and where transness is not just a battleground, but a place of creativity and connection.

Aggregated Discontent isn’t neat or easy—and that’s its power. It offers no clean conclusions, only the messy, brilliant edges of a woman daring to be fully seen.

📖 Read this if you love: trans cultural critique, anti-capitalist essays, and writing that blends memoir with media analysis.

🔑 Key Themes: Trans Womanhood and Visibility, Rainbow Capitalism and Exploitation, Passing and Misogyny, Trans Motherhood and Social Infertility, Art and the Politics of Representation.

Content / Trigger Warnings: Sexual Harassment (minor), Transphobia (minor), Misogyny (minor), Eating Disorder (minor), War (minor).

[Rachel Childers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harron Walker, formerly of Jezebel, Out, and other prominent outlets, as one of the few consistently working trans journalists in the 2010s, offers an exposé of modern journalism on the Women's and "Identity" (read, LGBTQ) beats. Along the way she offers serious coverage of labor precarity, media consolidation and decline, and the social and political context, with a focus on America's healthcare system, which conditions access on the whims and fate of employers, backstopped by a public system which segregates low income individuals and gatekeeps care under the shifting political vicissitudes of who counts as "deserving", which falls particularly on those groups for whom employment is already unstable.

That said, the book is far from the "eat your vegetables" journalism those topics suggest. It's written in the entertaining, clickbaity, semi-autobiographical, media-focused, semi-ironic "millennial" style style popularized by many of those media outlets. Walker explains that this style was driven by a singleminded focus on short term click metrics, motivating those news and entertainment hooks, and costs, with lower rates for "personal" pieces, that impeded any chance of coverage of the more serious persistent issues facing women and LGBT people in our labor, health, and political systems. From that, we get some bitingly funny Devil Wears Prada fanfiction (which legally shields her from defamation claims from people at, ahem, "FreeSurgeryDepot.com"), a moving analysis of the Greer Lankton archives, and some deeply personal reflections on motherhood as a woman for whom society does not like to think of as having that option.

The flow of the book is a bit uneven, made up of pieces of varying lengths, many of which had their origin in the pitches that Walker wrote but were never greenlit by an editor, and the style is very much of a time and place that somehow seems long gone, even if just a few years ago, as the 2010s corporate media has withered away. But as an archive of that time and the issues it exemplified that have only intensified since, I think this book will remain a classic.

[Jeremy Reppy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like any collection of essays, there is a mixture of quality, and some will resonate more with certain readers than others. Some of the essays deal heavily with the author's own experiences, including finding employment, obtaining medical care and navigating relationships as someone who is transgender. Other essays highlight prominent transgender figures or focus on overarching themes that affect the transgender community (and others), such as access to healthcare, what it means to be a "woman" or "female", and the efforts to try to legislate away transgender individuals, including all the hypocrisy involved.

"Tales from the Hosiery Counter" is my favorite, as the author learns from her aunt about her grandmother, who died when the author was too young to really remember her. Her grandmother worked in a department store, selling jewelry and cosmetics but also lingerie and hosiery. Men would come in to buy jewelry for their wives, and she would ask them what their wives would be wearing the jewelry with to help determine the style, design, color, etc. One day, a male customer confided that he needed a dress and asked her to help him choose one. She helped him choose a dress, as well as the proper foundation garments, and makeup. She soon had other cross-dressing customers coming to her for assistance/advice with jewelry, makeup and/or clothing. Her goal was that the customer, female or male, left the store looking their best and feeling satisfied with the shopping experience. Her attitude and acceptance were wonderful. Society needs more people like her.

Other good essays were "Pick Me", "Fertility", "In/fertility", and "Im/possibility."

My least favorite essay was "She Wants, She Takes, She Pretends", about transgender artist Greer Lankton. The essay itself is not bad, but I felt it was too long, especially in comparison to other essays that dealt with broader topics and/or transgender individuals of more significance/influence.

[Sydney Scarbrough · Rating 2 out of 5]

this is a tough one to rate. being cis and AFAB, i don't really feel that i have the authority to do so considering my gender identity and the accompanying personal experiences (or lack thereof) are the driving factors in why i struggled with this at times. Walker clearly has a gift for writing, and i greatly enjoyed hearing her voice shine through in communicating factual information, then also gaining a deeper understanding of how she views the world and relates pop culture and movies, etc. to her lived experience and that of other transgender people. that said, many of the references here were outside my purview and completely lost me. it felt like eavesdropping for way too long on an inside joke you don't understand and are not a part of — you want to be included but just don't get it. after a point, it's inevitable that you zone out and no longer attempt to be engaged. since it's a collection of short essays, some were easier to comprehend than others and those that i did get, i liked a lot.

if nothing else, this book emphasizes the importance of trans voices. there is so much here that i just had never heard or thought of due to the unfortunate lack of transgender people in my life. i hope that doing so makes me a better ally and person. learning about the history of some of the trailblazers in the trans community was captivating, and illustrates how far we've come but also how far we have left to go. this book says something very important without saying it outright: trans rights and issues are inextricably intertwined with so many other fights we have to fight — bodily autonomy, fertility coverage for all, racism, decriminalizing sex work, marriage equality, the list goes on and on and on.

SO, take my review with a grain of salt considering my second sentence above; i am not a member of this community, but i will always advocate for it. #protectthedolls

[Jansen Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

When someone's book of essays comes out, I feel that it's very hit or miss. Some keep your attention and leave you wanting a thesis on the subject while some feel like a slog that you skim through.

That's how I felt reading this book. There were lines that I wrote down because of how much I loved them. Certain essays, like some of the ones on trans parenthood, left me considering things I hadn't given much thought to before. The 'Devil Wears Prada' fan fiction chapter was like reading a freshman 101 essay trying to make connections but ultimately saying the same thing over and over.

I appreciated the voice used in the essays. It's clear that Harron Walker has plenty of experience writing to a crowd. Hearing about her taking a job which was antithetical to the reason she needed the job felt like talking to a friend in a cafe. It's such a human argument in a capitalist society.

Overall, I liked this book but I didn't LOVE it. I felt the essays were inconsistent and often made similar points over and over. I do have to thank Walker for introducing me to the work of Greer Lankton who I googled immediately. I would recommend this book to anyone curious about the opinions of the first trans woman to write a book and her takes on navigating life, love, and pop culture.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Margaux · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of essays explores a variety of themes and ideas, but most of them confront the expectations, boundaries, and violence that come with womanhood. In her life, the ways that these things have shown up are examined with humor and frustration. Harron's voice is vulnerable and honest, but at times, exhausted. I couldn't help but feel echoes of Fleabag - the ways that feminism puts its own pressures on us to behave a certain way or be aware of certain information. It feels difficult to complain, because someone has it worse, or had it worse, or hell, could have it worse. But all in all, this is the life we're experiencing, and we have a right to have a painter's pallet of emotions about it, damnit! Harron's thoughts will make you blow air out of your nose probably a lot. You'll go "You know, that's so true," until your head falls off. I definitely learned a lot about trans womanhood and the ways that those two things are both woven together and artificially pushed apart. Harron has a lot to say, and I loved reading.

Major Tropes & Themes:

- womanhood/feminism/gender
- humorous observations
- trans women
- healthcare & reproductive freedom
- capitalism & patriarchy
- fertility
- girlboss

4/5 stars!

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I honestly didn’t really like this. It’s really all over the place and feels unedited. She tells you the J school formula for essays—‘character drive lede that zooms out then zooms in then 99’s out then zooms in and closes with a quote’. But she never does that! Essays start off in one place and meander all over. The piece ostensibly about The Devil Wears Prada was tedious. The one that relates the story of the authors grandmother that might have been a trans ally just read strangely—like an unedited family story. Maybe the author wasn’t sure how to approach the subject, but this didn’t work for me. I feel like I read three essays about her parenting and fertility thoughts. To me, this is boring as hell. One essay that starts off analyzing Imogen Binnies Nevada, veers off into meanderings about parenting again. The one essay I really liked and wanted more of was the one about Greer Lankton. I’d love to read a book about her.

Walker isn’t a bad writer, I think—as she says herself that her brain opens up too many tabs at once. A good editor could have helped close the tabs or made the essays more cohesive.

[Jonas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this but, even though there were parts I enjoyed, Aggregated Discontent just did not do it for me. Unfortunately, this is mostly a collection of rather meandering writing that only occasionally arrives at an insight that is genuinely interesting or original. As other reviewers have pointed out, portions of the book do feel strangely under-edited: some chapters could have done with a bit more space, others dragged on for too long. Walker is not a bad writer and I appreciated her candor and vulnerability throughout the essays contained in this collection. The insightful pop culture analysis and commentary on politics I was hoping for, however, were nowhere to be found. Those topics were certainly front and center but Aggregated Discontent rarely goes beyond surface-level commentary mixed with personal anecdotes and a few semi-related references to pop music and literature. Much of the information contained in the book's more politically-minded essays was not new to me, so it may just be a case of me not being the target audience for this book combined with a personal preference for a more toned-down style.

[Lila Chaar-Pérez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I enjoyed the humor and vulnerability found throughout this essay collection, as a whole the book is uneven in quality and sometimes repetitive. When the author shines, as in the opening essay, she is an excellent writer, but there are quite a few filler essays thrown in here. And the Greer Lankton essay, which has some zingers, could have been edited down. The same with the Devil Wears Prada essay, which was overwrought and too long. The essay form can be very difficult in a book, and I think the author may have struggled translating her regular locus of production, cultural and social journalistic pieces, into an essay collection.

I also got a whiff of NYC cultural cliquishness in some of the content, which is fine but could have been unpacked more, especially in terms of capitalism and whiteness. Still worth a read, even with these caveat, but I was disappointed because Walker can really write.

[Ailin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aggregated Discontent was very hit or miss for me. Most of the essays were not my style of writing. I would classify Walker’s writing as, similar to many other writers in the magazine relm, as “talking to your best friend.” I don’t think the book was written poorly, but I have difficulty with that type. I wanted to know more about Walker, and found many of the chapters to be describing different parts of influential queer culture. That is amazing and much of it I did not know, but I had difficulty finding a solid throughline which made the book hard for me to invest in. I did really enjoy She Wants, She Takes, She Pretends, about Greer Lankton, but really disliked the chapter What’s New and Different? which seemed to be an alternative telling of the Devil Wears Prada. I enjoyed most (if not all) of the second half of the book.
I wanted to like this one and maybe it’s because I’m used to reading all fiction and this is like my 5th non fiction book in a row, so take this with a grain of salt.
Thank you to NetGalley, Harron Walker, and Random House for the ARC in exchange for the honest review.